Windows 7 - How to put VirtualPC & XP Mode on non OS drive

Hi,
I downloaded Virtual pc and Windows XP Mode and it didn't give me the choice
of which drive to install on.
Did I miss something or is it auto to the OS drive.?

I want to put these programs on another drive if possible.

Thanks in advance

Try this:

Don't use Virtual PC to run XP Mode. It's horrible at it and not needed. All Virtual PC is, is Microsoft's version of a virtual machine software. You can use any "VM" program to run XP Mode like VirtualBox or VMware But there is a great app that was made just for XP Mode and to run it better than any other. It's called VMLite XP Mode. VMLite XP Mode Overview you have to register for the forum to be able to download the "VMLite Workstation" software that runs XP Mode. This is a special VM software that's made just for XPMode. Registration and the download are free.

When you install the software you should be able to install it on whatever drive folder you choose. After it's installed, navigate to your XP Mode folder and find the XP Mode virtual image file. You can copy this file to your other drive and tell the VMLite software to load the XP Mode from that. I haven't tried this but I don't see why it will not work. XP Mode is only run from the virtual hard drive file and does not really need anything else in that XP Mode folder. ( I think it's called XPMode.vhd)

Let me know if you try this if it works for you.

And what if you don't have XP to load onto VMLite? Microsoft VM-XP comes with XP Pro. VMLite makes it sound like you need to have a v-t enabled processor to run MS VM. That's not the case. But if you do, it's blistering fast.

I don't get why you think VMLite makes it sound like you need to have v-t enabled? Where do you get that notion?

VMLite was designed for anyone to be able to use XP Mode even if you don't have VT on your system..They were the innovators of this. It wasn't until many months later that Microsoft dropped the VT requirements from XP Mode. And it will work on Home Premium too, but you must own a legal copy of Professional or higher to be able to download it.

I got it from the first sentence of the Overview. But maybe I misunderstood the author.
"VMLite XP Mode offers similar functions as Microsoft Windows XP Mode, but doesn't require hardware virtualization."

VMLite is a good product, don't get me wrong, but it's short on hardware support. Namely, USB. And I concur that MS VM-XT requires Windows 7 Pro or above but it was developed for business wishing to make the transition from XP to Windows 7 without buying updated software. Few businesses run MS Home anything.

Hi there
I'd still recommend forgetting XP mode -- nice idea of MS but rather poorly implemented. The main advantage is of course you get a free copy of XP but IMO the disadvantages far outweigh this so :

Just download vmware player (FREE) from the vmware site -- stable as a rock and can now CREATE as well as run Virtual machines. You can create the VM on any disk you care to -- or a usb stick too.

Create a standard XP Virtual machine from your XP install disk (you need to have a legal copy of XP) and you can even run this on Windows 7 Basic edition and for 32 bit GUESTS you don't need V-T enabled. You only need V-T for 64 bit Guests (note you can actually run 64 bit Guests under a 32 bit host -- but the total max ram will be 4GB since the host won't see more than 4GB).

This XP VM will have prettywell all native support that you could run on XP apart from some cases where "real hardware" is addressed -- mainly in serious gaming applications.

Audio is no problem nor are things like running Photoshop -- but you could have a problem with streaming / editing video on a virtual machine.

(The virtual XP machine you create will also run on Linux too !!).

I've got some XP VM's on a USB stick so I can run them anywhere on different computers -- all you need is vmware player.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45,

Do you have cross integration between the host and the guest same as you would have in XP Mode, using vmware? This is one feature of XP Mode that appeals greatly to me. I can start each others programs no matter what OS, guest or host I'm using and other things.

Have you tried it in VMLite? XPMode works much better in VMLite than it does in Virtual PC. If your experience is with virtual pc, then I can understand why you didn't like it.

Hi there
the trouble with things like Vm Lite you have to be 100% careful that you aren't breaking any copyright infringement of Windows proprietary software - especially if this will be adopted by some larger companies.

There was a similar sort of offering (non virtual) a while ago of a sort of "Xp Lite" which definitely was a very borderline issue.

When using things like vmware you are of course running to all intents and purposes a totally SEPARATE machine so apart from printer integration you can't run VM applications from the HOST system and shared drives will be treated as Network drives since the two machines are essentially on a "Network".

For example if you have say Photoshop as an application on the VM you won't be able to create a shortcut to the .EXE file on the HOST system to execute it --you will have to execute the program from the VM environment. Portable files you can of course run since all you need is a link to the "shared network drive" and the program location - but that's not "Integration".


It rather depends on what you need the VM for -- however I think I prefer the method of running a VM as a "Classic" separate virtual machine even if the cost is less integration. Of course the attraction here is that you can run the VM from anywhere --even on a USB device and is INDEPENDENT of the host OS (always assuming the Host OS can read the VM's Virtual disk -- vmware VHD's are compatable across Windows and Linux.

Cheers
jimbo

The OP has asked for advice on how to install Windows Virtual PC and XP mode on another drive, not opinions on otherware.
I have no answer for him, I was asked for an install directory when I installed them.

I tried Virtual PC some time ago and don't recall being given a choice as to where it was installed.

You may get more help under Support in this link: Windows Virtual PC: Home Page

However, when you have installed XP Mode, and then install an application under it, you will find it creates a folder named XP Mode Applications to store it.