When running XP Mode it is possible to change the hardware and data that is automatically integrated into the virtual
pc. To change these settings, when in the XP Mode desktop click on the Tools menu and then select
Settings.You will now be at the virtual pc settings screen and should click on the
Integration Features category. From here you can specify what hardware and features you would like to integrate, or share, with your XP Mode desktop.
These features are:
·Audio
- This should remain unchecked so that you have better performance. It should be noted that even with this unchecked, any sound from the XP Mode desktop will still play through your host's audio card.
·Clipboard
- If this is enabled then you will be able to copy and paste between XP Mode and your normal desktop.
·Printer - Shares your host's
printer with XP Mode.
·Smart Cards - Allows XP Mode to access the host's smart cards.
·Drives - Allows XP Mode to access the host's drives, which include hard drives, CD/DVD drives, and
removable media.
Any changes you make to the settings above will be persistent each time you start XP Mode. On the other hand, if
you need to disable the integration for a particular session you can click on the
Tools menu and then select Disable Integration Features. This will make it so that you do not have access to any of the host's resources. To enable access to these resources, simply click on the
Enable Integration Features option in the Tools menu.
Change XP Mode Virtual Machine Settings
If you find that XP Mode is not running as fast as you would like, or you want to add more features, you need to
tweak some settings in your Virtual PC settings for XP Mode. In order to change these settings you must first shut down XP Mode so that it is not in a hibernating state. To do this, click on the
Ctrl+Alt+Del menu and then click the Shut down button on the screen that pops up.
When XP Mode has shut down, click on the
Start Menu, select All Programs, scroll down to
Windows Virtual PC, and then select the Windows Virtual PC icon. You should now see a list of your Virtual
PCs, including Windows
XP Mode. Right-click on Windows XP Mode and then select Settings. Now that Windows XP Mode is shut down, you can change the settings for your virtual machine.Settings
that you may want to consider changing to increase performance and reliability are:
1. Memory - If you find that your applications are running slowly, then you may want to bump this up so that your applications have access to more system memory.
2. Hard Disks - You are able to add 2 more hard disks to your Windows XP Mode. So if you need to add another drive to your Windows XP Mode, you can do so here. This will allow you to create a second disk on another physical drive in your
computer to enhance performance.
3. Undo Disks - Undo disks allow you to create a base image of your Windows XP Mode installation and then save all changes into an undo disk.Then if you ever need to start over from your base image, you just go back into settings and discard
the changes in your undo disk. The next time you start Windows XP Mode, you will be back at the base setup with all of the changes you have made discarded. I suggest that everyoneturn this option on as it only increases the safety of your Windows XP Mode installation.
Once you have finished making your changes, simply click on the OK button to save the changes.
When you next start Windows XP Mode, these settings will now be in effect.
Visit this link for more information on how to use Windows XP mode:
