Virtual HDs

[luke]

I hope I am in the right forum for Virtual drives.

I read that I can test my Slipstraemed XP DVD by installing it on a virtual drive.

1. I downloaded MS Virdual PC and created a VHD, but cannot install the XP in it as it says it cannot find the drive.
Anybody knows how to make it find the VDrive or find where I go wrong?
All the places I googled for the MS VPC refer to MAC machines.

2. Also tried MVWARE but similar thing, "....you have no tools installed..." which no matter what I do cannot find them. MVware Workstation download said it had tools in it, and other errors encountered, BUT will not install the ruddy XP in it.

I read all the help files and related info on the net with no success. Very complex install wizards involved.

Anybody with an easy explanation how to make it work?
Luke

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

Virtual Hard Drives? That means I can install FS9 on an invisible disk without the worry of space?

[luke]

Got knows?, thats what I am trying to find out. Find greate difficulty though. Waiting for the experts to come up for some help.

Got two programs, the MS virtual PC is free & the MVWare trial 30days.

I only want to try out my nLite xp if it works. Do not dare to try it on my HD in case I mess it up.

They have wizards but they seem more complex than the program itself.

[Harold]

I've used VPC before ... let's see if I can help.

Where's your WXP DVD when you load VPC?
Is it mounted as an ISO or a physical copy?

[luke]

You got me there, I created the nLite ISO on the HD and burned into the CD.

Here the CD contents (it has no file named ISO) and the ISO on G:\ partition of my HD.

[luke]

Various attempts on VDrive prodused these:-




but this program freezes when I press C to format the unpartitioned drive.

Whatever I do I can not get it to install XP on VD  

[luke]

Well after all the 3 days work on this, and the bother I caused, here is XP PRO SP1 running on the Virtual Drive within my windows desktop.

[luke]

ASHAR,
I installed fs9 on the VirtualHD and it works OK, but maybe because of so many files were missing on the V. HD install I cannot install the proper nVidia Gfx drivers, my X45 stick etc, so I am somewhat limited.

If you install on VHDisk the actual XP (not as per my nLite straemlined XP cd) you will probably get no missing files and be better off.

Only wanted to see if my self made CD was working OK for a rainy day and obviously it does not.

Hopefully the experts read this and point me to as to why the Streamlining efford failed to produce a perfect install CD.

[Harold]

I would say the image you're using is probably not that 'slipstreamed'. A corrupt image would not typically not install and you ended up with a WXPP SP1 which was the base for the slipstreamed version ...

BTW: You should resize that last screenshot ...

[luke]

During burning the ISO the verification showed OK.

Part of slipstream worked as for "unantended" I only had to answer the place- date- time, the rest like ID No. etc went in auto.

VHD was a goot exercise anyway for testing something out of harms way.

MVWare only lasts 30 days.

[Harold]

You could also try installing it as a 'dual boot'.
But I would only do so if you have two or more partitions on you harddisk.

[luke]

Would it work better or faster if dual boot was used?

And how would it have to be done.  I have 5 partitions & in reply 5 above see that I have the "My Virtual Machines" & "VMware Workstation" on G:\.

Is that what you mean?

Also on startup a selection shows up, Ubuntu or WinXP.

BTW in reply 6 above I mentioned that after pressing C I pressed ENTER also and it worked this time, whilst Enter did nothing either.

Well now I realise why it did not work. It was because I did not click the mouse within the VHD display (was still clicked in Windows)  for the C & or the Enter to be active in there.

[congo]

Do a quick nlite disk with just the SP2 slipstreamed and install it for a quick test, you should be getting a SP2 install. After you succeed, build a proper nlite disk with all your tweaks.

You need to grab a second hard disk so you can play without the worry of your main drive being affected, it's a huge time saver and great backup insurance.

[luke]

I did it 4 times, onse SP2 only without the extras, but each time I get same results, BUT I install in Virtual Drives that just learned to use.

Could it be that installing XP in VD causes this behaviour or the fact that the burn was done by nLite instead of Nero say?

Have no other HD at the mo.

[congo]

It's got to be a problem with the virtual drive Luke.

If one of you non-OS partitions is a primary one, or if you can delete/change one of them to a primary, you may be able to set bios to boot from CDrom and load winXP to that partition, taking great care to do exactly that in the setup options, this would alleviate the need for a virtual drive, ie, if you haven't figured out the virtual drive thingy yet.