Microsoft has released the beta version of its desktop virtualization solution, Virtual PC 2007. The beta program started on October 10 and it currently goes through March 30, 2007. There are two versions being offered for download, a 32-bit and 64-bit version. The latest release takes advantage of hardware virtualization from both Intel and AMD, and is capable of running Windows Vista as either the host operati Microsoft has released the beta version of its desktop virtualization solution, Virtual PC 2007. The beta program started on October 10 and it currently goes through March 30, 2007. There are two versions being offered for download, a 32-bit and 64-bit version.The latest release takes advantage of hardware virtualization from both Intel and AMD, and is capable of running Windows Vista as either the host operating system or as a guest operating system. So if you are interested in trying out Microsoft Vista, this could be yet another option for installation.What’s new in Virtual PC 2007 Beta? Hardware assisted virtualization – Virtual PC 2007 includes support for virtualization technology from Intel and AMD. By default, hardware-assisted virtualization is enabled if the feature is enabled on the physical computer. You can turn this assistance on or off for each virtual machine by modifying the virtual machine settings. Support for Windows Vista as a host operating system – This beta release of Virtual PC 2007 introduces support for Windows Vista as a host operating system. The following versions of Windows Vista are supported: Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate. Support for Windows Vista as a guest operating system – This beta release of Virtual PC 2007 introduces support for Windows Vista as a guest operating system. The following versions of Windows Vista are supported: Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate. Support for 64-bit host operating system – This beta release of Virtual PC 2007 supports 64-bit host operating systems. However, there is no support for 64-bit guest operating systems. NOTE: Installing Virtual PC 2007 Beta on a computer that has AMD hardware-assisted virtualization support and uses an x64 version of Windows as the host operating system may generate a bug check and shut down the operating system. This occurs because x64 versions of the Windows operating system protect a critical system register that Virtual PC 2007 modifies to enable hardware-assisted virtualization. You can resolve this issue by installing a hotfix prior to installing Virtual PC 2007. The hotfix is available and can be downloaded from Connect in the same location you download the beta software. (This hotfix should not be used with Windows Vista)If you are interested in participating in the beta program, you can sign up for it here. Software Development