Migrating from using Bootcamp with Fustion 6.0.2 to fully virtual machine - Windows activation

[druin]

I am using Bootcamp partition from Fusion (I was asked to activate Windows 7 x64 and MS Office it in the beginning and I did it). I also sometimes used a Bootcamp directly and I activated it too.

But now I am considering to convert Bootcamp partition to completely virtual machine. But unfortunately after I did this step Windows and Office is asking to activate for third time. I don't understand why (I configured CPU and RAM same way I have it when running Fusion from Bootcamp)? I had have such test earlier when I did the same thing and it worked fine.

As I understand, it should ask me to Activate for third time, right? "However, if the Boot Camp partition is imported later into Fusion as a virtual machine, activation is not required."

[admin]

Hi druin,

Thx for using Fusion!

Actually, when you import/create a new virtual machine, you should activate windows again.

[druin]

Well, I found the KB VMware KB: Activating Windows when swapping between Boot Camp and a virtual machine in VMware Fusion...and accodring to that

"Note: The virtual hardware of the virtual machine is different from the Mac's hardware. Even if Windows or other applications have been activated in Boot Camp, they must be activated again when that Boot Camp partition is used in Fusion. However, if the Boot Camp partition is imported later into Fusion as a virtual machine, activation is not required."

1) So, if it is as you say, then what does it mean in KB?

2) And as I said I already somehow had succsful test with creating new virtual machine (import option) from Bootcamp partition while there was also another virtual machine configuration with Bootcamp (that was using Bootcamp partition). Windows was already activated in Bootcamp and another activation was for VM that uses Bootcamp partition. And for the new VM that was imported from Bootcap Windows and Office didnt ask for activation anymore. (So it means at that time I activated 2 times - one for direct booting in Bootcamp, one for VM that uses Bootcamp partition, but the third VM that was import option showed, that activation is already done). So, what is different?

[WoodyZ]

Well if you've already done it and it's as stated in the KB then why are you even asking!?

[druin]

Ehh... that time it was just an experiment (before purchasing Fusion) I deleted that VM, because I thought I would use mostly direct Bootcamp and only sometimes as virtual (with Fusion using Bootcamp partition). As it came out - I use VM (with bootcamp partition) 95% of the time. So now I am ready to go fully virtual .

One of the major reasons for that is - I cannot easily switch between integrated and discrete video controller (because I cannot suspend the VM when using bootcamp). I found out that gfxCardStatus can switch between integrated and discrete if you suspend VM, but it cannot be done when VM is just paused.

[WoodyZ]

There is a way you can Suspend the Boot Camp partition Virtual Machine however if you choose to do this you do it knowing that if you forget to resume the Virtual Machine and then natively boot Windows directly from the Boot Camp partition and then go back and resume the Virtual Machine you'll have issues!

I'm presenting this solely as a point of fact if and unless you are an extremely disciplined individual and can use this information properly then do not modify this .vmx configuration file option!

In the .vmx configuration file change suspend.disabled = "TRUE" to suspend.disabled = "FALSE" and do this with the Virtual Machine shutdown, not suspended, and either VMware Fusion closed or the focus removed from the target Virtual Machine in the Virtual Machine Library if there is more then one VM in the Library, otherwise close VMware Fusion first.

[druin]

Thanks WoodyZ!

Do I understand correctly:

* if I forget to resume Win7 and then boot directly to Bootcamp - so far, there is no damage yet, right? Shit will happen if I try later to resume VM from suspended state, right? So, if it happens to boot directly into BootCamp partition then later, I need to somehow delete/remove suspended state of VM (I believe it is some file) to not damage VM and BootCamp partition?

[WoodyZ]

Without getting into all the technical issues/reasons if you forget to resume and shutdown properly from within the Guest OS, preferred, then you can delete the .vmss file as that is the Virtual Machine Suspended State File.  Note that anything not saved to disk prior to suspending, like and open document, will be lost.  It's like pulling the plug on a physical machine, anything in memory not committed to disk is lost.

That said... I'm not say I recommend this, the previous reply, approach however if you keep things properly backed up then worst case scenario you'll have to utilize  your backup.  I'd use Winclone to backup my Boot Camp partition to have a master recover point and then keep User Data that is kept with the Guest OSes filesystem backed up regularly as well, as one should anyway!