Windows Virtual PC (XP Mode) for Palm Software

[Tom ZeCat]

I've finally got Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on a PC that previously had XP Professional. I've been pleased that program after program written for XP ran perfectly under Win 7 with only one (HP Organize) needing to be set to Win XP SP 2 compatibility, but then will ran under 7 fine.

Until I got to my very most important software: My Palm OS stuff. I keep all my schedules, shopping lists, and most importantly Quicken financial stuff on my Palm Treo 650. The Treo stuff installed, but then the @#$%ing thing wouldn't hot sync. I googled around about the issue and found this:

http://forums.palm.com/t5/Windows-Ho...1755?jump=true

Turns out Palm hasn't bothered to write sync drivers for 64-bit operating systems. Great. This, plus their dropping support for Quicken for Palm OS has made me see that I'll have to migrate to something else at some point. However, I don't want to have to do that right away if I don't have to.

I installed Windows Virtual PC (the run XP under Win 7 plug-in). Since my Win 7 is 64-bit, I installed the 64-bit modules for Win XP. The Palm software installed perfectly in this mode (was buggy under native 7), but the @#$%ing sync still didn't work. I'm wondering if I can install the 32-bit Virtual PC modules instead, even though I'm in Win 7 64 bit. Anyone know? Maybe that will solve my Palm problems.

I simply cannot be without Quicken for Palm syncing with Quicken for Windows. A PDA version a Quicken was the answer to my prayers. I keep my account meticulously balanced when I can immediately enter anything I buy instead of hanging onto the receipts to enter them when I get home. I also don't like downloading transactions because I want to categorize everything. If I don't solve this problem, I'll have to either go back to XP or go out and buy some expensive new PDA like an iPod Touch or something else that runs Quicken.

The other thing they mention in that link is transmitting via Bluetooth instead of syncing with a cable. My Treo 650 does have Buetooth abilities, which I've never used. My PC doesn't have Bluetooth, however. I would have to get an adapter.

If anyone could shed any light on how I should solve this, I would be grateful. Fortunately, I do have the option of a temporary retreat to XP. I have a full Acronis image of my PC before my OS upgrade that I could easily restore. I can Acronis image the way the PC is now first so I can come back if need be.

Another though would be to dual boot XP and 7, but that would suck to have to do a special boot to XP just to do all my financial and schedule stuff and then reboot into 7 to do everything else. Plus, it wouldn't just be a dual boot; it would have to be a tri-boot. This PC is already a dual boot with Win 7 and Ubuntu Linux.

Any insight is appreciated.

[strollin]

The 64-bit modules you installed were to allow Virtual PC to run on your 64-bit system so you are OK there. When you created the virtual machine, did you install a 32-bit or 64-bit version of XP? If you installed XP mode then you probably got a 64-bit version of XP, you need to create a new virtual machine and install a 32-bit version of XP there.