Microsoft has gotten considerable fanfare with a feature of Windows 7 that allows XP apps in a virtual machine. Yet it turns out it is a complicated question as to whether your CPU can play. Some CPUs lack the hardware, and some computers apparently lack the BIOS options to turn on the hardware option.
In my own case, I am on an HP DV 3500, brand new in November 2008. Intel has a tool that audits its CPU and tells you what your CPU reports, and, in my case, it seems the Intel CPU that I have doesn't support virtualization, and therefore the WIndows 7 band aid for XP doesn't apply.
This seems to be a case of fixing things way aftter the time when the cows left the barn. XP compatibility should've been addressed with Vista. It wasn't. Now, under Windows 7, Microsoft trumpets hardware compatibility. But it turns out that even 2008 chips don't have that feature.
Am I missing something? Is this something that folks who manage fleet PCs even worry about any more?
/rich
Intel(R) Processor Identification Utility
Version: 4.20.20090811
Time Stamp: 2009/09/11 12:52:39
Operating System: 6.1-7100-
Number of processors in system: 1
Current processor: #1
Active cores per processor: 2
Disabled cores per processor: 0
Processor Name: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P7350 @ 2.00GHz
Type: 0
Family: 6
Model: 17
Stepping: 6
Revision: 60C
Maximum CPUID Level: A
L1 Instruction Cache: 2 x 32 KB
L1 Data Cache: 2 x 32 KB
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Packaging: µFCPGA/µFCBGA
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep(R) Technology: Yes
MMX(TM): Yes
Intel(R) SSE: Yes
Intel(R) SSE2: Yes
Intel(R) SSE3: Yes
Intel(R) SSE4: Yes
Enhanced Halt State: No
Execute Disable Bit: Yes
Intel(R) Hyper-Threading Technology: No
Intel(R) 64 Architecture: Yes
Intel(R) Virtualization Technology: No
Expected Processor Frequency: 2.0 GHz
Reported Processor Frequency: 2.0 GHz
Expected System Bus Frequency: 1066 MHz
Reported System Bus Frequency: 1066 MHz
