Q: Can you use VMware Player to resolve application incompatibility problems in Windows 7?

A:Plenty of IT shops are considering making the move to Windows 7. Quite a few are already there. A big hurdle for some companies is the pool ofmission-critical applications they're already using that aren't compatible with Windows 7. As a stopgap for the problem, Microsoft provides its no-costWindows XP Mode add-on feature. This feature seamlessly presents applications in a Windows XP virtual machine (VM) into the user's Windows 7 desktop.

As an alternative to Microsoft's built-in solution, the no-cost VMware Player can also provide a similar experience by using its Unity feature. Toenable the seamless presentation of an application, activate Unity mode by clicking VM, Enter Unity in VMware Player. Additional settings for Unitymode can be found in the properties screen for a VM. Select the Options tab, then Unity to configure how Windows XP's windows are seen in Windows 7.