Computer hardware is regularly upgraded or replaced in an office, which allows for better performance, tighter security, and support for newer software. But these constant upgrades can cause problems over time with older, legacy software. It could be an in-house program developed years ago for a Windows XP environment or freeware from the days of Windows 98.
For those apps, we often default to using Compatibility Mode found in the right-click menu. However, it does not always work or run the program perfectly. For those situations, there are several other methods we can use to run legacy software.
Windows XP Mode (Windows 7)
Select editions of Windows 7 (Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate) include a Windows XP license key, though XP is not installed with Windows 7 by default. This method allows you to run an installation of Windows XP from within Windows 7. It goes beyond compatibility mode, as the necessary hardware to run Windows XP is emulated to ensure your legacy software runs the way it was programmed to.
What You Need
- A Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition of Windows 7
- A processor that supports hardware virtualization
How to Install
- Go to the Microsoft Download Center page for Windows XP Mode.
- Select your language and click Download.
- Choose a version to download and click Next to begin the download.
- Run the installer after the download is completed.
- After installation has been completed, click Finish.
- Next, download Windows Virtual PC from the Microsoft Download Center.
- Choose a language and click Download.
- Select either the 32-bit or 64-bit version, depending on your Windows 7 installation. If Windows 7 64-bit is installed, download the 64-bit version. Click Next to download.
- Run setup and restart your computer when it finishes.
You will now have Windows XP Mode added to your Start Menu under the Windows Virtual PC folder.
Oracle VM VirtualBox (Windows 7 & Windows 8)
Unfortunately, Windows XP Mode was not designed to work with Windows 8, so we need to go with a third party program such as Oracle VM VirtualBox. Other virtualization programs such as VMware Player also work. With this method though, you will need a copy of Windows and a license key as one isn’t included with Windows 8. The upside of this method is that you can technically install just about any version of Windows, not just XP.
What You Need
- A copy of Windows (Disk image or physical CD) with license key
- Oracle VM VirtualBox
- A processor that supports hardware virtualization
How to Install
- Download VirtualBox from the website link above.
- Open VirtualBox and under the Machine menu, click New.
- Enter a name for your virtualized environment and set Type to Microsoft Windows and Version to the edition of Windows currently running.
- Allocate system memory for the virtual machine and click Next.
- Choose the size of the virtual hard drive.
- Select a file location and size for the virtual machine and click Create.
- After it has been created, click Start under the Machine dropdown.
- When asked for a start-up disk, choose the CD drive or image you have for Windows XP and proceed through setup as normal.
You can now run your legacy software in the Windows environment it was designed for, whenever VirtualBox is open.
Do you have an alternative to running older applications in your office? Let us know your preferred method of running legacy software in the comments below.
