# Updates in XP Mode under Windows 7
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 3, 2012, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632 "2012-03-03T08:47:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632/1 "2012-03-03T08:47:10Z")
I’ve got a new computer running Windows 7 Pro and I’ve got some old apps that don’t want to to run, so I’m setting up Windows XP Mode in a virtual machine. Should I run automatic updates for Windows XP?
Also, should I set up Microsoft Security Essentials in the virtual machine XP mode even though I’m running MSE in Windows 7?
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### Author:  [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632/2 "2012-03-03T10:15:03Z")
What kind of virtual machine? Since you have Win7 Pro, are you running Microsoft’s own Windows XP Mode through Virtual PC? (If not you should, here’s the [link to download it.](http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx)) With that, it’s pretty nicely integrated.
But yeah, either way, you should do all the automatic updates and install a separate instance of MSE (or other virus scanner) in the XP OS. Treat it just like it was a separate computer running XP, which means that updates and security are even more critical than Win7, since XP is more vulnerable in general.
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### Author:  [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632/3 "2012-03-03T10:21:17Z")
Too late for ETA: If for some reason you need an older version of IE to support your legacy stuff, you might want to select “Custom” Windows Updates, so you have the option of not installing the newest version of IE for XP.
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### Author:  [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632/4 "2012-03-03T18:53:43Z")
> [@voltaire](#):
>
> What kind of virtual machine? Since you have Win7 Pro, are you running Microsoft’s own Windows XP Mode through Virtual PC? (If not you should, here’s the [link to download it.](http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx)) With that, it’s pretty nicely integrated.
>
> But yeah, either way, you should do all the automatic updates and install a separate instance of MSE (or other virus scanner) in the XP OS. Treat it just like it was a separate computer running XP, which means that updates and security are even more critical than Win7, since XP is more vulnerable in general.
Yeah, I’m running Microsoft’s Windows XP Mode via Virtual PC. It seems to work really well and is a pretty snazzy implementation. Thanks for the advice. I’ll run MSE in that virtual machine as well. I won’t be surfing the internet from XP mode, so hopefully it will be less vulnerable in any case.
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### Author:  [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-in-xp-mode-under-windows-7/614632/5 "2012-03-03T23:27:40Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#):
>
> I’ve got a new computer running Windows 7 Pro and I’ve got some old apps that don’t want to to run, so I’m setting up Windows XP Mode in a virtual machine. Should I run automatic updates for Windows XP?
I do. Works fine.