Windows 10: Macrium ivBoot Backup Virtual Machine Question

I'm new to using ivBoot so, I'm wondering about using the Backup Virtual Machine menu item. Does that create a backup file that's independent of the images that were used to create the VM (the VM is of a multi-boot system with a number of disks) or does it update the individual images that were used top create the VM. I definitely wouldn't not want to damage the original images. Thanks in advance for any help.

:)

 

Installing a Virtual Machine in Windows 10

Step #1 is to decide which virtual machine software you wish to install.

The three most popular choices are:

• VirtualBox (from Oracle)
• VMWare Workstation Player (from VMWare); and
• Hyper-V (from Microsoft)

Once you've made your choice you can find detailed, illustrated instructions for installing each one on the internet.

As a personal suggestion: You might find it easier to use either VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation Player. Hyper-V is more complicated to setup.

Between VirtualBox and VMWare, I think you'll find VirtualBox more user-friendly, and it has the advantage of allowing you to create checkpoints - backups of your virtual machine - whereas to do that in VMWare you'll need to upgrade to their (expensive!)
paid version.

 

Create a Virtual Machine as a backup

Yes you can create a virtual hard diska for a backup. There are several tools out there that can do this. One example from Microsoft is Disk2VHD. Many VM platforms support Microsoft's VHD format, which is convenient. The problem with this type of solution is you need another PC to run the virtual machine, if your current machine is no longer working. If you dont have another PC, then you have to return your affected PC to a workable state. And once your virtual machine is up and running, you still have to return the affected machine to its previous state. These time consuming extra steps are the reason why the following is a better choice.

A better solution would be creating images of your machine. Programs like Macrium Reflect Free allow you to make complete images of your machine, as well as create bootable media to restore that image directly to the affected PC. No secondary PC is required, or the need to fix your affected PC.

 

Clean install of W10 not possible in Virtual Machine.


Please get a cup of coffee, lean back and think an answer for these two questions. Take your time, then check the answers below the questions:

Questions:

1. If you do a clean install of let's say Windows 10 Insider Build 10525 on a totally new computer which has never had an activated Windows 10 on it, does it activate?
2. If you do a clean install of Windows 10 Insider Build on a computer where the underlying Windows 10, upgraded from a qualifying old operating system has already been activated, does it activate?

Answers:

1. No, of course not.
2. Yes, of course.

Why do you think that a virtual machine would make any difference? You have tried to install Windows 10 on a totally new machine which has never had an activated Windows 10 installed, therefore the Microsoft activation servers block the activation due invalid machine ID. In the highlighted part in below quote you admit your mistake yourself, plain and simple, yet you when doing this wrong draw conclusion that even if done correctly it would not work:

What you have tried is essentially the same as if you took a brand new real physical PC without any operating system, which has never had any operating system, and then installed Windows 10 Insider Preview wondering why it does not activate! Virtual Machines behave exactly the same way; if you want to clean install Windows 10 Insider Preview and get it activated you must do it on an existing virtual machine, one which has already had an upgraded Windows 10 activated. This "computer", the virtual machine, its machine ID is marked on activation servers as valid and activated and it will of course activate.

Be it a virtual machine or a physical computer, you cannot activate a clean installed Windows 10 Insider Preview on a totally new machine. How difficult can this be to understand?

When clean installing Windows 10 Insider Preview on a computer which has already had a previous Windows 10 Insider activated, you do not use the product key! It will be asked twice, once before the installation starts and once after the last reboot to OOBE phase. In both cases you skip the product key and your Windows will be automatically activated.