Windows 7's XP Mode

Microsoft’s hugely anticipated operating system, Windows 7, has been successful since its launch six months ago and has essentially lived up to most consumers’ expectations - holding more than 10% of the current market share. However, as with most operating systems past and present, Windows 7 is not without its own issues. One in particular that has garnered much attention surrounds the “XP Mode” feature.

Primarily designed for small to medium sized businesses, XP Mode is an optional add-on to the Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate versions of Windows 7. It is a separate application, Windows Virtual PC, running a special virtual machine provided by Microsoft that contains a pre-installed, licensed copy of Windows XP Professional SP3 as its guest operating system. The virtual machine enables multiple operating systems to run simultaneously in the same machine, thus providing a virtualized Windows XP environment for running older applications that are not currently compatible with Windows 7.

The main benefits of XP Mode include:

• It enables users to run Windows XP inside a modern operating system (Windows 7), which helps take advantage of some of the improvements that have been made to things such as hardware support and security.
• It offers seamless integration. Users have the ability to close the virtual machine and still have access to the Windows XP applications directly through the Windows 7 start menu and run them “seamlessly” alongside applications that are installed directly on Windows 7.
• It allows businesses to upgrade their operating systems while still being able to work with applications that are not yet compatible with Windows 7.

While XP Mode seems to provide a great, easy fix to application compatibility problems, it does not come without some serious concerns and security implications that should be considered.
XP Mode is an independent Windows instance that does not share processes, memory, security settings, security software, patches, etc. with Windows 7. Therefore, XP mode does not inherit any security from Windows 7 and requires the user to separately patch the copy of XP in addition to Windows 7.

• Even though Windows XP mode operates in a virtualized environment, it needs to be managed like a physical PC. This requires the user to manage settings separately, configure two firewalls and install/manage two copies of antivirus/anti-malware software. Essentially, XP Mode doubles the complexity of your business network (20 machines turn into 40, etc).
• XP Mode requires a machine with at least 2 Gigs of RAM.
• XP Mode may also impact the speed at which applications run and overall performance of the PC.

Ideally, application and program creators will update their software to become compatible with Windows 7 in the very near future. Until then, however, businesses that choose to upgrade to Windows 7 will need to install XP Mode if they have any application compatibility issues. There are several steps a business can take to make sure XP Mode is more secure after installation. These include:

1. Ensure that the appropriate anti-virus/anti-malware software is installed on XP in the virtual machine.
2. Ensure that the virtual machine gets all the XP security updates.
3. Ensure that any applications installed in the virtual machine get vendor updates when needed.
4. Disable unneeded services on the XP OS running in the virtual machine.

For more information on Windows 7’s “XP Mode” and on how 3D can help keep your business network secure, please visit our website at http://www.3dcorp.us/, email us at info@3dcorp.us, or call us at (360) 671-4906.

References: Sophos.com, WindowSecurity.com “Windows 7 ‘XP Mode’: What are the security implications, Windows 7 News & Tips