Vista - How to play XG midi files on your Vista machine using Virtual PC

Here's a recipe, more or less and by no means thorough, to make your Vista
machine play XG midi files as they should. This worked for me, but other
combinations may also work.

What you'll need:
*your base system with the host Vista OS (in my case I use the business
edition 32bit)
*a guest windows OS (95 to XP; I use XP)
*Microsoft Virtual PC (I use 2007 SP 0)
*the shareware Yamaha Xg softsynth executable (S-YXG50V4.zip)
*your S-YXG50V4key.zip file that contains the unlocking program
*your serial key number (in my case it is a 10 character number with both
letters and numbers)

If you don't have the last two files, you may be out of luck since Yamaha
issued those years ago and may no longer provide them.

Procedure:
install virtual PC
install the guest OS
copy and unzip the files
install the XG softsynth running the setup that's buried deep in the
S-YXG50V4 file. After installing, it won't play nothing at this point.
Restart if needed.
Run the setup that's also buried in the S-YXG50V4key file, follow the
instructions and provide your serial key number when prompted. Restart if
needed.

This should play XG files and most of the regular ones. There are only a
couple of downsides of playing the files in this manner. Firstly, sometimes
the music skips when switching programs and secondly, sometimes there is
barely audible noise/crackle when playing. I have not found that any of
these two cross the bothersome threshold.

I'm amazed that the virtual PC could pull the stunt of emulating so
perfectly the soundcard. Enjoy.