So I have this winXP laptop. I want to try out some VM changes. WTFDIDo?

I found a zip of various tools from Andreas on sourceforge but it's 
pretty old and tells me to alter autoexec.bat - which seems to be 
something XP doesn't possess.

I haven't touched a windows machine in years (and I'm rapidly relearning 
why one wouldn't want to ever again) so you might as well treat me as a 
complete newby with it.

Advice (other than defenestrating the machine) welcome.

tim