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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

1 question and yes Im a noob

Hello- I am wondering how to make this issue I have work. I have created a workgroup XP volume license image. Installed on it is our volume license if office, and vairous other apps. The image is right 4gb. I name it Windows XP Pro-master. Next we have several macs and I am installing vm fusion on them and simply want to bring down this image to each mac I setup fusion on. Once on the machines I will join it to the domain, name it correctly and let the user login. Can I do this? I am not for sure how to do so. Any help in advance would be great1

Thanks,

Indiana

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16 Replies
admin
Immortal
Immortal

An easy way of doing this would be to follow the instructions from http://www.vmware.com/download/fusion/windows_to_mac.html

The VMware converter tool will turn your Physical PC into a VM which you can then just move over to your mac

When opening the VM you can choose the option that you copied it over rather then moved it. Then you can set the options that you need.

Other information to read

More about vmware converter

If Using a ghost image

Additional documentation about physical to virtual

<a href="http://www.ardamis.com/2009/04/25/cold-cloning-vmware-converter/">Additional 3rd party suggestion for cold cloning</a>

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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

Is this for each user? I have an image, I just want to use the same XP image and pull it down to the new mac machine each time. So I would still use this tool?

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

What would happen is that if you have the computer which the image was created from you can use that tool to directly create the vm from that computer and then implement that vm on each of the other computers you want and then setup the users and preferences after the vm is setup. Beyond that, if you were set into using an image created with ghost then you'd be limited in having to do those other workarounds detailed in the additional links.

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WilliamReid
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Can you clarify how the image was generated?

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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

Sure thing:

I opened my VM Fusion and built an XP image from scrap, updated it, loaded all our software on to it, all while its still in workgroup. After all was said and done the image was right at 4gb. I took that image and copied it to a network share in hopes and just pulling it down to every new machine I build from here on out.

Thanks

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

So did you just create the VM in fusion and then made an image of that? If so then there's not going to be any problem. You'd just open that image on each machine and choose I copied it.

- Andrew

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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

I created the image in fusion, which stores a copy in documents\virtual machines\ on my mac and I took that and placed it on the network share in hope that I could drag it down to new machines..

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Then it should work fine. Just move that vm onto the machines that you want and then in fusion choose to open that vm. Then choose the option that you copied it. It should work fine the way you're doing it.

- Andrew

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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

Do I need to make multiple images on the network to pull down to multiple machines? So you saying I can use the same one over and over?

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

If you pull that single vm onto each machine then choose to open that vm with vmware fusion then fusion will prompt you to say if you moved the vm or copied it. If you choose that you copied it then the each vm will act as a different machine.

- Andrew

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Hello- I am wondering how to make this issue I have work. I have created a workgroup XP volume license image. Installed on it is our volume license if office, and vairous other apps. The image is right 4gb. I name it Windows XP Pro-master. Next we have several macs and I am installing vm fusion on them and simply want to bring down this image to each mac I setup fusion on. Once on the machines I will join it to the domain, name it correctly and let the user login. Can I do this? I am not for sure how to do so. Any help in advance would be great1

First of all I didn't read the entire thread, I just skimmed it. Secondly all licensing issues aside if you plan to propagate a image and join a Domain then you will need to properly sysprep the image in a manner that is in accordance with Microsoft Supported Imaging Methods to insure that each Child of the Parent Image is uniquely different and not just in Computer Name MAC, Address, IP Address etc but also the SID (Security Identifier) especially when joining a Domain. To that end you should use Windows XP Service Pack 2 Deployment Tools as this is the main method supported by Microsoft and again especially when dealing with propagating a image that will be joining a Domain.

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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

Do I run these tools on each image I pull down to the new mac fusion? Just open it up and run this? Once thats done?

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

Do I run these tools on each image I pull down to the new mac fusion? Just open it up and run this? Once thats done?

Well you could but that would be a bit stupid and defeat the purpose of creating a properly syspreped master or parent image to propagate copies or children from. My suggestion would be for you to read the documentation and do the appropriate searches at Microsoft for sysprep or System Preparation Tool where you'll find articles like:

How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP

How to Use Sysprep: An Introduction

BTW This really isn't a Fusion issue and is relevant whether one is dealing with Physical and or Virtual Machines and because you're dealing with Virtual Machines you can skip the actual Disk Imaging portion and after the Master Virtual Machine is Syspreped then simply copying it to new Physical Machines and then run the Syspreped Virtual Machine when it's booted for the first time after it was sealed and you also say 'I copied it" when prompted by Fusion then with that coupled with the proper sysprep settings then it will do what's necessary to modify the build to be uniquely different is all aspects necessary so as not to have any Network Connectivity conflicts as well as any security issues once joined to the Domain.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Just clarifying... You did say that you used VMware Fusion to create a virtual machine of your xp volume licence os correct? Then essentually you just put that virtual machine onto your network share. From there you just want to bring that virtual machine to each of the other computers and then implement them there correct? The word image is what is drawing all the extra responses. If you've just created a virtual machine and are trying to put that on the other computers things are going to be a lot more simple for you.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

The word image is what is drawing all the extra responses. If you've just created a virtual machine and are trying to put that on the other computers things are going to be a lot more simple for you.

The word "image" has may meaning depending on the context however the OP stated that the copies of the master Virtual Machine will be joining a Domain so it's not just as simple as propagating a copy from a central storage to each Physical Machine it's going to be run on and it needs to be properly syspreped in order to not cause issues on both the Network in general and more importantly the Domain.

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etuser
Contributor
Contributor

Sorry I meant vm. I sysprepped a VM and placed in the network. at that point I copied and iplaced it in the macs virtual drive and point point fusion(vm creation wizard) to point locally to the drive and it opened.

Thanks

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