Windows 10: Can I use older XP compatible hardware in Win7 with Virtual PC?

I just went here to download Windows Virtual PC. https://download.cnet.com/Windows-Virtual-PC-64-bit/3000-18513_4-75451520.htmlI think that's what I needed to run older XP compatible hardware but all I got was a 16mb Windows Update file. There's no .exe file in it. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with it. I opened it with 7zip and seem some cab files, etc, but no setup. I'm perplexed. So lovely when it comes with no help page. So considerate.

:)

 

Can we use older XP compatible hardware on Win7 somehow?

A lot of older computer hardware has no Win7 drivers. I heard it may be possible to run them with some sort of software acting as a bridge of some sort. I'm using Win7 Ultimate and was told that Virtual PC would run on it but it when installing it it says
its not compatible. I got it from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=3702

Then that got me wondering if I need to run Virtual PC all the time I'm using that older hardware. I would presume so?

Are there any other options? Other than having XP as a mutli-boot option?

 

Can we use older XP compatible hardware on Win7 somehow?

The short answer to your question is -- as it always is with computers -- "it depends."

Microsoft Virtual PC is software that "emulates" the hardware that comprises a computer. The "virtual" or emulated computer may be able to access some of the actual hardware installed on the real computer that is "hosting" the virtual computer.

For example, Virtual PC can access an optical disk drive or a network adapter installed on the host computer. It does so, however, using drivers that are built into the virtual PC software. As far as I know, with the exception of USB-connected devices,
there is no way to install a driver in the operating system running in the virtual machine that is specific to the actual hardware installed on the host computer.

The prime example of this is the display adapter or video card that is installed in the host computer. Virtual PC emulates a very basic display adapter -- an S3 Trio -- and you can't install the driver for your fancy video card even if there happens to
be an XP driver for it.

So it depends on what sort of "older computer hardware" you're talking about. An older USB-printer for which there is an XP driver -- yes. An older device that is installed on a PCI expansion card -- probably no.

As far as the "not compatible" warning that you received when you attempted to install Virtual PC, that's probably because whatever hardware you have running Windows 7 Ultimate is itself "too old." Specifically, Virtual PC requires "Intel®, AMD®, VIA® processors
capable of hardware-assisted virtualization, with the setting turned on in the BIOS." To check, see

https://www.ghacks.net/2014/06/21/find-pcs-cpu-supports-virtualization/

 

Can we use older XP compatible hardware on Win7 somehow?

Run this diagnostic tool

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=592