Is it possible to run a preexisting copy of xp throug

[Uruso]

My old copy of window's xp still works fine, so I was wondering if it was possible to load up my old copy of windows through xp mode instead of starting a fresh copy of xp.

 

[FZ21Z]

Hi.

This may help - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8247-windows-xp-mode-install-setup.html

 

[Uruso]

Hi.

This may help - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8247-windows-xp-mode-install-setup.html

I appreciate the thought, but I already know how to install it. I'm asking if its possible for it to pull up my preexisting copy rather than a fresh new one. You see I have a copy of windows xp still installed on my computer, when I boot up. I have the choice of windows 7 or windows xp. I want to be in windows 7 and run my already existing copy of xp.

 

[Kari]

Hello Uruso, welcome to the Seven Forums.

You can download a free Microsoft tool called Disk2vhd. More information and download: Disk2vhd

With Disk2vhd you can convert your existing XP setup to a virtual hard disk (vhd) file, which you can then mount on Virtual PC. Please notice that Virtual PC has a 127 GB size limit to vhd's, so if your existing XP partition is bigger than that, you should first shrink it.

Kari

 

[Uruso]

Hello Uruso, welcome to the Seven Forums.

You can download a free Microsoft tool called Disk2vhd. More information and download: Disk2vhd

With Disk2vhd you can convert your existing XP setup to a virtual hard disk (vhd) file, which you can then mount on Virtual PC. Please notice that Virtual PC has a 127 GB size limit to vhd's, so if your existing XP partition is bigger than that, you should first shrink it.

Kari

Thanks! I'll go give it a shot!

 

[kittleboy]

In the section, Volumes to include, should i use all of my drives?
I have 4 drives, C,D,E,F and windows XP is installed in Drive C and Windows 7 is installed in Drive D;
does it matter that on which OS i run " Disk2vhd " software and do this ?

 

[Kari]

Kittleboy, IMO you get the best result when booting to XP and then run Disk2vhd from there.

 

[kittleboy]

Kittleboy, IMO you get the best result when booting to XP and then run Disk2vhd from there.

ok,
should i tick all my drives?

 

[Kari]

As long as you remeber this:

Note: Virtual PC supports a maximum virtual disk size of 127GB. If you create a VHD from a larger disk it will not be accessible from a Virtual PC VM.

(Disk2vhd)

VirtualBox and VMware don't have this limitation, though.

Kari

 

[MilesAhead]

As long as you remeber this:

Note: Virtual PC supports a maximum virtual disk size of 127GB. If you create a VHD from a larger disk it will not be accessible from a Virtual PC VM.

(Disk2vhd)

VirtualBox and VMware don't have this limitation, though.

Kari

Kari, do you happen to know if there's a free converter to VirtualBox compatible image?
I've looked around the VB forums and P2V doesn't look smooth. I'd rather cheat and do it the easy way. otoh I did set up with VirtualBox a few times and it did install the guest OS so I'd like to start with something I know if I could take a shortcut.

edit: ok, looks like VirtualBox says it can use it, er, out of the box so to speak.

 

[huisinro]

disk2vhd won't work for XP, it won't boot. You will need to adjust the registry and kernel images. There is another thread discussing this.

Try our MyOldPCs converter, fully compatiable with VMLite, VirtualBox and Virtual PC/Hyper-V, VMWare.

Welcome to the VMLite

 

[MilesAhead]

disk2vhd won't work for XP, it won't boot. You will need to adjust the registry and kernel images. There is another thread discussing this.

Try our MyOldPCs converter, fully compatiable with VMLite, VirtualBox and Virtual PC/Hyper-V, VMWare.

Welcome to the VMLite

Thanks for your reply. Isn't there an easy way to use a backup image such as made my Macrium Reflect? Some trick to "restore" to the virtual drive image?

I can get VirtualBox to work easily enough but reinstalling dozens of apps when I have a working partition seems lame.

edit: I see what you mean about the registry though. Even with restore to a real physical HD the drive letter has to be the same as seen once booted, or the app paths will be all messed up.

 

[Kari]

disk2vhd won't work for XP, it won't boot. You will need to adjust the registry and kernel images. There is another thread discussing this.

Thanks for your reply. Isn't there an easy way to use a backup image such as made my Macrium Reflect? Some trick to "restore" to the virtual drive image?

As already discussed in this thread, Disk2vhd works without problems on XP.

I wanted to be absolutely sure, so I made a test. I booted up an older XP rig, run Disk2vhd, copied the resulting vhd to my main main rig, mounted it to a new VirtualBox machine.

The new XP virtual machine booted nicely. I installed VirtualBox Guest Additions and now my new XP virtual machine is running absolutely perfectly.

I tested the live version of Disk2vhd:



Macrium's image file format is not compatible with VirtualBox.

Kari

 

[huisinro]

perhaps, you happen to have a quite old XP machine? is it single core? We tested many XP machines, and found only a very small portion of them boot well after conversation without tweaking configs.

 

[Kari]

perhaps, you happen to have a quite old XP machine? is it single core? We tested many XP machines, and found only a very small portion of them boot well after conversation without tweaking configs.

Three years old HP Pavilion dv6011 laptop, AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-50 processor.

I had Vista on it that refused to boot, have not used it n almost a year. For this test i removed non-working Vista and because I don't have those recovery disks anymore, installed XP Pro.

Tested Disk2vhd in two different phases, first directly after installation, no software or additional hardware installed. Second try after installing all appropriate drivers, a printer and some apps (Chrome, Gimp, WinAmp, Railroad Tycoon game). Both tests with live version of Disk2vhd.

Both images mounted without problems. The second image, when booted, gave two warnings about missing drivers but those were easily fixed.

Kari

When

 

[MilesAhead]

On both machines though, XP sees itself as C: correct? See my XP registry is full of H: 's in paths everywhere. The XP is on a PC with 2 OS.

Oh well, I'm tried of messing with it. It's not like I need it for anything.

 

[Kari]

On both machines though, XP sees itself as C: correct? See my XP registry is full of H: 's in paths everywhere. The XP is on a PC with 2 OS.

Oh well, I'm tried of messing with it. It's not like I need it for anything.

Only thing you lose when you try is time. Run the Disk2vhd on your XP, and try if you can mount the image on VBox. If not, at least you know.

Kari

 

[Kari]

disk2vhd won't work for XP, it won't boot. You will need to adjust the registry and kernel images. There is another thread discussing this.

Try our MyOldPCs converter, fully compatiable with VMLite, VirtualBox and Virtual PC/Hyper-V, VMWare.

Welcome to the VMLite

Huisinro, please check or ask your colleagues to check the emails, there's a request for MyOldPC trial download link from Larry Laffer. I'm getting bored to click Check Email button every three minutes

Kari

EDIT: It's quarter past three AM there ATM, maybe that's why you are not at your desk...

 

[MilesAhead]

On both machines though, XP sees itself as C: correct? See my XP registry is full of H: 's in paths everywhere. The XP is on a PC with 2 OS.

Oh well, I'm tried of messing with it. It's not like I need it for anything.

Only thing you lose when you try is time. Run the Disk2vhd on your XP, and try if you can mount the image on VBox. If not, at least you know.

Kari

Been there, done that. Like the man said, it won't boot. Even if it did, the registry is full of H: references. It could probably be made to work with some image manipulation software if the source HD was just a C: partition with it on. There's not that much I still need XP for anyway. Once in a blue moon I need to use my scanner. It's not that big a deal to boot XP to use it. If I was using it every day then it would be worth coming up with a VM. For the occasional app it just adds complication to my Windows setup and uses disk space. I like to keep my backup images as close to 20 GB as I can get. Makes for quicker restores.

 

[Kari]

Thanks Huisinro, got the link.

Kari