Using XP mode on Windows 7, 64-bit or 32-bit?

Question

If I am virtualizing Windows XP using Windows Virtual PC on a 64-bit Windows 7 machine, can I run 64-bit software through the virtualization?

Answer 1

No. Windows Virtual PC will only support 32-bit Operating Systems. This is also the case for Windows XP Mode.

Answer 2

From MSINFO32 on XP in Virtual PC:

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Model    Virtual Machine
System Type X86-based PC
Processor   x86 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10 GenuineIntel ~2067 Mhz

Answer 3

Windows XP Mode is strictly the name of a special version of XP that you can download and run. This is 32 bit. On top of this, Microsoft Virtual PC only has the ability to run x86/32-bit guests.

If you actually want to install Windows from a source and not use XP Mode, you can use VMWare Player or Sun Virtual Box (both free) or VMware Workstation to install a x64/64-bit guest operating system.

Answer 4

My understanding of Windows XP mode in Windows 7 is that it is a 32-bit only OS.