Microsoft Windows 7 To Offer Virtualized 'XP Mode'Microsoft Windows 7 To Offer Virtualized 'XP Mode'

With a feature called Windows XP Mode, Microsoft will be using virtualization to let Windows 7 customers run applications designed for older versions of Windows without having to worry about incompatibility, the company said late Friday.

Software incompatibility caused many headaches upon the release of Windows Vista, contributing to Vista's poor initial reception and pushing back deployment for a large majority of companies, many of which have continued downgrading newly delivered PCs to Windows XP. Windows XP Mode is clearly aimed at ameliorating those concerns vis-a-vis Windows 7.

Earlier this month, Dimensional Research released the results of a survey of more than 1,100 IT professionals. It found that 83% of companies intend to wait more than a year to upgrade to Windows 7 after it's released, while 41% intend to wait longer than two years.

Windows XP Mode could help hasten adoption if it can help convince companies that they needn't worry about software incompatibilities. Microsoft's client division revenue was down 16% in the third quarter this year, so Windows needs any kick it can get.

Windows XP Mode suggests that Microsoft may use similar features going forward to let it make more significant changes to Windows from one version to the next, using virtualization technology to ensure backward compatibility.

Windows XP Mode will come as a free add-on for customers with Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate. It's unclear whether the feature also will be available for customers who purchase Windows 7 Enterprise, but that seems likely.

According to a report by Windows SuperSite detailing the feature, Windows XP Mode includes the next version of Microsoft Virtual PC and Windows XP Service Pack 3. According to that report, the Windows XP environment will run hidden alongside Windows 7, and applications targeted to run in Windows XP Mode can be launched on a per-application basis from within Windows 7 rather than from within a separate Windows XP desktop.

However, while Windows XP Mode might help with incompatibilities, it comes with a number of drawbacks. Windows XP Mode requires computers to have a full version of Windows XP installed alongside Windows 7, so to critics it may represent another example of Microsoft bloat and raises the question of its effect on system performance. The Windows XP download will be free for customers who have certain versions of Windows 7, but will still require a significant download and represents another operating system to support.

Microsoft no longer offers free support of Windows XP, as the operating system went into Extended Support Mode on April 14. That means that only customers of Microsoft's Premier customers support program will be able to get non-security patches for Windows XP, and only for a fee.

Though stable, Windows XP has suffered many more security vulnerabilities than its predecessor, Windows Vista, and won't have nearly as many security features as Windows 7, which includes VPN-less corporate network connection, thumb drive encryption, enhanced Group Policy features, a more configurable version of Windows Vista's User Account Control, and better malware protection.

Each year, information honors the nation's 500 most innovative users of business technology. Companies with $250 million or more in revenue are invited to apply for the 2009 information 500 by May 15.