If your system is Vista Compatible, but you have expensive software that is not, older legacy devices, such as scanners and pen tablets that are also not compatible, or you want to keep Windows XP around then try Microsoft’s Virtual PC 2007.  You can install older versions of Windows Operating systems along with the software and legacy devices in their own virtual machine. Windows 2000, Me, 98, NT, 95, etc.

You can drag and drop files and folders between the Host and Guest machine and more. You will need an additional partition for the guest operating system, and additional resources to run all of the operating systems as one. 

Virtual PC 2007 is a free download from Microsoft.   A 30 megabyte download for 32 bit systems and 30 megabyte by the 64 bit systems.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=04D26402-3199-48A3-AFA2-2DC0B40A73B6&displaylang=en

Thank you for the info Keenart, I'm not running Vista but XP64 and I have no driver for my TV card and scanner, maybe this will help :)

J-L

Virtual PC does require that you are running the Vista OS as host, Basic does not qualify, before you can add other Microsoft OS’s as guest.  It looks a little like a clone of a Linux program I won't mention.

You make an interesting point, and I am not sure whether you can have a legacy device, other than USB, or Firewire, plugged into the mobo and still virtualize. 

I would check on this with MS.

I hadn't chance to test yet but I think you're wrong concerning the host OS, you can run on Virtual PC 2007 runs on: Windows Vista™ Business; Windows Vista™ Enterprise; Windows Vista™ Ultimate; Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition; Windows XP Professional; Windows XP Professional x64 Edition; or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition according to microsoft.
But you might be right for the hardware, I don't know if they use the same system as VMWare or not (if they do, then only my scanner will work)
This would be really nice though :)

J-L

Yes, you are correct, sorry, I didn't add all of the extra OS's. 

I have a couple of 16 bit grayscale page scanners, that process 33 pages per minute and a 9 x 12 pen tablet that you cannot get drivers for anymore, I want to keep in house.  

You raise another good point, about VMWare, there is a lot of activity on the Fourm you might be interested in. http://www.vmware.com/community/search.jspa?q=Virtual+PC+2007

Thank you for the link, very interesting indeed :)
I really hope to find a solution for my TV adapter and Scanner (well, I'm not really worried about the scanner, it's an usb one and I can still use it on my other computer) It's a pity of our modern world that we have to discard perfectly functional hardwares just because of a little piece of software and the decision made not to support an os (according to Canon - my scanner - XP64 is a beta OS and therefore not supported ; for my TV adapter - Hauppauge Nexus - it would be an end of life hardware and for this reason not supported)
Funny, when you think of it, we've got 64 bit processors for quiet a while now and we could imagine a much wider support (and now that Vista is here, I'm fairly sure it won't be an incentive for the creation of XP64 drivers :(
Seems, by now, everything is supposed to end in the trashcan very fast, working or not :(
 
J-L

I totally agree!~!  I cannot count the number of systems I have had to give up, because they are no longer supported.

I was quietly told by one of the techs that “That” big company has plenty of business from China to sustain the coiffures, so could finally put out the promised OS that would do everything for everyone. They almost did, but pulled back for compatibility reasons, just as they always have.   

It was also noted, realizing the Enterprise sector does not have the cash or desire to follow the upgrade madness imposed on most, Wine became an inspiration.  Now we have Virtual PC, to lighten the burden. Maybe this will slow down the upgrade dispose-all frenzy. 

The constant upgrade path is a business activity approaching a “pyramid” scheme, and all such schemes are doomed to fail.

Bill did explain in an interview, he expects to have “everything” electronic, running the OS, and he did say everything. So, I wonder when or if this frenzy, that has and is taking down part of our economy will stop, or at least slow?

In the meantime, all you can do is hang on and look for the best options, however, each day they get fewer in number and more complex in application. My grand-daughter could careless about computers; maybe she has the right attitude after all.   Maybe I need to find a nice guiet farm, retire, and raise chickens or something.

With all of the x86 out there, I think it will be a long itme, perhpas a decade before we see x64 as the standard platform. 

An interesting note for Windows, Mac, and Linux users, since MS Virtual PC 2007 does not support other OS’s other than Microsoft.

Parallels Workstation for Windows & Linux; http://www.parallels.com/en/news/id,10311

FAQS; http://www.parallels.com/products/workstation/faq/

Parallels Desktop for MAC; http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

FAQS; http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/faq/

Homepage; http://www.parallels.com/ supports both 32 bit and 64 bit systems.