Trying to convert existing physical XP to a VM on a new host

[vbox4me2]

HAL.DLL and NTOSKRNL.EXE

[virgil_machine]

Thank you.

I did a search on those files and came up with this process at http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/tip/17728.html

"When new hardware comes into our office, I install a fresh copy of Windows XP. I copy the files HAL.DLL and NTOSKRNL.EXE which are generated during the installation to a folder named after the appropriate HAL...After imaging and before entering the OS, I boot to the Windows XP CD. I select repair a Windows installation using the Recovery Console. Within the recovery console, I copy the appropriate HAL.DLL and NTOSKRNL.EXE file to the C:\Windows\System32 folder, overwriting the existing ones. I then reboot and the PC comes up properly configured."

Is this what you mean?

If so, I'm creating an XP Home VM and don't have the disks...I have borrowed an XP Pro disk, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to make this work.

I'm assuming that I'll find the files in \Windows\System32 in the XP Pro VM I created. Is that right?

[Sasquatch]

Yes, that is correct. XP Home and Pro use the same kernel, so that should not cause any issues.

[end1r]

How did you make out Virgilmachine?

[vbox4me2]

There are thousands of pages written about this and none of them cover all the basis, this is just about impossible at the moment. If nothing works for you consider rebuilding, it might be faster then trying to get it working. One of those issues are chipset drivers and updates/patches on top of them.

[virgil_machine]

OK. I copied hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe from an XP Pro VM that works under Vbox to a cd. I then booted my XP Home machine from the XP Pro install CD and selected "repair an existing system." I copied the 2 files from the cd to c:\windows\system32, replacing the existing files. Then I exited the recovery an booted into XP Home, safe mode, selected the hardware profile above (disabling all devices).

The only change is that now when it gets to Mup.sys instead of hanging I get a blue screen.

Just for drill, I tried booting with the original hardware profile--same result.

I realize that I can do a clean install. I don't care. What I want is to get something to work that people have said works (and should work).

Again, I really appreciate the help in this forum, and I am learning a lot in the process--which is the whole point.

[end1r]

To fix my problem (pretty much the same but with w2k3), I just did a repair install. Then I reinstalled my apache and all my other application data was in tact.. server is up and running..

Thanks for all the help from the people of this forum!

[virgil_machine]

end1r: do I understand that you have the same problem--hanging/blue screen on Mup.sys---with a w2k3 vm?

You fixed it with a repair install--does that mean you booted the failing vm from the cd and selected repair existing system?

Did you do anything else (e.g., what did you repair)?

I'm at a disadvantage because I don't have the install cd for XP Home. I do have one for XP Pro, but I'm not sure that will repair the Home install.

Please give me a little more detail and I'll try.

Thanks for the response.

[vbox4me2]

Backup the VM and try the proXP repair.

[virgil_machine]

Backup the VM and try the proXP repair.

I'm not sure what this means.

I restored the VM from the original image I created (because copying hal.dll and ntoskel.exe from my XP Pro Machine didn't help).

The XP repair just gives me a command prompt. That's the point where I copied the files to C:\windows\system32 earlier. What should I do differently this time?

[Sasquatch]

I'm at a disadvantage because I don't have the install cd for XP Home. I do have one for XP Pro, but I'm not sure that will repair the Home install.

You can download an XP Home version from the web, or borrow one from a friend. Don't use a recovery.

[virgil_machine]

You can download an XP Home version from the web, or borrow one from a friend. Don't use a recovery.

OK, but what am I going to do with it? I've done everything you guys have suggested and that I've found elsewhere.

Unless this is to do a clean install, which I know I can do but am trying to avoid (this is a learning exercise--the time is worth it).

So, if I get an XP Home CD how will that move me forward in the process of virtualizing an existing system?

Also, remember that the reason I'm messing with XP Home at all is that I happened to have come upon an old computer that I'm using for testing. If I get this to work I'll go back to work on my XP Pro system (the triple booot one) that I mentioned in the original post.

Thanks.

[Sasquatch]

Well, someone else here mentioned a repair option in the installer, so that's what you want to do with your VM too.

[virgil_machine]

Well, someone else here mentioned a repair option in the installer, so that's what you want to do with your VM too.

Yes, but I can't tell what anyone has repaired. I used the repair option to copy hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe, but that caused other problems, so I restored back to what I had before copying them--I thought that's what vbox4me2 meant.

"Use the repair option" does not give me a lot if information--use it for what? how? As far as I can see, all the repair option does is drop me into a DOS prompt. What next?

[vbox4me2]

Try this tutorial:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm