Copy VMware Workstation Image (Linux Host) to VMware Fusion

[klkempter]

Hi All;

I was running Linux until yesterday. I had a licensed & activated copy of windows XP in a VMware image on my Linux laptop. Now I've gone to a Mac, I grabbed the demo of VMware Fusion and loaded WinXP again but it won't let me activate. Is there any way to copy the VMware Workstation winXP image from my Linux box to the mac and have VMware fusion run it?

[Technogeezer · Accepted solution]

If it's VMware Workstation 5 or 6, just copy the folder containing your VM (and its contents, of course) over to your Mac via your favorite method, and fire it up with Fusion. If it asks if you copied or moved it once you fire it up, say Moved.

If you really want to, rename your vm's folder to have a .vmwarevm extension, and then the folder containing your VM will change its icon and look identical to those created by Fusion.

I wouldn't upgrade the VM under Fusion as that might change the hardware enough to require Windows re-activation.

You may have to adjust your VM's settings for the CD-ROM and Floppy drives once you get it to your Mac, but other than that, things should run OK.

[borisdusek]

Hi,

first let's make sure I understand you correctly: the VM did run on VMware Fusion, but you have problems with Windows requiring activation again. I guess this is because the virtual hardware has changed and Windows simply wants to reactivate on new hardware.

If this is the case and you have retail (non-OEM) version of XP, you probably should call Microsoft (I guess the activation error message even suggests that) and ask them for new key/anything the error message suggests. You will be set in 5 minutes. Just answer that you are using that XP copy only on one machine at this moment.

If you have OEM version, than I don't know if you will be loosing 1 precious reactivation on new hardware (OEM versions have limited number of reactivations).

[klkempter]

Hi all;

thanks for the help. I copied my old vm image from my Linux box to my mac and fusion read it without a problem. Thanks !