Using the XP Mode in VirtualBox

[Jonathan_King]

I installed VirtualBox yesterday, and now have decided I don't want Windows Virtual PC anymore. I want to have a virtual XP machine in VirtualBox instead.

Is there any way to convert the XP Mode file provided by Microsoft to a format usable by Virtual Box?

 

[whs]

If that is an .iso of XP, the answer is yes. Instructions are here - don't get confused by the W7 title. Works just as well for XP, Vista, Ubuntu or any other.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Unfortunately not. It is not an ISO, just an installer from MS. I do not want to have to pay for a copy, just use the one Microsoft provides for Professional and Ultimate users.

Download Windows XP Mode

 

[huisinro]

you can install the following plugin to use Microsoft XP Mode vhd file inside vbox:

http://www.sevenforums.com/virtualization/56399-vmlite-xp-mode-plugin-virtualbox-released.html

 

[Jonathan_King]

Thank you. Looks like that will work.

 

[cclloyd9785]

Do what I did.

1. Download Windows XP mode from the microsoft site
2. Using WinRAR, extract the exe file
3. rename xpm. to xpm.rar
4. extract the file with VHD in the name and the file named KEY
5. Rename key to a txt file so you can get the key
6. Rename the VHD to .vdi and it will load in VirtualBox.

When you startup, it will work a bit as it still sets up the intergration components of Windows Virtual PC. After you can log in, I suggest you install Guest additions.

 

[Jonathan_King]

I guess the VMlite didn't work. Now XP Mode is asking me to activate. Any way to get around this legally?

 

[huisinro]

If you install vmlite plugin, it should auto activate.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Not sure what happened the first time. I installed the vmlite plugin, then uninstalled it. I then booted up the machine in VirtualBox, and it asked me to activate.

I did the exact same thing this time, and it's not asking me to activate/

 

[Jonathan_King]

Do what I did.

1. Download Windows XP mode from the microsoft site
2. Using WinRAR, extract the exe file
3. rename xpm. to xpm.rar
4. extract the file with VHD in the name and the file named KEY
5. Rename key to a txt file so you can get the key
6. Rename the VHD to .vdi and it will load in VirtualBox.

When you startup, it will work a bit as it still sets up the intergration components of Windows Virtual PC. After you can log in, I suggest you install Guest additions.

Well, I just got the activation notice. Thanks to this solution, I now have the key. Thank you!

 

[FliGi7]

Sorry to resurrect this, but I just followed those instructions and VirtualBox says the vdi is "inaccessible".

 

[Jonathan_King]

Just a thought, have you tried rebooting?

 

[FliGi7]

Eh, I gave up on it. I am just using VMWare Player now since it has the easy Import XP Mode option. I have done this in the past but really wanted to make VirtualBox work due to some really slow booting issues that occur quite randomly in VMWare Player with XP Mode.

 

[pparks1]

I was going to just suggest using VMWare Player. That is what I use and they have a drop dead simple process of converting the XP Mode into their format and it works and doesn't require activation. Of course, VMWare is my virtualization software of choice...so I usually suggest it.

 

[FliGi7]

That's why I moved to it. But, it's really annoying that it screws up everytime I choose to reboot XP Mode. If I shut it down, then restart the VM, it works fine. But, if I just click Restart in XP Mode, it shuts down then does this freezing stop-action startup that takes about 30 minutes to finally get to the login screen.

 

[pparks1]

That's why I moved to it. But, it's really annoying that it screws up everytime I choose to reboot XP Mode. If I shut it down, then restart the VM, it works fine. But, if I just click Restart in XP Mode, it shuts down then does this freezing stop-action startup that takes about 30 minutes to finally get to the login screen.

Strange, I haven't had that problem before. Are you running one of the newer versions of VMWare Player, version 3.1.1 or higher? I believe 3.1.3 is still the latest.

 

[FliGi7]

I am running 3.1.3 at the moment which I used originally to load XP Mode and the problem was immediate. So I uninstalled and reverted to 3.1.2 and it still had the problem. I uninstalled that and left it alone for a couple months but wanted it back so I'm running 3.1.3 now and still the same problem. I have an account on VMWare and am supposedly signed up for the communities but can't make a post on there. No clue what is going on with that but it's rather frustrating as that's the only way you can get help with the free player.

 

[pparks1]

Can you give me detailed instructions of exactly what is happening, as well as detailed instructions of how your VM is setup? I'd like to try duplicating this issue.

 

[FliGi7]

Sure, but there isn't much detail, really. I downloaded and installed 3.1.3 VMWare Player for my x64 Win 7 system. I rebooted as requested. XPMode had already been installed (by going to the MS site and downloading the Step #1 file that contains it). I never installed the Virtual PC Step #2 file nor the Step #3 update to it. I then just loaded up VMWare Player, Imported XPMode VM, everything went smooth on first boot and got all set up. I restarted it and the problem immediately began. It's a bit tough to explain but imagine you have a video on pause and you are only advancing one frame every 10 seconds or so. This is how the entire boot process goes from initial VMWare BIOS logo through to the XP login. At first it appears as if it's frozen, only because the Windows progress logo is fading in one frame at a time and it takes absolutely forever. I usually end up resetting the VM when it happened (before I found out that a shutdown and then re-start of the VM fixed it each time), of which upon next boot I'd have to select to start Windows with the last known good configuration and then a "this VM hard disk is fragmented and needs to be defragged" message following it.

It has just been messed up from the beginning and I have no clue why. I even uninstalled and reinstalled my XP Mode as well, to no success.

 

[pparks1]

Hmmm...I'm running Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit on my work PC. Also running VMWare Player 3.1.3.

Time to boot Windows XP Mode for the first time after a system reboot of the host: 19 seconds

Time from XP Mode, hitting Restart till I am back to the desktop: 22 seconds.

I'll scour the vmware forums and see if I can find something for you. I've never seen that happen myself.


Here are my configuration settings for XP mode:
--1GB of RAM, 1 processor, 1 hard drive at 127GB
--Network Adapter : Bridged

--Processor details: 1 processor core, Preferred virtualization Engine is Automatic.

Under Options, I'm set to Windows, XP Professional, Working Directory matches VM, and Virtual Keyboard is unchecked.
VMWare tools is at default