Help reqd with XPMode upgrade

[SandBoy]

Hi

I am using Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit together with  VMWare  4.0.4 build-744019  Some time ago I installed XPMode from Microsoft and converted the resulting  virtual machine using VMWare VCenter Converter so I could run it using Player  This has been running fine but now I am going to reinstall my Windows OS and intend to upgrade to Player version 5  Please advise on the steps needed In particular

Do I need to install VMWare VCenter Converter version 5 and convert my existing machines to make them compatable with Player version 5 or can i still use the version 4 machines

Do I need to install the converter as a Client Server as was the case with version 4

Are ther any other things I need to know as regards converting my old machines to the new format

Is it then just a case of installing and running  Player Version 5 and picking up the new machines

What changes to this are there  if all I want to do is upgrade my existing setup instead of doing a new Windows install

Many thanks

Mike

[WoodyZ]

Running Windows XP Mode as a Virtual Machine in VMware Player it is in essence a linked clone and is dependent on the "Windows XP Mode.vhd" file as well as the files created by VMware Player.  So if you were to backup the "C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows XP Mode" folder and the folder created by VMware Player for the Windows XP Mode VM and restore them to the same location after the Host OS reinstall along with the newer version of VMware Player you should be able to continue using the VM without doing anything other then upgrading VMware Tools in the VM.

Message was edited by: WoodyZ - Originally posted, Jan 30, 2013 8:50 AM.  Changed 'is dependent on the "Windows XP Mode.vmdk" file' to 'is dependent on the "Windows XP Mode.vhd"' file.

[SandBoy]

There are no .vmdk in the Windows XP Mode folder These files are held along with my VMWare virtual machine  The only file I have in  the Windows XP Mode folder apart from a Tutorial is Windows XP Mode base.vhd So is this still necessary?    Also are  there are any Registry implications when it comes to simply restoring the Windows XP Mode folder  in C:\Program Files  I thought that normally this was not advisable

And can confirm  therefore that I must upgrade the Tools to use my existing VM's and that this upgrades the VM to version 5  ie No need for the Converter at all

Thanks

Mike

[WoodyZ]

At the moment I do not have access to my system Windows 7 system that I'm running Windows XP Mode from VMware Player however if you look at the VMware Player GUI it should show you the fully qualified path to the .vmx configuration file for the Windows XP Mode VM, so go to that location and attach the vmware.log file from it so I can see if its a linked clone scenario and will advise further.  As far as just restoring the "C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows XP Mode" folder containing the "Windows XP Mode.vhd" file without editing/modifying the Windows Registry this is fine if it is just part of the linked clone scenario.

[SandBoy]

Hi

See attached

Mike

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

Okay the vmware.log shows "DISKLIB-LINK  : Opened 'C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode\Windows XP Mode base.vhd'" as well as "DISK: OPEN ide0:0 'F:\XPMode Images\WinXP_Plus_Delphi7Pro\Windows XP Mode.vmdk'" and this means that the 'F:\XPMode Images\WinXP_Plus_Delphi7Pro\Windows XP Mode.vmdk'  virtual hard disk is a linked clone and is pointing to 'C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode\Windows XP Mode base.vhd' and this should be shown as 'parentFileNameHint="C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode\Windows XP Mode base.vhd"' in the 'F:\XPMode Images\WinXP_Plus_Delphi7Pro\Windows XP Mode.vmdk' Disk DescriptorFile.  So you need to backup the 'C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode' and 'F:\XPMode Images\WinXP_Plus_Delphi7Pro' folders and restore them after the rebuild in order to have a working VM without having to install other then the new version of VMware Player and then upgrade VMware Tools when you run the VM under the new version.

[SandBoy]

Thanks that was very helpful 

Mike

[SandBoy]

Do you know where and if I can amend the path VMWare uses to find the Windows XP vhd file  It would be more convenient to store it elsewhere

Thanks

Mike

[WoodyZ]

Yes, I already told you... "...should be shown as 'parentFileNameHint="C:\Program Files\Windows XP  Mode\Windows XP Mode base.vhd"' in the 'F:\XPMode  Images\WinXP_Plus_Delphi7Pro\Windows XP Mode.vmdk' Disk DescriptorFile" so if you want to put it in the same folder just remove the fully qualified pathname of the "parentFileNameHint" or set the new fully qualified pathname in the Windows XP Mode.vmdk Disk DescriptorFile as it's just an ASCII Test File.  Obviously this should go without saying however... make sure you have a proper backup to restore from in the event you mess something up.  Also this needs to be done with the Virtual Machine shutdown, not suspended, and VMware Player closed!