Turning a working winxp installation into a VM- possible?

[varelg]

I have a current working installation of Windows XP that I would like to turn into a virtual machine and use it within Virtual Box. Is it at all possible to make such a VM from a working Windows XP installation?
Reason is, I'd like to avoid double-boot this (currently) Windows XP desktop with another OS but don't like to tottaly part with XP either, so I would like to have the current XP installation as a VM, wipe the disk clean, install that other OS on it, install VirtualBox on it and use the XP as yet another virtual machine in VirtualBox.

[stefan.becker]

Look into the Tutorial Section.

[BillG]

There are plenty of pitfalls in doing a p2v conversion. You might be better off using the migration wizard (migwiz.exe) to save your files and settings to an external drive and do a clean install of XP in a vm on the new system, then reload your files and settings.

That is what I do for a migration to a new machine, physical or virtual (even if using the same OS). It gets rid of the accumulated junk that slows down the OS over time.

[varelg]

Doing a clean install will require a copy of Windows XP CD, which I don't have and my machine just came with it. My goal is to save that installation with everything it has on it as virtual machine and use it as a virtual machine.

[FrodoHobbits]

Clonezilla will enable you to create an image of your existing PC. You can create a VM from this image.

[vbox4me2]

It gets rid of the accumulated junk that slows down the OS over time.

True, but with a bit of knowledge you can clean pretty good with ccleaner, gmer and revo. Also don't forget %windir%\repair which should hold a bare snapshot of when you installed the OS.

[BillG]

Clonezilla will enable you to create an image of your existing PC. You can create a VM from this image.

True. But will it boot? And if it boots, will it activate?

[mpack]

CloneZilla is a poor choice when P2Ving a Windows installation. Disk2VHD will do it in a fraction of the time and effort and disk space - and is easier to use.

Personally, I don't share Bill's reluctance to consider a P2V. XP installs don't get slow over time by themselves. They get slow because of all the junk people install. If you go open the task list and check what all the tasks are, and if you then disable or even uninstall all the crap you don't really need (and can start manually if you ever change your mind) - then suddenly you find yourself with a fast machine again. Plus empty out your temp folders now and then, also free up as much system disk as possible, and the occasional defrag etc of course. You can keep your XP PC ticking along very nicely, and a nice trim image like that can be P2Ved without much trouble, provided you follow the advice on the migration page regarding preparation with MergeIDE before P2Ving.

[BillG]

Agreed. It really depends on how familiar the user is with this stuff. I also agree that disk2vhd would be a better option here.

The big problem is that somebody can waste an awful lot of time trying to perform a p2v only to find that the end product is of limited use.

I have a vm version of my last Vista install created with disk2vhd and it boots and runs fine under VirtualBox. I have also had some failures with various p2v methods. There is no method I know of which I could confidently say "This will work"! There are too many variables. Even the high-powered commercial products have their failures.

[varelg]

I understand that every system needs proper maintenance and Windows is no exception. My main concern is to avoid the whole activation or purchase of XP copy thing and just turn the current install into a VM that I'd later use under VirtualBox. And I would like to keep such a VM fully functional, just like it was when it lived as a physical install. I don't shy away from complex procedures but wouldn't compromise with the concern either.

[mpack]

My main concern is to avoid the whole activation or purchase of XP copy thing and just turn the current install into a VM

Reactivation is probably not avoidable - the XP installation will most likely run, but the hardware changes are extensive, which is bound to provoke reactivation. And unless its a badged OEM copy (i.e. Dell) then reactivation usually isn't difficult either: it's all done online with a couple of clicks, no need for the install disk. You can also do it over the phone, but for that you do at least need to know your product key. To avoid hassle just make sure not to activate too soon. If XP gives you X days to reactivate, then wait X days. This avoids the need to reactivate multiple times if you should discover a problem with the VM shortly after you start using it.