====== [hemmerling] Making the Transition from VirtualPC to VirtualBox ======
===== Motivation =====
  *VirtualPC and VirtualServer are the standard free virtualisation technologies for W2k, WinXP, Vista and Win 7 hosts. I am using VirtualPC since 2004, creating many VirtualPC machines :-).
  *Now with Win8:
    *VirtualPC can't be installed on a Win8 host ( while it was an integreated product on Win7 hosts ).
    *The successor Hyper-V is just available for 64-bit Windows.
  *So on 32-bit Win8 systems, if you want to use virtualisation, you have to turn to another solution.
  *I decided to turn to VirtualBox, as it may load VirtualPC machines with dynamic file space allocation ( VirtualPC New Virtual Machine Wizard: "Virtual hard disk size" < "Maximum virtual hard disk size" ) without transformation :-). With VMware, you need to transform the VirtualPC file system, by the free "VMware vCenter Converter" :-(.
===== Definitions =====
  *Guest operating system - The operating system which is running on the virtualisation system ( i.e. in the simulator ).
  *Host operating system - The operating system which is running the virtualisation system ( i.e. the simulator ). This is the native operating system of the computer, when you turn it on.
===== Prerequisites =====
  *Remember, any other virtualisation will crash, if "Virtual Machine Additions" ( or "Extension Pack" ) of a different virtualisation are installed on the guest operating system.
    -On a Windows host running VirtualPC, run the VirtualPC machine, login.
    -After login, deinstall the "Virtual Machine Additions" by  "Action / Install or Update Virtual Maschine Additions".
    -Reboot the VirtualPC and check, that no "Virtual Machine Additions" are installed: The mouse cursor is captured inside the VirtualPC windows. By pressing the "ALT-GR", you may leave the window.

===== Installation =====
  -Install the OpenSource [[http://www.virtualbox.org/|Oracle VirtualBox]] and the OpenSource "Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack".
  -Call the Oracle VM VirtualBox manager "Oracle VM VirtualBox".
    *Create a new VirtualBox by pressing the "New" button.
    *Name the new virtual machine, e.g. "vbx5_w2ks".
    *Select the memory size, e.g. 1024 MB.
    *Select "Do not add a virtual hard drive", press the button "continue" on the modal warning window.
    *Now at "C:\users\<username>\VirtualBox VMs", there is a directory "vbx5_w2ks".
  -Copy your VirtualPC *vhd file into that directory, e.g. "vpc5_w2ks Hard Disk.vhd".
  -Call the Oracle VM VirtualBox manager "Oracle VM VirtualBox".
    *Select "Settings / Storage".
    *Mouse-rightclick at "Controller: IDE".
    *Select "Add Hard Disk", press the button "Coose existing disk", select the VirtualPC *vhd file, e.g. "vpc5_w2ks Hard Disk.vhd".
    *Press the button "Ok".
  -Installation and de-installation of devices:
    *Add a shared folder by "Settings / Shared Folders", e.g. "C:\" -> "C_DRIVE" with the option "[x] Auto-mount", for Windows guests.
    *For Win98SE guests, you must deselect USB by "Settings / USB", "[ ] Enable USB Controller" :-(.

===== Configuration for W2k Guests =====
  *Start a VirtualBox by "Start".
  *After login at the guest operating system, you are captured in the VirtualBox window. 
  *If "Found new hardware wizards" windows appears, always select "Cancel".
  *If the window "System Settings Change. Do you want to restart your computer now?" appears, select "No".
  *Use "Ctrl" to leave the VirtualBox window.
  *Execute "Devices / Install GuestAdditions..." to install the VirtualBox guest additions.
  *Change number of colors of the graphics card to "True Color (32 bit)", by mouse-rightclick, "Properties / Setting / Colors".
  *Change the drive letter of the CDROM drive to "Z:", by "Start / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Computer Management / Disk Management", "CDRom 0" -> "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
  *Reboot the VirtualBox guest operating system.
===== Drawbacks =====
==== Location of VirtualBox Machines ====
  *With VirtualPC, you have the freedom to create VirtualPC machines at any place :-).
  *You just can install VirtualBox machines at "/users/public/<username>/VirtualBox VMs/" :-(.

==== Creation of virtual Floppy-Disks ====
  *The "Virtual Disk Wizard" of VirtualPC may not just create harddisk images, but also Floppy-Disk images ( *.vfd, *.img, *ima, *.dsk ).
  *Problem: With VirtualBox, you can´t create Floppy-Disk images.
  *Solution:
    *On Windows ( W2k Server, WinXP..., Win8, but not W2k-Pro ): "fsutil file createnew myimage.vfd 1474560".
    *On Linux: "fallocate -l 1474560 myimage.vfd".
    *On Linux & other Unix-like systems: "head -c 1474560 /dev/zero > myimage.vfd".
  *Source: [[http://superuser.com/questions/342433/how-to-create-empty-floppy-image-with-virtual-box-windows-guest|Superuser "How to create empty floppy image with Virtual Box Windows guest?"]]. 
==== No Network Access ====
  *A VirtualPC is part of the Windows network, i.e. "Entire Network / Microsoft Windows Network / Workgroup / <VirtualPC>". On that base, you may create shares, e.g. "Entire Network / Microsoft Windows Network / Workgroup / <Windows Host> / <Shared Host Folder>".
  *A VirtualBox isn't part of the Windows network. You may create shares of folders of your local computer, e.g. "Entire Network / VirtualBox Shared Folders / <Shared Host Folder>".
==== Concurrent Use of cloned File Systems is prevented ====
  *With VirtualPC, you can use copies of the VirtualPC filesystem *.vhd ( i.e. filesystems with the same UUID ) to serve with different VirtualPC accounts *.vmc on the same computer.
  *Problem: With VirtualBox, VirtualBox filesystems are registered. If you try to link a copy of a VirtualBox *.vhd filesystem with more than one VirtualBox account, you get an error message<code>
Failed to open the hard disk "C:\\..." {uuid..}\\
Cannot register the hard disk "C:\\..." {uuid...} \\
because a hard disk "C:\\..." with UUID {uuid...} \\
already exists".</code>
  *The only solution: Move the VirtualBox folder to another location and carefully **remove** the harddisk and the account which is not needed at once :-(.

==== Limited Support of Windows 9.x ====
  *There are no "Oracle VirtualBox Guest Additions" for Windows98SE as guest operation system.
  *As VirtualPC is not available for Win8 :-(, an integrated operation of Win98SE ( with network file access to the Windows host,.. ) is just possible on W2k, WinXP, Vista and Win7 hosts, using VirtualPC :-).
  *[[http://www.linuxforen.de/forums/showpost.php?p=1534900&postcount=5|linuxforen.de -- User helfen Usern, stefan.becker "4) Probleme und Lösungen / FAQ"]] - "4.2) Win 9x / ME / 3.11 als Gast", "4.2.3) Windows 9x+ME / höhere Bildschirmauflösungen" #.
  *See [[win9x.html|Windows 3.x , Windows 9.x, Windows ME ( WinME )]].
{{tag>VirtualBox SUN Oracle "Virtual PC" "Virtual PC 2007" "Virtual PC 2004"}}
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