virtualbox.org

Hi Pete,

I've been using the VHD images supplied by Microsoft at
http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/deta ... laylang=en
to test websites I build on IE6, IE7 and IE8.
I use Virtualbox 3.04 on Mac OSX, and well as Virtualbox 3.04 on Ubuntu.

The latest images supplied by Microsoft require activation in order to use.
This renders them useless in my development environment, as I can't get on-line to activate them,
and even if I could, I don't have a product key.

I would greatly appreciate it if Microsoft could rebuild these VHD images such that they don't require activation,
as soon as possible, so I can continue to test websites for people who use your products.

Cut, paste, edit and send as required.

I've been looking at the EULA again. And I'm no lawyer but...

You may install and use one copy of the software on your device of which you are running a validly licensed copy of Microsoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Virtual Server. You may not change or convert the virtual hard disk image from the VHD format.

This forbids converting the images. That's OK for VBox users because it's not necessary. (If you want to use more than one of the MS VPC images, VBoxManage clonehd will change the UUID). It does not forbid using a different VM. It says you may use..., not you may only use, nor you may not use [anything else].

Next line:

You may use the software only to evaluate it and provide feedback to Microsoft.

That sounds as though it's cut-n-paste from a license for an evaluation copy of Windows. It doesn't seem to make sense for the purpose of the IE App Compat images. Web developers use the software (as a dev tool), they don't evaluate it.

Make of it what you will, but I see a glimmer of hope on both counts. I hope MS will share my view that compliance with this EULA text as it stands isn't a convincing reason to cripple the images for anything other than MS VPC and will rediscover the tools and methods MS engineers used to make App Compat images in the good old days.

Hi All,

Just ran into this problem - making the switch from Vista to Ubuntu (Jaunty) for web-development work, and still need IE8/7 for testing purposes - went through all the steps with VirtualBox, got the network working, downloaded Extras to try and get 1440x900 resolution... but now it's been rebooted three times and I can't activate my copy... what now?

Hi Pete,
Not trying to be pushy, but do you have any progress updates? This is definitely a critical issue for many of us (especially those developing on Linux).

Thanks,
-mike

Just a reminder for everyone. If you look at the original message that Pete left he asked to be emailed.
Might want to send him an email about this and not just reply here. He may not be on that often.

I sent an email to Peter a few weeks ago with no response... anyone else heard any updates about this? I ended up installing VPC again, but really miss being able to use VirtualBox

deviantintegral wrote:I sent an email to Peter a few weeks ago with no response... anyone else heard any updates about this? I ended up installing VPC again, but really miss being able to use VirtualBox

No response...
I'm in limbo - no way to test IE8 at the moment

You know after this long it seems to me that if you have not heard from them you more than likely will not.
After reading all the MS bashing as soon as he agreed to check into it would you reply?
Anyway you look at it this is strictly a Microsoft issue and you need to contact them direct about the problem.

I don't think they're going to change the released images before they expire in Jan 2010, the question is whether they will choose to support non-windows developers...why did they make c# again?

Perryg wrote:You know after this long it seems to me that if you have not heard from them you more than likely will not.
After reading all the MS bashing as soon as he agreed to check into it would you reply?

MS bashing happens all the time on open-source forums- I'm sure he's seen it all before [this doesn't justify the responses - I don't agree with the tone of many of them].
There were plenty of measured responses too, though.

Anyway you look at it this is strictly a Microsoft issue and you need to contact them direct about the problem.

I have contacted Pete directly, but got no response.

Workaround:

Though not ideal, this works for me.

You'll need a Windows XP SP2 or later CD to hand.

Insert CD.

Start with a fresh VPC image and boot up with CD mounted.

You only get 3 reboots, so use them wisely.

Ensure that drivers for your network adaptor are installed. And install the guest additions on the first bootup.

You'll be free to play around until you reboot for the third time. After this third time, you'll be locked out....

But fear not, if you're desperate... like I was....

When locked out, hit Yes to "Do you want to activate Windows now?"

Then, select "Yes, let's activate now" and hit 'Next'.

Do you want to Register?.... em, No! ... Next.

You'll be prompted at this point to provide a new key.... however for IE testing...it's NOT NEEDED!

Just click their handy "Microsoft Activation Assistance Web Site" link in their "If you believe you have received this message in error" notice - and voila! an IE window appears

Thanks M$, such convenience.

The activation work-around listed above did not work for me. It said 3 days, but as soon as I would restart just once and try to log in as ietest, I needed to activate. I was not able to install the network drivers on the first boot, so I had to restart, and then was locked out.

Instead of using that VHD, I just created a new one using an ISO image of the XP install disk mounted as a cd volume. I have a valid license that I can use so this will work. This seems to be a good way to run XP and get at a copy of IE7.

I might give the VHD another try after I am finished with this install of XP. Maybe with the mounted XP disk volume it will work.

Same here...

i'm using VirtualBox on ubuntu 8.10 running win sp3, and got locked out for not having a product key...

Just tried the new VHDs created 12/29/09, which expire in April 1, 2010.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en
Same problem.

So either Peter didn't get the message out in time, or Microsoft doesn't have any plans to fix it.

EDIT: Read the EULA:

You may install and use one copy of the software on your device of which you are running a validly licensed copy of Microsoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Virtual Server. You may not change or convert the virtual hard disk image from the VHD format.

So I'm going to file this under "Microsoft doesn't have any plans to fix it", or I guess "It's not a bug, it's a feature!"

Hi all,

i do not know, about you discuss here on about 4 pages. VPC images are ONLY for Microsoft's Virtual PC. When you change more main hardware (mainboard, network card and other) then you MUST activate Windows again (sure, with new licence key - it's like OEM). If you mount these images under VB, then you have different hardware and image behave as you change main hardware and requires new activation. If you are not have correct new licence key, then activation does not pass.

It's simple. Sure, Microsoft does not port a Virtual PC software to another OS, than Windows. And as wrote Pete, MS does not create these images for another virtual software (as VB or VMWare).

If you can test IE's for web page development, then create new virtual machine and install clean Windows XP (it install IE6). After update OS only (do not upgrade IE), simply clone virtual disk and machine for install IE7 and again for install IE8. Do not remeber update (not upgrade for IE). Now you have 3 virtual machines for IE6, IE7 and IE8, that does not expire.