Dual Boot Issue

I have a dual boot with widows XP. MY question is how can you run the windows Os in Ubuntu or find an application with in Linux that can use to do it. this seems to be the hardest Problem i have trying to understand how it works.. I have downloaded Wine & VMware Player for Linux both do not allows me to run the Windows OS in Ubuntu. The reason i am trying this because there are Windows applications., i have that i can not run in Linux. I have read and Researched on line how this works and still can't get it. I have Vmware Workstation for my Windows XP and have made an image but when i try to run the Image with in Vmware player for Linux it Says the Version of Vmware is a newer version then that of the one i have for Linux. I have also tried this with Wine, Still dose not work, I have seen that it worked for others online but can't seem to get it working for me.. If anyone have any suggestions or can help it would be greatly appreciated. unenforceable i still have to use windows lol, for work and would save a lot of time not havening to run only One OS at time trying to use different applications.