virtualization -- how do I use an existing windows installation ?

[steve-391]

Hi,

I recently installed windows 7 on my laptop, on a separate partition, making it
dual boot. Now, I would like to boot into this installation without having to
reboot. A casual google shows me that one can in fact boot off an existing
physical partition using any of the commonly available virtualization tools on
linux -- qemu, VirtualBox & VMPlayer.

So my question is, has anyone tried doing this and what were your experiences if
you did ?

I am not averse to the idea of simply reinstalling windows 7 in a 'proper'
virtual environment, but just curious whether reusing the existing installation
is easily doable. I would be using the windows installation just to test
portability of code that i write. I don't really need to boot into it often,
neither do i expect it to be lightning fast.

cheers,
- steve

--
random non tech spiel: http://lonetwin.blogspot.com/
tech randomness: http://lonehacks.blogspot.com/
what i'm stumbling into: http://lonetwin.stumbleupon.com/

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[Joachim Backes]

On 11/03/2009 07:24 AM, steve wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I recently installed windows 7 on my laptop, on a separate partition, making it
> dual boot. Now, I would like to boot into this installation without having to
> reboot. A casual google shows me that one can in fact boot off an existing
> physical partition using any of the commonly available virtualization tools on
> linux -- qemu, VirtualBox&  VMPlayer.
>
> So my question is, has anyone tried doing this and what were your experiences if
> you did ?
>
> I am not averse to the idea of simply reinstalling windows 7 in a 'proper'
> virtual environment, but just curious whether reusing the existing installation
> is easily doable. I would be using the windows installation just to test
> portability of code that i write. I don't really need to boot into it often,
> neither do i expect it to be lightning fast.
>
> cheers,
> - steve
>

Hi Steve,

did you check

        http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows

--
Joachim Backes <joachim.backes@...>

http://www.rhrk.uni-kl.de/~backes



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[Phil Meyer]

On 11/02/2009 11:56 PM, Joachim Backes wrote:

> On 11/03/2009 07:24 AM, steve wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I recently installed windows 7 on my laptop, on a separate partition,
>> making it
>> dual boot. Now, I would like to boot into this installation without
>> having to
>> reboot. A casual google shows me that one can in fact boot off an
>> existing
>> physical partition using any of the commonly available virtualization
>> tools on
>> linux -- qemu, VirtualBox&  VMPlayer.
>>
>> So my question is, has anyone tried doing this and what were your
>> experiences if
>> you did ?
>>
>> I am not averse to the idea of simply reinstalling windows 7 in a
>> 'proper'
>> virtual environment, but just curious whether reusing the existing
>> installation
>> is easily doable. I would be using the windows installation just to test
>> portability of code that i write. I don't really need to boot into it
>> often,
>> neither do i expect it to be lightning fast.
>>
>> cheers,
>> - steve
>>
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> did you check
>
>     http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows
>

Good advice, but just another thought.

The real issue is this:

It is difficult for Windows to boot two different ways from the same
partition.
Windows uses what they call profiles to distinguish a normal setting,
for instance, and a setting with a docking bay.

Linux creates a dynamic 'profile', if you will, every time it boots.  It
is usually trivial for a Linux system to dual boot from the hard drive,
and then use that partition in a virtual context, and back and forth.  
It will generally do the right things.

So if you want to dual boot Windows, AND use the Windows partition in a
virtual machine, you MUST tell Windows about these two different
'profiles'.  Otherwise, Windows gets very confused about its hardware
drivers and will simply blue screen on you.

It is quite possible to fire up an existing Windows partition as a
Virtual Machine, but don't expect to ever dual boot again unless you
take the type of care needed to set up those pesky profiles.

Good luck!

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[Gabriel - IP Guys]

In your position, I would have installed windows 7 into a virtual
machine first, if I wanted to be able to use 2 os at the same time.

Next best thing you can do, is to make use of the VMware converter, and
convert your windows 7 install into a virtual machine, and then import
that VM into either VMware, or virtual box. (virtual box is a personal
favourite, because it runs on OSX, Linux, and windows, oh, and it's open
source!) I use this on all my hardware

> -----Original Message-----
> From: fedora-list-bounces@... [mailto:fedora-list-
> bounces@...] On Behalf Of steve
> Sent: 03 November 2009 06:24
> To: Community assistance, encouragement,and advice for using Fedora.
> Subject: virtualization -- how do I use an existing windows
> installation ?
>
> Hi,
>
> I recently installed windows 7 on my laptop, on a separate partition,
> making it
> dual boot. Now, I would like to boot into this installation without
> having to
> reboot. A casual google shows me that one can in fact boot off an
> existing
> physical partition using any of the commonly available virtualization
> tools on
> linux -- qemu, VirtualBox & VMPlayer.
>
> So my question is, has anyone tried doing this and what were your
> experiences if
> you did ?
>
> I am not averse to the idea of simply reinstalling windows 7 in a
> 'proper'
> virtual environment, but just curious whether reusing the existing
> installation
> is easily doable. I would be using the windows installation just to
> test
> portability of code that i write. I don't really need to boot into it
> often,
> neither do i expect it to be lightning fast.
>
> cheers,
> - steve
>
> --
> random non tech spiel: http://lonetwin.blogspot.com/
> tech randomness: http://lonehacks.blogspot.com/
> what i'm stumbling into: http://lonetwin.stumbleupon.com/
>
> --
> fedora-list mailing list
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> Guidelines:
> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicate/MailingListGuidelines

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[brian-258]

On 11/03/2009 01:24 AM, steve wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I recently installed windows 7 on my laptop, on a separate partition,
> making it dual boot. Now, I would like to boot into this installation
> without having to reboot. A casual google shows me that one can in fact
> boot off an existing physical partition using any of the commonly
> available virtualization tools on linux -- qemu, VirtualBox & VMPlayer.
>
> So my question is, has anyone tried doing this and what were your
> experiences if you did ?
>
> I am not averse to the idea of simply reinstalling windows 7 in a
> 'proper' virtual environment, but just curious whether reusing the
> existing installation is easily doable. I would be using the windows
> installation just to test portability of code that i write. I don't
> really need to boot into it often, neither do i expect it to be
> lightning fast.
>
> cheers,
> - steve
>

I used to do this with a Win2K install and RH7 (or so). The trick was to
edit C:\boot.ini to offer 2 modes: normal and virtual. However, I can't
remember precisely the steps required. Search google.com/linux for "dual
boot +vmware" and trawl through the hits.

Obviously things will be different between Win2k & Win7 but this page
from 2006 appears to describe the same process:

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=121239

Unfortunately, the server hosting the article that *that* article
references appears to be dead.

Anyway, this might set you in the correct direction. Just be sure to
consider this quote from the article:

-- snip --
VMware's own instructions insist that the procedure is "unsupported."
I.e., you can trash your disk if you make a mistake. So before you start
it is worth stopping to think about what you are doing.
-- snip --

Having said that, I'll mention that I used this procedure on at least 3
machines-two of them laptops--and never encountered any problems.

UPDATE: here's a newer article.
How To run your native WinXP in VMware in Fedora 7 (avoiding Dual Booting)
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=166890

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[Bill Davidsen]

steve wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I recently installed windows 7 on my laptop, on a separate partition,
> making it dual boot. Now, I would like to boot into this installation
> without having to reboot. A casual google shows me that one can in fact
> boot off an existing physical partition using any of the commonly
> available virtualization tools on linux -- qemu, VirtualBox & VMPlayer.
>
> So my question is, has anyone tried doing this and what were your
> experiences if you did ?
>
> I am not averse to the idea of simply reinstalling windows 7 in a
> 'proper' virtual environment, but just curious whether reusing the
> existing installation is easily doable. I would be using the windows
> installation just to test portability of code that i write. I don't
> really need to boot into it often, neither do i expect it to be
> lightning fast.
>

I have booted XP as a virtual machine, using the *whole disk* under kvm. You
must have a boot manager installed, and must *not* try to boot Linux under
Linux, as you are likely to totally hose all your files. But running XP I was
able to boot up and do a little browsing as a proof of concept. It requires kvm,
if your hardware supports it modprobe to load the correct amd or intel kvm, then:

1 - qemu-img -c -b /dev/sda -f qcow2 MyVirtDisk.img
2 - qemu-kvm -m 512 -hda MyVirtDisk.img -net nic -soundhw es1370

At that point you will have a VM and should (may) be able to boot Windows from
the boot manager. Note that any changes will go in the image file, not to the disk.

I had no luck running as a partition, Windows expects a disk.

Note: this is probably dangerous in some way, I actually did "-hda /dev/sda"
which meant any stupid thing I did would be permanent. With the copy I din't
believe you can hurt yourself, but that's just my guess.

--
Bill Davidsen <davidsen@...>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot

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