Windows 7 has hit its first stumbling block, one which could blow up to be as big as the ‘Vista Capable’ kafuffle. The much hyped XP Mode software, which allows Windows 7 to run old software designed for Windows XP, won’t run on certain kinds of Intel processors. And the real snag is that these incompatible chipsets can be found inside some of the most popular computers available today.
The problem is that in order to run Windows 7’s XP Mode, you need a CPU with Virtualization Technology, aka Intel VT. Intel, however, has included or excluded Intel VT seemingly without rhyme or reason across its whole sprawling CPU range.
Furthermore, even if the chip does support it, but your motherboard BIOS doesn’t have Intel VT enabled, you won’t be able to use Windows 7 XP mode either.
So is Microsoft going to gets its fingers burned again? It’s very hard to tell at this point and far from clear how many Intel CPUs support Virtualization. Many businesses rely on software that is only able to run on Windows XP. XP Mode would allow them to upgrade to Windows 7 safely, but not if half of their computers are mysteriously unable to run it.
On the other hand, XP Mode is only an optional extra for Windows 7, and there’s more powerful virtualisation software for serious business users. They’ve also had a long time to get used to the idea that Windows XP is not going to be around forever, so maybe the impact will be lessened.
You can find a list of incompatible Intel processors here (desktops) and here (laptops). It’s also worth noting that AMD might have its own issues with XP Mode too, but it’s yet to be revealed whether any of its chipsets are affected.
