Q&A for Desktop Virtualization

[Brink]

Q&A for Desktop Virtualization​

The term ‘Desktop Virtualization’ covers a multitude of technologies from application virtualization (insulating applications from the behaviour of other applications) to running incompatible applications in a separate OS virtualized on the client computer to moving the users OS to a VM in the data centre.

You can out find more at the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) Microsoft TechNet site.

Please leave any questions or comments you have on Desktop Virtualization below, this should prove an interesting conversation!

 

[Matt McSpirit]

Hi all,

I'm Matt McSpirit (a.k.a Virtualboy) and I'm also monitoring the thread, so feel free to fire your questions over!

 

[Kari]

My system image backups (current Win7 Ultimate system) are 220+ GB. Virtual PC has a 127 GB size limit to vhd's. Any possibilities to mount a system image vhd as a second hard disk to an existing virtual machine, to be able able to extract files, or is mounting it in disk management only option when image file is over 127 GB?

Kari

 

[Matt McSpirit]

My system image backups (current Win7 Ultimate system) are 220+ GB. Virtual PC has a 127 GB size limit to vhd's. Any possibilities to mount a system image vhd as a second hard disk to an existing virtual machine, to be able able to extract files, or is mounting it in disk management only option when image file is over 127 GB?

Kari

Hi Kari,

The 127GB size limit is on the Virtual IDE controller, and on Windows Virtual PC, there isn't an alternative to this (i.e. Virtual SCSI), so the easiest way of extracting files from the System Image Backups would be to mount that VHD in Disk Management, native to Windows 7.

Hope that helps!
Matt

 

[Kari]

Thanks, Matt. Have to edit my tutorial to add this piece of information.

Kari

 

[Matt McSpirit]

No probs Kari - tutorial looks great, and very detailed. This is something users will find very useful. Maybe a few screens on how to mount in Disk Management would also be useful for your readers?

Keep up the great work!
Matt

 

[Edwin Yuen]

Please go ahead if you have any questions about Desktop Virt, including MDOP. I came from the original Softricity team so I can answer lots of App-V questions.

 

[Kari]

Brink has already made an excellent tut about that(http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24771-system-image-extract-files-using-disk-management.html). I just added a link to that tut.

Kari

 

[Matt McSpirit]

Awesome - all valuable stuff for users!
Thanks!

 

[Edwin Yuen]

Brink has already made an excellent tut about that(http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24771-system-image-extract-files-using-disk-management.html). I just added a link to that tut.

Kari

That's a great list. I've used the Disk Manager to compact my VHDs in a much easier method than the old VPC way. :sarc:

 

[Kari]

Any change to get CD / DVD burn option to XP Mode / Virtual PC?

As discussed in this thread, another member of Seven Forums has an older version of Nero, not compatible with Seven. We tried to find a solution to his issue but it took a few days until it came clear the issue was burning from XP Mode, which is not possible.

Kari

 

[Edwin Yuen]

Any change to get CD / DVD burn option to XP Mode / Virtual PC?

As discussed in this thread, another member of Seven Forums has an older version of Nero, not compatible with Seven. We tried to find a solution to his issue but it took a few days until it came clear the issue was burning from XP Mode, which is not possible.

Kari

I believe that the optical drivers in XP Mode are read only. One possible solution is to load a Virtual CD program inside the XP Mode session, which would present a ISO creating drive to XP and then move the ISO to the Win7 session.

 

[Matt McSpirit]

Or potentially, a USB DVD-RW may be passed through correctly, but I've not tried this before, so couldn't be certain it would work!

 

[cowpatty]

messing up my computers

Q&A for Desktop Virtualization​

The term ‘Desktop Virtualization’ covers a multitude of technologies from application virtualization (insulating applications from the behaviour of other applications) to running incompatible applications in a separate OS virtualized on the client computer to moving the users OS to a VM in the data centre.

You can out find more at the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) Microsoft TechNet site.

Please leave any questions or comments you have on Desktop Virtualization below, this should prove an interesting conversation!

I spend way too much time reloading my OS [windows 7] and applications! "see it is like this" I mess up my computers, trying new things, so my computers complain by halting and crashing ... like a camel in a dry desert ... in the recent past i have tried almost every imaging product i could find and afford ... to some progress at least in terms of the recovering/from bare metal the OS. However reinstalling my apps are serious time drains. VMware had a deal on THIN APPS but was only for the XP OS, and looked intimidating. Apps on USB looked promising, but i have no way to know ahead of time, if they allow me to mount and unmount, rather instantly, any given app. I bought a VMworkstation from VMware, but do not have access to anyone to consult with on the rather steep learning curve. Trying new unproven apps in a sand box makes a lot of sence. VMware promotes virtual apps which seem interesting in theory. But for a beginner to keep any VMware machine in top working order could take of life time of "do it yourself". New to me anyway and of interest are: [] Cameyo "ever wished you could pack an entire application into a single EXE and take it with you anywhere with out having to re-install every time?" [] Forefront. endpoint protection 2010, looks interesting and i have a product key for windows server 2008. [] Virtual bridges; promotes verde app layers allows streaming of applicatio []ns. [] will Desktop Virtualization, save my time as home/office/computer enthusiast? [] Spoons have captured my attention!!! [] while seeming unrelated Virtual Desktops (multiple desk tops) may help out in the sense of organizing my physical work station (or mind set) into several desk tops, organizing my start menus along the lines of major duties. I realize we all can nave many hats, and often i find moving physical desks helps me to be more efficient with my quite time. In the mean time i am visiting your sites above concerning "Desktop Virtualization" warmest personal regards, Cowpatty

 

[fafhrd]

Here's one for Matt or Edwin.

Hi Matt, Edwin,
The Virtual Drive that Microsoft Office 2010 Click-To-Run (Protected) (Q: ) sets up, is of no use to man nor beast, yet takes one of the 20-odd remaining drive letters on any machine it chances to infect.

Why couldn't Microsoft just use a hidden folder instead?

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I use a lot of Virtual Machines -- I really would like something now that basically is a bare box on which I could install VM's without the overhead of having a Host OS with the attendent Virtual Machine Software - especially when this has to run in a particular users own workspace.

I think I need something like a "Whitebox" but the products I've seen are generally Corporate, Datacentre or Enterprise type of products (with the HUGE costs that entails).

Is there something I could get like a reasonably cheap server class machine which would do the trick -- most "Consumer" type of computers including even quite powerful recent motherboards are not compatable hardware wise with some of this "Bare Bones" Virtual machine technology especially with LAN cards and without getting the LAN cards to function the rest is useless since a remote user couldn't logon on to the appropriate VM.

What I would like is to have available around 5 or 6 Virtual Machines acessible via a LAN or from the Internet available to authorized users.


The VMWARE server product was a start but this does require a Host OS to start it up even if you can leave the VM's running in the background.

The other problem with vmware server is that development has got a bit behind so if you want to support even limited types of multimedia on your Virtual Machine the development hasn't been done or coping with newer hardware such as USB 3.0 or e-sata drives for example.

I do like the idea of course that VM's can be started automatically at boot time for example without a user having to logon and start them individually via a program like say vmware workstation.

Cheers
jimbo