How to Run a Windows XP Virtual Machine on Windows 11 or 10
Set up XP in VirtualBox or Hyper-V Generation 1 with an IDE disk, a network card XP knows and matching Guest Additions, then keep it offline with a clean snapshot.
A Windows XP virtual machine is the practical way to keep an old program, game or device utility alive on a Windows 11 or 10 PC. It works once three settings are right: the virtual disk on an IDE controller, a network card XP has a driver for, and no network connection at all. Here’s the VirtualBox build, the Hyper-V route and how to seal XP off.
What You Need Before Building a Windows XP Virtual Machine
Your own XP disc or ISO and key
Use your original XP CD, ideally with Service Pack 3 (the last one), or an ISO made from it. Skip ISO download sites: you can’t tell what was added to those images.
A 64-bit Intel or AMD PC
XP is an x86 system; on Windows-on-Arm laptops, VirtualBox runs only Arm guests.
Virtualization switched on
Intel VT-x or AMD-V must be enabled in the firmware. If a VM won’t power on, see our guide to a virtual machine not starting.
VirtualBox or Hyper-V: Which Runs XP Better on Windows 11 or 10?
Whichever virtual machine app you pick on Windows 11 or 10, XP is a second-class guest. VirtualBox 7.2 puts Windows XP (32-bit) in its “Limited” support tier, and Hyper-V’s guest list stops at Windows 7 SP1. VirtualBox is the easier host for a Windows XP virtual machine because it still has XP guest tools.
| What matters for XP | VirtualBox 7.2 | Hyper-V Generation 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11/10 Home (see Settings > System > About) | Yes | No, Pro or Enterprise only |
| Guest tools for XP | Guest Additions | None on 11/10 hosts |
| Disk controller | IDE (PIIX4) | IDE |
| Network card | Intel PRO/1000 T Server | Legacy network adapter |
| Mouse integration | Yes (USB tablet; smoother with Guest Additions) | No, the mouse is captured |
VMware Workstation, free since November 2024, can also run a Windows XP virtual machine using VMware’s legacy pre-Vista Tools image. Windows Sandbox can’t run XP at all.
Create the Windows XP Virtual Machine in VirtualBox
Install the current 7.2 release from the official VirtualBox downloads page, then set these options before the first boot.
Name it and pick the XP ISO
Click New, select your ISO and check that OS Version reads Windows XP (32-bit). Untick Install OS Using Unattended Installation so XP’s own setup runs, and leave Use EFI unticked.
Set memory, CPU and disk
The preset gives 1 CPU, 192 MB of RAM and a 10 GB disk. Raise RAM to 512 MB or 1 GB, plenty for a Windows XP virtual machine; 32-bit XP can’t use more than 4 GB anyway. Keep 1 CPU and a 10 to 20 GB disk, which grows only as XP fills it.
Keep the disk on the IDE controller
In Settings > Storage, keep the disk and the ISO under the IDE (PIIX4) controller. Oracle’s storage documentation says XP, even with SP3, won’t see SATA (AHCI) disks without extra drivers: setup finds no hard disk or stops with a 0x0000007B blue screen.
Pick the network card, then unplug it
In Settings > Network, choose Intel PRO/1000 T Server or PCnet-FAST III, which XP drives without extra downloads (MT Desktop needs Vista or later). Set Attached to to Not attached, so the Windows XP virtual machine sees a card with no cable plugged in.
Start the VM and run setup
Click Start, create and format an NTFS partition in XP’s setup, and let it restart. If the keyboard or mouse seems trapped, press the Host key (right Ctrl by default).
If the VM won’t start, or a green turtle icon appears in its status bar, Memory Integrity or another Hyper-V-based feature may be on; see our guide to a virtual machine not starting.
Finish XP Setup and Activate It With Your Own Key
The product key must match the disc type: a retail key with a retail CD, an OEM sticker key with a generic OEM CD, a volume license key with volume license media. If setup rejects a correctly typed key, the two don’t match.
Recovery discs from PC makers such as Dell or HP are often locked to that maker’s hardware and may not install or activate in a VM. Activation is uncertain anyway: no current Microsoft documentation says whether XP’s online or phone activation still completes, and user reports differ. Take a snapshot (Machine > Take Snapshot) and try activating before you spend hours on the Windows XP virtual machine.
If Windows 11 itself is rejecting your PIN or password, that’s a host problem; start with Windows won’t let me sign in.
Guest Additions Versions That Still Work on XP
Without Guest Additions, a Windows XP virtual machine is stuck at basic resolutions, won’t resize with the window and has no shared clipboard or folders. You may read that VirtualBox dropped XP. It hasn’t: the 7.2 manual still lists Windows XP (any service pack) for the Windows Guest Additions.
What happened was a run of installer bugs. VirtualBox 7.1.14 fixed Guest Additions failing to install on XP, and 7.2.2 through 7.2.6 fixed the same failure on 64-bit XP. Current 7.2 releases include those fixes, and the manual says to keep Guest Additions at VirtualBox’s own version, so don’t hunt for an old ISO.
Choose Devices > Insert Guest Additions CD Image; if setup doesn’t open, run VBoxWindowsAdditions.exe from the CD drive inside the Windows XP virtual machine. XP warns several times that the drivers haven’t passed Windows Logo testing; choose Continue Anyway each time, then restart. Don’t expect 3D acceleration: its WDDM driver needs Vista or later.
Run XP as a Hyper-V Generation 1 VM on Windows 11 Pro or 10 Pro
Hyper-V can host a Windows XP virtual machine, but Microsoft doesn’t support XP as a guest and the experience is rougher. It needs Pro or Enterprise, a 64-bit CPU with SLAT and at least 4 GB of RAM. Tick Hyper-V under Turn Windows features on or off, then restart.
In the New Virtual Machine Wizard, choose Generation 1. Microsoft’s generation guide notes that the choice can’t be changed later, and only Generation 1 has the legacy BIOS, IDE controller and legacy network adapter XP depends on.
XP has no driver for the default synthetic adapter. With the VM off, open its Settings, select Network Adapter and click Remove. Then go to Add Hardware > Legacy Network Adapter > Add and leave Virtual switch at Not connected.
On Windows 11 and 10 hosts, integration services arrive through Windows Update, which XP can’t use. There’s no time sync or clean shutdown from the host, so shut the Windows XP virtual machine down from its own Start menu. The console also grabs your mouse; press Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow to release it.
Production checkpoints depend on the guest too, so switch to Standard ones (replace WinXP with your VM’s name):Set-VM -Name "WinXP" -CheckpointType Standard
Once Hyper-V is on, Microsoft warns that VirtualBox VMs might not start or might run unreliably.
Keep the Windows XP Virtual Machine Offline and Isolated
That’s when Windows XP’s extended support ended, according to Microsoft’s lifecycle records. Microsoft has released only a handful of out-of-band fixes since then, mainly in 2017 (the WannaCry SMB flaw, KB4012598, plus a June 2017 batch for other leaked exploits) and in 2019 (the BlueKeep Remote Desktop flaw, KB4500331). Almost every other flaw found since 2014 stays unpatched in your Windows XP virtual machine. Those two best-known updates, KB4012598 and KB4500331, are still in the Microsoft Update Catalog for XP SP3. Treat the VM as a sealed box, not a second PC.
- Network: Not attached or Not connected. If one task truly needs a connection, use NAT for that step only, then switch back.
- Files: an ISO, a VISO or one read-only shared folder. Devices > Optical Drives > Choose/Create a Disk Image > Create opens the VISO Creator, which builds a virtual CD from host files. Shared folders need Guest Additions, not networking; never share a whole drive.
- Clipboard and drag-and-drop: Disabled, the default (both are in the Devices menu). To paste text in, switch to Host To Guest only for that moment: while it’s on, XP can read anything you copy on the host.
- USB: no passthrough. A passed-through device is fully under the guest’s control, partition table included.
- Snapshots: one clean baseline to roll back to once your software is installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Microsoft still offer Windows XP Mode for Windows 11 or 10?
No. XP Mode was a Windows 7 feature built on Windows Virtual PC, and its Microsoft download page is gone. Copies on other sites are unofficial mirrors.
Can I run a Windows XP virtual machine on Windows 11 Home?
Yes, with VirtualBox or the now-free VMware Workstation; Hyper-V can’t be installed on Home editions. Arm-based Windows PCs are the exception.
Can I build a Windows 98 virtual machine the same way?
Partly, in VirtualBox. Its Windows 98 preset sets 64 MB of RAM, a 2 GB IDE disk and a PCnet-FAST III card, but Windows 98 isn’t on Oracle’s support list and gets no Guest Additions or VirtualBox video driver, so expect basic VGA resolutions.
Is it safe to connect a Windows XP virtual machine to the internet?
No. A VM doesn’t make unpatched software safe on the web. Leave the adapter Not attached in VirtualBox or Not connected in Hyper-V.
The Build Order for a Working Windows XP Virtual Machine
Your own XP media and key, VirtualBox (or Hyper-V Generation 1 on Pro), an IDE disk and a network card XP knows get the Windows XP virtual machine running. Matching Guest Additions make it usable; no network and a clean snapshot keep it safe.
More setup guides and fixes are in our software and apps section.
Leave a comment