Windows8 and VirtualPC

Posted 11 November 2011 - 05:35 PM

I have just unsuccessfully tried to install Win8 into VirtualPC.
How do you guys install Win8 into a vhd, without VirtualPC?

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 06:06 PM

I hope your google will be fixed soon.

Here :
http://superuser.com...soft-virtual-pc
http://blogs.msdn.co...nvironment.aspx
http://geekswithblog...-windows-8.aspx

The good MS guys make usually things incompatible with their own other things (and if you ask them they will tell you that this is by design )

Alternatively:
http://www.hyper-v.n...eloper-preview/


Wonko

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 06:17 PM

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 06:21 PM

Thanks for the many links and the kind words , but i think you missed the point a bit.
The question was not, "In which VM does Win8 work?", but "How to install Win8 to a vhd without VirtualPC?".
As far as i know, VPC is the only VM that works with .vhd.

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 06:29 PM

The question was not, "In which VM does Win8 work?", but "How to install Win8 to a vhd without VirtualPC?".

Sure it was not.
The question was:

How do you guys install Win8 into a vhd, without VirtualPC?

If you actually had READ the given links you might have found how to install Windows 8 DIRECTLY to a .vhd (which answers the question allright):
http://www.hyper-v.n...eloper-preview/
And how to run it in a .VHD under Virtualbox (which ALSO answers the original question allright):
http://geekswithblog...-windows-8.aspx

As far as i know, VPC is the only VM that works with .vhd.

You might need to re-vamp your knowledge....
http://en.wikipedia....wiki/VirtualBox

Hardware device emulation

Hard disks are emulated in one of three disk image formats: a VirtualBox-specific container format, called "Virtual Disk Image" (VDI), which are stored as files (with a .vdi suffix) on the host operating system; VMware Virtual Machine Disk Format (VMDK); and Microsoft Virtual PC VHD format. A VirtualBox virtual machine can, therefore, use disks that were created in VMware or Microsoft Virtual PC, as well as its own native format. VirtualBox can also connect to iSCSI targets and to raw partitions on the host, using either as virtual hard disks. VirtualBox emulates IDE (PIIX4 and ICH6 controllers), SCSI, SATA (ICH8M controller) and SAS controllers to which hard drives can be attached.

(bolding is mine)


Wonko

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 06:57 PM

So, others install Win8 to a .vhd, via VirtualBox or Hyper-V.

Normally, i would suggest that one could save a lot of words by giving the answer directly, like above.
But knowing, that you're italian, i won't do that.

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 07:09 PM

So, others install Win8 to a .vhd, via VirtualBox or Hyper-V.

Normally, i would suggest that one could save a lot of words by giving the answer directly, like above.
But knowing, that you're italian, i won't do that.

You actually got a direct answer allright the first time, only you failed to READ it, basing your presumption on outdated knowledge, and I had to add more words to make you actually do what you were supposed to do the first time, i.e. READ the given info BEFORE assuming (wrongly) that the answer was not appropriate.


Wonko

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 08:04 PM

Hey, before i assumed wrongly, that you didn't give the right answer, you assumed wrongly, that i'm up to date with my knowledge on VM and still ask such a question.

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 08:21 PM

Hey, before i assumed wrongly, that you didn't give the right answer, you assumed wrongly, that i'm up to date with my knowledge on VM and still ask such a question.

Well, no.

You could have READ the given info NO matter whether you had previous (unfortunately - as seen - outdated) knowledge on VirtualBox, or you didn't ever heard of it, then connect properly brain to fingers before typing the reply....

You stated that you tried booting 8 on Virtual PC and failed.
Then you asked WHAT other peeps used.

And you got the answers to that ONLY question, including HOW exactly the available methods worked/how to replicate them.
No assumption of any kind was made on my part, I only served you - because after all I am a nice guy - what you could have found yourself in five minutes.
I have no idea how outdated (or plainly wrong ) is your knowledge on VM's or any other thing for that matters, but knowing how your google is often out of work and how sometimes you forget things you know very well, example:
http://reboot.pro/15556/
I simply tried to give you the info you asked for.


Wonko

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 09:15 PM

how sometimes you forget things you know very well,

Yep, old age get's us all in the end, though i thought i still had a bit, seems i was wrong.

• Back to top

Posted 11 November 2011 - 11:27 PM

MedEvil

Here's Guide to Installing and Booting Windows 8 Dev Preview off a VHD that practically repeats suggested above. Interesting, Win8 Bootloader and the new VHD Boot Entry are now auto copied to the host drive (internal HD C: with Win7 installed) during regular install of Win8 from a USB Stick to a VHD placed on a different internal drive D:. That's progress compare to Win7 VHD installs.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 12:26 AM

Thanks you, sambul61.
However the reason i want to install to a vhd, is to keep the install program from fiddeling with the already installed MBR and Boot loader.

Installing in a VM makes sure the existing setup isn't changed, while the vhd provides the ability to boot it later natively. (Hopefully without Win8 fiddeling then with the existing setup. )

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 01:48 AM

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 03:16 AM

What has your question to do with Windows 8 or VirtualPC?

Please start a new topic in Windows 7 or in USB-Booting.




PS: You might also want to provide some facts or you won't get very far.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 06:52 AM

It might be impossible to boot natively a Win8 VHD with Win7 bootloader and BCD Store (while the opposite works well) - let us know the outcome after you tried. But... it might be possible via Grub4DOS by chainloading the Win8 bootloader inside the VHD.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 01:37 PM

I intent to chainload Win8 from a floppy, like i always do, when i test a new OS on real hardware.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 01:52 PM

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 03:20 PM

Because i don't want a boot menu on my main machine, just in case i need to boot, every couple of years, a new OS on real hardware.
Having the boot loader on a Floppy image is imo the better setup for the occasional bit of testing.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 03:50 PM

You might also consider testing new apps on your real hardware by installing them onto a Differencing VHD. In this case you'd need to place both Base VHD of your system drive backup and the Dif VHD onto any HD, and possibly add boot menu to your PC system drive for convenience.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 04:58 PM

VirtualBox also can't run Windows8 install.
From what i've read in tutorials, i might work, if one has a 64bit CPU, but why would one use a 32bit Host OS, if the computer has a 64bit CPU?

Too bad.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 07:01 PM

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 07:37 PM

I'm sorry, but i can't use Hyper-V, because that needs a 64bit CPU too.

The only viable option seems to be, to backup the drive, delete it, install Win8 for a test, delete Win8, playback the image.

And i'm, quite frankly, not that interested in Win8.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 09:57 PM

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 10:28 PM

In addition to the error i get, VirtualBox explicitly tells me each start, that there is no hardware acceleration available.

BUT, i can run Win8PE natively fine on that computer.

There seems to be a clear difference, between what hardware Win8 needs to run and what hardware the VM need to run it as guest.

• Back to top

Posted 12 November 2011 - 10:54 PM

• Back to top