Depending on how many applications are involved I may be simpler to add the applications with issues to the Windows 7 XP mode which will then allow you to run the programs either in the virtualised XP or directly from 7.
If you could image the existing install, convert the image into a suitable VM (not XP mode), All of which may well be possible, I am not sure how Microsoft will react to a telephone re-activation which would be required
Ok this is what i hope is possible (in case i haven't explained fully). Whilst running w7, i am to launch either VM or other (Xp mode??) allowing me to interact with my Xp build much like a Remote Desktop connection (mstsc). Is it possible to run both OS live simultaneously though?. If not, I do have an image (.gho) of my Xp build ready to deploy into a VM but i may need help on it.
The default mode for XP mode, (and I believe the other options), is to run in a window so simultaneous access is normal.
The advantage with XP mode is its ability to run an XP mode application from within 7 so that it appears as a native Windows 7 application. XP mode applications appear as individual entries on the start menu and may be pinned to the task bar etc.
As stated above I am not sure of the EULA of XP with regards to a Virtual instance of the OS. If you convert your existing install persuading Microsoft to re-activate may be the sticking point, not the actual conversion, I may be worthwhile talking to Microsoft to ascertain the actual status before going any further
The conversion is easy. You can get the VMWare Converter tool and convert your physical machine to a virtual machine which you can then run on the VMWare Server 2.0 software (free and will run on workstations), VMWare Workstation (not free) or the VMWare Player (free as well and runs on workstations).
However, the actual usage of the machine is the problem. Since all the hardware becomes virtualized....Microsoft sees it as a new system and then you have to activate it...which is the sticky point. Sadly due to all of the pirating of software worldwide....those of us who have legit copies of the OS are often preventing from using them as we would really like to and pay the costs of those who take it and use it for nothing.
Will take your words for it
"NOTE When you hot clone dual-boot systems, you can clone only the default operating system to which the boot.ini file points. To clone the non-default operating system, change the boot.ini file to point to the other operating system and reboot. After you are booted into the other operating system, you can install Converter Standalone and hot clone it.
"
My default OS woul be my Xp (installed W7 on second partition). I tried what VMWare says but still getting errors.
Has anyone hot clone physical machine using Converter Client with dual boot setup?
Here is a great guide for converting a physical machine to a VM.
http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/docs/vmwdocs/Admin-P2V-2.0.pdf
You MOST DEFINITELY CAN create Virtual machines from Physical ones and Physical machines from Virtual ones.
The two processes are known as P2V and V2P.
Physical to Virtual (P2V) is quite simple -- you can backup your real machine with something like acronis true image, power on a base XP vm with nothing installed other than the OS and then do a Universal restore into this virtual OS. You'll get loads of "new Hardware found" after bootup but the acronis universal restore does a tremendous job of this. You do need to initially create a base empty (i.e no extra apps installed) XP vm guest first.
The reason for creating the base empty XP guest system first is that your current XP system is likely to have SATA drives. The default vmware "virtual Bios" will have drives as either SCSI or IDE. If you simply restore your XP system boot will BSOD (as it will on a REAL system if you try and boot with IDE instead of SATA or SATA instead of IDE).
The Acronis Universal restore program will sort all this out and use the "virtual hardware" from the "base vm" when copying over your physical installation. You won't be able to run things like movie playing / TV cards on a vm currently however but sound will be just fine.
(Of course you can't install a PHYSICAL system with the wrong disk type as Windows won't find any disk drives to install on - but if you HAVE an installed system then the system will attempt to boot (you've got the boot MBR on the disk) and then it will fail).
Virtual to Physical is a bit more complex as you need a folder containing some of the drivers that won't exist in the basic windows setup such as SATA drivers, chipset etc. etc.
Take a look at the VMWARE site for example and search on VMWARE CONVERTER.
These processes are run a LOT in the real design world.
When clients sign up to "Server services" these days the server farms usually have to do a P2V of the clients physical hardware in order to replicate the existing hardware and prove that it does the same job as the clients existing hardware before taking over the service.
The vmware converter can be a bit "iffy" - I find the acronis software much much better but you do need to get the extra "Universal Restore" add on.
Note on Licensing.
Licensing is a different topic completely -- however MS will allow you to move your Windows XP installation to another machine (A virtual Machine can be considered as a different physical machine as it has different "hardware") provided the XP system is a fully licensed retail / corporate XP system and not an OEM or "pre-installed one without an MS install disk).
Added - for the unwary.
The main problem with using the vmware converter to do a P2V conversion is that it requires the VSS (Volume Shadow Service) function to be available. So you need to enable the services for that (it's explained in the vmware documentation).
However what they DON'T tell you is that the volume needs to be copied and as this is done first with VSS on the "C" drive itself before the target Virtual volume is created in the directory you have specified you will (like me) probably not have enough space on your C drive to do this -- I always keep the OS in its own (small) partition and have all my data etc on other partitions / disks. The Vmware converter will then fail with a message - unable to copy / create vss volume.
That's another reason for using the Acronis Universal Restore feature.
Cheers
jimbo
Last edited by jimbo45; 05 Oct 2009 at 10:20.
Hi there
This is a feature of Acronis True Image workstation - its actually an "Add" on to the base product called Universal Restore.
What this does is allow you to restore an image you've created with Acronis True Image (usually a .TIB file) and restore it to DIFFERENT hardware. The new drivers can be picked up either from a directory you specify or the existing Windows folder on the Windows install disk.
It's usually quite simple.
I'm not sure .GHO (Ghost) files work the same way -- if you are lucky and the restored system boots Windows will fix / search for drivers IT can install and then you can install the missing ones manually.
BTW if you are a member of technet / msdn you can get up to 10 sets of keys for Windows XP - otherwise just phone Microsoft - don't say you are running on a Virtual Machine just say its a new computer you've moved the Windows XP installation on -- or even better say you have upgraded your machine to W7 and would like to use your XP system on an older machine that was running Linux. !!!! They'll give you an activation without any problems.
You can then "Clone" the VM as many times as you like as it's an identical machine and won't need re-activation.
Note - before activating Windows get your Virtual Hardware reasonably correct e,g decide whether you want 1 / 2 processors in the vm and don't alter the RAM allocated to it too much.
When running XP VM's I would recommend that you define the VM to use a SINGLE processor -- doesn't slow down the VM very much - if at all and has less "drain" on Host resources.
Cheers
jimbo
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