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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Entwood on 12 March 2010, 10:25:16

Title: Computing Question
Post by: Entwood on 12 March 2010, 10:25:16
Running Windows XP SP3. How easy is it to set up "virtual machines" ?? I have some software that will only work with IE6, so would like a VM with IE6 on it, and the rest of the system can get upgraded to IE8.

Never done any VM stuff before but willing to learn .. :)

Title: Re: Computing Question
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 March 2010, 10:33:23
Plenty of free software that will do what you want. I use Innotek Virtualbox to keep a handful of different windows VMs on my XP machine at work for testing purposes. Several other ways to do it though.

Kevin
Title: Re: Computing Question
Post by: TheBoy on 12 March 2010, 12:06:55
If you have XP, and enough RAM (like shitloads, then add some more!), VMWare Server isn't too bad, and is free :D

Don't like the new web based interface of v2, but ho-hum.

Not sure if its just familarity, but I find VMWare's competitors (for Windows) a bit clunky.
Title: Re: Computing Question
Post by: Entwood on 12 March 2010, 17:52:15
Thanks both :) Downloaded and tried both ...

That VMServer is way too big and complicated for simple me    !!!

The Sun Virtualbox looks like it will do what I want, I've got it running with XP quite nicely ... now how do I get a programme from my existing hard drives into the virtual machine ??  It only lets me load via CD drives at the moment ... I suppose I could burn a disc but there must be an easier way ??
Title: Re: Computing Question
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 March 2010, 18:27:53
Quote
now how do I get a programme from my existing hard drives into the virtual machine ??  It only lets me load via CD drives at the moment ... I suppose I could burn a disc but there must be an easier way ??

You have to install a driver on the virtual machine that makes the host machine's drive appear under an unused drive letter on the virtual machine IIRC.

Or, assuming you set up a network connection to the virtual machine, you could use a real windows CIFS file share.

Kevin