Make work ANY device on Windows 7 x64 or Vista using your old Windows XP drivers

Tools needed:
- Your Windows 7 x64 computer
- Oracle VM VirtualBox Free Edition (latest version at this time is 3.2.8 r64453)
- Windows XP x32 which will be installed on VirtualBox as guest


Example how to install a total obscure camera called Aiptek Smart MegaCam which have drivers only for Windows XP x32 (all of this is made on a Windows 7 x64 host computer and a Windows XP x32 guest OS on VM VirtualBOX).

- to install on VM VirtualBOX the Aiptek Smart MegaCam under Win7 x64 do these steps:
- Go to Oracle VM VirtualBox, install Windows XP on a new machine and ensure is working, install camera drivers and proprietary program on it (you can do that after you connect camera too and windows XP will ask for drivers).
- Connect your camera on your computer and activate it from machine menu: Devices > USB Devices > "Unknown device 04FC:504B [0100]".

--------------------------------------------
[The next complicate procedure is necessarily only if your device is not automatically recognized by the guest OS as soon as you plug it in and activating it from machine menu: Devices > USB Devices > "click your device you want to install on guest"]

- Have your guest OS shut down.
- Connect camera to computer. The cam will power on and Win7 on host computer will say you have no drivers.
- Go to machine settings on Oracle VM VirtualBox and from USB section click "Add filter from device" and from the list with USB devices available on HOST choose camera - Aiptek Cam was listed as "Unknown device 04FC:504B [0100]". This will make this device available only for Guest OS, basically the listed USB port will be directed only on Guest.
- Power on the Guest. (Here I had a small problem with my camera turning off as soon as the guest booted. I overcome this by disconnecting cable and quickly connecting it back before guest OS could boot). When Windows XP starts it detects a new device and install the 32 bit driver for it. If you didn't do this before you can install drivers now. After restart the cam is recognized by the guest as soon I plug in the cable (with guest already running).
----------------------------------------------

SHARED FOLDERS (to communicate between Host and Guest)
- For shared folders to work (share a folder on your HDD with Guest OS), you need to go to machine settings on Oracle VM VirtualBox and from "Shared Folders" select the folder on your host you want to be accessible from guest. Then power on the machine and from top menu install GUEST ADDITIONS. Now to reach the shared folder browse on the host to: "My Network Places > Entire Network > VirtualBox Shared Folders > \\Vboxsvr > \\VBOXSVR\". I mapped this folder on guest as Drive Z for faster access.


 
Now you can work with your camera on that Windows XP (which have full internet access btw) and save your photos on the shared folder or upload them online where you want. This procedure will work for any older device that have only 32bit drivers.

*********************************
VIRTUAL MACHINE PARAMETERS
I first created a blank DOS virtual machine, set hardware parameters, then installed Windows XP the old way booting from original DVD, creating partitions, etc..
Here are examples of how to set up a Windows XP Machine on  Oracle VM VirtualBox: