Windows 10: How do I setup a Windows XP and 7 VM in W10 Pro with Acronis TIH 2018?

For me, it's OK since it will be a Windows host. VBOX will probably do the job just fine.

*Smile

 

Hi everyone -

I'm running Win 10 Pro on 2 systems and I want to create 2 VM's - one for Win XP and one for Win 7.

Here's the kicker - I have bare metal images of both systems - XP and 7 created on 2 different machines using Acronis True Image Home 2018 and would like to know if they would run with all applications/customization already there.

If not, that means that I have to load both OS'es, Apps and other things from scratch which would be a painful ordeal.

Any ideas?

TIA,

*Eek

P.S. Where can I best find quick instructions for creating standard VM's under W10 Pro - like a tutorial/guidebook?

:)

 

Will Windows Virtual PC still work with Windows 10?

I have a very old app that only works on Windows XP. I thus have a Windows XP VM - as a "Windows Virtual PC" VM, on my Windows 7 Pro desktop. Will I still be able to use this VM when my Windows 7 Pro is upgraded to Windows 10 Pro?

 

What hard drive clone software works with Windows 10

I've used Acronis TIH 2016 to clone Windows 10 to a new drive.

 

Hi there
@Compumind

try this

1) If using VMWARE or VBOX as your virtual machine software create your basic XP VM but don't install operating system (yet). Just define disk space and other config.

2) Ensure you have a .iso of the acronis program (works also with any other backup and restore program too).

3) In your VM config set the CD/DVD hardware to the iso image of your restore program.

4) Boot the VM - it will load the acronis program.

5) restore image to the HDD you've defined in the Virtual machine config.

6) after the restore simply uncheck the .iso image from the VM config and boot your restored XP system.

Should work --doesn't matter if the hardware isn't quite exactly the same.

Note though activation might be another issue as a VM still needs a license just like a physical machine.

Don't forget to install on the Virtual Machine after first boot VMWARE TOOLS if on VMware or VBOX additions if using VBOX.

Here's an XP system of mine running fine on W10 pro -- using it for Minidisc recording (anybody remember those things !!) and a 35 mm negative scanner to digitise old photo negatives.





Cheers
jimbo

 

@jimbo45 -

I appreciate your thoughts!

Why not Hyper-V?

Create a Virtual Machine with Hyper-V | Microsoft Docs

Thanks. *Nerd

P.S. What mods/skin are you using for the Start Menu in XP? Just curious - looks nice.

 

Hi there
@Compumind

HYPER-V probably is fine but I just found the whole issue of handling USB's, external hardware, sharing drives etc a pain with HYPER-V -- HYPER-V is probably fine if you just want to use the VM as a basic file server.

I also run the VM's on LINUX hosts too so the same VM software can be used whether running on Windows or Linux and of course the VM's are identical (same data !!). HYPER-V only runs on Windows.

I'm sure other people have done all sorts of things with HYPER-V though.

There's no way I would have got Minidisc systems working on an XP VM on HYPER-V either !! for some legacy hardware you need to install 32 bit drivers too (on the VM of course) which is a pain on HYPER-V. I also have some Vinyl record recording equipment and software which runs fine on XP - still make custom Vinyls for people.

The old XP skin I was using is Luna Black -- not sure if you can get it any more - and you can change the desktop picture if you want something else.

Here's another XP VM running on a Linux Host -- Lunar black theme, English XP version with the Minidisc software -- VM's are great for running legacy hardware.





Once you've created your XP VM this link might still work (it's old though from 2006 !!!).

Royale Noir: secret XP theme uncovered (download) | istartedsomething

Mess around with this and the Luna theme to create the effect you want. !!

have fun.

It's a pity that W10 skins don't have something like that -- a lot of the themes today seem far too dark, dismal and a bit too "Distopian" these days though.

Cheers
jimbo

 

It is easy to restore Acronis images to HyperV.

1) Create blank .vhdx file in disk management (sized big enough for image after decompression), type exapandable.

2) Initialise vhd as mbr if image is legacy bios, and gpt if uefi (XP will be mbr, 7 could be either).

3) Restore Acronis image to vhd.

4) Detach vhd from disk management

5) Create HyperV VM and select that drive. If 7 is uefi, select gen 2, otherwise gen 1, xp select gen 1.

 

Nice replies, thanks to all.

OK. I have an idea of how to go ahead with this.

Cheers! *Smile

 

Hi there
@cereberus

great idea too -- although the main problem is if you want to use the VM on different Host OS'es other than Windows then "Houston --We have a problem !!!!".

Still just for fun I'm going to have a go with it.

Big problem though I have on Windows HOSTS is that I can't get any decent software RAID 0 setup -- I'm sure there must be something around -- most consumer grade hardware RAID cards are "100% Bovine Scatology" I.E Pure B/S !!! with appalling performance.

To get decent mega HDD I/O speed you'd need SAS or fibre stuff for HDD I/O -- well not cheap and not really what a typical "tinkerer or "Mad professor" type like ME !! could afford that type of setup / hardware HDD configuration anyway.

Windows data spaces also is not very good -- at least with Linux MDADM software RAID the whole array can be moved to different machines without loss of data and also to external USB enclosure with built in RAID cards.

Cheers
jimbo