Windows 7 Attempting to install Access 97

[remltr]

Got a W7 home premium machine today. I know that Access 97 is not compatible in this configuration.

If I upgrade to W7 Professional which will make me eligible to download the XP virtual machine, will that allow me to install and run Access 97?

I can't seem to find a list of software that is compatible when running the VM, just some vague reference to legacy software, but nothing specific.

I have other versions of Access that just don't run right with the programs/software that was written in Access 97 for my business and I don't have to bucks to rewrite it.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Dave...

 

[remltr]

Okay, I see a lot of views. Maybe I need to ask a more general question.

To anybody who has used W7 Pro with the virtual machine. If you had trouble installing some legacy software in W7 pro, would it finally install when using the virtual machine? Or am I not understanding how this works? Maybe you have to be able to install via W7 and then set the compatibility for the software to run in the virtual machine.

Nobody I have talked to has any experience with this, as I suppose this all too new in the scheme of things and not many are trying to run older software.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[remltr]

Drew,

Thanks for the response. Gives me some hope. This is the way I will probably will go. Should have bought the computer with the pro version, but I can get the upgrade for $93 USD.

The next concern will be network connectivity within the vm for my 3 computer peer to peer network. The other 2 computers are also XP's and 2 years older than the newly dead one. Fricking power supply crapped and took something on the motherboard with it.

Obviously I wish for everything to work as before. The computer that crashed and burned was essentially the server for the p2p. At least the drive survived.