- Windows XP Mode Overview
- Windows XP Mode Pre-Requisites
- Windows XP Mode Installation
- Putting Windows XP Mode to Work
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Windows XP Mode Installation
Once the preliminaries are out of the way, you can download and uninstall all XPM components in half an hour or less. In simple steps, first download and install the latest Virtual PC, then download and install the XPM add-in. This results in various additions to your Start menu in the All Programs view, under a Windows Virtual PC heading, including Windows XP Mode Applications (see Figure 1). These can be copied to the desktop as shortcuts, or pinned to the Start menu or Taskbar for super-easy access. Figure 1 shows what XPM does by default, after I installed AVG Free inside my XPM virtual machine.
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Figure 1 After installing the XPM add-in, you get direct Start menu access to that VM.
Here’s a hurry-up sequence of screenshots during the install process, starting with the new Virtual PC, and continuing on with the XPM add-in. The captions will convey the sequence of necessary user actions involved.
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Figure 2 After downloading and running the Virtual PC installer, you must accept the license terms.
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Figure 3 Because the program comes from Windows update, it’s installed and managed as such.
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Figure 4 Once you’ve installed Virtual PC, you must reboot before installing the XPM add-in.
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Figure 5 When you fire off the XPM installer, it looks for the new Virtual PC, then gets to work.
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Figure 6 The default install directory is in the Program Files folder.
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Figure 7 The “big job” in installing XPM comes from copying and customizing its .vhd file.
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Figure 8 Once XPM finishes installing, you exit the Windows installer, but you’re not quite finished.
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Figure 9 By default, XPM start up and goes through a series of initial setup maneuvers, including Start menu setup and configuration.
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Figure 10 The real beauty of installing apps into XPM is they are automatically reflected in the menu system.