Windows 7 "XP Mode" RC Released !!!

The much talked about “secret feature” of Windows 7; XP Mode. Is in RC (Release Candidate) and available to download for all who want to try it out. “Windows XP Mode is specially designed for small and medium-sized businesses to help ease the migration process to Windows 7 by providing additional compatibility for their older productivity applications. Windows XP Mode provides what we like to call that “last mile” compatibility technology for those cases when a Windows XP productivity application isn’t compatible with Windows 7.” as quoted from The Windows Blog.

Based on feedback Microsoft got from the beta. They have added lots of features. Here are some of the new features included in the RC.

*) You can now attach USB devices to Windows XP Mode applications directly from the Windows 7 task-bar. This means your USB devices, such as printers and flash drives, are available to applications running in Windows XP Mode, without the need to go into full screen mode.
*) You can now access Windows XP Mode applications with a “jump-list”. Right click on the Windows XP Mode applications from the Windows 7 task bar to select and open most recently used files.
*) You now have the flexibility of customizing where Windows XP Mode differencing disk files are stored.
*) You can now disable drive sharing between Windows XP Mode and Windows 7 if you do not need that feature.
*) The initial setup now includes a new user tutorial about how to use Windows XP Mode.

In order to run the XP Mode RC properly. You must have either RC (7100) or RTM (7600) version of Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise. Also you must have 1 GB of RAM, 15 GB of available disk space, and processor capable of hardware virtualization with AMD-V or Intel VT turned on in the BIOS.

The download consists of a 5 MB Virtual PC file and a 450 MB copy of Windows XP Service Pack 3. Try it for yourself here.