Windows Virtual PC is available as a free download. You can download the update package from the product Web page. Once you have downloaded the package, you can proceed with the installation steps.

To install Windows Virtual PC:

  1. Locate and double-click the file, Windows6.1-KB958559-plaftform.msu, where platform is either x86 or x64.
  2. Click Yes to proceed with the installation.
  3. Click I Accept to agree to the licensing terms.
  4. Click Restart Now. This will complete the installation of Windows Virtual PC for Windows 7.

After the installation is finished, Windows Virtual PC is available from the Start menu. You can also type “virtual” in the search field on the Start menu. A link to Windows Virtual PC will appear.

At this point, you have one of two options. If you plan to use Windows XP as a guest operating system, you should install Windows XP Mode. Alternatively, if you are not using Windows XP as the guest operating system, you can create your own virtual machine. In part II, we’ll look at the first option, installing Windows XP Mode.

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