I’ve blogged about this application compatibility solution for Windows 7 before. Ben Armstrong has blogged that Microsoft has released some guidance and scripts to help you deploy the solution to a corporate environment. Note that they prefer you use MED-V from MDOP (an additional purchase for desktop SA customers) instead in large environments for easier management. Ben also mentions that there is a video with a demonstration.
The document gives you a little bit more, including how to plan your deployment of Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode. Note that XP Mode hardware requirements are:
|
Processor |
Hardware-Assisted Virtualization (HAV) enabled Intel, AMD or VIA processors (32 or 64 bit) |
|
Memory |
2 gigabytes (GB) for Windows 7 32-bit systems, 3 GB for 64-bit systems |
|
Hard disk space |
20 megabytes (MB) of hard disk space for Windows Virtual PC installation 15 GB additional hard disk space available beyond Window 7 minimum system requirement |
Allow for additional space in XP Mode depending on your applications and data storage plans. Note that XP Mode only runs on Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise editions.
The document then goes on to show you how to extract the base image (base.vhd), customise it and sysprep it. In the deployment section it tells you what file must be moved where. The scripts zip file appears to include a script for deploying the solution using Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr). MS does not recommend including XP Mode in your custom Windows 7 images. This is because you get nested images making maintenance more difficult.
Finally, there are some group policy settings that must not be changed. They are configured to allow the XP installation to work correctly in XP Mode. You’ll need to be wary of these (Appendix A in the document and below) when adding the VM into a domain.
The following are in Local Computer PolicyComputer ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsTerminal Services:
- Allows users to connect remotely using Terminal Services: Enabled
- Remove Disconnect option from Shut Down dialog: Enabled
- Client/Server data redirection: Not configured
Some of the GPO settings are also on the Windows 7 host and are found at Local Computer PolicyUser ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsRemote Desktop ServicesRD Gateway:
- Set RD Gateway authentication method: Enabled or Not configured
- Enable connection through RD Gateway: Enabled or Not configured (Allow users to change this setting: Enabled)
- Set RD Gateway server address: Enabled or Not configured