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Windows Forum / Virtual PC / November 2007Yet another VPC installation question
I've successfully created three VPCs on my Windows XP host: Windows 98, ME, and XP. My question: can I use the vhd and vmc files of these three and use them to create identical and functional VPCs on ANOTHER Windows XP computer?? I'm thinking that the hardware differences on the new machine may somehow cause the VPCs to run erratically. Thanks. EW >I've successfully created three VPCs on my Windows XP host: Windows 98, ME, >and XP. My question: can I use the vhd and vmc files of these three and use >them to create identical and functional VPCs on ANOTHER Windows XP >computer?? I'm thinking that the hardware differences on the new machine >may somehow cause the VPCs to run erratically. Thanks. If you make a *copy* of the VHD files and then bring that copy over to another PC where you have installed VPC2007, then you can create a new virtual machine there and point it to the copied VHD disk and it will work. The beauty of VPC2007 is that the hardware on the host does not matter at all, the guest sees only the emulated (oldish) hardware and it will be the same for every VPC2007 installation. However, if you do this you will probably violate Microsoft license terms since you are duplicating the operating system. You need a separate license for each copy of each Windows machine you make! An alternative could be this: *Move* your guest VHD files to a USB connected disk. Then create a virtual machine in your primary computer and point it to this VHD file. When you want to run it on another host system just move the USB disk over and then create a guest there and point it to the VHD file on the USB disk. This wa you have only one single virtual machine but you can use it on several host systems and you are not violating the license terms anymore. Bo Berglund > If you make a *copy* of the VHD files and then bring that copy over to > another PC where you have installed VPC2007, then you can create a new > virtual machine there and point it to the copied VHD disk and it will > work. ETC.................. Thanks Bo for the info. That answers everything! Regards. EW > The beauty of VPC2007 is that the hardware on the host does not matter > at all, the guest sees only the emulated (oldish) hardware and it will > be the same for every VPC2007 installation. This is not entirely correct as the CPU is virtualized, not emulated. A guest will always report the same CPU as the host has.  SignaturePaul Adare MVP - Virtual Machines http://www.identit.ca Programming just with goto's is like swatting flies with a sledgehammer. > If you make a *copy* of the VHD files and then bring that copy over to > another PC where you have installed VPC2007, then you can create a new [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > use it on several host systems and you are not violating the license > terms anymore. Hi Bo: A related idea. I have a machine that is multi-booted (using the excellent Bootit NG) with several different Windows OS's (currently W2K, XP 86/64, Vista 86/64). With BootIt NG it can be arranged that only one OS partition at a time is present in the MBR, so each OS behaves as if it is the only OS on the computer; in particular each OS sees its own OS partition as drive C. It is also possible to have a common data area on a different partition (or drive). Suppose I take care to assign this data partition the same drive letter (say D) on all the OS's. If I then load VPC on each of these OS's, and put the virtual machines on the data partition, would it then be possible/permissible to use a common VMC file as well as a common VHD file for each of these host OS's? It seems to me that it would work, because the path to the VHD file will be the same on each host OS, and the guests on the different host OS's will appear identical (same MAC address) and so there will not be OS (or other software) licensing problems. SignatureDavid Wilkinson Visual C++ MVP > Suppose I take care to assign this data partition the same drive letter > (say D) on all the OS's. If I then load VPC on each of these OS's, and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > will appear identical (same MAC address) and so there will not be OS (or > other software) licensing problems. That would be fine however, it really doesn't matter at all whether you're using a common VMC file or not. The issue here, as far as licensing goes is the installed OS which resides in the VHD file. For each VHD file with an installed OS you need a license. SignaturePaul Adare MVP - Virtual Machines http://www.identit.ca CRT: A movie about a little alien who forgets his telephone number and must write home. > That would be fine however, it really doesn't matter at all whether you're > using a common VMC file or not. The issue here, as far as licensing goes is > the installed OS which resides in the VHD file. For each VHD file with an > installed OS you need a license. Paul: Thanks. The changing MAC address doesn't ever trigger re-activation (requiring a phone call)? This would be a real pain if I want to switch often between the two host OS's (as I might). Otherwise, of course, everything should be identical, because the host is the same machine (CPU etc) in each case. [I really do not feel I would be violating (even the spirit of) the license in this scenario, because only one of these guest machines can be run at any one time.] SignatureDavid Wilkinson Visual C++ MVP > The changing MAC address doesn't ever trigger re-activation (requiring a > phone call)? This would be a real pain if I want to switch often between > the two host OS's (as I might). No, the MAC address in and of itself is not enough to trigger activation. > Otherwise, of course, everything should be identical, because the host > is the same machine (CPU etc) in each case. > > [I really do not feel I would be violating (even the spirit of) the > license in this scenario, because only one of these guest machines can > be run at any one time.] You need to be careful here. For anything other than Windows Server System software a license is required for an OS or application that is installed, it does not have to be running. For Windows Server System software you only need enough licenses to cover what is running and not what is installed. SignaturePaul Adare MVP - Virtual Machines http://www.identit.ca CPU: A juvenile way of telling your dog he missed the paper. >> The changing MAC address doesn't ever trigger re-activation (requiring a >> phone call)? This would be a real pain if I want to switch often between [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > it does not have to be running. For Windows Server System software you only > need enough licenses to cover what is running and not what is installed. Paul: Well, there is only one virtual machine. When I am running it on one host, there is no "other installation". I understand that if I have different virtual machines in this setup (say two different XP machines, or one XP and one Vista) then I need licenses for each OS and software (apart from anything else, I might actually run these machines simultaneously). What is "Windows Server System software"? SignatureDavid Wilkinson Visual C++ MVP > Well, there is only one virtual machine. When I am running it on one > host, there is no "other installation". Right, but for client OS' you need a license for each installed virtual machine whether or not it is currently running. If you only have a single virtual machine then you only need one license. > I understand that if I have different virtual machines in this setup > (say two different XP machines, or one XP and one Vista) then I need > licenses for each OS and software (apart from anything else, I might > actually run these machines simultaneously). > > What is "Windows Server System software"? http://www.microsoft.com/servers/default.mspx SignaturePaul Adare MVP - Virtual Machines http://www.identit.ca Conversational mode: Describes the typical office the day after a major sporting event. >>> [I really do not feel I would be violating (even the spirit of) the >>> license in this scenario, because only one of these guest machines can [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > for each OS and software (apart from anything else, I might actually run > these machines simultaneously). But that's not the way licensing works... It matters not one jot how many machines (physical or virtual) you are capable of running simultaneously... If you have 20 machines each with a copy of Windows installed, you need 20 licences, even if you can only run one of them at any given time... SignatureMark Rae ASP.NET MVP http://www.markrae.net > If you have 20 machines each with a copy of Windows installed, you need > 20 licences, even if you can only run one of them at any given time... Mark: Yes, but in the situation I was originally talking about (the same virtual machine running on different hosts) there is only one virtual machine. [The guest license I would be using here is my MSDN license, but I am not keen to eat up my 10 licenses on what is, to be frank, mostly just playing around.] SignatureDavid Wilkinson Visual C++ MVP > If you have 20 machines each with a copy of Windows installed, you need 20 > licences, even if you can only run one of them at any given time... Not for Windows Server SKUs. SignaturePaul Adare MVP - Virtual Machines http://www.identit.ca Any nitwit can understand computers. Many do. -- Ted Nelson |
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