Have you got any software that doesn't yet work in Vista, or maybe you just want to see how a web site looks in Internet Explorer 6. You could dual-boot XP and Vista, but switching between operating systems takes too much time.
Instead, quickly toggle between Windows versions with an XP virtual machine running inside Vista using the free Virtual PC 2007.
What you'll need
1. A Windows XP setup disc with a license.
2. The free Virtual PC 2007 download.
3. About an hour, depending on how fast your computer is.
Lots of peopel say that other virtualization software, like VMWare or Parallels for Windows is better or faster than Virtual PC. That may well be true, but Virtual PC is free, which is just cheap enough for home use.
Create a new XP Virtual Machine
From Virtual PC's Action menu, choose "New Virtual Machine Wizard" and you're off. Within the VM Wizard, you'll set how much RAM to allocate to the XP virtual machine, and you'll also set up a new Virtual Hard Drive with a size you set that XP will use to store data.
Screenshot tour
Once your new VM is installed, insert your XP setup disc into your CD drive. Then, within Virtual PC, select the XP vm, and hit the Start button.
Install Windows XP
You'll be prompted to format a "new partition," which is the virtual hard drive you set up earlier. The first time you click inside the XP VM, Virtual PC will attempt to "capture" your mouse pointer. Once it's inside the VM, you won't be able to move it out of the window without using a special key combination (Right-Alt, by default.)
Happily using some extras for VPC, we can stop the Right-Alt madness. Once setup completes, XP will "reboot" and start running inside a window on Vista.
Install the Virtual Machine Additions
Once setup completes, XP will "reboot" and start running inside a window on Vista.
To get extra VPC features like sharing the mouse and folders between guest OS and host, start up your XP VM, and from the Action menu, choose "Install or Update Virtual Machine Additions" (the key command is Right-Alt-I). VPC will go through its paces and prompt you to reboot the XP VM.
Once VM Additions are installed, you can move your mouse between your XP VM and Vista host without having to press Right-Alt to free the pointer. Additionally, you can share folders from the host PC to the VM.
Source: Lifehacker
Useful Links: VPC2007 Web site, Virtual PC Guy's blog
i've not tried yet
