Windows XP Mode

To install XP Mode in Windows 7 Pro, you need to also install Windows Virtual PC.

Given the age of Windows 7 and XP Mode, the download links in most of the online XP Mode installation guides are no longer valid.

Download the Windows Virtual PC here, being sure to select 32-bit or 64-bit as appropriate for your installation of Windows 7 Pro:  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3702

For completeness, the download for XP Mode is here (you almost certainly do NOT want the "N" version):  https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8002

You do NOT need to keep Firefox open.  In fact, unlike Internet Explorer, Firefox should just save downloaded files and not ask if you want to "run" the files as they are downloaded.  If you are not sure where Firefox saves the files it downloads, click the menu icon (the 3 horizontal bars at the top right corner of the Firefox window) and select Library > Downloads > Show Downloads Folder.  This will open a Windows Explorer window showing the folder where your downloads are saved.  You can now close Firefox (although leaving it open won't harm the installation).

Once you have downloaded both installation files, follow the directions here:  https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/use-windows-xp-mode-in-windows-7/

Note that connecting XP Mode to the Internet is just as dangerous as connect a non-virtual installation of Windows XP to the Internet.  Neither will update beyond the security patches available as of April 8, 2014,  Most, if not all, current antivirus programs will not run on XP.

As I wrote before, if the files in question are just the installer files you download, you don't need to delete them other than to reclaim the space on your hard drive.

It's not usual for downloaded files to have TrustedInstaller as the "owner" of the files.  In general, you should be wary of deleting files that belong to TrustedInstaller.

If you are certain that these files are not needed, you can "Take Ownership" of them and delete them by following "Option Two" (or "Options Three") here:  https://www.vistax64.com/threads/take-ownership-of-file.67717/ 

Read the Information, Note, Tip, and Warning at the top of the page before you do anything.  Although written for Vista, the instructions will work for Windows 7.

Note:  The "code" used in the example for Step 4 in Option Two, is confusing because the HTML for the page is messed up.  The example should look like this:

icacls "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\winload.exe.mui" /grant Brink:F

See this guide to installing and setting it up:

http://www.notebooks.com/2009/11/23/using-windows-virtual-pc-with-windows-xp-mode/

About 4 or 5 years ago, I downloaded the same files 4 times for a total of 25 files that are connect to running Windows XP Mode, duplicates for sure.  I am thinking that I need to delete these files and start fresh with the downloads you gave me.  Problem that comes up often, which is driving me crazy.  Don't know if you can help me with this problem.  I need administration permission to delete these files.  If you can, how do I set the computer so that I have administration privileges?  I don't remember when I installed Windows 7 of coming across anything asking if I wanted the administration privileges or asking for a password.  This part of any of the OS's has cost me years of data on my WinXP computer because I could not get any info that helped me find a password, if I put one in when I installed the OS.  Could not do a repair of the OS because I didn't have a password.   And thanks for the info and instructions previously. 

PS  Here we go again.  Tried to delete the files I was talking about.  Guess what, Have to have administration privileges.  Found a message on how to get those privileges.  If it's not one thing it's another.  After following the directions, when the computer was doing the change, message came up saying that it couldn't do some changes because the files were being used.  I closed everything that was open except what I was working with at the time.  Still would not make the changes needed to delete the files, for the same reason.

What are the files you're trying to delete?  If they are just copies of the installer files for XP Mode and the Virtual Machine, you need not delete them.  A more important question is do you have XP Mode and the Windows Virtual PC installed or not?  Click Start and then All Programs.  Scroll to the bottom of the list.  Do you have any of these entries:

What is the complete message you get when you try to delete the files?

Click Start, type user accounts in the Search box, and press Enter.  Under your user name, does it say "Administrator" or "Standard user"?

If you are a "Standard user" please do the following:

Open a Command Prompt (click Start, type cmd in the Search box, press Enter)

Type the following in the black Command Prompt window and press Enter

       net localgroup administrators

Are there any other members of this group OTHER THAN "Administrator"?

If "Administrator" is the only member of the administrators group, type the following in the black Command Prompt window and press Enter

     net user adminstrator

Your output should look something like the following.  What is on the line in your output corresponding to the line in bold below:

C:\Users\LEMP>net user administrator

User name                    Administrator

Full Name

Comment                      Built-in account for administering the computer/dom

ain

User's comment

Country code                 000 (System Default)

Account active               No

Account expires              Never

Password last set            11/20/2010 10:57:24 PM

Password expires             Never

Password changeable          11/20/2010 10:57:24 PM

Password required            Yes

User may change password     Yes

Workstations allowed         All

Logon script

User profile

Home directory

Last logon                   4/3/2017 5:19:36 PM

Logon hours allowed          All

Local Group Memberships      *Administrators       *HomeUsers

Global Group memberships     *None

The command completed successfully.