Re: [Hampshire] Vista, virtualbox and DD..

john lewis wrote:
> On Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:18:02 +1100
> John Hunt <johnrhunt@???> wrote:
>
>
>> Next week I'm getting a PC from Dell. I started a thread earlier
>> about trying to claim money back for the pre-installed vista but
>> have since changed my mind...I'd like to keep an image of the
>> pre-loaded vista install and use it via virtualbox.
>>
>
> I have a feeling M$ have crippled some versions of vista so they it
> won't run in a virtual environment. I suggest googling for the
> facts :-)
>
>
I actually had my article on this published in Linux Format magazine
last month, titled "Inverting Windows".

Only 2 versions are legal to run in VM's. Business and Ultimate.
The other problem you will have is that Vista will want to register when
you fire it up. You can do pretty much nothing with it until that has
been done.

The easiest way to make this into a VM is to use the VMWare converter
(NOTE: You don't need to run VMWare afterwards, VirtualBox will use the
generated .vmdk images from this just fine - but faster), which needs
installing as a windows package then running to clone the Windows OS and
substitute the machine specific device drivers for VM ones. However when
you run the generated VM under VirtualBox it will detect significant
hardware change and want to re-register, then it will tell you your
product key is invalid. You will have to call Microsoft to have it
reactivated.

To rearrange your 500Gb disk, just boot from a live cd and resize the
Windows partition as necessary with gparted or suchlike.

To be honest, unless you really want to play with Vista, I'd order the
machine with XP and virtualise that as an image. It's easier, less
resource intensive and legal. PLUS you can run "seamless" windows within
X for those legacy Windows apps and have them look like native desktop
apps with compiz too if you so desire.

jfk