The RC is publicly available here

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win.../download.aspx

also you can download the XP mode beta here

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

I've been running the RC for over a week so I'm gonna try out this XP mode now.

 

XP mode is up and running. Since XP doesn't support aero that means all the aero features aren't supported by XP windows. Features like aero peek, aero snaps, aero shake, window preview, Flip3d don't work or have minimal functionality. Now isn't there an XP Power Toy that enables an alt+tab with window preview? I wonder if that might help, probably not though. XP mode only uses 256mb of RAM and they recommend that you install AV on it. I don't think I'm going to since I'll hardly be accessing the internet with XP.

 

I take it there's no apparent way to tweak the memory allocated to the XP VM?

 

Actually there is. XP mode is just a free preconfigured XP VHD that requires the new version of Virtual PC beta to run. So you still have the options to change setting like you could in VPC.

The settings are a little difficult to get to but once you get it, you'll get it. So the new virtual PC beta seems to integrate closely with W7. It seems it's no longer a separate app it's seems it becomes integrated into part of the OS after installed. So changing settings is different than older versions. So to change settings you go to the virtual machines folder in Windows explorer and you click which virtual machine you want and you'll see the settings option appear in the W7 explorer window. You can also make a new virtual machine from the explorer window. So to control your virtual machines you can find all the options in the "%systemdisk%\username\Virtual Machines" folder like so:



The only problem I see is that once you start a virtual machine there's no way to completely shut it down without restarting the Host OS. So if you want to change settings like RAM usage for XPM you can't do so after you start it and it' requires a restart to before you can go back and change these settings. I hope this will be fixed before being officially released. It is a beta build.

 

I'm going to look into booting directly to the XP VHD since W7 has the ability to boot to a VHD.

 

Got the RC running on my laptop.. install time was barely over 10 minutes

 

I downloaded RC1 yesterday and will be installing it later today. Ive enjoyed 7057 trouble free since i got it.

 

Make sure you guys try out the XP Mode beta
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

In regards to shutting down the XP VPC in the settings panel go to close at the bottom and you can change the settings so that it'll either give you the option of what to do (hibernate, shutdown, power off) when you choose to close the VPC. Once it's either shutdown or powered off you can change all the setting related to the VPC. I wish virtual PC supported the ability to use a physical HDD to install an OS like Hyper-V does.

 

I have yet to find a program or game that would require XP mode

 

It is more for the business user, I don't see as big of a need for home users

 

There's a pretty serious bug found in Windows 7 RC x86.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1003

 

Doing the testing of Win 7 at work. I like it so far. I had an issue with an older version of Outlook (2002), but I was able to get it running.

 

You will need 2007 or Office 14
2002 was barely supported int vista

 

yeah, they released a hot fix for it. It should show up when you finish installing the OS for the first time. Just make sure you install the hot fix before you install any programs and you'll be fine. I can't remember off the top of my head if it installs automatically or not after an install.

 

IDK of any consumer apps that don't work with Vista. Of course that's not what those Mac ads say, supposedly Vista is still broken and nothing works with it.

This would solve Eggplant-ex problem where his 16 bit program won't install in 64 bit Vista. It'll run in XP mode though.

 

I hate those Mac ads...

Every program I've ever used works on XP 32 bit works on Vista 64. Hell even my older Dell printer works on it. To say that Vista sucks or even Windows 7 is a bust is an understatement. The haters need to shut their mouth and get some edumakayshawn on Windows.

 

Here's a great tip I just learned. How to put the recycle bin or other "unpinnable items" on the taskbar. Usually if you drag the recycle bin to the taskbar it gets pinned to the windows explorer icon so you can only access it via the jump list. Also if you try to pin specific documents it will pin the program and not that document to the taskbar. So if you want to open exactly that document you have to go through an extra step. Here's how you pin specific folders, control panel icons, or documents that are usually unpinnable to the taskbar.

First unlock the taskbar
2nd right click the taskbar and go to "toolbars" and choose create toolbar
at this point I made a new folder and then all the contents of that folder are now avalable on the taskbar as icons.
now drag what ever icons you want to the new toolbar on the taskbar and they'll be added.
To make it look better right click on the taskbar and choose hide title and set the view to large icons and when you finish you'll have something that looks a little like this

 

Nice! I was wondering how to do that...

Now, to get sound from my sound card...

 

did those XP drivers not work?

 

I don't remember how I did it, but since I still don't have sound on my W7, I am guessing no.

 

OK, not sure I ever tried this. I will give it another shot.

 

 

 

And?

 

can you hear me now?

 

There is no setup file in the driver, but the text file says I need to install the MS High Definition Audio Driver first, so I think I am doing that...

 

OK, officially lost.

 

Whats your sound card and/or motherboard?

I'll figure it out.

 

that info is posted on page 16

I already tried

 

I"m downloading the driver right now to see what it looks like.

Have you tried going to the device manager and right clicking on your sound card and choosing install drivers or whatever it says and go through that process?

 

WTF there's no XP compatibility mode for me. maybe it's cause i've installed the virtual XP mode. can someone who doesn't have virtual XP try it?

 

I would do that and then point it towards the folder with no executable file. I had to do that for an old dlink webcam of mine.

 

XP compatibility works for me. Even lets you pick your service pack

 

ok in the 64 bit drivers there's a setup.exe but in 32 bit there's no exe so go to device manager right click on the uninstalled sound card and choose update software or install software and choose browse my local drive for files

 

OK, went back to the ASUS site, downloaded the XP drivers, and am installing them currently in XP SP3 compatibility mode...

 

it could be cause the setup.exe was designed for 64 bit XP or I may have lost the XP compatibility since I've installed the virtual XP mode. Not sure which it is.

 

Man I still don't know if it's gonna work cause they completely redid the audio stack in Vista.

 

Good point! I forgot about that.

It IS completely different and IMO much better since you can adjust the volume levels for individual programs quite easily.

 

Sound!!

 

Yeah? Can you adjust different volume settings individually?