Legacy software - newbie question

SteveCh

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I hope I have the right section of the forum. I need to upgrade my laptop to one running Win8 but have some legacy business software I need to run. I believe Windows 8 Pro has Hyper-V to set up a virtual machine in which I can run XP (my legacy software runs ok on my XP machines). Am I right in assuming that I will be able to load my legacy software (16 bit installers) and run it in this virtual envirnment? Is it difficult to configure? And is it straightforward to run these applications once they have been installed?

Many Thanks
Steve
 

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Hi Steve, welcome to the Eight Forums.

You are right, you can create an XP virtual machine on Hyper-V and install your legacy software on it. I have XP, Vista, Seven and various Linux distros installed on Hyper-V virtual machines, all of them working without issues.

Tutorials:
Go ahead, come back here and let us assist you in setting up your first Hyper-V virtual machine.

Kari
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
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    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
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    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
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    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
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    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
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    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
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Thanks for the quick reply. Am I right in assuming that Hyper-V is only available in Win 8 Pro. If it is, is there a 3rd party s/w that works under the standard Win 8 (non Pro)...VMware? Is it worth paying the extra for the Pro version? I will only be going for Pro for the Hyper-V.

Steve
 

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    XP
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Yes, Hyper-V is only included in Pro and Enterprise editions.

A very subjective personal opinion: I have used all free virtualization platforms, Oracle VirtualBox, Microsoft Virtual PC, VMware Player and so on. None gives so much, is so flexible and works so well as the Hyper-V. I would not hesitate, for me the Hyper-V is a reason enough to invest in Windows 8 Pro.

Other geeks might have other opinion.

VirtualBox and VMware Player work well on Windows 8.

Windows XP 2005 Media Center Edition running full screen on secondary display on Windows 8 Hyper-V virtual machine:

XP_MCE_on_Hyper-V.png

Kari
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
Thanks Kari. As things run under a virtual machine do I need to think about a faster processor. I started looking at i3 (Ivy bridge) processors but now wonder about an i5.

As a separate question is Windows 8 actually any better the 7. I have heard that a lot of people don't like it. If I decide to not go the Pro route (due to cost) I need to decide if I use 7 or 8 (and use Virtual Box or VMware Player).

Steve
 

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    XP
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When you read these forums, you'll notice that there's a real hate campaign against Windows 8. I am certainly wrong person to answer this question for I really like 8 and have made it very clear, here and elsewhere. But really, posting this opinion here will again cause some negative feedback and messages, so I am not too willing to discuss about the pros and cons of Windows 8. The consensus is that you are not allowed to say anything positive about Windows 8 or you will be considered a Microsoft fanboy who knows nothing.

Post your question about 7 or 8 here and you will see what I mean.

But, as I have already said enough to get some negative feedback, I can repeat that for me Windows 8 Pro with Hyper-V is the only thinkable system. I would never go back to Seven, having fast, reliable and easy to use Eight installed on every computer I have.

If you select Windows 7, get a Professional or Ultimate edition to be able to use Microsoft Virtual PC and the free Windows XP Mode, a fully working Windows XP Pro SP3 virtual machine running on Virtual PC Microsoft offers for free for 7 Pro and Ultimate users.

About my opinion: http://www.eightforums.com/windows-8-news/24961-frank-shaw-ms-staying-centered-2.html#post231861

Kari
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
Hi SteveCh,

If you're (a) in the UK and (b) looking to upgrade an existing older version of Windows then certainly don't buy the basic Windows 8 (non-Pro) upgrade - because the Windows 8 Pro upgrade (which has more features) is half the price!

The likes of Currys/ PC World have the Windows 8 Pro upgrade at £49.99 (if you order online and collect in store) but the bog-standard Windows 8 (without the Pro features) is £99. Amazon prices were similar last time I looked a few days ago.
MICROSOFT Windows 8 Pro Deals | Pcworld
MICROSOFT Windows 8 - Upgrade Version Deals | Pcworld

This has been true for a while and makes no sense... but is worth knowing. ;)

Incidentally you might find that if you install Windows 8-32 bit version, some 16-bit software may still work if you set compatibility options, but I wouldn't guarantee it.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
Hi Dave,
I'm looking at buying a whole new machine so an upgrade is not on the cards. I'll get it preinstalled.
 

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    XP
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One thing I do need for my legacy software is to have access to a USB device. Will Hyper-V support USB?
 

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Simple answer is no. Read more here: Hyper-V - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A bit more complicated answer: USB drives, yes. USB dongles, no. If you have for instance a USB based encryption or other security system, you will not be able to use it on a Hyper-V virtual machine.

If you mean USB drives, they can be attached to a Hyper-V with a workaround which includes removing the drive letter and setting the drive offline on host, then attaching it on vm as a physical drive using vm settings.

Naturally the vm can share host's USB drives and printers.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
I actually mean neither of these! I develope software for microcontrollers and the development software uses a proprietary USB programmer. the drivers for which are usually loaded during part of the development software installation process (under XP). It is not seen by the OS as a drive, just another USB device.

If Hyper-V does not do this then is this support available in any of the third party VMs?
 

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    XP
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I am quite sure it will not work on Hyper-V, although it is impossible to tell without thorough testing it first.

You are running an XP system now? You could do some tests already, download and install VirtualBox on your XP host, install an XP virtual machine on VirtualBox and test if your USB will work on it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
Vmware workstation will virtualise usb's from the Host machine to the guests' and other hardware using windows 8 as the host. It is expensive, but worth it, I use it for some legacy apps and it works quite well (vmware workstation version 9 is the latest).

Another thing (instead of virtualising) you could always just install your legacy apps in compatibility mode - this often works quite well. I did this with an XP sound driver installation on a windows 7 computer for a very old pc hardware with no support for a newer OS, a bit of fiddling to setup but it works fine. That way you could run your machine natively without having to open up a VM whenever you require it.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8 x64
So if Hyper-V will not support my USB device what othe VM software will? Alex, I note what you say but isn't VMware Player a free cut down version of workstation? I am trying Virtual Box on my wifes Windows 7 laptop but have not got the USB device to be recognised yet. So I'll maybe try VMware Player. What about Virtual PC?
 

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System One

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    XP
    Computer type
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    Dell
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    Pentium
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    AVG
Hyper-V should work with most USB devices and it's more recent than Virtual PC.
VMware Player should recognize the USB (and the most USB's) pretty well. Virtual PC is pretty old and Win8 doesn't support it. If it works with USB, then some of the devices wouldn't be fully recognized; this is an issue that VirtualBox has as well, however I prefer VirtualBox for it's speed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
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    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
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    SteelSeries Sensei
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    slow and steady
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    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
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    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Hi there
for hardware USB programming - I'm going against the HYPER-V crowd here --- HYPER-V is really intended (or was designed) to run on SERVERS - where USB support isn't usually important.
Virtual machines I've created with VMware workstation that use some very old legacy USB devices seem to work straight out of the box.

I still have an excellent Minidisc professional (real studio quality) deck which is used to stream music into my multi-media server -- I'm using an XP VM for the Minidisc hardware to work -- works fine. I also have some things like old HP plotters / line drawing equipment etc etc.

I doubt that I could even THINK of getting any of this to work on VM's created on HYPER-V. I did try a while ago and it wasn't successful.

With XP and VMware workstation the USB is simply allocated to the VM - the Host OS doesn't have to do ANYTHING with it other than know that your machine is fitted with USB slots.

The code can then be written in the VM for handling the interaction between hardware and USB. (Just like writing drivers for XP)

(Should also work in the FREE VMWARE workstation too) .

Cheers
jimbo
 
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    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
Well, I've had an IT expert (my son-in-law who was visiting this weekend) look at this and he has got VMware Player working great with my USB debug hardware, so that seems to have sorted that. He uses VMware a lot. Thanks for all your advice. I can now go ahead and order up my new laptop with Win 8.
 

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Well, I've had an IT expert (my son-in-law who was visiting this weekend) look at this and he has got VMware Player working great with my USB debug hardware, so that seems to have sorted that. He uses VMware a lot. Thanks for all your advice. I can now go ahead and order up my new laptop with Win 8.

Hi there
Glad to be of service

VMware player is a great FREE product -- however I use VMware workstation as I get it supplied by work !!!. The main problem with the Hyper-V solution is that it really is designed more for servers and corporate type users so things like specialized hardware access via USB etc aren't so well (if at all) supported as with VMware .

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
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