Howto: Windows XP in both VM and native - DISCUSSION
Posted: 17. Sep 2008, 02:08
Please post any suggestions regarding Howto: Windows XP in both VM and native in this thread.
Thanks,
VT
Thanks,
VT
End user forums for VirtualBox
https://forums.virtualbox.org/
Yes you can. Edit: Windows activation works if one follows the steps in the howto (i.e. does not ask for re-activation when you swap booting natively/in vm).shenhanc wrote:1. does this mean you can install windows xp via VBOX under some host(linux host) onto the first raw partition of the first harddisk and enable SATA? Boot it either in the VBOX or boot it using the native machine while keeping just a single windows xp installation?
Please see the note right at the top: SATA + raw disk access doesn't work in v2.* at the moment (unless I'm mistaken). Edit: This will be fixed in 2.0.4.shenhanc wrote:2. virtualbox 2.0.x said it has a major performance gain if your system is SATA by the NCQ(native command queue) in VBOX 2.0.x, did you feel the performance boost?
No there won't, since you'll have two hardware profiles (if you do it correcltly, that is).shenhanc wrote:will there be a conflict between the virtualbox addons and the native hardware driver used while booted via native machine?
Definitely, that's what I use it for. (Games which only require DirectDraw you can then also run on both sides of course.)shenhanc wrote:is this dual-boot solution stable enough so that I can play video game on the windows xp natively?
I've highlighted the relevant comment regarding this at the top of the article. If you feel it isn't clear enough still you're welcome to modify it.TerryE wrote:My first comment is that you need to emphasise that what you are doing is a clean dual boot install rather than a migration of an existing dual boot into a triple boot config
I did of course only mean I/O APIC and not ACPI (I added a note just so it's clear.)TerryE wrote:Configuration. APIC does need to be turned on, but I/O APIC not.
The reason for this section was only to illustrate how to deal with the Windows installer. Creating additional partitions is trivial and of course up to the user. (I've added a comment to hopefully clarify this.) Personally I move "Program Files" and D&S to another partition (and rename them to remove the spaces - don't ask why, I just don't like it ) .TerryE wrote:Partitioning. The whole issue of partitioning is complex and merits its own post. I have Partition 1 as my Ubuntu root and Partition 2 as my C root for XP, but there is no harm in the order that you suggest, but it is not as you imply mandatory. My personal preference is to keep both root partitions small. I use 10Gb for both my root partitions. On my C drive. I have \Windows, core \Program Files and \Documents and Settings for Administrator, Default User, LocalService and NetworkService. I use a separate D drive for all user files including user D&S.
Since you have some very good ideas about how to go about this maybe you wish to add this as an additional section at the end?TerryE wrote:Checkpoints. Throughout the process I regular snap the C partition just in case I do something disasterous.
Ok, done. I'm too used to *nix utilities that I frequently forget to check whether Windows has a viable equivalent. Regarding VBscript: I have to admit that the first thing I do when I install Windows is disable the scripting host. But I'm sure it would me a more elegant solution. Or in other words: Feel free to modify a section / add to it / link etc.TerryE wrote:Optional Startup [...] Also on a specific point, there is no need to download grep as the standard find utility also sets the error status. However, I think that the best thing to do here (and I haven't done this yet) is to run a wsh VBscript from to do all this stuff and the interlocks.
Sorry, are you talking about names for backups for hardware profiles?TerryE wrote:For the avoidance of doubt, I would rename the first VM BareMetal and the second VBoxVM.
Since you already have such a script maybe you wish to add it? I've never had the need to write to my ntfs partitions so I've mounted them all as read-only (but of course there will be plenty of users who like rw acccess like yourself).TerryE wrote:I do recommend moving the sudo ... VirtualBox command into a script which also checks if the NTFS partitions are mounted and if so then unmounts them before starting VBox.
And why not uninstall? (Makes more sense since the hardware won't be present). I do realise that chosing uninstall removes the drivers for all profiles but it does of course get re-install when you boot up with the other profile.TerryE wrote:What you then is to "disable in this profile" all of the VBox-specific H/W rather than uninstall it.
That's what I call my two windows profiles.Sorry, are you talking about names for backups for hardware profiles?
As a moderator I can edit your posts but not v.v. so it's a lot better that you add the place-holder post and I edit that. That way we can both work on it.maybe you wish to add this as an additional section at the end?
No, I said that I've still to do this, but I haven't got around to it just yet.Since you already have such a script maybe you wish to add it?
Ah, that because you don't install a driver in a profile. Drivers are installed in all profiles, and removing them removes them from all profiles. It's just that by default they are only enabled in the profile that they are installed in. So you will always end up loading conflicting drivers, but theses conflicts are avoided by complimentary enabling/disabling.And why not uninstall?
I find it hard to get the level right in these tutorials. It's a case of one man's meat is another man's poison. Some people just seem incapable of taking in detail in too big chunks. Maybe you are right and we do need to introduce some hierarchy.all of that should go in a new article maybe
Oops, my idea was to find fellow "volunteers" to share the work not to take over from them But I'll send you a copy of one section reworked to see what you think.I think you're in an ideal position to write a HowTo v1.0
I'm pretty sure that won't be necessary (since by having the same MAC for virtual & real NICs it does not trigger re-activation)TerryE wrote:copy the contents of /media/sysC/windows/system/VMBoot (the activation files)
The boot.ini choice would save the user from having to make one selection.. but they will still have to select the hardware profile so maybe this is overkill? At what point is it supposed to put back the "native" versions of these? Ah sorry, didn't notice that's at the end.TerryE wrote:cping boot.ini_VM over boot.ini. If you have two versions this will load the correct HAL and Kernel
cping localStartup.cmd_VM over localStartup.cmd
Personally I would prefer a script which ends with the starting of VirtualBox (or directly starting of the VM). If one leaves out the boot.ini change (since they'll have to choose the h/w profile anyway also), the wpa.dbl swap (which isn't required anymore) and if the startup selection is done with a .vbs or .cmd (either on startup or login by checking e.g. network adapter name) then there are no steps needed after VM shutdown (and also no copying of files necessary before startup). (ok...apart from the discardsate check which would be useful of course)(We stall here until the VM is shut down)
Check to make sure that a SAV file does not exist. If so then do a VBoxManage discardstate to make sure that we don't trash the partitions.
In my opinion one mount check example (i.e. for C) would be enough to show how to do this since everyone will have a different approach to partitioning. (For example I personally I leave %windir% and the swapfile on C, keeping docs&sets and programs on another partition.)Terry wrote:do an existence check on /media/dataD/pagefile.sys [...]
I'll add the final bit about that to the relevant section today. (Mine's no starting without password as "rawvb" user.)TerryE wrote:doing a sudo u=vbdisk X.. VB
Oh no, I don't want to disagree again.. but I will, sorry If all the startup commands are put in a separate files then obviously they won't be visible as such in CurrentVersion\Run. I would have thought it to be much easier to prefix to "mycommand" e.g. "vm_only.vbs mycommand" (keeping all entries in the registry). This way you can instantly see in the registry what gets started when (like so).TerryE wrote:Now we have two versions of localStartup.cmd -- one for native and one for VM boot which can be run from a registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run entry.
Ok, I'm done.vkov_tinsky wrote:Please let me first make a couple of last changes
The most likely cause is it's trying to boot from the wrong partition. (I got the same message when I modified my boot.ini.) What partition is it pointing to in your boot.ini? If it's the 3rd partition it should be something like multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3).shenhanc wrote:Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\System32\hal.dll
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.
Code: Select all
title Windows XP
root (hd1,2)
chainloader +1
Code: Select all
title Windows XP
map (hd0, hd1)
map (hd1, hd0)
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
I assume you've got it set to automatically log on and it shows the hardware dialog once it's logged in?shenhanc wrote:After watching the windows booting up and showing a dialog "Found new hardware, install" and a "next" button, I just cannot click it, so actually I cannot install any hardware driver in the native xp.