Virtual PC

[Мастер]

OK, this is just weird.

I have some old software, that, although designed for a Windows OS, doesn't run under recent versions.

After a bit of research at the University of Google, I found a potential solution, which is to install a "virtual PC" within my actual physical PC. The physical PC runs Windows 7, the virtual PC runs Windows XP.

So at this moment, I am posting to IRU from the physical machine, and simultaneously formatting the hard drive and installing Windows XP on the virtual machine, which is on the same physical machine. So I am posting from a machine while I am installing Windows on it.

Weird.

[Enzo]

Ooooh, you are THIS CLOSE to establishing a computer that surfs itself.

[Мастер]

It would seem so.

Windows XP installed, now I'm installing the software I want to use.

I don't know whether I need to install antivirus on my virtual PC.

Not obvious how to move files between the virtual and physical PCs.

[Enzo]

Virtual floppy?
Virtual flashdrive?
Virtual email?

[Мастер]

Virtual floppy?
Virtual flashdrive?
Virtual email?

I'm going to see if the virtual PC has access to physical flashdrives.

[KLA2]

Virtual floppy?
Virtual flashdrive?
Virtual email?

Virtually impossible, perhaps. :?

[Мастер]

Well, the software I wanted to use is up and running, in the virtual PC. The question is the one of the last few posts, how to get input to the virtual PC, and output from it, short of retyping what appears on the screen :(

[Lance]

It depends on the virtual engine you are using but one way or another you will share the hard drive of the host with the VPC.

I use VPCs all the time. Very cool.

[Мастер]

It depends on the virtual engine you are using but one way or another you will share the hard drive of the host with the VPC.

I use VPCs all the time. Very cool.

I'm using this one. I didn't know there were others

I expect there is an easy way, I just need to take another class at the University of Google.

What do you use them for? I am using it because my software only works on old versions of Windows. Is that your reason, or are there other reasons?

It's just weird. I envision a situation where I say, oh no, one of my virtual computers has a virus, I have to keep it from spreading to other virtual computers and the physical computer . . .

[Enzo]

leaving you virtually helpless.


Similarly I find myself virtuless.

[Lance]

I'm using this one. I didn't know there were others

There are also Microsoft Virtual PC (older than Windows VPC), VM Ware, Sun Virtual Box and probably others. Each has their advantages and disadvantages.

I expect there is an easy way, I just need to take another class at the University of Google.

Start -> All Programs -> Windows Virtual PC -> Windows Virtual PC
Select your VPC
Click [Settings}
Select Integration Features
Select the host drives you want to share with the VPC
The shared drive will show up in Explorer or My Computer as [Drive Letter] on [Host PC Name]

What do you use them for? I am using it because my software only works on old versions of Windows. Is that your reason, or are there other reasons?

That's one thing. I use them as test PCs that I can mess up badly and then just turn off to undo the damages (with UNDO enabled), or to run torrent software on so I don't infect my own PC when bad things happen as a result. Stuff like that.

It's just weird. I envision a situation where I say, oh no, one of my virtual computers has a virus, I have to keep it from spreading to other virtual computers and the physical computer . . .

Yeah, that can happen.

[Мастер]

Start -> All Programs -> Windows Virtual PC -> Windows Virtual PC
Select your VPC
Click [Settings}
Select Integration Features
Select the host drives you want to share with the VPC
The shared drive will show up in Explorer or My Computer as [Drive Letter] on [Host PC Name]

OK, I will give that a try, but I already have something weird going on here related to integration features.

I turned them on, and then noticed the next time I started my software, it failed (the same type of failure I had on the physical PC, which was a failure to validate the license). I turned off the integration features and reboot, and then it was OK. Next time starting up, same problem. Integration features were back on (not sure why), and software failed. Turned off integration features, still failed. Reboot virtual PC, succeeded.

So something weird is going on here.

[KLA2]

I remember virtual drives.

In 1984, our accounting firm got its first computer – an IBM PC, 1.877 MH processor, dual 5.25 “ DSDD 360K floppy drives (no HD), 640K (upgraded over the standard 256 K) memory. Cost about $5,000.

Sweet.

We ran an accounting program that came on one floppy disk (360K, remember) which stored data on the second floppy drive. After data was entered, (batch mode) the batch could be posted. In mere minutes, hundreds of invoices or cheques would be posted to the data disk. Awesome.

Then, minutes began to seem too long. We found a “virtual disk” program that, loaded into memory, reduced the posting time to seconds. Plus the time to write the results to the floppy disk. (Remember, all of this in 640K of memory!)

Technology heaven, we thought. And so it was. :wink:

[tubeswell]

Time for a Mac I think Mac(tep - that is)

[Мастер]

OK, haven't used it in a while. My virtual PC has a copy of Windows XP. But there is some validation it needs to do, and it can't do it without a network connection. And I couldn't seem to get the virtual PC to be able to use the real internet. So my free trial period has ended, and my virtual PC won't boot up.

I could wipe it and start over, but that would destroy the data on my virtual PC's hard drive.

Any way to recover it?

[MM_Dandy]

We had something similar happen at work. I think we attempted to either convert the virtual disk file to something mountable or directly mount the file under GNU/Linux, but I can't remember the outcome.

[Lance]

Any way to recover it?

The VPC or the data?

What is the host OS?

[Мастер]

Any way to recover it?

The VPC or the data?

What is the host OS?

The data. If the VPC can be recovered, that's nice, but not so important as the data.

Host OS is Windows 7. The non-virtual PC also has a homemade Linux system with access to NTFS drives, if that helps.

[Lance]

The Disk Manager in Windows 7 will allow you to mount a VHD file so you can access it directly as a hard drive.