Download Free XP SP3 and Vista SP1 from Microsoft Packaged as VHDs

Microsoft is offering no less than five free copies of Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista SP1 via the Download Center.

As I was telling you just a few days ago, the Redmond company was gearing up to release a number of free downloads of Windows XP and Windows Vista, as a part of what has been come a tradition with the software giant, in support for web developers.

New Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Images are currently available for download free of charge from Microsoft.

The company is offering XP SP3 and Vista SP1 virtualized, packaged as Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) files, that can be used with Microsoft’s virtualization solutions.

Each XP and Vista copy brings to the table a different version of Internet Explorer. The images are designed for web devs that are building sites and need to test their projects for compatibility with multiple IE versions.

“After a little delay, the Internet Explorer App Compat Testing VHDs are now available for download on the Microsoft Download Center. Like the previous set of images, these ones are time-bombed for 90 days and will expire on January 11th, 2011,” revealed Microsoft’s Pete LePage.

There are three XP VHDs:

“•IE6-on-XPSP3.exe contains a Windows XP SP3 with IE6 VHD file. Expires January 11, 2011
•IE7-on-XPSP3.exe contains a Windows XP SP3 with IE7 VHD file. Expires January 11, 2011
•IE8-on-XPSP3.exe contains a Windows XP SP3 with IE8 VHD file. Expires January 11, 2011.”

And two Vista SP1 VHDs:

“•IE7-VIS1.exe+IE7-VIS2.rar+IE7-VIS3.rar contain a Vista Image with IE7 VHD file. Expires 90 days after first run.
•IE8-VIS1.exe+IE8-VIS2.rar+IE8-VIS3.rar+IE8-VIS4.rar contain a Vista Image with IE8 VHD file. Expires 90 days after first run.”

LePage added that “These images are a bit different then the previous ones we last released in June, the default user account is an admin on the machine, and you have to use a password to log on to the VHD.

“The password and other important information is in the readme.txt file – so be sure to check that out.”

The Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image are available for download here.