Is the Windows 7 Discount Pack Compatible with XP?

Infopackets Reader 'Gene' writes:

" Dear Dennis,

Regarding the Windows 7 super discount (set to expire soon) --

I see that the Windows 7 bundle being offered is for 3 (three) licenses for Windows 7 Home Premium. Can you tell me, is there a similar discount / offer for Windows 7 Pro? The reason why I ask, is because I'm told Windows 7 Home Premium isn't as compatible with XP software. Is that true? "

My response:

This isn't a simple yes and no answer, so allow me to answer this in detail.

First: only Windows 7 Home Premium is being offered in bulk (3 licenses, discounted), and not for any other version of Windows 7. You can buy the Discounted Windows 7 pack through our site. We make a small commission (about 6%) from each sale, which supports our web site and staff of writers.

Second: Not all Windows XP programs will work with Windows 7 (all versions), but the majority will. Keep reading below for more info.

Third: You can upgrade any of your Windows 7 Home Premium to Pro or Ultimate, but it costs extra. Keep reading below for more info.

What to Do If your XP Software isn't Compatible with Windows 7

If you stumble across a program that is not compatible with Windows 7, you could either:

a) find and use a replacement program that provides similar function. For example: you could use use Mozilla Thunderbird (free) for your email client because Outlook Express isn't included in Windows 7.

b) use Windows XP mode to run the incompatible application. See below for more info.

You can determine which hardware / software you currently have installed on your computer by running the Windows 7 Compatibility Checker from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com

From my own experience, finding a replacement program for any software program not compatible / not included with Windows 7 has not been an issue. In fact, I think 95% of the programs I used with Windows XP were compatible with Windows 7.

RE: Windows XP Mode

Windows XP Mode in Windows 7 is only available for Windows 7 Pro or Windows 7 Ultimate versions. Even so, your CPU (central processing unit) inside your computer must support hardware virtualization for Windows XP mode to work. To see if your CPU supports hardware virtualization, visit the Intel and AMD web sites below and use their utilities:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com

http://support.amd.com

RE: Windows 7 Discount Sale

The Windows 7 bundle being offered through our site is for 3 licenses of Windows 7 Home Premium which can be used on 3 PCs / notebooks. This version does not include XP mode, but you may be able to use the "anytime upgrade" to upgrade to a Pro license and get the XP mode. It looks like the cost for this upgrade is currently $89 USD via Microsoft.com.

Alternative to Windows XP Mode: Using Software Virtualization

As an alternative to Windows XP Mode, you could also run VMWare software virtualization and install Windows XP inside of your Windows 7 machine. The downside is that there are a number of steps required to do this, plus software virtualization is considerably slower than native hardware virtualization (as mentioned above).

http://www.howtogeek.com