A manufacturing client has a piece of equipment that runs Windows 7. The equipment-specific software will not run on any other operating system, and the client is worried that if the Windows 7 PC crashes, they cannot do anything. Cost is always an issue. What practical, cost-effective solutions do you have for your client?

Because developing software for a specific manufacturing function is frequently costly and time-consuming, a manufacturer may wish to keep that equipment and software functional for as long as possible. If the equipment is doing its job properly, its owner will not likely to upgrade to something new.  Shutting down the equipment when it fails could be disastrous for the company. Preparing a Windows 10 PC to run the legacy OS and software within a virtual machine and testing the software is the best solution here. Then, during a planned shutdown, transfer control of the manufacturing machine to the new PC with the virtual machine, and make sure you have an image ready to deploy quickly if the new machine fails in the future.