Virtualbox Question

andrew · 17-06-2008 5:29pm #1

Sorry, not sure if this is the right forum. Anyway...

I'm running virtualbox with Ubuntu as a host. I want to virtualise windows xp. This is probably a stupid question, but do I need a windows xp install disc to do this? I don't have access to such a disc, so if so is there any other way?

Thanks

djmarkus · 17-06-2008 5:54pm

Not really, you could get to send you their VDI (what virtualbox uses for a disk), but this is frought with licencing issues.

andrew · 17-06-2008 7:09pm

So need something called a windows VDI or something?

cance · 17-06-2008 8:45pm

if you want to install the operating system get a cd, network installation point or an iso of the cd.

your other option i think yer man is getting at is that if you know somebody who currently has a virtual xp machile you could get a copy of his virtual xp, copy the file (2gb ish) to your virtual machine then add it.

andrew · 17-06-2008 10:35pm

ah right I see what you mean. I was hoping that somehow i'd be able to use the Xp files on my windows partition because I don't have an installation one. I'll have to try find myself one so. thanks!

ethernet · 18-06-2008 12:30am

andrew wrote: »

ah right I see what you mean. I was hoping that somehow i'd be able to use the Xp files on my windows partition because I don't have an installation one. I'll have to try find myself one so. thanks!

Oh, that's different. There are programs -- VMWare definitely has one -- that can create an image of your current install so that you can run it in a virtual machine to avoid starting from scratch. Seems it is free as well.

andrew · 18-06-2008 1:28am

ah cool. thanks. hopefully it's what i need.

Duffman · 18-06-2008 1:36am

ethernet wrote: »

Oh, that's different. There are programs -- VMWare definitely has one -- that can create an image of your current install so that you can run it in a virtual machine to avoid starting from scratch. Seems it is free as well.

That's probably the cleanest way.

You can also actually boot up your windows partition in a VM (rather than converting it into an image). You just have to be really careful to boot the right OS because trying to boot Ubuntu from a VM inside Ubuntu will lead to disk tragedy.

I managed to get my windows partition to boot using KVM and QEMU a while ago but I'm not sure if I could repeat the process now!.

EDIT: Oh and one thing you should do before you try this is set up a new hardware profile in Windows so your drivers don't get messed up when you boot it in a VM.

andrew · 18-06-2008 1:54am

****e. The DL is available in .exe only for VMware. My windows partition is knackered for the moment until I can get an install CD, in which case i wouldn't need VMware! I suppose software to make an image of a windows install from a different OS altogether is definately asking too much. Gah, who knew just having the plug come out during normal operation could completely mess up a windows partition

Thanks a lot though.

Duffman · 18-06-2008 1:57am

Might be a long shot but do you have a C:\I386 folder on the windows partition?

That contents of that directory can be burned and used as an install cd.

andrew · 18-06-2008 2:30am

Duffman wrote: »

Might be a long shot but do you have a C:\I386 folder on the windows partition?

That contents of that directory can be burned and used as an install cd.

Yeah I do! Great, thanks. Is it bootable, or is there any way I could burn it so i could boot from it?

cance · 18-06-2008 7:42am

http://www.thehotfix.net/howto/bootablecd/index.htm

Virtualbox Question

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