If the Compatibility tab doesn't work for an application, you can use XP Mode, which was introduced in Windows 7. All XP Mode does is install Windows Virtual PC along with a Microsoft-created Windows XP image, into which you can install applications. The seamless application integration feature then allows the programs running in the Windows XP virtual machine (VM) to be displayed on the main Windows 7 desktop—the average user doesn't know the application is actually running in a VM. Using this technology, the application is actually running on a 32-bit XP OS installation, so any application that works with XP should work in the XP Mode VM.

Your third option is basically the same as your second—you install Windows Virtual PC. However, you don’t use the XP image. You can use your own Windows Vista or XP image, or even a Windows 7 image, to run applications. The seamless application integration is still available (once you install the integration tools in the VM). A good use of this technique is if you've rolled out Windows 7 64-bit and you have application that won’t run on a 64-bit OS (maybe it has 16-bit code). You can run those applications in the 32-bit VM.

To summarize, the traditional Compatibility tab just imitates certain aspects of an older OS, but the application still runs on Windows 7. When using XP Mode (or any VM), the application actually runs on that virtual OS.

Click to expand.

As is the case with Exchange 2007, POP3 is installed automatically but the actual service is set to manual start mode—it won't run until started manually. If you intend to use POP3, you should modify the service through Server Manager, Configuration, Services, and set the Microsoft Exchange POP3 service to Automatic start mode, as shown here. You can then click the Start button to start the service immediately.

Click to expand.

You can also make this change using PowerShell with these commands:

Set-Service msExchangePOP3 -StartupType automatic
Start-Service msExchangePOP3

You can also make these changes from PowerShell with these commands:

Set-Service msExchangeIMAP4 -StartupType automatic
Start-Service msExchangeIMAP4

Host Name: SAVDALWKS01
OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
OS Version: 6.1.7600 N/A Build 7600
OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
OS Configuration: Member Workstation
OS Build Type: Multiprocessor Free
Registered Owner: localadmin
Registered Organization:
Product ID: 00426-065-0254163-86023
Original Install Date: 8/7/2009, 11:22:13 AM
System Boot Time: 1/27/2010, 3:16:34 AM
System Manufacturer: OEM
System Model: OEM
System Type: x64-based PC
Processor(s): 1 Processor(s) Installed.
[01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 26 Stepping 5 GenuineIntel ~2106 Mhz
BIOS Version: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG, 11/25/2009
Windows Directory: C:\Windows
System Directory: C:\Windows\system32

(Text bolded for emphasis)

In Windows Vista and later, you can also launch Task Manager. Up time is displayed at the bottom right of the Performance tab.

Click to expand.

There are other, longer ways to check the up time. You can check when key services, such as the workstation or server services, were started using the commands

net statistics server

or

net statistics workstation

and looking at the second line, which displays the date the services started (the time of the boot), as shown here.

Workstation Statistics for \\SAVDALWKS01


Statistics since 1/27/2010 3:16:56 AM


Bytes received 3823054
Server Message Blocks (SMBs) received 12340
Bytes transmitted 22773081
Server Message Blocks (SMBs) transmitted 12362