Any way to create a virtual image from actual XP box?

[edisoninfo]

My main XP Pro software development box is showing it's age. Since I have this nice Macbook Pro, I'd rather not replace it. I have way too many hours/days/years in getting that machine environment setup for my programming tasks tho. I dread the thought of starting from scratch again. Is there any way to take that machine and somehow create a virtual machine from it? I would love to be able to load it under Fusion on my Macbook Pro.

[alefestaedist]

Hi there, did you try to use the converter standalone? you may convert the win XP in a virtual machine ready to be imported in workstation/fusion.

https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=converter

[edisoninfo]

Thanks. I will give that a try. I had tried something like that when I first installed Fusion on the Mac. I was never able to get the utility to "see" each other and gave up.

[alefestaedist]

You well if you have any issue with it just come back here and post a question.

[edisoninfo]

I downloaded the latest utility and installed it on the physical XP box then created a virtual machine from it. It created a folder with a bunch of 2GB files in it. I then transfered that folder to my Macbook Pro and double clicked on the .vmx file and it started to load! Yes! No wait, it first said it could not connect to ide1:0 with an OK button. I clicked OK and it went a little further then the wonderful Microsoft BSOD! It gives a 00000007b error. This took so many hours to create and copy I hope there is some way of making this work with out doing it again? There where no errors along the way. Everything looked like it went fine.

The other two vm's that I have that I created in Fusion both show the hard drive as SCSI and this one shows IDE. It is grayed out tho. Any way to change that?

[alefestaedist]

Unfortunately there is not a direct method to transform an IDE disk into a SCSI disk, this thread could give you an idea on how to do that.

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/50084 but consider that IDE disks are the way Fusion see windows XP disks.

Looking at the BSOD could be that you have a controller error or  you did converted even the hidden partition of you windows, try to convert it again excluding all the disks/partition that do not have  a letter (symbol ? on the disk layout).

When you convert and edit the disk layout you have, in the advanced  tab the option to avoid the 2GB file splitting.

Alex

[WoodyZ]

alefestaedist wrote: but consider that IDE disks are the way Fusion see windows XP disks.

That statement is not totally true!  VMware Desktop Products support both IDE and SCSI virtual hard disks with Windows XP.

I have many Windows XP Virtual Machines that use a SCSI virtual hard disk and it just depends on how one configures the Virtual Machine when creating it.

[alefestaedist]

Woody I expressed myself wrongly what I meant was that the IDE drive was simply the way Fusion created the disk when it was converted...not that was the only way FUsion "see" disks.

[WoodyZ]

Woody I expressed myself wrongly what I meant was that the IDE drive was simply the way Fusion created the disk when it was converted...not that was the only way FUsion "see" disks.

Well sorry to say you're still not expressing yourself correctly as edisoninfo used VMware vCenter Converter Standalone to do the P2V not VMware Fusion so VMware Fusion didn't create the IDE virtual hard disk and it see it as such because that's the way VMware vCenter Converter Standalone created it.

[edisoninfo]

Thanks to all who replied. I am very close. I was able to resolve the ide to scsi issue and the VM is now running!! Sweet!! The only thing left is each time I launch the VM I get a pop up message saying that XP does not support the iscsi driver used by Fusion and gives me a web link to go get it and install it in XP once the machine boots. Unfortunately that must be an old link. It just takes me to the generic download page. I tried searching for it and get zero responses.         http://vmware.com/info?id=43       is the link it gives me. The machine seems to be running fine so I guess I could click the check box that says quit buggin me! ha! Any ideas?

[WoodyZ]

If there are no flags in Windows Device Manager for SCSI Devices or Other Devices then just check the check box so it doesn't show.  As far as the link goes probably because the .flp is included with the latest releases of the Desktop Products its been removed however here is a direct link for the VMware SCSI Driver Disk.

[edisoninfo]

Thanks WoodyZ. I downloaded that file but have no idea what to do with a .flp type file. I also checked the box to make it quit bugging me every time I run that new VM. All seems well. There are no yellow or red splats in the Device Manager.

[WoodyZ]

I downloaded that file but have no idea what to do with a .flp type file.

As to the .flp file the Virtual Machine Settings image below should give you a hint.

There are no yellow or red splats in the Device Manager.

The you don't need to do anything other then checking the check box. which you've done.