can you share system resources?

[mattig89ch]

Hidy ho all,

I'm not sure exactly how to ask this question. So heres the situation.

A client of ours has an old dell vostro 200. They are using windows 7 in xp mode, and are having trouble running some old software. I wanted to set them up with a virutal machine to run the software, but I don't want to use actual virtual hard ware to do it. I wanted the virtual machine to have complete access to the dells hardware, while still running the older os (probobly xp) inside the newer os.

Is this possible?

Edit: Accidently put win 8 instead of 7.

[loukingjr]

Windows 8 never came with XP mode. There is a way to get XP mode running in Windows 8 but it's complicated. Did you mean compatibility mode?

At any rate, most hypervisors don't have direct access to hardware. Maybe they should install XP in VirtualBox and see if their program will run.

[mattig89ch]

Right-o, thanks for pointing out that typo.

My biggest reason for wanting to allow the vm to have access to the systems hardware is because of licensing. Dells typically have a license key burned into the mobo, and the client really can't afford to buy a new license for a new os. At that point, they'd probobly just have to upgrade the old software itself.

[loukingjr]

Even if it were possible, Oracle/VirtualBox cannot assist someone in circumventing a EULA.

[mattig89ch]

oh, I didn't realize that would be circumventing the EULA. I thought the license key covered all installs of a windows os. Past, present, and future.

I can't tell you how many times i've used a dell install disk on a different piece of hardware then it came with, and it took the license burned into the board. Never complaining.

Is that really circumventing an EULA?

[scottgus1]

Depends on the EULA. You have to read it. If the disc is installable on as many PCs as you wish, it will say so. If the disc is only supposed to be installed on one PC and never again on any other PC physical or virtual, it will tell you.

That said, some OEM discs that are supposed to be installed on only one PC can be installed on others. But it violates the EULA to do so.

[mattig89ch]

oh, I see.

Ok, thanks for letting me know about that.

Did not mean to try and break an EULA. Sorry for that.

[BillG]

Hidy ho all,

I'm not sure exactly how to ask this question. So heres the situation.

A client of ours has an old dell vostro 200. They are using windows 7 in xp mode, and are having trouble running some old software. I wanted to set them up with a virutal machine to run the software, but I don't want to use actual virtual hard ware to do it. I wanted the virtual machine to have complete access to the dells hardware, while still running the older os (probobly xp) inside the newer os.

Is this possible?

Edit: Accidently put win 8 instead of 7.

That is not how virtual machines work. They do not have direct access to the hardware of the host machine. They only have direct access to their own emulated "hardware".

Some of the physical hardware appears to be available in the vm, but this is only because VirtualBox (or whatever virtualisation software you are using) is passing the data through. This normally only applies to common devices like keyboard and mouse.