virtual machine question

M

meatcycle

Veteran XX
Do any of the virtual machine software allow you to create a VM based on the host machine that it's running on?

In other words, I have XP installed on my computer. I install some VM software, and create a VM. Instead of putting in the XP install disk, I want it to create the VM based on my current XP install.
 
Yes. You need to install a conversion tool that will take a physical machine, and turn it into a VM. check the vmware website.
 
This could be a problem with older versions of Windows, which install only one of several choices of HAL based on the machine type. If the VM and host machine types differ, the image would most likely not work in your VM.
 
ive only ran across this problem with ESX. vmware creates virtual devices such as network cards that work with existing hardware. As far as i know, as long as the host is operating properly, the VM should as well if configured properly. Vmware supports all Windows OS back to 3.11
 
when I was dual booting my laptop I managed to run my existing windows install inside a vm while running linux.

it didn't run so good, and it only worked once.

and then I lost patience with it and got a new computer.
 
Hmm. So far it seems like the only way to do this is with VMware. Doesn't look like it's possible with virtualbox. Bummer...
 
cogzinofa said:
when I was dual booting my laptop I managed to run my existing windows install inside a vm while running linux.

it didn't run so good, and it only worked once.

and then I lost patience with it and got a new computer.
Click to expand...

What software did you use?
 
meatcycle said:
What software did you use?
Click to expand...

I was using VMware. in theory it's a cool idea, because it let me have a dual-boot laptop, run windows inside linux, and then boot in to that windows installation when I needed windows to have full control of the hardware.

however, the one time it worked performance was really really shitty.

I've thought about trying it again with my new laptop, since it's a core 2 duo, but I haven't gotten around to it.
 
dabusiness said:
why use anything another than microsoft's virtual PC if its for windows???
Click to expand...

"The Virtual PC application requires a 400 MHz Pentium-compatible processor (1.0 GHz or faster recommended), and requires approximately 35 MB of disk space. It runs on Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional, or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows Vista SP1 (Enterprise, Business, Ultimate), Windows XP SP3."

I'm running XP home :/
 
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