Windows 10: Run W7 legacy software on VM under W10 or dual boot?

Hi, I've got a few questions: I'm currently using Windows 7 Pro on two separate PCs and with updates no longer being provided by Microsoft I'm considering installing Windows 10. My main concern is the software I have installed that will not run under Windows 10. I've got various CAD and design software, all having been developed for Windows 7. Some of them, for example 3DS Max, won't function under Windows 10 according to the company selling it, Autodesk. Instead, I'm suggested to upgrade for an annual fee of $250. I also have Maya, and that's another $250 annual fee. I use these occasionally. As I have other software like this, it will become quite expensive, as these fees are on an annual basis, not by usage. 1. So first question is, could I run my W7 based software on a W7 Virtual Machine, or similar under Windows 10? Could I dual boot W7 and W10? Any recommendation of which is best? 2. I've got a contingency question. I've got a separate new SSD that I intend to install W10 to. Would I be able to keep my old W7 disk, with all the legacy software on it, rather than having to reinstall software? I assume yes if I dual boot, but no, if I try to run as VM. Some of the software is no longer be available from the providers, despite having paid for it once, as some providers only offer subscriptions.

:)

 

Run W7 legacy software on VM under W10 or dual boot?

Hi there
Dual booting means of course that you must boot up ONE or OTHER of the OS's --you can't run both at the same time, also you cannot guarantee that the older OS would always work on newer hardware and certainly it won't (the legacy OS) have all the security that the newer OS has so to be safe the legacy OS would have to be isolated for the Internet while it's running.

AS A VM it can still function securely since you can restrict Internet access on it while running the main OS.

The only possible advantage to dual booting is if you need to test the actual hardware of modern OS's -- not an issue with legacy systems --with those IMO there's ZERO advantage into running these as dual boot OS's

BTW some VM systems support 3D graphics and acceleration quite decently too :





Cheers
jimbo

 

Run W7 legacy software on VM under W10 or dual boot?

Hi,


I've got a few questions:

I'm currently using Windows 7 Pro on two separate PCs and with updates no longer being provided by Microsoft I'm considering installing Windows 10. My main concern is the software I have installed that will not run under Windows 10.

I've got various CAD and design software, all having been developed for Windows 7. Some of them, for example 3DS Max, won't function under Windows 10 according to the company selling it, Autodesk. Instead, I'm suggested to upgrade for an annual fee of $250. I also have Maya, and that's another $250 annual fee. I use these occasionally. As I have other software like this, it will become quite expensive, as these fees are on an annual basis, not by usage.

1. So first question is, could I run my W7 based software on a W7 Virtual Machine, or similar under Windows 10? Could I dual boot W7 and W10? Any recommendation of which is best?

2. I've got a contingency question. I've got a separate new SSD that I intend to install W10 to. Would I be able to keep my old W7 disk, with all the legacy software on it, rather than having to reinstall software? I assume yes if I dual boot, but no, if I try to run as VM. Some of the software is no longer be available from the providers, despite having paid for it once, as some providers only offer subscriptions.

 

Run W7 legacy software on VM under W10 or dual boot?

Hi there
for once I have to disagree with you here @Kari

KVM with decent pci passthru can be almost as fast as bare metal and for non intensive gaming -- e.g typical bog standard things people use Windows for the paravirtualised virtio drivers improve windows i/O on a VM really well -- a noticeable difference.

Gone are the days where VM's were by their nature necessarily sluggish with a lot of overhead. Typical machines have oodles of CPU power and usually plenty of RAM available -- the big bottleneck which is often neglected especially in domestic computers is hideously slow I/O.

Why Windows doesn't yet have any sort of sensible software RAID is still a huge mystery to me -- however that's another whole issue.

Anyway here's a W10 pro 4GB RAM QEMU/KVM VM running EXCEL -- minimal CPU use -- host barely notices it !!! = Only when CPU powers up is there any extra load - once the GUEST is is powered up and VM memory allocated plus network allocations and services started the VM settles down to a fairly minimal constant value --unless you go Bonkers on the GUEST !!!!









Cheers
jimbo