Windows 7 running virtual XP requires at least 2G memory

According to foreign media reports, Microsoft executives said on Tuesday that Windows 7 running new virtual XP features have higher requirements on computer hardware, such as at least 2GB of system memory.

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that the upcoming release of Windows 7 RC and the official version will support the "Virtual XP" feature, so that enterprise users can still run those XP environments only after upgrading to Windows 7. The old app used below.

2GB of memory is needed

On Tuesday, Microsoft announced more detailed technical requirements for the "Virtual XP" feature, which puts higher demands on computer hardware. For example, to run this feature, you need at least 2GB of memory. Moreover, the processor itself must support virtualization technology.

For many computer users, they are not sure whether the processor they are using supports virtualization. Scott Woodgate, director of Microsoft's Windows Enterprise and Virtualization Strategy Division, said that Windows 7's virtual XP functionality consists of two parts: the Virtual PC technology engine and the legally licensed Windows XP SP3.

But these two parts are not integrated into the Windows 7 installation CD, but users are buying Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate, which is available for free download.

Woodgate said that the virtual XP feature is designed to facilitate the upgrade of small and medium-sized business users from XP to Windows 7, as some customers may need to use some applications that cannot run properly in Windows 7.

Running in the background

One advantage of the virtual XP feature compared to Microsoft's current virtualization products is that after the Windows 7 user installs and enables the feature, the service itself runs in the background, and the user only The operation of the old XP application software can be realized through the Windows 7 desktop environment, thereby solving the problem of multi-desktop processing.

Woodgate also pointed out that virtual XP mode is not a security solution. In order to protect the system, users need to install anti-virus software for Windows 7 and Virtual XP. Woodgate revealed that since the beginning of the development of Windows 7, Microsoft has been developing virtual XP features, but the secret has been kept secret until now.