how to create a guest virtual computer

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Paul - 10 Oct 2008 20:21 GMT

I am new to virtual PC and start to understand the concept that I need to
install virtual PC prorgam on host PC and then add virtual computer(s) as
guest(s) later. However, most of the experts suggested that I need to intall
the OS (say Wi2K) after I create the virtual computer on the host computer,
can I create a virtual computer (vhd) file from my existing old PC (running
W2K OS and with lot of other application sotwares installed thereon) and copy
it to be run as a guest Virtual computer on a host computer (say OS is under
Vista) by reducing my time to re-installing W2K OS and all the other
application programs on the virtual computer? Any quick method to copy (or
covert) my existing W2K copmuter and its application programs and all the
drivers and data files etc to a virtual computer and run it under as a
virtual computer(in W2K OS mode) on a Vista OS computer without the programs
re-installation?

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Bill Grant - 11 Oct 2008 01:30 GMT

> I am new to virtual PC and start to understand the concept that I need to
> install virtual PC prorgam on host PC and then add virtual computer(s) as
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> programs
> re-installation?

There is not really any quick and easy way to do that, just as there is
no quick and easy way to do it with two physical machines.

There are ways to transfer a complete installed system from one physical
machine to another, and the same methods usually work for physical to
virtual (usually referred to as p2v).

One method I use is to do a fresh install of the OS, but use the Files
and Settings Transfer Wizard to transfer the files and settings. (This
program seems to have different names in different OSs, but the executable
is called migwiz.exe).

To transfer the OS as well you need a backup program which can also
handle changing hardware drivers. Acronis True Image with Universal Restore
can usually handle this. I don't know whether is works with W2k.

http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATIES/universal-restore.html

Without universal restore the OS probably won't boot because of the
"hardware" changes. You would need to do a repair install of the OS to
install the hardware drivers.

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Paul - 11 Oct 2008 21:38 GMT

Tks for your advice. For copying a real computer (with its os and data etc)
to another computer, I can use some software like ghost to copy the image
over, wonder this will work on copy the old PC (say under W2K OS) to a
virtual computer in a Vista OS (after installing the virtual PC).

Tks
Paul

> > I am new to virtual PC and start to understand the concept that I need to
> > install virtual PC prorgam on host PC and then add virtual computer(s) as
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
> "hardware" changes. You would need to do a repair install of the OS to
> install the hardware drivers.

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bMarx - 13 Oct 2008 15:09 GMT

Forget Ghost!! You need to read about a backup software product called
"ShadowProtect Desktop" by StorageCraft. It is the only backup software that
I know of right now that lets you do what's called a "hardware independent
restore". A VERY COOL FEATURE!!

It lets you take a backup on any hardware/OS platform and then restore to
ANY other hardware/OS combination that you want. During the restore process,
at the appropriate times, it will walk you through manually adding any
additional drivers that your new platform may need. Then it does all the rest
to restore. BOOM!!

It also works both ways with Virtual software. Put a physical backup on a
virtual machine....and vice-versa.

I have a Vista pc. I'm gonna use my ShadowProtect backup of my Vista machine
and restore it into a MS VirtualPC session. That will be ALOT easier and
quicker than having to install vista into the virtual!!!

>Tks for your advice. For copying a real computer (with its os and data etc)

to another computer, I can use some software like ghost to copy the image
over, wonder this will work on copy the old PC (say under W2K OS) to a

> virtual computer in a Vista OS (after installing the virtual PC).
>
> Tks
> Paul

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David B. - 14 Oct 2008 14:34 GMT

Far from the only one, Symantec has one, Acronis has one, I'm sure there are
more.

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> Forget Ghost!! You need to read about a backup software product called
> "ShadowProtect Desktop" by StorageCraft. It is the only backup software
> that
> I know of right now that lets you do what's called a "hardware independent
> restore". A VERY COOL FEATURE!!

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Paul - 14 Oct 2008 18:30 GMT

Tks for the suggestion of ShadowProtect Deskop, will it be possible for me to
copy my existing PC (whole imgae) with its OS under XP Pro and tons of other
applcation softwares iplus all my data files to be nstalled and move them
over to run as a virtual computer (under the MS virtial PC software) to be
installed on a new and faster PC (OS under Vista as I hardly buy PC with
preloaded XP OS anymore)? Will there be any special steps that I need to
watch out?

Step 1 - install virtual PC on my new PC (under Vista OS)
Step 2 - Create a new virtual computer under VPC (need an XP prof OS disk? -
can I copy the image of my existing PC (under OS of XP Prof) over as to
create the new virtual computer? Can I also duplicate a few more virtual
computer using the same image as for new application softwares testing -
after tested - I can delete the unwanted virual computerts and just to keep
one as my life system?

Tks.

Paul

> Forget Ghost!! You need to read about a backup software product called
> "ShadowProtect Desktop" by StorageCraft. It is the only backup software that
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> > Tks
> > Paul

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Melelina - 14 Oct 2008 09:25 GMT

> Tks for your advice. For copying a real computer (with its os and data
> etc)
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Tks
> Paul

Use the free VMWare converter. I think I'm going to convert the Vista
Ultimate virtual PC machine I have to VMWare, but not until I fork out the
money for an upgrade from VMWare Workstation 5.5 to 6.5. You can convert a
physical machine, virtual machine or third party backup image to a VMWare
virtual machine or virtual appliance and you can use VMWare Server or Player
if you don't want to purchase VMware Workstation. Server and Player are free
also.

http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/

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Paul - 27 Oct 2008 02:21 GMT

Tks for the advice, will there be simple method to t/f a virtual system to a
real system down the road (opposite of p2v?) - say v2p? Also, I know lot of
people suggest VMWare palyer is better than vpc2007 and it is also a free
download from VMWare (plus it VMWare converter can be used to covert p2v as
well? Will anyone know if VMWare player can be installed on Vista Home
Premium OS as a host to add in virtual machines as guests - say WinXP, WIn2K
or even Win2003 server - small business edition as my testing platforms for
new applcation softwares?

Apprecaite whoever know the answer can also send your advices also.

Tks,

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Bo Berglund - 27 Oct 2008 06:34 GMT

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:21:01 -0700, Paul

>> > I am new to virtual PC and start to understand the concept that I need to
>> > install virtual PC prorgam on host PC and then add virtual computer(s) as
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
>> "hardware" changes. You would need to do a repair install of the OS to
>> install the hardware drivers.

>Tks for the advice, will there be simple method to t/f a virtual system to a
>real system down the road (opposite of p2v?) - say v2p?

That is the exact same as p2v, really. Same problems of hardware
compatibility, same method of imaging the hard drive and restoring it
on the target (with universal restore or similar). No guaranteed end
result...

>Also, I know lot of
>people suggest VMWare palyer is better than vpc2007 and it is also a free
>download from VMWare (plus it VMWare converter can be used to covert p2v as well?

I have used the VMWare converter to convert an XPPro SP2 HP laptop to
a virtual machine to be used in VMWare WorkStation. It was a lengthy
process but in the end it worked out successfully.
Using it in Player is also possible (less possibilities to change
configuration though).

> Will anyone know if VMWare player can be installed on Vista Home
>Premium OS as a host to add in virtual machines as guests - say WinXP, WIn2K
>or even Win2003 server - small business edition as my testing platforms for
>new applcation softwares?

I don't know personally since I don't have a Vista host for virtual
machines, but I would very much doubt that there are problems to
install VMWare on Vista...
Note, though that VMWare Player is designed to be just that - a player
of already created virtual machines. It has no provision for the
creation of a virtual machine at all....
You need either Workstation or a 3rd party product (or website) to
create and configure a new machine.

Linux handling seems to be a lot better with VMWare than VPC and it
also has full USB support, which is lacking in Microsoft's products.

Signature

Bo Berglund (Sweden)

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Rafa - 18 Nov 2008 18:19 GMT

> I am new to virtual PC and start to understand the concept that I need to
> install virtual PC prorgam on host PC and then add virtual computer(s) as
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> virtual computer(in W2K OS mode) on a Vista OS computer without the programs
> re-installation?

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2004/11/22/268225.aspx

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