Win7pro in a VirtualPC - How?

[CarvedDuck]

Hi all,

Is it possible to install my current win7pro in a Virtual PC without having to buy/Activate another copy?

I realize I would actually have to copies running, one to run the VPC and the other running within the VPC. But, being just one human being, I could only ever be using one at a time. Or, am I expected to add to "Microsoft Corp. today announced quarterly revenue of $20.49 billion," and buy a second copy?

Just had a very tenacious virus and I finally had to reinstall win7 and then go through installing all my software again. I had backups of the data and lost nothing but time. It cost me almost two 12-hour days to get back to where I was.

I would like to do everything from within the VPC this time and just backup the .VHD to a 64G thumb drive, maybe once a week. I know it would take an hour or so, but that's better than 2-days!

It is a Lenovo laptop and did not come with an install CD, but has a hidden recovery partition so it is not a simple matter to install a new copy from the CD.

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello CarvedDuck,

I'm afraid not. Each installation (even virtual) will require it's own separate product key if you wanted to activate them, so you'll need to purchase another product key to be able to legally activate the second installation.

 

[richnrockville]

CarvedDuck, this is another reason to have a disk imaging program. I do it periodically using Acronis and it takes about 10-15 minutes at most to completely restore my C drive. There are free or low cost imaging backup programs. Sorry for the time it took you to restore. And as the boss says, No you can't install the same copy of Windows 7 on more than one machine without a license which requires a purchase to help Microsoft.

macrium.com
is where you can download the free version of Macrium a recommended imaging program.
Rich

 

[jimbo45]

Hello CarvedDuck,

I'm afraid not. Each installation (even virtual) will require it's own separate product key if you wanted to activate them, so you'll need to purchase another product key to be able to legally activate the second installation.

Hi there
@Brink -- not quite right -- there's a limiting pre-built version available for testing on the Ms site -- I've posted the link in the Virtualisation section (credit to DavidY for the initial post on the W8 Forum).

http://www.modern.ie/en-us/virtualization-tools#downloads

These can be extended 3 times via the slmgr command -- these are a great idea for doing quick testing and a POC (Proof of concept) to see if you like the product before spending money on a new W7 pro licence. Validity 90 days in the first instance.

@OP

If you decide you want to purchase the W7 system an idea is to request a copy from anybody on the Forum who has decided they no longer need their copy --has to be full retail to transfer the license -- at least that way you should get a decent copy. You ARE allowed to transfer the licence to another person / machine for the RETAIL copy although it will still need to be activated.

(Believe it or not there are a FEW souls who have decided to upgrade permanently to W8 !!).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[CarvedDuck]

so you'll need to purchase another product key to be able to legally activate

Thanks, that's not going to happen.

 

[CarvedDuck]

CarvedDuck, this is another reason to have a disk imaging program.

Thanks Rich, I have been a long time fan of Macrium Reflect (MR) until I had a laptop stolen from our home and a lot of private information was compromised. Online banking, personal and family letters and emails etc.

I managed to stop any banking damage, but it caused a lot of work and worry at the time. On the new laptop I am using Truecrypt (TC) to encrypt the entire System and data. Because of that MR will not make a valid restore-able copy. IF, the parts that MR does image are restored they will be in the clear, as in, not encrypted. BUT, the restore will not boot because of the TC MBR. So the MB image is not secure.

I use Clonezilla to make image backups that will restore correctly AND are secure as encrypted images, but on a 250G drive an image takes about 7 hours to make, and 9+ hours to restore as Truecrypt encrypts all sectors so it looks like Data to the image process. The restore time I can live with but the image time is a pain.

 

[Brink]

Hello CarvedDuck,

I'm afraid not. Each installation (even virtual) will require it's own separate product key if you wanted to activate them, so you'll need to purchase another product key to be able to legally activate the second installation.

Hi there
@Brink -- not quite right -- there's a limiting pre-built version available for testing on the Ms site -- I've posted the link in the Virtualisation section (credit to DavidY for the initial post on the W8 Forum).

Cross-browser testing simplified | Testing made easier in Internet Explorer | modern.IE

These can be extended 3 times via the slmgr command -- these are a great idea for doing quick testing and a POC (Proof of concept) to see if you like the product before spending money on a new W7 pro licence. Validity 90 days in the first instance.

Cheers
jimbo

True, but you must ultimately have a separate key to activate it to be legal and comply with the EULA.

P.S. Jimbo, asking for keys is not allowed here.

 

[CarvedDuck]

These can be extended 3 times via the slmgr command

Hi Jimbo,

Thanks for that but it would be a waste of time using the trial versions as they only renew for 3-months. In 9 months I am back to where I was.

In fact I think I recently read somewhere that MS had closed down or will be closing down that department and the trial stuff will be gone.

Also, I have to use VirtualPC 2007 as non of the newer MS Virtual options will run win2000 which I need for control of my home-built (in 2002) CNC machine that will only run under Win2000. Win7pro comes with a VirtualPC but I had to uninstall it as it would not host win2000.

Life is full of compromises.

 

[Brink]

CarvedDuck,

If you like the free VMware Player is a great VM program that supports Windows 2000 VMs (guests).

 

[CarvedDuck]

If you like the free VMware Player is a great VM program that supports Windows 2000 VMs (guests).

Thanks, been there and tried that before I reluctantly went to vpc2007. While it does run w2000 it does not honor any of the video drivers or adapters that I could find. It stays at 640 x 480 - 16 colors and that is just plain useless.

I think I can safely assure anyone and everyone that to usefully-run w2000 in a virtual anything, it has to be VPC2007. I have spent weeks on this stuff.

 

[DavidE]

I use Clonezilla to make image backups that will restore correctly AND are secure as encrypted images, but on a 250G drive an image takes about 7 hours to make, and 9+ hours to restore as Truecrypt encrypts all sectors so it looks like Data to the image process. The restore time I can live with but the image time is a pain.

How much space is used on the 250GB drive?
Do you store your user data in the "C" (OS+programs) partition?

If you have everything in one partition, a different storage strategy might help.
Imaging is not the best/most efficient method for "User data" backups.

 

[jimbo45]

If you like the free VMware Player is a great VM program that supports Windows 2000 VMs (guests).

Thanks, been there and tried that before I reluctantly went to vpc2007. While it does run w2000 it does not honor any of the video drivers or adapters that I could find. It stays at 640 x 480 - 16 colors and that is just plain useless.

I think I can safely assure anyone and everyone that to usefully-run w2000 in a virtual anything, it has to be VPC2007. I have spent weeks on this stuff.

Hi there
I'm running W2000, W98 and even Windows 3.11 under VMware -- installs just fine. !!! Host machine Windows 8 (and Windows 7) both X-64 enterprise versions . W7 Ultimate is approx equiv to W7 Enterprise but it should also work on W7 pro or even W7 Home premium.

With VMware running the VMware tools you then get "Virtual video drivers" which avoid the problem of having to have "Native Video drivers" for the GUEST.

Note that to get VMWARE TOOLS to install you must install SP4 for windows 2000 first --it's still surprisingly available from here (MS)

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/confirmation.aspx?id=4127



Cheers

jimbo
jimbo

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
You also need this security patch AFTER installing SP4.

Download Security Update for Windows 2000 (KB835732) from Official Microsoft Download Center

Now Full screen even on a decent monitor works -- together with sound and USB too.

Here's mine running in full HD (1080 * 1920) no probs whatsoever,

You MUST install SP4 first and then the security update linked to in this post. THEN install VMWARE TOOLS.

screenshot enc

Cheers
jimbo

 

[CarvedDuck]

Thanks Jimbo, I am using SP4, but was not aware of the later Patch. Downloading as I type.

Will let you know how it goes.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
don't forget to install VMware tools from the GUEST OS after installing the update -- you'll probably need to re-boot the VM.

Use the VM menu ==>install VMware tools.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[richnrockville]

Anyone running VMware, Can you use the .vhd's from the vpc from MS?
I have dos, win 3.11, win2000 win98, winxp and w7

Rich

 

[jimbo45]

Anyone running VMware, Can you use the .vhd's from the vpc from MS?
I have dos, win 3.11, win2000 win98, winxp and w7

Rich

Hi there
VMware does have a conversion tool.

VMware Workstation Documentation Center

(As always though backup data before making wholesale changes).

Cheers
jimbo