11 replies to this topic

[Bobc11]

I have a computer that failed a while back, and I still have its hard disk. I would like to convert that HD to a vm. Does anyone know if this is possible? If so, how would I accomplish that?

[DarkSnakeKobra]

Disk2VHD is a good tool.

http://technet.micro...ernals/ee656415

[GT500]

Bobc11 said:

I have a computer that failed a while back, and I still have its hard disk. I would like to convert that HD to a vm. Does anyone know if this is possible? If so, how would I accomplish that?

I remember VMware once advertising a feature for VMware Player that allowed copying an install of Windows from a physical computer into a virtual machine, however I was under the impression that the OS you wanted to do that to had to be booted in order for it to work. Regardless, you may want to check it out, and see if it is possible to do it with an offline system.

[Bobc11]

I used disk2vhd and this is what happens when I boot the VM... did I do something wrong?

[wildman424]

maybe this will help you get it sorted out.

bug check 0x0000007B = INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

http://msdn.microsof...v=vs.85%29.aspx

Do you know what made the system you cloned the virtual drive from crash. Does the hard drive you cloned the virtal drive from boot, or do you get an error from it as well?

[Bobc11]

the hard drive boots correctly on the other laptop I have.

[DarkSnakeKobra]

It's possible the configuration is incorrect or a driver conflict(in the vm).

[GT500]

Buttons said:

It's possible the configuration is incorrect or a driver conflict(in the vm).

Driver issue was my first thought.

Another possibility is that Windows XP will usually BSOD once you put it in a system with a different motherboard. I have always been told that Windows XP will do this to prevent you from trying to copy your install of Windows to another computer, thus bypassing the licensing restrictions. I have to admit that the last time I installed a different motherboard in a Windows XP system (different manufacturer and different chipset) that Windows XP booted just fine, so I don't know if it was just a difference between the OEM and retail versions of perhaps that was never true and it was something else the entire time.

[Bobc11]

Do you have any idea how to resolve that?

[GT500]

Bobc11 said:

Do you have any idea how to resolve that?

Possibly a repair install of Windows. If I remember right, that will allow you to re-activate your copy of Windows XP that is running in the VM, and licensing issues would no longer be a problem.

Edit: This article should give you a fairly good idea of how to do it.

[Bobc11]

 GT500, on 19 January 2012 - 12:35 PM, said:

Possibly a repair install of Windows. If I remember right, that will allow you to re-activate your copy of Windows XP that is running in the VM, and licensing issues would no longer be a problem.

Edit: This article should give you a fairly good idea of how to do it.

Hey,

Ok, So I followed the directions in that article, and everything seemed to run fine. I looked at the VM window (which was either finishing 'Registering Compnents', or 'Saving Settings') and I was like, 'Oh good its done.' Because it then goes to that light blue-ish screen that it shows when the setup starts and ends, but before it restarts. So after a bit the screen disappears and the VM restarts, like I expected.

but here's the whacky part.... I get the screen shown in the picture below, and I have to repeate the process of entering my product key and installing drivers etc. I repeated this process three times, and the same thing keeps happeneing...

Could you eplain why, or tell me what I am doing wrong?



^^The Screen^^

[GT500]

Bobc11 said:

Could you eplain why, or tell me what I am doing wrong?

To be honest, I don't know exactly why that would happen. Setup is clearly having some issues.

What type of virtual hardware setup does your VM have? Or, more specifically, what type of storage controller is it set to emulate?