How to Run Windows XP Mode on Windows 7 Basic and Premium

May

2010

How to Run Windows XP Mode on Windows 7 Basic and Premium

As you know, Windows XP Mode running on a Virtual Machine is only available in Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate system. Other Windows 7 editions ( Windows 7 basic and Premium) can not take advantage of this nice and wonderful feature and have to upgrade if the want to get it. However, what i have just found is an interesting hack which will let you overcome such a limitation and get Windows XP on any Windows 7 machine!

Download and install Windows Virtual PC.
Download XP Mode. Simply select, Windows 7 Ultimate along with your language.
Install everything.
During the installation process, you will get the following error: Windows XP Mode is not available on this edition of Windows. Don’t worry as it is completely normal. Your Windows 7 doesn’t have the right authorization.
Just don’t care and continue to install it.
After everything is finished, go to this folder: C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode\
Such a folder is where Windows XP Mode is installed.
Now, take permission of the Windows XP Mode base.vhd file. To do so, right click the file and select Propierties. Click the Security tab and click the Advanced button. In “Advanced Security Settings” window, click on Owner tab. Click the Edit button. Another windows labeled “Advanced Security Settings” will appear on the screen. Highlight the user name (e.g., Administrators) in the Change owner to box that you want to give ownership right. Click OK. Now, go back to the Advanced Security Settings window and click OK to get out of that window. Click OK again to exit from the Properties window. Now, to give the necessary permission to the the user, go to right click the file you want to give permission and select Propierties. Click the Security tab. In Properties window, click the Edit button to change permissions. Highlight or cick once the Administrators or the user you want to give the permissions to. If it doesn’t exist, click the Add button and create it. Click OK. In the Permissions for Administrators box , click on Full Control under the Allow to give the necessary, full permissions. Click OK to finish!
At ths point, let’s go back to the main file. Right click Windows XP Mode base.vhd file. select Properties. Untick the Read-only option.
Run Windows Virtual PC from Start Menu (Start – All Programs – Windows Virtual PC – Windows Virtual).
Click Create Virtual Machine located in the command bar.
Give a name to the new virtual machine.
Go on with the virtual machine creation wizard, until “Add a virtual hard disk” window appears on the screen. At this point, select the Use an existing virtual hard disk option and click Browse to select the location of Windows XP Mode VHD.
Finish the procedure and you are done!

Tags: hack, Windows 7

Related Tags

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11 Comments to “How to Run Windows XP Mode on Windows 7 Basic and Premium”

jelson Says:
May 17th, 2010

Very nice!!!! Thank you!!!
Marcel Says:
July 26th, 2010

Thanks! I wanted a Virtual XP, because some Apps COULD NOT WORK ON 7! XP Mode fixes it, but I can’t register it! I can’t download Windows VPC, And VPC 2007 doesn’t take USB, and My Internet modem is USB!
maxoptimus Says:
November 9th, 2010

But on win7 home basic we still need to activate XP inside virtual machine
desperatlystuck Says:
January 6th, 2011

OMG you totally saved me! I spent over 9 hours trying to figure this out. Including one hour on the phone with a complete moron from HP. Thanks so very much!!!
Theodore Says:
January 29th, 2011

Hi.
I have Win 7-64bit Home premium,and I ask,if I could put the drivers for 950C HP printer and the Epson 1600 Pro,which I had with Win XP,that I had before.
I ask, because the drivers which I found for Win 7,are not totally convenient.
Theodore Says:
January 29th, 2011

I come back,to add,that I put my question,If I proceed to your hacking.
ssP Says:
February 24th, 2011

what ever steps, u told, I exactly followed. but in vain.
I have ASPIRE ACER i5 -5745G Laptop with preinstalled win7 64 bit. (Home version)
After installation as per step above, still it says that THis version does support XP mode.
Plz verify if ur so called hack works or MS have made some changes to XP mode (downloded)
hasan alpay Says:
May 27th, 2011

hi,
thank you, it worked very well.
it asks for activation.
there is a KEY.txt in C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode
but it doesn’t work.
can you please help how the activation can be done?
my OS is windows 7 home basic
thanks
BASboss Says:
August 25th, 2011

Amazing! Who would have thought it could be that simple? Thank you so much; I wasted hours trying to solve XP mode for Windows 7 Home 64-bit. This little trick got me going in 5 minutes. THANK YOU!!!
Robert Says:
December 5th, 2011

I’ve followed all the instructions to the letter and it’s not working. When i try to open my Virtual PC i get an error message saying “Rob’s Virtual PC was unable to write to one of its virtual hard disks.” When i try to run XP Mode from the Start Menu i get a pop up message that says “Windows XP Mode is not available on this version of Windows.”
I’m stuck! Help!
Bill Says:
March 13th, 2012

I have been using virtual xp on my windows 7 Prof. box for several months. A few days ago, when I double clicked the desktop icon for Virtual Windows XP, the machine froze. I could not even get the task manager open (ctrl-alt-del). When I powered off and on, the icon was missing. Frantic (many of my important files were on the virtual drive), I reinstalled virtual xp. It is running now, but the drive is empty (new). Is there ANY way of getting back the files that were on the virtual drive? Thanks.