Windows 7: Virtual XP Machine - Copy

Good work! Becoming our "vhd" expert, huh?

Thanks, mate. Don't know about being an expert. I just need Virtual Machines at my line of work.

Kari

Didn't work for me.

I even tried copying and editing the .vmcx file. When I try to run it or check the settings, I get an error that I don't have premission or the file is missing, then it disappears.

It works. Please do not misunderstand me but it have to be a self caused issue, like misspelling or forgetting something.

Here's a short checklist:

• Do not change the file locations:
  • The vmcx-files should always be located in C:\Your_Username\Virtual Machines
  • The vmc-, vhd- and possible vsv-files should always be located in C:\Your_Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines
• The virtual machine you copy must be powered down, not hibernated
• All virtual machine files belonging to a certain virtual machine must have exactly the same name, only difference being the filename extension
• Tutorial, point 7: vhd-name must be changed in both absolute and relative type
• Tutorial, point 10: MAC-Address must be a valid 32-bit hexadecimal
• Tutorial, point 13: vhd-name must be changed in both primary_disk1 type and vmc_path type

So, check spelling, check the files needed are in the right folders, and check you edited the right files; for example after copying and pasting the files edit the copies, not the originals.

Good luck.

Kari

It's worth noting that if you go from W7VPC Beta to RC, the instructs listed are not quite enough (if you're using dynamic disks). You also need to copy the parent disk to the exact same location on the new computer. In my case, this simply meant copying over the "C:\Program Files\Virtual Windows XP" folder.

Here I was able to backup the entire virtual machines folder before proceeding to place them into the new folder on a fresh install of 7 to see the XP Mode as well as a previous Vista on vhd install run again.

Later when the VPC RC and XP Mode RC were released the same vhd used for Vista needed a fresh install where the 32bit 7 RC was used to replace Vista on that same vhd!

I've been through the steps a few times with care, and I see the same strange behavior JackStockton mentioned where the .vmcx disappears as soon as I click on it. I will post a solution if I figure it out, but I just wanted to reinforce that JackStockton is not imagining things, and as near as I can tell, not failing to follow the directions with care.

Welcome to the Windows 7 Forums! rfeague

One thing I found fast from the time this guide was first posted here and once the final XP Mode was available was that copying no longer worked as it had been seen with the XP Mode RC version which was the only version available at the time.

The final version runs like an installer with a preconfigured setup mode for each fresh install there unlike the RC. The guide here worked then for the RC version however but now needs to be updated.

When the RC version was used on a second 7 RC installation I would simply create a new shortcut once the files/folders were copied over once a fresh install of the Virtual PC was seen first to have it work then.

First you now install the VPC, restart the system, and then install the XP Mode later to watch the setup take place.

I really do not know why some of you guys are experiencing problems. To re-test the validity of this tutorial, I checked everything once more this morning.

I followed tutorial literally and it works. In the attached screenshot from this morning you can see two independent XP Modes open at the same time, both having different software installed, both connected to network.

I have Virtual PC and XP Mode RC, and this method works as it did with beta. The base vhd-file in C:\Program Files\Virtual Windows XP should not be copied, it is as the name says the base to every copy of the XP Mode.

Kari