Author Topic: Installing Windows 7 on virtual partition (Read 11480 times)

Bones92 · « **on:** January 11, 2009, 02:31:43 AM »

Hello everyone, I'm just wondering how safe and possible it is for me to set up a virtual partition on my computer, and then install windows 7 on it? I have the 32 bit beta from the microsoft website.
I have never set up virtual partitions before.

I would install it on my backup machine, but its not powerful, so I'd like to try it on my more powerful but primary machine - and really don't want to screw it up.

How easy and how safe is it to do this? If it is very dangerous I won't try it, but I've gone to all the effort of downloading the beta now...

If you could, some kind of step-by-step guide would be rather useful.

patio · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2009, 02:52:21 AM »

Here Ya Go...

Bones92 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2009, 03:13:22 AM »

As awesome as that link is, can I just check something?
I'm running windows XP... should have mentioned that.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2009, 03:21:31 AM »

install Virtual PC or something, then. that should work.

Bones92 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2009, 03:23:59 AM »

And the windows 7 installer will recognize it? Ok, cool. I'll try it tomorrow.

Carbon Dudeoxide · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:20:14 AM »

When you install Virtual PC, you don't need to burn it to a CD.
You can use the .ISO file and get Virtual PC to treat it as a CD.

Dias de verano · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:59:42 AM »

This is a coincidence because I just (yesterday) installed Windows 7 Public Beta (build 7000) using VMWare Workstation. First of all I downloaded the public beta ISO 2.5 GB file and burned it to a DVD-R and then I created a virtual machine in VMWare and booted it off the install DVD. The install halted and said it could not read install.wim. I did a bit of Googling and found that this most likely a bad burn. Apparently Microsoft say you should burn the disk at the slowest speed your DVD burner supports. I had used 8x but my burner goes down to 2x for that brand so that was my fault. Anyway, I then remembered that virtualizing apps like VMWare and Virtual PC support using the ISO file without having to burn it, as Carbon Dudeoxide said above. So I installed that way and it all went just fine. I am sure Virtual PC will be the same. I have a 3 GHz Pentium 4 (Prescott) with 1 GB of RAM. Windows 7 has 512 MB allocated and seems a little slow run like this, whereas OpenSuSe 11.0 (also with 512 MB) gives a very smooth and snappy experience.

There are very well seeded torrents around of ready made VMWare virtual machines of this Windows 7 Beta, but I like to do things the hard way...

I must say, at first look, I don't like the Windows 7 era GUI one little bit.

Briguy · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2009, 08:42:11 AM »

"First of all I downloaded the public beta ISO 2.5 GB file and burned it to a DVD-R and then I created a virtual machine in VMWare and booted it off the install DVD. The install halted and said it could not read install.wim. I did a bit of Googling and found that this most likely a bad burn."

I had that happen to me too. It was the IDE cable on the dvd player that was bad. Try swapping it out.

Dias de verano · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2009, 08:45:47 AM »

Quote from: Briguy on January 11, 2009, 08:42:11 AM

"First of all I downloaded the public beta ISO 2.5 GB file and burned it to a DVD-R and then I created a virtual machine in VMWare and booted it off the install DVD. The install halted and said it could not read install.wim. I did a bit of Googling and found that this most likely a bad burn."

I had that happen to me too. It was the IDE cable on the dvd player that was bad. Try swapping it out.

Apparently Microsoft says you should burn the install disk at the slowest speed your DVD burner supports. I had used 8x but my burner goes down to 2x for that brand so that was my fault. The funny thing is, I can burn audio CDs at 42x and DVDs (don't ask) at 16x and they play just fine. I have got a brand new 80 wire cable so maybe I'll swap it anyway.

Broni · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2009, 01:53:35 PM »

I'm in the middle of solving similar problem.
I downloeded Win 7 two days ago from "Wired" link, burned it to DVD, and I attempted install today, using VMWare. The installation kept freezing at "Starting Windows", and actually it was even freezing my computer.
At first, I thought, maybe formatting virtual partition in SCSI was at fault ( I had this problem with installing 7 pre-beta), so I created new partition, using IDE.
Same problem.
I thought, bad download, so I started new download, before I saw this thread.
I'll try 3 things, when download is done:
1. Burn at normal speed
2. Burn at slower speed
3. Install from .iso on hard drive

P. S. With Win 7 pre-beta, switching from SCSI to IDE, solved the problem. Pre-beta DVD was burned at normal speed, and I installed pre-beta from DVD, not from .iso on hard drive.

Dias de verano · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2009, 02:02:56 PM »

Quote from: Broni on January 11, 2009, 01:53:35 PM

At first, I thought, maybe formatting virtual partition in SCSI was at fault ( I had this problem with installing 7 pre-beta), so I created new partition, using IDE.

I used SCSI (it was recommended in the VMWare virtual machine setup)

Quote

3. Install from .iso on hard drive

THis is what I did.

Broni · « **Reply #11 on:** January 11, 2009, 02:05:21 PM »

Quote

I used SCSI (it was recommended in the VMWare virtual machine setup)

I know it is, but pre-beta installation was hanging no matter what until I switched from SCSI to IDE. I didn't try to install from .iso back then.

Broni · « **Reply #12 on:** January 11, 2009, 04:03:43 PM »

Stupid me. I tried to be a smart a**, and I set RAM for Win 7 installation in VMWare to 2048MB, not seeing VMWare note about not setting RAM to higher, than 1700MB.
I changed it to 1024MB, and it installed right away from the very same DVD.

Geek-9pm · « **Reply #13 on:** January 11, 2009, 05:12:42 PM »

Quote

How easy and how safe is it to do this? If it is very dangerous I won't try it, but I've gone to all the effort of downloading the beta now...

No problem at all. You are a experienced user.

There is no case ever in the history of beta testing that
a beta program will travel through the air and find the
backup HDD you keep in a locked vault.

Experienced users, like you of course, always have a
backup HDD made the day before.
So yes, you are safe.

Bones92 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:15:02 PM »

With a virtual partition or a virtual PC, i still need to be running XP, don't I? Is there a way of *just* having Windows 7 running?

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #15 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:19:49 PM »

you install it on the computer.

Bones92 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:20:17 PM »

If i don't do a virtual partition, and rather do a real partition using Gparted, does this mean I will lose data? Sorry to sound like a noob.

Bones92 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:23:42 PM »

Or can you just install it on the same partition as XP?

Dias de verano · « **Reply #18 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:22:40 AM »

Quote from: Bones92 on January 11, 2009, 10:15:02 PM

With a virtual partition or a virtual PC, i still need to be running XP, don't I?

Yes. A virtual PC program needs an OS to run in, called the "host" operating system. This can be XP but does not have to be.

Quote

Is there a way of *just* having Windows 7 running?

Yes, it's called "installing" it. You can dual boot with your existing OS, if you know what you are doing. Back up data first!

http://lifehacker.com/5126781/how-to-dual-boot-windows-7-with-xp-or-vista

Bones92 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:38:58 AM »

Quote from: Dias de verano on January 12, 2009, 12:22:40 AM

Quote from: Bones92 on January 11, 2009, 10:15:02 PM

Quote
Is there a way of *just* having Windows 7 running?

Yes, it's called "installing" it.

Heh, I didn't really think about that before asking. Thanks for the help and will continue with your link plus what I've found myself.

Dias de verano · « **Reply #20 on:** January 12, 2009, 01:02:37 AM »

Just in case anybody is wondering if they can install a virtual OS and then, in that virtual OS, install another virtual OS, that is, stack virtual machines, the answer would appear to be "no". The long answer is here

http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~konrad/References/notes/CS253-VMWare-Report.pdf

and the short answer is

"“Because the Intel CPUs don't support multiple ring zero contexts you can only have
one running kernel. In other words, a large part of the CPU architecture is unavailable to guests and
is emulated via privilege violation exceptions."

Broni · « **Reply #21 on:** January 12, 2009, 08:58:23 AM »

Quote

Just in case anybody is wondering if they can install a virtual OS and then, in that virtual OS, install another virtual OS

Interesting. Never thought about it. What would be a reason for doing this, even, if possible?

Dias de verano · « **Reply #22 on:** January 12, 2009, 10:28:22 AM »

Quote from: Broni on January 12, 2009, 08:58:23 AM

What would be a reason for doing this, even, if possible?

The satisfaction of curiosity, or the alleviation of boredom, I suppose.

Broni · « **Reply #23 on:** January 12, 2009, 03:50:36 PM »

I see....

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #24 on:** January 12, 2009, 03:53:08 PM »

well there goes my method of placing my kinky goats folder withing three levels of different nested guest operating systems with different passwords.

Dias de verano · « **Reply #25 on:** January 13, 2009, 12:08:08 AM »

Quote from: BC_Programmer on January 12, 2009, 03:53:08 PM

well there goes my method of placing my kinky goats folder withing three levels of different nested guest operating systems with different passwords.

I know. Great minds think alike...

Geek-9pm · « **Reply #26 on:** January 13, 2009, 03:15:01 PM »

Quote

there a way of *just* having Windows 7 running?

What? Is that not what MS says in the documentation.
Doy know how to read?

The say :
"Do install on a test computer"
"Do not install on you main home or work computer..."

Dias de verano · « **Reply #27 on:** January 13, 2009, 03:21:38 PM »

Quote from: Geek-9pm on January 13, 2009, 03:15:01 PM

Doy know how to read?

Doy know how to write?

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Author Topic: Installing Windows 7 on virtual partition (Read 11480 times)

Bones92

patio

Bones92

BC_Programmer

Bones92

Carbon Dudeoxide

Dias de verano

Briguy

Dias de verano

Broni

Dias de verano

Broni

Broni

Geek-9pm

Bones92

BC_Programmer

Bones92

Bones92

Dias de verano

Bones92

Dias de verano

Broni

Dias de verano

Broni

BC_Programmer

Dias de verano

Geek-9pm

Dias de verano