Windows XP on Windows 10

Discussions about using Windows guests in VirtualBox.
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PeteThePen1
Posts: 18
Joined: 11. Oct 2012, 13:59

Windows XP on Windows 10

Post by PeteThePen1 »

Hi Folks

I can report that it is possible as a complete tyro to switch Win 10 PCs and carry over your 'old' Win 10 OS and along with your installed Virtual Box and your favourite flavour of Win XP and other Guests. I had a main board replacement on my PC with a new chip, memory and SSD cards. I used Macrium Reflect to clone the old HDD to the new SSD. It took a bit of faff since I barely knew what I was doing and did not read the online instructions properly first time. However, it eventually worked and it gave the 'same old PC' but many times faster. Virtual Box also continued to work well, but faster.

I now have a new problem for which I hope some kind person can give me a pointer. I would like to 'clone' my aged Win XP laptop and add it as a second flavour of Win XP in Virtual Box. The reason for the task is that I have remembered that I have some legacy software that would now be useful. This time I don't have the original install discs but those are not always helpful. For example I have the original Quicken stuff but it would not re-install as the publishers don't want folk to use it. I got around that by copying all the files from the working install on the old PC across to the Win XP guest OS and it did run.

The laptop is still running and has USB ports.

Regards

Pete
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Windows XP on Windows 10

Post by scottgus1 »

Re the first paragraph, cloning a platter drive to an SSD, it does make a computer run a lot faster.

Re paragraph 2, You're trying a physical-to-virtual, or P2V. Been done oodles of times for an XP PC. Web-search 'XP P2V Virtualbox site:forums.virtualbox.org".

See How to migrate existing Windows installations to VirtualBox. When you get to the numbered steps, #2, #3, and #4 have been replaced with more modern tools. After #1, booting up the old laptop and running the page's MergeIDE zipped registry patch on the old XP laptop first before transferring the OS, then do these:

#2. Use Microsoft Sysinternals Disk2vhd to make a .vhd (not .vhdx) of the whole internal laptop drive (all patritions) onto an external USB carrier drive.

#3. Connect the carrier drive to the Virtualbox host and use Mpack's CloneVDI to make a .vdi copy of the .vhd for Virtualbox to use.

ignore step #4, go on to #5...If the original laptop was a single-core laptop, you should set the VM to one processor. If it was a multi-core laptop, then you can set 2 processors.


One thing to note: Laptop manufacturers have at times tied the installed OS to the hardware so it can't be transferred to different hardware, and Virtualbox is different 'hardware'. Be prepared for an unfixable glitch.
PeteThePen1
Posts: 18
Joined: 11. Oct 2012, 13:59

Re: Windows XP on Windows 10

Post by PeteThePen1 »

Hi Scott

Many thanks for the post and the advice. I thought it ought to be somewhere but my search skills were obviously lacking.

Regards

Pete
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