14 DAY TRIAL // Customers relying heavily on legacy line-of-business (LOB) applications for daily operations can still upgrade to Windows 7, and leverage the platform’s default virtualization features to deal with incompatibility issues. One illustrative aspect in this regard are companies that don’t have the resources to upgrade from older Internet Explorer releases, or that are required by regulatory agencies to run IE9’s predecessors. Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), Windows XP Mode, and Terminal Services are three virtualization options designed to make sure that IE6 and IE7 can be run seamlessly in Windows 7, according to Microsoft. The Redmond company has made available for download a free whitepaper titled ‘Solutions for Virtualizing Internet Explorer,’ detailing the solutions available to customers looking to upgrade to Windows 7, but needing to run IE6 or IE7.
“With Microsoft virtualization solutions such as MED-V and Windows XP Mode, you can continue to use Internet Explorer 7 or Internet Explorer 6 on a virtual machine. You can also use Terminal Services to virtualize Internet Explorer 6. With these options, you can continue running your applications that run only on Internet Explorer 7 or Internet Explorer 6 while continuing to enjoy the new features and technologies included in Internet Explorer 8, or you can use operating systems that come with Internet Explorer 8 as the default browser,” an excerpt from the whitepaper reads.
The whitepaper is designed to provide an in-depth perspective over MED-V, XP Mode and Terminal Services, and allow customers to make the best decision in accordance with their IT environments. The resource explores a range of aspects associated with each virtualization option, including benefits, limitations, and requirements, while also offering recommendations.
“Your organization may not currently have the time or resources needed to rebuild, refit, or upgrade such applications within the timeframe required to roll out a new operating system. You may find that you are already maintaining older hardware that you need to support your older applications—this requires the effort of IT staff and can be very costly. Microsoft provides solutions that let you run previous versions of Windows (and Internet Explorer) by using virtualization on your current hardware and software,” Microsoft notes in the whitepaper.
Update for Windows 7 (KB977206)
Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB977206)
Windows XP Mode RTM and Windows Virtual PC RTM are available for download here.
