Windows 7 - VM Question: Run 32Bit app in 32Bit VM on a 64 bit

I am new to VM. My processor wont do XP Mode so I have to use VirtualBox. ( I choose it because it uses less resources than VMware)

How on earth do I set up a copy of 32 bit windows xp on my win 7 64 bit PC?

I need the XP 32 bit VM to run 32 bit versions of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 0r 2008.. Or Visual Basic and Visual C# 2005 and 2008 editions.

So far I have just played with a VMDK of the Google Chromium Operating System.

Where do I get the VMDK of windows XP? Do I have to make one from my existing XP machine? Does the software I want to use have to be pre-installed on the XP before it gets made into a VM?

Thanks!

You can get XP Mode from Microsoft Virtual PC home page.

Be aware, VirtualBox won't run XP Mode as activated. so I recommend you to use our VMLite, it sets up everything, and runs XP Mode as activated. It runs 32-bit XP in your 64-bit host.

We will soon provide a plugin to VirtualBox too, so you can use VirtualBox + XP Mode.

VirtualBox is a good product. Although when it comes down to resources...the VM's themselves are the things which really chew up resources. I've never noticed a big enough difference between software running them to really care.

Remember to think of a virtual machine just as any real machine. So, to get Windows XP..you technically have to have a license for it and an installable disk and you can install it just like you would on a real computer. Now, with Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate...Microsoft provides you with a a free license to run XP Mode....which is just a preinstalled and activated copy of windows XP.

With regards to software, you can just load your XP VM..and then from there it is just like any other computer. You can install and configure it however you want. It's just a computer in a window. And just like any other Windows computer, you will want to run an antivirus application, etc.

Thanks but.. I am not understanding you.. If my processor is not capable of running XP Mode.. then how can I run XP Mode with VMLite?

Thanks.. that's really cool.. saves me a lot of work LOL. I do have XP with a license on another machine ( and the disk for it)

So your saying after I set up the virtual box I will be able to insert my disk and install windows xp 32 bit just like normal right.. it has cd/dvd drivers that will run bootable cd's?

I have win 7 Ultimate Edition. Too bad my processor won't run XP Mode. That would be so much easier. (although I do read a lot of people saying it's real slow compared to running XP in Sun Virtual Box)

VMLite runs XP Mode whether or not your pc supports hardware virtualization

Performance is not good at all with XP Mode. I would use just about any other virtualization product before using XP Mode. The convenience is nice...but it lacks in a lot of other areas.

Ahh.. So let me get this right.. Instead of the Microsoft Virtual Machine that lets your hardware run XP Mode, VMLite uses software emulation to simulate those hardware components to allow XP Mode to run..

Is that right?

I am going to try it.. just to see what the XP Mode is all about.

Edit:

Are you an official rep from the company or just a fan?

I have it running now in VMLite. Seems to work O.k. But.. How do I know if it installed the 32 bit or the 64 bit version?

Unlike most normal XP systems.. This information Does Not appear under the Computer properties General tab under System. It does not say 32 or 64 bit. It does say,

"Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Version 2002, Service pack 3"

I need to know for sure.

Edit:

MS system Information and the SIW system info utility said virtual machine under Build where 32 or 64 bit should be. I DO have a system32 folder LOL I guess that's the only way to tell.

How do I tell this VMLite to use more than 512 megabytes of ram for XP Mode? I cannot find an option for it in the VMLite settings (while in XP Mode) and there is no info on this in the VMLite help file for XP Mode.. only for creating a new generic VM.

It seems after the VM is created you cannot change this on the fly like you can with Virtual Box..

Speaking of which.. this app does look exactly like Sun Virtual Box.. is it based on the open source version of Virtual Box?.. If so.. and the upcoming pro version of this software ( spoken about in the user manual) is also based on the open source version of virtual box - wouldn't selling the pro version be very illegal?

From the VMLite Workstation, I can create a "New Virtual Machine" or a "New VMLite machine".. Why not just use the VM, and Not the VMLite to make the XP Mode virtual machine?? Whats the difference??

In the tutorial on the PDF file you download, it has you set it up with all default options, and does not tell you to change the RAM to your desired size. I want to re-create the XP Mode machine to use more ram.. but if the regular Create "New Virtual Machine" option is better than the Create "New VMLite Machine" version.. I prefer to use that.

The New VMLite option is disabled. It says it will work in the future.

Edit:

I tried to do it this way - It Does NOT work. You get a windows xp showing up but there is no XP Mode integration or no working network.

In the Workstation, Go to Machine at the top, choose "New Virtual Machine" type in a desired name, Next page, Set the desired RAM, Next page click the 'Use Existing Hard Drive' option and point it to the XP Mode VHD (it should already be pointed there by default)

So.. how do I make it work?

Like I said above.. I will try XP Mode with VMLite to check it out..

But I Must Have this XP running as fast as possible on my virtual machine because I need it for programming tools.

I think after I play with the VMLite XP Mode, I will wind up installing a copy of XP to the virtual drive the normal way. I do not know.. ( I haven't read up) on what the fancy features of XP Mode integration are.. but all I need is the ability to transfer files to and from the windows 7 64 bit.

Hey.. I have 4 gigs of ram and 512 video memory. I am upgrading to 1 gig of video memory in a couple of weeks. Would the boost in video memory help or does the virtual machine just use system ram?