How to keep Windows XP alive by running it through Windows 8

Some longtime Windows XP users are having a hard time letting go of the operating system that has served them so well over the years, but The Register has discovered a way to keep Windows XP alive even if you’ve upgraded to Windows 8 or higher.

Basically, The Register says you should start by downloading the free Windows XP mode emulator that unfortunately only works on Windows 7 Pro and above but that can still run on Windows 8 with just a few workarounds. Once you download Windows XP mode, you’ll have to choose a new virtual machine monitor (VMM) to run the program and The Register says both the VMWare Player and Oracle’s Virtual Box work just fine for these purposes.

To make XP mode run on either of these hypervisors you’ll also need a valid Windows XP license, which could be tricky to find because The Register says that the license key that Microsoft gives you when you download Windows XP mode has probably expired. So if you’ve still got your old Windows XP license key laying around, now would be a good time to dig it up.

You can read full instructions for how to get XP up and running on Windows 8 over at The Register by clicking on the source link below. The publication says that its solution to porting XP to Windows 8 isn’t perfect, but beggars can’t exactly be choosers when it comes to fans of operating systems whose support has been discontinued and who now find themselves wide open to all kinds of malware threats.

http://news.yahoo.com/keep-windows-xp-alive-running-windows-8-030019281.html