Microxp - Micro Xp Pro 0.98 Instant
Running MicroXP in a VM on a modern Linux or Windows host consumes < 100 MB of host RAM, letting you run legacy software (Access 97, QuickBooks 2002, proprietary VPN clients) with near-native speed.
Before MicroXP, there were other "Lite" projects like TinyXP by eXPerience, Windows XP Black Edition , and Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (an official Microsoft thin client OS). MicroXP took the concept to its logical extreme. MicroXP - Micro XP Pro 0.98
MicroXP Pro 0.98 is excellent in VirtualBox or VMware. Create a VM with: Running MicroXP in a VM on a modern

This is helpful! Over the summer I will be working on a novel, and I already know there will be days where my creativity will be at a low, so I'll keep these techniques in mind for when that time comes. The idea of all fiction as metaphors is something I never thought of but rings true. I'll have to do more research into that aspect of metaphor! Also, what work does Eric and Marshall McLuhan talk specifically about metaphor? I'm curious...
I just read Byung-Chul Han's latest, "The Crisis of Narration." Definitely worth a look if you're interested in the subject, and a great intro to his work if you've not yet read him.