The final step in getting XP Mode working is to configure your applications in the Windows XP virtual machine that was installed in the previous post. I will refer to the process we will be using as publishing because technically, we are publishing the application to Windows 7 via Windows XP. The cool thing about this is that you don’t actually have to run the application in the virtual machine window. Virtual PC will pull the application out and place it right on your Window 7 desktop.
First let’s publish Internet Explorer 6, since it is already installed on the Windows XP virtual machine.
All we have to do to publish IE 6 is to place a shortcut into the "All Users - Start Menu" folder. This is all done inside the Windows XP virtual machine.
When you click on the Windows 7 Start menu, you will see the IE 6 application we just published in the "Windows Virtual PC -> Virtual Windows XP Applications" folder.
When you click the IE 6 virtual app in the Start menu, you will be prompted to close the virtual machine. The virtual app cannot be opened when the virtual machine is open.
Virtual PC will now close the virtual machine and open the virtual application.
Congratulations! You are now running IE 6 on Windows 7 via XP Mode. Notice how the Title bar looks like the Windows XP theme.
You can do the same process with any other application. You will have to install the application first in the Windows XP Virtual Machine.
In the Start menu, open the Virtual Windows XP machine again.
If you have any virtual applications open, you will get this prompt to close the virtual applications.
When installing your new application, make sure that if asked, you install for All Users. This should automatically publish the application to your Windows 7 desktop. If not, you can always follow the steps we used for IE 6.
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