Would anyone give a brief guide to copying my current xp installation and then running it on a new physical pc?
Is it
1) install something like VMware Converter onto current xp machine2) create VM file
3) copy vm file to new machine4) run vm
or more complicated?
AJH
Yup.
On "Select Destination" type menu: choose "VMWare Workstation or other VMWare Virtual Machine".
On "Select VMWare product" menu: choose "VMWare Player 6.0"
Choose destination (external USB HDD) as image will be large. Edit devices, reduce CPU count to one, and maybe also reduce size of RAM.
Either in VMWare Player, or Virtual Box (set up new VM, use existing virtual HD when setting up.)
Either which can be installed on Linux OS.
Nah...
Cheers. Is it still possible to dual boot Windows 8.1 and linux?
AJH
Yeah, but if are interested in running windows applications mainly on this machine, then just install VMWare Player or VB straight on Win 8 for your virtual XP session. Try a linux VM there also, safer than dual boot.
You don't have to use Linux as a base OS. Just me being an (useless) advocate.
One little issue Windows 8 has is that their shutdown is by default (but you can change this) a hibernate. If you install another operating system by dual boot (I prefer grub) and that makes changes to the windows system from outside, these are wiped out when restarting back into Windows 8.
I currently dual boot Kubuntu or XP but have some windows only software that apparently won't run on W8.
I was thinking of buying a zoostorm i5 and can get it with no OS, I can always buy 8.1 later for an extra 70 quid if need be.
AJH
I boot
Thanks for the pointer, very useful for migrating my Vista machine.
One thing, though....
Do you run the converter on the OS you are currently using? i.e. copy yourself to a VM whilst you are active
Or do you run it from another OS pointing it to the disc partition where your OS to be converted resides?
TIA
Dave R
It's run on the powered on machine, for simple jobs like this.
You can also run VMWare Converter on another machine (and another if you like to monitor) and have that orchestrate the entire job, pulling data straight across the network from PC onto your visualisation server (ESXi
5.1) as a new fully configured virtual machine. But more complex user setup particularly as the ESXi connection wanted that to be SSL.Amazing you can do so much in a test lab with free-of-cost software from VMware! but geeky.....
I am not sure about virtual box.
Which is a better way to handle the screen than VMware in my opinion.
The problem is that you are expecting windows to work with different (virtual) hardware..
So a fresh install is usually the way bit lets have a look
Is a guide that MAY work for you, but isn't guaranteed.
Well, I ran it and it worked - although there were a few mis-steps on the way.
Now running Player V6 against a Player V6 image.
I created the image on this PCSpecialist PC and I am now running the image on the same PCSpecialist PC.
i.e. the VM is running on the native platform it used to be 'real' on.
I would have thought that there should be no hardware issues as it already has installed all the drivers for the native hardware.
However it is going through a load of driver installation scripts for new hardware, and claims not to be able to find any drivers for the network card.
Should it be looking in the area where the original Windows stored all the drivers? In which case why can't it find them?
Anyway, looking potentially promising but a bit puzzling.
Cheers
Dave R
Irrelevant for a virtual machine, the VM won't see the native hardware, so those drivers won't be used.
The hardware it's looking for drivers for is the virtual hardware, typically for the NIC a simulated PCnet32 Lance or Intel E1000 or alternatively a VMware VMXNET which is a paravirtual device for which no physical equivalent exists - same for disc controllers, discs, graphics etc, what the VM sees isn't the physical hardware.
You'll soon get your head around the fact that almost everything the Virtual XP sees isn't real.
Do you get "VMware tools" with player?
Nope, the 'hardware' it is running on, is a mash of the virtual and selected hardware interfaces offered to it by the hypervisor. You will be prompted on starting the session to install a package of drivers for these specifically for the Guest OS. i.e. VMWare Tools
Odd that.
The standard network card is normally plain vanilla Intel. Check the hardware config but installing VMWare Tools should sort it.
Again thanks to you both for all the help so far.
How do you edit the virtual NIC? I can't see an option in the GUI.
All it says is Bridged: Connected directly to the physical network. Configure Adapters shows the Atheros L 1 Gigabit Ethernet Controller.
I'm going to try and download a driver anyway, but this is all a good learning experience!!
Thanks
Dave R
Thanks - that looks promising. I have configures a shared folder to allow me to ship stuff across without using pluggable media.
One question - XP driver or Server 2003 driver?
I am tending towards Server 2003 at the moment because that is what VMWare thought Vista was after it had done the conversion.
However advice before I jump is always welcome :-)
Cheers
Dave R
Sorry, it's years since I Used VMware Player or Workstation, all vSphere/ESXi for me, where you'd right click the virtual machine and then "Edit Settings..."
Just jump. It's only a Microsoft PC, ya know ;-)
The fact it's running now on fake hardware doesn't change the way you think about drivers and OS compatibility. FWIW I'd start experiments with the XP network driver given that vista is a desktop PC OS not a server.
The stored 'MySplendidVistaPC.vmx' file can be edited using notepad to change the virtualised hardware. Here be dragons but googling about will set ye right.
Network running O.K. now - but the VM is going like a dog.
Best check performance - two processors and 2GB probably not enough as it was flogging away with 4 processors and 4 GB
Nice to have 6GB for W8 64 bit :-)
Do you have VT-x or AMD-V enabled in BIOS?
Good point.
The mother board is an Asus P5K-SE with American Megatrends BIOS 0401 dated 07/19/2007.
Google suggests that virtualis(z)ation may not be supported as standard in the BIOS - at least I've just looked through the BIOS settings and can't find anything.
Processor is Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700.
There may be some BIOS patches out in the wild to enable virtualisation but I am looking at the risk/benefit ratio of patching the BIOS with something 3rd party.
Now trying the VM out on my W7 Intel Sandy Bridge system to see if it goes better there.
Cheers
Dave R
Going like a steam train on this hardware but it is significantly more modern and powerful.
One intriguing thing - Task Manager shows the CPUs flat out, but on the W7 box running the VM there looks to be still plenty of headroom on the CPUs.
MS now want me to revalidate because of a hardware platform change.
3 day deadline. I now have to decide if I want to keep it on this PC or try and speed it up on the original one.Any downside to delaying validation?
Presumably I just don't get any patches via Windows Update.
Also, will this be automatic (re-submit product key) or need a phone call.
This has been a very useful exercise because my computing and general life have both been tied to the Vista system and it is good to be able to migrate to a more recent OS in stages rather than a blind stab in the dark. Especially as my first couple of attempts with W8 did not go well at all.
Cheers
Dave R
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