Windows 7 XP Mode now runs on all processors

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 18 Mar 2010 at 17:17

Windows 7 users will no longer need a virtualisation-enabled processor to run XP Mode.

XP Mode gives Windows 7 users a virtual desktop on their PC, allowing them to run legacy applications that aren't compatible with the latest OS.

Until now, Microsoft has stipulated that a PC's processor would need virtualisation support - either Intel VT or AMD-V - to run XP Mode. Now it says those requirements have been dropped, as part of a series of announcements to expand desktop virtualisation software.

Microsoft said the move will make XP Mode accessible to more small businesses, and remove the uncertainty over whether their processor is compatible with the virtual desktop.

Several members of Intel's Core 2 Duo family don't support Intel VT, for example, making it entirely possible that businesses had a selection of relatively modern PCs that weren't XP Mode compatible.

The company is releasing a new version of the XP Mode download to take account of the changes.

Microsoft was unable to confirm whether those running XP Mode without hardware virtualisation support will suffer from inferior performance at the time of publication.