Windows 7 Gets Windows XP "Classic" Environment
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 24th Apr 2009 23:44 UTC, submitted by google_ninja
Windows It's something lots of people here on OSNews have been waiting for. It's something we've talked about, something we've theorised about, and something we've declared as the future for Windows' backwards compatibility - and now it's here, and official. Over a month ago, Microsoft bloggers Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott have been briefed by Microsoft on a technology for Windows 7 called Windows XP Mode. Available as a free download for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate users, it's a fully integrated and licensed copy of Windows XP SP3 in a VirtualPC-based environment, with full "coherence" support. In other words, it's Microsoft's variant of Apple's Classic environment, and it's coming to Windows 7, for free. Near-instant update: The Windows 7 RC will indeed be available publicly on May 5. TechNet/MSDN will get it April 30.
E-mail Print r 8   · Read More · 75 Comment(s) http://osne.ws/gho
Thread beginning with comment 360559
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE[2]: Comment by sumone
by libray on Sun 26th Apr 2009 05:20 UTC in reply to "RE: Comment by sumone"
libray
Member since:
2005-08-27



I'd be surprised if Microsoft made you patch XPM separately. As for defragmenting, well, that depends on their implementation. I expect you won't have to manage a seperate virtual disk, that user files and XP apps will be stored on the host filesystem. That wouldn't be to difficult to accomplish. That would also put file system management in one location.


If XPM is a virtual XP, whether you patch automatically through a central tool or not, you will still have twice the patch downloads. One download for Win7 and the other for XP.

A virtual machine requires a method of booting its own filesystem and this is accomplished through raw devices, partitions or pseudo drives created from one big disk image.

Also, I'd rather the XPM not be able to put its library of malware on the host OS filesystem.

Reply Parent Score: 3