If you need to upgrade an existing version of Virtual PC, you can follow the steps described in the previous section for performing a clean installation. The main difference is that you must first complete these preliminary tasks to prepare the computer for the upgrade:

1. Turn off all virtual machines
2. Perform a backup of all Virtual PC files
• Virtual PC configuration file (Options.xml)
• Virtual machine configuration (.vmc) files
• Virtual hard disk (.vhd) files
• Undo disk (.vud) files

You can now proceed with the numbered steps described in the section entitled ‘Performing a Clean Installation.’

Note: You cannot upgrade from Virtual PC 2004 to Virtual PC 2007. You must uninstall Virtual PC 2004 and then proceed with performing a clean installation of Virtual PC 2007.

As you can see, there are minimal requirements that your computer must meet before implementing Virtual PC 2007. Your main concern is making sure your computer is equipped with sufficient hardware to run both the host and guest operating systems.

If your computer meets all the hardware and software requirements, you can move on to the installation. The process is very straightforward with a wizard to walk you through the setup.

[tags]virtual pc, virtual pc 2007[/tags]