Having released Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC to manufacturing at the start of this month, Microsoft is currently offering the two Windows 7 features for download. However, neither Windows XP Mode nor Windows Virtual PC is currently delivered to the general public. The Redmond company has made sure that its developer and IT professional communities are the first that will get the RTM versions of the virtualization solution and the free, virtualized copy of Windows XP. In this regard, only users with an MSDN or a TechNet subscription will be granted access to the gold builds of Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC.

“The RTM builds of Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode are now available for people with an MSDN / TechNet subscription. On MSDN you can sign in and: Go to Subscriber Downloads; Select Applications; Scroll to the bottom of the list and select Windows Virtual PC,” revealed Ben Armstrong, a program manager on the core virtualization team at Microsoft.

It was on October 1st that the Redmond company announced that it had finalized Windows XP Mode. Designed as a Windows 7 feature, Windows XP Mode can be integrated with the Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate editions of the latest Windows client. Although MSDN and TechNet subscribers are already able to grab and start using Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC as of October 7th, the rest of the users will have to wait until October 22nd to get their hands on the two solutions.

“Windows XP Mode is designed to provide small business and mid-sized businesses running Windows 7 Professional (or higher) the ability to run Windows XP productivity applications that may not be natively compatible with Windows 7. We expect many Windows XP applications to be compatible [with] Windows 7 however Windows XP Mode is meant to serve as an added safety net so small and mid-sized businesses can migrate and run Windows 7 without any road blocks. Windows 7 Professional is designed to meet the needs of small and mid-sized businesses,” explained Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Communications Manager on the Windows Client Communications Team.