Virtual XP Machine - Copy

- But I doubt that failure is the steps itself. When I first installed "Virtual PC" on W7 x64, I found the instructions in this thread and followed them, retaining the original as a baseline for future copies. Been using it for months.

- Today I want another VM (total of three; baseline and two active in use), so I find this post again, and follow the instructions again. Fail. Delete everything new. Follow the instructions again. Fail. Delete everything new. Follow the instructions again. Fail. Delete everything new. Follow the instructions again. Success.

- Now one could say I may have not followed the instructions. That would incorrect. I used Beyond Compare against the old and new XML configuration files at each step after the first failure to be sure the changes were accurately made. They were. All three times. So even if I did somehow bolo the first time because I blew through it, all three times after that I went slow, careful, triple and quadruple checked everything before attempting to load the VM. Yet it consistently said the VM could not be loaded because a machine of that name existed already, every time but the last one, with the very same changes each time.

- The moral of this post is this: if it fails the first, second, or even third time, don't assume it won't work. This is m$ suckware. It quite often fails for no reason, because that's how m$ is. Even now.

- One definition of insanity used to be performing the same action and expecting a different result. But this precisely what m$ is and does; same action, unique result.

- Or one could simply use VirtualBox and have it work quickly and easily right out of the gate for any number of virtual machines. Next time winbloze 7 pulls this crap that's exactly when I'm going to do. This flakey bull is what I get for using anything from Redmond to start with.

- But that doesn't detract from the tutorial. It's BANG-ON accurate. Period.

Kari said:

Dingeling, welcome to the Seven Forums. I'm sorry it took almost a week before I noticed your question. I had accidentally deleted my subscription of this thread and did not receive a notification about new post.

Xp Mode consists of two virtual hard disk files, the base and the actual XP Mode. You get that error message because the base vhd and XP vhd must have the same language.

Your issue is quite easily solved using merged, single file XP Mode instead of differencing two vhd system. You should first merge your Japanese differencing disks, mount the merged vhd to a new virtual machine renaming it, then install the English XP Mode.


Some links for you to read, both to explain the terms used and to show how to merge differencing disks:

• https://www.sevenforums.com/virtualiz...tml#post751417 (1)
• https://www.sevenforums.com/virtualiz...tml#post711304 (2)
• In XP Mode, where does the Hard Disk come from?
  

Come back if you have more questions, I renewed my subscription so it's not going to take another week to get answers

Kari

Hi Kari,

It's been a while since I had time to mess around with this, and I gave it another try today, but unfortunately without success.

I decided to start with a completely clean slate and unistalled all Virtual PC's and XP Mode then reinstalled an English version of XP Mode.

Then I followed the instructions in Backup XP Mode (2) to merge the VHD. Next I created a new VM named XP-English, and at the Add a virtual hard disk step selected Use an existing VHD and pointed it to the newly created merged VHD file. I then unistalled XP Mode (so that I could reinstall it in a different language later). I then tried starting the newly created VM, but now get the error:
"XP-English could not be started because one of its virtual hard disks could not be located. Make sure that all the virtual hard disk files of the virtual machine are present in the configured location."

Any suggestions on how next to proceed?

Kari said:

Mehzuku said:

- Today I want another VM (total of three; baseline and two active in use), so I find this post again, and follow the instructions again. Fail. Delete everything new. Follow the instructions again. Fail. Delete everything new. Follow the instructions again. Fail. Delete everything new. Follow the instructions again. Success.

Very interesting read. I have never failed with copying vm's using this method, but your experience ceratinly gives a lot to think.

Dingeling said:

Hi Kari,

It's been a while since I had time to mess around with this, and I gave it another try today, but unfortunately without success.

Although I knew it already, I had to be sure I'm not misleading you so I tested this once again following the steps told here to the letter. Absolutely no problems, the new vm using the merged XP Mode vhd is working perfectly.



Here's how:

• Merge the XP Mode differencing disks as told in this post. Remember to rename it to something else than Windows XP Mode
• Create a new vm using your merged vhd as told in this tutorial. Step 8 in tutorial tells how to use your new, merged vhd (existing vhd instead of a new vhd)
• Launch the new vm to test it really works
• Now uninstall Windows XP Mode using Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Uninstall, or any third party uninstaller
• If you want to uninstall XP Mode manually, these are the files you can delete. Notice that manual deleting does not remove registry entries:
  
  • In C:\Users\Your_Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines (default location):
    
    • Windows XP Mode.vhd
    • Windows XP Mode.vmc
    • Windows XP Mode.vmc.backup
  
  
  • In C:\Users\Virtual Machines (default location):
    
    • Windows XP Mode.vmcx
  • Folder C:\Program Files\Windows XP mode

It works.

Kari

Hi Kari,

Thanks again for your time and effort to help, but despite following the instructions to the letter, as soon as I uninstall XP Mode the new VM will no longer start, and gives the previously mentioned error. I've tried it twice, just to make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped something, but with the same result both times.

When I right-click the new VM and choose settings, it tells me the newly created merged VHD file that is ascociated with it is missing, and it indeed appears to have been deleted during the uninstall of XP Mode for some reason. (FYI, I'm creating the new merged VHD in the default location with the other VHD's).

I really can't figure out why it works for you but not for me, but I'm going to try again and then move the file somewhere else before I unistall XP Mode, and then move it back afterwards and see if that works.

Kari said:

When you try the next time, choose another location when merging asks where to save it, not saving it in default location. Please come back to tell how it went.

I tested again, and I most definitely have no problems with merging XP Mode differencing disks and attaching the new vhd to a new vm.

Kari

Just tried it again, saved the merged VHD to a different folder, and just as an extra precaution made a copy and saved it to my desktop.

Uninstalled XP Mode and sure enough, the new merged VHD got deleted as part of the uninstall, and of course the new VM would not start.

Moved the copy from my desktop back to the original folder and the VM started up without a hitch.

So now we've found the sollution , but it's still a mystery to me why it acts differently for me than it does for you.


Thanks again for your assistance :)

I ran into an error launching the copy I made following these steps, cannot start virtual machine.. a configuration with the same name already exists. The solution was to delete the Windows XP Mode - Copy.vmcx created from the steps and just launch the Windows XP Mode.vmc file directly. Windows 7 then just creates the vmcx (which is just a shortcut to the real VM) for you. Thanks.