How to Install and Setup Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

Information

Windows XP Mode is 32-bit XP Pro SP3 virtual machine.

Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 makes it easy to install and run your applications for 32-bit Windows XP directly from your Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit based PC. It utilizes virtualization technology such as Windows Virtual PC to provide a Virtual Windows XP environment for Windows 7. Windows XP Mode provides only Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise users the flexibility to run many older productivity applications in a virtual Windows XP environment on a Windows 7-based PC.

Windows Virtual PC: Requirements 

Ø  1 GHz 32-bit / 64-bit processor required.

Ø   Memory (RAM)

·         1.25 GB required, 2 GB memory recommended

Ø  Recommended 15 GB hard disk space per virtual Windows environment

Ø  Supported host (your computer) operating system:

·         NOTE:Windows XP Mode can only be installed on Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate.

·         Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit or 64-bit)

·         Windows 7 Professional (32-bit and 64-bit)

·         Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit)

·         Windows 7 Enterprise (32-bit and 64-bit)

Here's How:

1. Go to the Windows Virtual PC website, select your 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7 version and language. (see screenshot below)

2. Afterwards, click on the Windows XP Mode download button in step 3 at that site. (see screenshot below)

3. Click on Continue for Windows validation. When validation is complete, click on Continue to start the download process. (see screenshots below)

4.Download and Install Windows XP Mode

    A) Click on Save, then save the WindowsXPMode_en-us.exe file to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

C) Click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

D) Click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

E) If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.

F) When Windows XP Mode is finished installing, click on the Finish button. (See screenshot below)

5. Download and Install Windows Virtual PC

A) At the Windows Virtual PC website, click on the Windows Virtual PC download button in step 3 at that site. (see screenshot below)

C) Double click on the downloaded Windows6.1-KB958559-x86-RefreshPkg.msu or Windows6.1-KB958559-x64-RefreshPkg.msu file to start installing it.

D) If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.

E) Click on Yes. (see screenshot below)

F) Click on the I Accept button. (see screenshot below)

G) When it is finished, click on the Restart Now button. (see screenshot below)

6. Download and Install Windows XP Mode Update

A) At the Windows Virtual PC website, click on the Windows XP Mode Update download button in step 3 at that site. (see screenshot below)

B) Click on Save, then save the Windows6.1-KB8977206-x86.msu or Windows6.1-KB8977206-x64.msu file to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

C) Double click on the downloaded Windows6.1-KB8977206-x86.msu or Windows6.1-KB8977206-x64.msu file to start installing it.

D) If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.

E) Click on Yes. (see screenshot below)

F) When it is finished, click on the Restart Now button. (see screenshot below)

G) When the computer is finished restarting, continue on to step 7 below.

7. To Open and Run Windows XP Mode

A) Open the Start Menu, then click on All Programs, expand the Windows Virtual PC folder, and double click on the Windows XP Mode shortcut. (see screenshot below)

8. Check the I accept box, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

9. Type in a password and type it in again to confirm it, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

10. Select (dot) the Help protect my computer by turning on Automatic Updates now box, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below)

11. Click on the Start Setup button. (see screenshot below)

12. You will now see this for a few moments while Windows XP Mode is being setup. (see screeshot below)

13. When setup is finished and you did not check the Remember credentials box in step 9 above, then you will need to enter your password entered and click on OK. If you did, then skip this and continue on to step 14. (see screenshot below)

14. The Windows XP Mode - Windows Virtual PC window will now open. You are now in Windows XP Mode. (see screenshot below)

15. Next, be sure to install Integration Components and enable Integration Features.

16. Set Windows XP Mode Settings

A) In the Windows XP Mode window, click on Tools (menu bar) and Settings.

B) In the left pane, select Close/Shut Down.

C) In the right pane, select (dot) Automatically close with the following action, then select Shut Down and click on OK.

17. To Close Windows XP Mode

A) Click on the X in the upper right corner of the Windows XP Mode window like you would any other window in Windows 7. (see screenshot below step 19)

OR

B) In the Windows XP Mode window, click on Action (menu bar) and Close. (see screenshot below step 19)

19. Installing a Program in Windows XP Mode
NOTE: You would install a program in Virtual Windows XP just like you would in Windows 7 with the same access to everything in Windows 7. For example, hard drives, DVD drives, USB drives, Windows 7 folders and files, etc.....

A) After you have installed any program (ex: CCleaner) in Windows XP Mode, you will notice that there will now also be a shortcut to it in the Windows 7 Start Menu in the Windows XP Mode Applications folder under Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Double clicking on the program's shortcut (ex: CCleaner) in the Windows 7 Start Menu when Windows XP Mode is closed will open and run the program in Windows 7 but as if it you were running it in Windows XP Mode. You could also move or copy this Windows XP Mode Applications shortcut where you like in Windows 7 for easy use.

How to Reset Windows Password through WinRE (Windows Vista and Win 7 32 and 64bit)

 

I am sure atleast once in our life we may have faced this issue forgetting our windows login password and it's a pain if you have to actually go ahead with doing a complete format installation were you end losing all the data and s/w OR you do a parallel installation to try and save the data but you end up losing all the s/w which we can put it as NO PROFIT / NO LOSS situation. But I am sure you would like to know how to be in a WIN / WIN situation where you won't lose any S/W and Data  The below mentioned steps works for both windows vista and windows 7 (Please note that I would be putting Win7 Screen shot which is same as windows vista)  Alright let's get started

 

1) Turn on your computer Press F12 (1 time boot menu) as soon as the computer starts once you are on this screen Insert Window 7 DVD in the DVD Drive and select CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive and press ENTER

 

 

NOTE:- The Above shown screen shot is for 1 Time boot menu this screen have differ from manufacture to manufacture. If you have a different screen you may have to refer to you manufactures web site for the same.

 

2) If prompted, press any key to boot from the Windows 7 installation DVD. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only have about 8 seconds to press this key.

 

 

3. Select your language preferences and click on Next. (See screeshot below)

4. Click on Repair your computer. (See screenshot below)

5. Select which operating system you want to restore and the click on Next. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If Windows 7 is not listed here, or it is blank, then it is ok. Click on Next anyway.

  

 

6. Select the system recovery option you want to do. As we would be trying to activate the Administrative Account we need to click on Command Prompt.

7. In the command prompt, type regedit and press Enter. Registry Editor screen will pop-up

 

8. Click on HKEY_LOCALE_MACHINE (or HKEY_USERS - your choose. In this example I've chosen HKEY_LOCALE_MACHINE) .

 

 

 

9. Go to File menu and choose load hive option

it will open new window and in that navigate to drive where your OS is installed and go to <boot partition>\Windows\System32\config

in this example it is C:\Windows\System32\config

10. Choose SAM file and click Open

11.Next appear Key Name box,type the name whatever you want i.e REM_SAM

12. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\REM_SAM\SAM\Domains\Accounts\Users\000001F4 key and double click on string F,

it will open table with hexadecimal numbers

 

13. In this table find 11 number (8th line,first column in table -images),click to the right of it, press backspace and the 11 disappear and insert the 10 in this place

14. Close box,the whole regedit and restart computer.

15. Log on to build-in Administrator account and go to Control Panel > User Account > Click on the Account from which you would like to remove the Password and click on remove password