virtualbox.org

Hi Guys,
I would like to create a virtual machine from a windows 7 PC I have and run it on my macbook (no dvd drive) in virtual box. This is probably straight forward but the tutorials I found online have not worked. Some info about the two machines:

Host: Macbook pro (mid 2012 retina) running OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 with 8GB RAM 500GB HDD, virtual box 4.3.4

Guest: (machine I want to virtualise) Windows 7 Pro SP1 64 bit with 8GB RAM 500GB HDD

I have tried tutorials where they suggest using VMware vCenter Converter to make a vdmk or vdi from the guest machine machine while it is running, then install this in virtual box. I tried those and both times windows would not start. I got the blue error screen flash up (too quickly to read the error) then it would cycle through the booting process again and repeat. To make things more tricky I cannot find the installation disk for windows and even if I could my macbook has no dvd drive...

If anyone has any experience of doing something similar and information would be great,

Thanks in advance
James

Windows is best prepared for migration before you image it. For example, turn off the automatic restart on error feature, that way you can read the BSOD.

On the imager: you want an imaging tool that doesn't install any VMWare crap inside the VM (I don't know if VMware Converter qualifies). I would use Disk2VHD but convert the VHD image to VDI format before use.

Obviously your VM can't be allowed the same amount of RAM and disk space it used to have, not on that host.

For something to try, I would make sure I/O APIC is enabled and put the hdd on an IDE controller.

Win7 will want to be reactivated - no way around that.