Discussion on:

Install Windows XP in Windows 8 Client Hyper-V

Do you still need to run Windows XP in some form even if you already have Windows 7 or are planning to install Windows 8? Could Client Hyper-V be the answer?

I have been running 10 XP guests on the free VMware ESXi hypervisor server for the past two years. The Hyper-V setup screens are IDENTICAL to the VMware setup screens. If you need XP, running it virtual is the way to go.

I have run Coreinfo on my machine (RTM Win-8 with all updates), and it states EPT/SLAT is enabled and OK. Great. So went to add in the Win-8 Windows features, and it won't permit Hyper-V Platform (management is OK) "as SLAT is not available". Any thoughts/ideas?

...entire error message you receive when you attempt to install Hyper-V. Also exactly what CPU do you have in your machine?

The CPU is Intel Core 2 Duo E6600. I don't get an error message when I try to install the Hyper-V Platform - the option is greyed out so I cannot initiate it. On hovering my mouse over the checkbox, I do get the message "Hyper-V cannot be installed: The processor does not have second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities.". Thanks.

...the Intel Core Duo E6600, this CPU was released in 2006... As such, this CPU doesn't have SLAT capabilities and won't support Hyper-V.

http://ark.intel.com/products/27250/Intel-Core2-Duo-Processor-E6600-4M-Cache-2_40-GHz-1066-MHz-FSB

When you run Coreinfo, it is easy to misinterpret the output.

If your CPU does support SLAT you will see an asterisk * next to EPT field:

EPT * Supports Intel extended page tables (SLAT)

If your CPU doesn't support SLAT you will see an minus sign - next to EPT field:

EPT - Supports Intel extended page tables (SLAT)

If you don't pay attention to the presence of the asterisk or minus sign, and just focus in on the wording "Supports Intel extended page tables (SLAT" you would misinterpret the reading.

Please run Coreinfo again and I'll bet that you see a minus sign next to EPT field.

Thanks for this - you're right! I assumed the text said it all, and it didn't. It really could have been made a little more obvious!

The CPU is Intel Core 2 Duo E6600. I don't get an error message when I try to install the Hyper-V Platform - the option is greyed out so I cannot initiate it. On hovering my mouse over the checkbox, I do get the message "Hyper-V cannot be installed: The processor does not have second level address translation (SLAT) capabilities.". Thanks.

Well what the article does not tell you is that Windows 7 Pro included a full licensed copy of Windows XP pro via the Windows XP mode. Installing Windows Pro in the Windows 8 Hyper-V will require you to purchase a full version of Windows XP pro ($199 retail) effectively doubling the price of the Windows 8 Pro\Windows XP as opposed to Windows 7 Pro\Windows XP that we had before. Microsoft should think about offering a lower price VM license for customers who upgrade to the latest O/S but still need to run legacy software occasionally in a VM.

Greg, thank you for providing your articles in the blog format as well as the slide show. It sure makes for a much easier read. You've always provided very good and informative articles.

As for your comment requesting CPU information, I was given a system with an AMD CPU (quad-core 2.5 GHz) because the guy who bought it, bought it primarily to use to run VMs using VMWare. I set it up for him (I was working in the IT dept at the time). When he put the VMs on, they would crash repeatedly. We finally discovered that there was some sort of bug with AMD that would cause that. He gave me the system and bought an Intel system that worked fine. I got a new system that I needed for home which is still in use. This was about three years ago. We never tried the MS product so I don't know if it had the same issues.

Sewt your AV to turn off checking the files in the folders where your VMs are stored. Slows down the VMs.

I feel silly for asking this, but to clarify, if I specified 1024MB of RAM for the virtual machine, would that 1024MB of RAM only be used when the virtual machine is running? ie If I had 4GB of RAM installed and specified 1GB for the virtual machine, when the virtual machine wasn't running, would I still be able to access all 4GB of RAM. Thanks

Will the XP machine be able to access the same C:\ hard-drive files as the native Windows 8? Could Dropbox be used if not to keep the files (appearing) the same?

I followed the steps and when I got to the product key page I get the "The Product ID you entered is not valid"

Checked with Microsoft; they confirmed the key is good.

Deleted and built a new VM; same issue.

Anyone else have this issue?

I was able to create a virtual machine and install XP on it. Now I just need to know where to look to figure out what I am doing wrong with NIC settings. When I enable the virtual switch, I soon find that even the Windows 8 loses access. I understand the transient condition when I create the virtual switch. It gets through that fine and I find that the XP system cannot access the network, and then I see that Windows 8 can no longer access the net either. I've tried assigning static IP configuration to the physical NIC, but even that does not help.

Hello Greg, I did the same as you explained to install windows XP in Hyper -V, but surprisingly i cannot see my USB HDDs that i have plugged into my computer. with Windows 7 haveing Windows XP mode it was showing up all the USB ports.

Please help

Thanks
Srini.

Does it have to install XP via a disk or can I download it and then install it?