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Physical to Virtual

Bendy_BSD
By Bendy_BSD
in Windows
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I need some help and some info regarding about what I would like to do.  

I have 6 computers, 5 of them have the isos I need to keep (from xp to 8.1) and the kicker is that I would like to migrate the operating systems from their old boot disks to a fast virtual disk.

Hence Physical to Virtual.    

 

Would it be as simple as creating a backup image and then cloning/migrating the backup image to a v-disk or is there some voodoo-butter that prevents a noob like me from keeping that I hold dear throughout the years?

 

I'm not going to just throw the computers away along with the operating systems like that, at least not without keeping the image.

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Just now, RAM555789 said:

I'm pretty sure you could just turn them into ISO images, and you'll be good to go with some VM software, whenever you wanna boot back into those old time OS's you'll just need to run them in the VM.

Oh I know that (the booting of vmware I mean), but the thing is that I'll be using a linux host (Ubuntu 16.04 server) to take advantage of the VT-D support (as well as the built in DNS software package to resolve any errors down the line so that I don't necessarily have to rely on ISP's DNS servers doing ALL the work), unless the hypervisor software also can allow virtual machines to have physical devices handed over to them?    (I ask because if that's the case then I can keep my windows 10 pro iso image and migrate them all within the vm manager built in with windows.)

 

Otherwise, I will migrate ALL operating systems to the vm manager within ubuntu and create a "MEGA" backup image containing ubuntu plus the iso images.

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40 minutes ago, Ripmin-PSN said:

unless the hypervisor software also can allow virtual machines to have physical devices handed over to them?

VMware supports external devices and disc drives to be connected to a VM, and I think virtualbox does too. Cannot speak for any other products.

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A: If you didn't click a sketchy email, haven't left your computer physically open to attack, haven't downloaded anything sketchy/free, know that your software hasn't been exploited in a new hack, then the answer is: probably not.

 

Q: What email/VPN should I use?
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Q: What Linux distro is best for x y z?

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Just now, LtStaffel said:

VMware supports external devices and disc drives to be connected to a VM, and I think virtualbox does too. Cannot speak for any other products.

hmmm... fair enough.

 

But, do you think it's possible to create a cloned image in it's "installed" state on another boot disk (virtual disk) and run it from there or will the windows certification servers send police or something?

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Just now, Ripmin-PSN said:

hmmm... fair enough.

 

But, do you think it's possible to create a cloned image in it's "installed" state on another boot disk (virtual disk) and run it from there or will the windows certification servers send police or something?

If the machine originally running the OS is on at the same time as it also on in a VM then bets are off. Otherwise, MS doesn't care. You have the license you can use it where you want. VMware has a "virtualize physical machine" button that I've never pressed but I'm sure works well.

Join the Appleitionist cause! See spoiler below for answers to common questions that shouldn't be common!

Spoiler

Q: Do I have a virus?!
A: If you didn't click a sketchy email, haven't left your computer physically open to attack, haven't downloaded anything sketchy/free, know that your software hasn't been exploited in a new hack, then the answer is: probably not.

 

Q: What email/VPN should I use?
A: Proton mail and VPN are the best for email and VPNs respectively. (They're free in a good way)

 

Q: How can I stay anonymous on the (deep/dark) webzz???....

A: By learning how to de-anonymize everyone else; if you can do that, then you know what to do for yourself.

 

Q: What Linux distro is best for x y z?

A: Lubuntu for things with little processing power, Ubuntu for normal PCs, and if you need to do anything else then it's best if you do the research yourself.

 

Q: Why is my Linux giving me x y z error?

A: Have you not googled it? Are you sure StackOverflow doesn't have an answer? Does the error tell you what's wrong? If the answer is no to all of those, message me.

 

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Just now, LtStaffel said:

If the machine originally running the OS is on at the same time as it also on in a VM then bets are off. Otherwise, MS doesn't care. You have the license you can use it where you want. VMware has a "virtualize physical machine" button that I've never pressed but I'm sure works well.

Running at the same time?  Not in mind, by that I mean fully migrating the OS from a physical drive to a virtual drive that's all.

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8 hours ago, Ripmin-PSN said:

Oh I know that (the booting of vmware I mean), but the thing is that I'll be using a linux host (Ubuntu 16.04 server) to take advantage of the VT-D support (as well as the built in DNS software package to resolve any errors down the line so that I don't necessarily have to rely on ISP's DNS servers doing ALL the work), unless the hypervisor software also can allow virtual machines to have physical devices handed over to them?    (I ask because if that's the case then I can keep my windows 10 pro iso image and migrate them all within the vm manager built in with windows.)

 

Otherwise, I will migrate ALL operating systems to the vm manager within ubuntu and create a "MEGA" backup image containing ubuntu plus the iso images.

6

I know you can hand physical devices over to a VM, how you actually do that though is pretty complicated. I know LTT has several different videos involving virtualizing some of the newer intel cores with his most recent one had him set up a gaming PC, workstation/streaming, and NAS all into one PC. 

 

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8 hours ago, Ripmin-PSN said:

Running at the same time?  Not in mind, by that I mean fully migrating the OS from a physical drive to a virtual drive that's all.

Then you should be fine

Join the Appleitionist cause! See spoiler below for answers to common questions that shouldn't be common!

Spoiler

Q: Do I have a virus?!
A: If you didn't click a sketchy email, haven't left your computer physically open to attack, haven't downloaded anything sketchy/free, know that your software hasn't been exploited in a new hack, then the answer is: probably not.

 

Q: What email/VPN should I use?
A: Proton mail and VPN are the best for email and VPNs respectively. (They're free in a good way)

 

Q: How can I stay anonymous on the (deep/dark) webzz???....

A: By learning how to de-anonymize everyone else; if you can do that, then you know what to do for yourself.

 

Q: What Linux distro is best for x y z?

A: Lubuntu for things with little processing power, Ubuntu for normal PCs, and if you need to do anything else then it's best if you do the research yourself.

 

Q: Why is my Linux giving me x y z error?

A: Have you not googled it? Are you sure StackOverflow doesn't have an answer? Does the error tell you what's wrong? If the answer is no to all of those, message me.

 

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