Installing Windows Vista on a Virtual PC

Introduction to Installing Windows Vista on Virtual PC 2004

From the outset, I believed that it would be possible to install Vista on Microsoft’s Virtual PC 2004**.  My previous experience is that I have installed about 25 virtual machines before I installed Vista.  I choose to install Virtual PC 2004 on Windows Server 2003, even though the setup says explicitly that this host operating system is not recommended.  The reason that I mention these two facts is to give you confidence.  I want to emphasise that while I am no great expert on Virtual PC, I still got Vista working.  I would also like to report that installing the final release of Vista on Virtual PC is easier than the beta versions.

**The latest version of Microsoft Virtual PC is 2005.  While it looks flashy, has more features, I just cannot get along with version 2005, principally because every time I do anything it asks for my username and password Virtual PC 2004 rarely annoys me in this way.
who are geniuses at computing, all you need to do is absorb these key concepts:

1. Obtain your copy of Vista, either on DVD or as an image.
2. Create a new Virtual Machine with Virtual PC.
3. Capture the DVD drive or the image of the Vista in the Virtual Machine.
4. Have patience and faith that the Vista install will work.

For ordinary mortals, I will provide step-by-step instructions to help you install Vista  on Virtual PC.

First Goal – Get a Copy of the Windows Vista

Now that Microsoft have released Vista, getting a copy is only a matter of paying your money!  The rest of this paragraph is to tempt you to apply for Microsoft’s CPP for future releases such as Longhorn.  Long term, it would be useful for you to sign up for the Beta CPP (Customer Preview Program), however, they keep changing the procedure, thus you need to contact Microsoft, not me, for the Vista software.  One of Microsoft’s satellite companies called Connect deals with Beta downloads.  You can find them at connect.microsoft.com.

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click on any of above link after that click on “ads by google” at the right side of the page then close that
you will get direct site for vista…..

The Actual Vista image

When you select your Vista image, make sure that you have the appropriate version for your x86 or x64 processor.  It is always worth reading every software’s Release Notes.  There was a message in my notes of a problem redirecting plug and play devices with Terminal Services.  Earlier the Vista Beta release notes helpfully informed readers that there would be an upgrade path from Vista RC2 to future builds including an upgrade to the release version.

Second Goal – Create a Simple Microsoft Virtual PC

My advice is keep the New Virtual PC setup as simple as possible, just follow the defaults; the one exception is increase the memory for your Vista Virtual Machine from 512 to 1GB.  By all means adjust the other settings once you have created the machine and installed the operating system.

1. From the Virtual PC Console, click New…
2. Create a virtual machine.
3. Choose a location with at least 16 GB of free space.
4. Operating System, Other or Windows Server 2003 it doesn’t matter.
5. Adjusting the Ram – 512 MB Ram is recommended, I choose 1,050 MB.
6. A new virtual hard disk.
7. Name and Location.  Previously, I created a special partition (V:\) on my host machine for VM images.
8. Finish.

Third Goal – Capture the CD – Use Physical Drive

If you have a copy of Vista on DVD, then you can skip this step.  Else this is the situation so far, we have obtained the ISO DVD image, now we want to boot the Virtual Machine.  The problem is that we want to boot, not from the physical CD, but from the bootable ISO image.

Nero’s ImageDrive
There is problem with booting Virtual machines using Vista ISO images, this started with Vista build 5308 and includes the final release version.  These ISO images are over the 2.2 GB DVD limit that Virtual Machine 2004 understands.  (Build 5270 was under 2.2 GB).  For me the solution was to invest $48 in Nero 7.  From Nero 7′s many utilities, I selected ImageDrive. What Nero ImageDrive does is make the ISO image appear as a Physical drive, as a result you can by-pass the ‘Capture ISO Image’ which has the 2.2 GB limit.

What ImageDrive did for me was capture the en_windows_vista_x86_dvd_X12-34293.iso to the I: drive.  (Your drive letter is likely to be E: F: or G:).  The upshot is that you see a new drive letter in both Windows Explorer and in the Virtual Machine console.

What we do in the Virtual PC console, is click on the top menu called ‘CD’  and select – Use Physical Drive I: (See screen shot, but bear in mind that your drive letter will be different from mine.)

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Fourth Goal – Create a Partition and Install Vista

My next step was to capture the I: drive to my DVD image (courtesy of Nero ImageDrive).  Once Vista booted in the virtual machine, it asked for the Locale, I selected United Kingdom.  The first few menus were straightforward, the only slight hiccup was obtaining the correct product Key.  It seem that there is just one DVD (or Image) for all editions, Ultimate, Home Premium and the other 4 editions.  What makes the difference is the product key that you type.  To summarise, Vista Ultimate has a different product key from Vista Home basic, even though both could be installed using the same DVD / Image.

Earlier beta versions gave me enormous frustration when Windows Install asked the question ‘Where do you want to install Windows’, however, both Vista RC2 and the final production version, both handled creating the virtual disk smoothly.  (Problems with Build 5308)

Once I clicked on Microsoft’s licence agreement, the install continued expanding cabinets, copying files and installing Vista’s default features, I came back 30 minutes later and found that the Windows Install had completed successfully.

At the end of the install, Vista asks you to set the Region and Time Zone.  Another bonus was that Vista recognised the United Kingdom keyboard layout that I specified at the beginning of the install.

In terms of efficiency and intelligence, Vista has Microsoft’s best install technology to date.  For example, XP installs are a pain, in that they halt after about 10 minutes and ask you to input networking information.

At the end of all the copying and configuring Vista asks you for a username and password.  It then asks for the current use of the machine so that Vista can optimises the settings for home, work or a public location.  Vista appeared to automatically detect the network and give itself, not an APIPA, but a suitable IP address for the subnet where I installed e.g. 192.168.0.10.  This was not magic, it picked up the IP address from an XP machine with Internet Sharing.  The Business Edition obtained an IP address smoothly from a traditional Windows DHCP server.

When you decide to install Windows Vista on a Virtual Machine, don’t be in a hurry.  Have a good book to read, or a T.V. program to watch.  The install takes 40 minutes and while there are long intervals where no human input is required, the whole procedure slows up the host machine.

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Post Installation Tasks and Virtual Machine Additions

Creating an Administrator Account.

A new development when installing Vista is the need to create the administrator’s account, as a security initiative, Microsoft no longer create a person called ‘Administrator’ by default.

Vista Activation Tip:

If you are installing Vista just to test the features, or out of curiosity, un-check the Activate Online box.  My point is that you can legitimately conserve your activation lives.  The situation with my genuine MSDN Vista product key is that it can be used up to 10 times. (However other product keys may have different activation properties.)  What I suggest is you start with a non-activated installation, then after say a week, either choose to activate your licence online, or re-install with a bigger partition and activate that installation.

Virtual Machine Additions

When the the earlier Vista builds finished installing, I was disappointed.  In 5308, the 256 color resolution meant an atrocious display of any graphics moreover, the machine ran unacceptably slowly – even for Beta software.  Then I remembered the Virtual Machine Additions.  In a nutshell installing this add-on transformed my Vista Beta experience.

Vista final release

With Vista I learnt from this experience and attempted, emphasise attempted, to add the Virtual Machine Additions before I started the install.  Therefore, I was slightly surprised when later the Virtual PC kept asking me to install the Virtual Machine Additions.

To install the Virtual Machine Additions – again, I launched the Virtual PC console and clicked the ‘Action’ Menu and selected, ‘Install the Virtual Machine Additions’.  It seemed to install very quickly – too quickly.  To cut a long story short, this procedure was useless, the machine kept prompting me to install the Virtual Machine Additions.

Solution to Install Virtual Machine Addition on RC2

Finally, I went for the throat.  I allowed the Virtual PC switch the D:\ to the Virtual Machine Additions, but then I took over manually and drilled to D:\windows\ and double clicked setup.  From here the Setup InstallShield Wizard appeared, took its time, but installed the Virtual Machine Additions properly.

What lulled me was the fact that Vista had good graphics from the start and silly me thought the slow performance was down to a checked beta version, the reality was the slow performance was down to lack of Virtual Machine Additions.

Solution to Install Virtual Machine Additions on a Production Version of Vista

Install the Virtual Machine Additions ‘by the book’, click on the file menu, Install Virtual Machine Additions, just ‘Continue’ when the UAC (User Account Control) dialog box prompts you.  I will probably never know if my experience with the previous build was user error or a beta bug.  Beta testing is like that, stuff happens and I am not sure who to blame, me or Vista Beta.

Further Post Installation Tasks

I found that the best setting for Network Adapter1 was to select the host NIC.  In particular, this configuration cured a specific problem:  Virtual PC could not open the Virtual Machine Network Services driver, or The Virtual Machine Network Services driver has failed to install.

My machine was fortunate in having 2 GB of Ram, so I allocated 1 GB to Vista.  The problem was the Virtual PC Console would not let me use more than 300 MB.  The error was: The virtual machine could not be started because there was not enough memory available on the host.

The true problem was interference from other programs, in my case Nero CD burner, in another case SQL.  Therefore, try judicious zapping images in Task manager until you find the root cause, I say again, take care ending processes.  The safe way would be to remove programs via the Add or Remove Programs.

Footnote

The above problem did not occur with Vista (only Beta 5270).  I credit Microsoft for ironing out that behaviour, however, it could have been the fact that I upgraded from Nero 6 to Nero 7.

Once you have installed Vista in your virtual machine, access it via Remote Desktop from your host machine.

Extra info kindly sent by ‘Trombone’

Installed Vista in VPC04
Installed the VPC04 additions.
Rebooted.
Vista ran slowly to me.
In Vista, installed VS05 (I didn’t want to clutter the host OS with software I wasn’t going to use).
Dug through the program files and grabbed the VM Additions ISO from the VS05 install
Dragged file off of Vista and onto XP host
Uninstalled the VPC04 additions from Vista
Rebooted
Vista ran very slowly without any additions.
Mounted the ISO as a drive and installed the latest Additions (that came from VS05).
Rebooted
Wow, Vista ran very quickly on my system and went from a struggle of sit and wait to actual usability.

Troubleshooting the Actual Vista Installation

Firewall Problem. I am assuming that your hardware is up to specification, but you still have a problem with your Vista installation.  One problem that I encountered was when I tried to join a domain only for the firewall on the server to block the vital ports.  I should have research which ports to open, but I just disabled the firewall for enough time for the Vista machine to join the Active Directory Domain.

Proxy Server Activation Problem.  If you try to activate the Windows Vista only to get error code 0x8004FE33, then I would phone the automated phone system as directed by the Windows Activation Wizard.  The cause of this error is a proxy server which is configured to use only basic authentication, thus you could try disabling basic authentication on the proxy server.

Dirty DVD Disk. If you get a file copying problem during installation it may be dust or dirt on the DVD.  I use a clean hanky or a shirt tail, but your supposed to use a clean cloth.  Scratches are more difficult, however you may find that Microsoft will replace the disk for free, after all it’s the product key that counts.

If all else fails call in the experts installos: Install Any Operating System – Everything you need to know to install Windows, Mac or Linux and the software to make them functional.

Summary of Installing Windows Vista in a Virtual PC

Obtain your copy of Windows Vista by either on DVD (best) or by downloading an Image from connect.microsoft, or MSDN if you subscribe to those Microsoft satellite services.  Launch the Virtual Machine console to create a new Virtual disk / image / machine.  Capture the image from the CD menu.  The actual installation takes about half an hour, but the menus are straightforward, even easy if you have experience from installing XP.

Windows Vista Review

The most important advice that I can give you in this Vista review, is to absorb the whole package.  Not only is the sum greater than the individual parts, but also each feature enhances other features.  For example, Vista menus are more logically designed than their XP equivalents and the new Aero Glass effects add to the clarity.

This page is an overview giving first impression of Vista; for a detailed review of specific new features see here.

Windows Vista Review Topics

• Keep in mind the whole Vista package
• Vista’s Versions
• The inevitable road to Vista
• Security – An impossible trick?
• More intelligent than XP
• Networking – Credit to Microsoft
• Clarity is the buzzword for Windows Vista

Keep in mind the whole Vista package. 
To digress for a moment, I am more interested in sport than art, nevertheless I can appreciate an old master painting.  My point is this, what I enjoy in a painting is the whole effect.  And so it is with Vista, I cannot emphasize enough that you have to take on board the entire product rather than merely absorbing a list of features.

This holistic view is important in two respects, features like Aero graphics are good, but they are over-hyped by Microsoft lovers.  On the other hand, Microsoft haters slate features such as the new Control Panel because they are not yet acclimatised to its new ways.  To them I say, remember Arthur Schopenhauer’s adage:

All truth passes through three stages.
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

Vista’s Versions
I have been fortunate to review Vista’s top-of-the-range version is called the  Ultimate edition.  However, there are 6 versions or editions, one for each type of user (and each type of budget!).

1) Vista Ultimate (Best)
2) Vista Enterprise (Only for SA or EA customers)
3) Vista Business
4) Vista Home Premium
5) Vista Home Basic
6) Vista Starter (Simplest)  See more about Vista Versions

The inevitable road to Vista. 
Remember that now that Microsoft have launched Vista you are going to see it in a home or at a workplace near you.  My reasoning is this, once people experience the new Vista, human nature dictates they won’t want to go back to old XP.   The killer reason for updating will be that Vista’s security is so much better than XP’s.  What will happen is these safety concerns will provide the ammunition for IT managers to blackmail financial directors into paying for the migration.

There is one other possibility, Vista will flop.  Do you think that Microsoft will let that happen?  Can Microsoft’s marketing and technical teams persuade people that they should replace XP?  I think the answer is yes, Vista will gradually replace XP just as XP succeeded Windows 95.  While, I can see a future where we have much simpler local operating systems, with everything web based, I don’t think the masses will be ready to make that switch in 2007 or 2008, instead the majority will go for Windows Vista.

This page is but an overview, I see my role as getting you ready for Microsoft’s next desktop operating system.  For example, if you are buying a new machine or printer, make sure that it will work with Windows Vista.  Are you planning for the 64-bit version?  If so, then consider the availability of 64-bit drivers as many manufacturers are developing 64-bit drivers only for Vista and not for XP.

My greatest joy is in helping you get started with the new features, for example, how to get the most from the Control Panel, what to look for in the new Windows Explorer and understanding the User Account Control.

Comparing Vista Versions

Before you buy Windows Vista or upgrade from XP, make sure that you choose the most appropriate edition of the operating system.  Obvious traps include, Vista machine cannot join the domain, no Media Center, or you buy an edition that only runs on a 64 bit processor.

To clarify the semantics, most people refer to them as Vista Versions, however, Microsoft are pushing the phrase ‘Vista Editions’, I use the term Vista version and Vista edition interchangeably.

Approximate Costs of Windows Vista

Windows Vista Ultimate for approx. $400 (Upgrade $260)
Windows Vista Business for approx. $300 (Upgrade $200)
Windows Vista Home Premium for approx. $240  (Upgrade $160)
Windows Vista Home Basic for approx. $200  (Upgrade $100)
Windows Vista Enterprise TBC – (Part of Software Assurance enterprise licensing)
Windows Vista Starter ?Affordable Price

Which is the Best Edition of Vista?

Let me start with a few questions to help you decide which edition is best for your circumstances.

1) Will your machine need to join a domain?  I mean a Windows Server 200x domain and not just a peer-to-peer network.  If you need to join an Active Directory domain, then the Windows Vista Business edition is essential.  One pointer for choosing this edition is that you are currently running XP pro rather than XP home.

If you have a large roll-out of Vista Business, then Microsoft provide additional software such as System Image Manager (SIM).  These latest bulk-install techniques extend to Vista.  You may have glimpsed these principles in XP, namely, answer files and Windows Server 2003′s RIS technology.

2) Do you want the Windows Media Center?  If yes, then consider the Home Premium edition. ($240 ish).  The business version does not have the Windows Media Center.  If you’re certain that you will never need the Windows Media center, then you could save $40 ish and buy the Home Basic edition.

3) Do you want to be sure that you get every feature in Vista? And do you have the $400 asking price?  OK, go ahead and order the Windows Vista Ultimate edition.  An example of matching your hardware to the Vista edition is BitLocker Drive Encryption.  It is only available in the Ultimate edition and moreover, BitLocker requires a TPM 1.2 chip.  Incidentally, Vista Ultimate and the Home Premium are the only editions that have the Windows Media Center.  Vista Ultimate also has the complete PC Backup imaging tool.

4) Are you a developer, who has no need for peripherals such as scanners, moreover, you run only Microsoft software?  In this specialist case, the 64-bit editions of Vista Business or Vista Ultimate may be for you.  One day buying a 64-bit edition of Vista may be the best option, but for non-developers that day will not be in early 2007.  The consensus of opinion is that in the spring of 2007, manufacturers will not produce sufficient 64-bit drivers and software applications to risk installing any of the 64-bit editions of Vista.  In addition, it does not seem possible to upgrade any edition of XP to any version of 64-bit Vista, thus it’s just not worth ordinary people considering 64-bit Vista for home or business use until at least 2008.

5) Are you covered by Microsoft Software Assurance?  In which case, your supplier has probably contacted you about upgrading to Windows Vista Enterprise under the Volume License agreement.  Ordinary people cannot get hold of Vista Enterprise thus you can cross this edition off your short list; opt for Vista Business edition instead.

6) Vista Starter does not support the Aero Graphics, consequently this edition is unlikely to be your first choice.  In addition, you have to be a member of one of 119 emerging markets to get a copy of this Starter Vista edition.  Microsoft’s idea is to help poor countries with old machines to at least get the security advantages of Vista even if they cannot see the fancy graphics.

How does Guy’s maths reach 13 editions of Vista?

The Starter version, as its name implies, does not come in a 64-bit edition.  Thus depending on how you count, Microsoft have produced six editions of Vista, or eleven if you count the five 64-bit editions separately.

Because of legal wrangling over Vista in Europe and Korea, Microsoft produced at least two extra beta versions, these were denoted by the (N) for example: Windows Vista Business (N).

My information is that as of January 2007, the (N) version has been abandoned, all countries will have the same 6 Editions.

Brad Smith Press Conference Transcript: Announcement Regarding Release of Windows Vista in Europe and Korea.  Microsoft has complied with the 3 requirements (Browsers level playing field, XML file format, New security API).  One indirect reference in this Oct 13th press release indicated that there was now no problem with Windows Media Center either in Europe or in Korea.

Statistics on Purchases of Vista Editions

While I am never one to follow the crowd, these statistics make interesting reading.

Windows Vista Ultimate ……….46%
Windows Vista Home Premium ..37%
Windows Vista Home Basic ……..9%
Windows Vista Business …………8%

What surprised me was the ratio of Vista Home Premium A Vista Ultimate.  I would not have predicted so many people would have bought the Vista Ultimate Edition.

Plan B

If your original purchase does not include the package that you now want, do not despair, just contact Windows Update Anytime at Microsoft’s site.

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Summary of Vista Editions

1) Vista Ultimate (Best Edition)

2) Enterprise (Only for SA or EA customers)

3) Business

4) Home Premium

5) Home Basic

6) Starter (Simplest)

1) Vista Ultimate (Best Edition)

Microsoft have made a good choice of name for their flagship version of Vista – Ultimate.  I think of the Ultimate edition as a direct successor to XP Professional.  As the name implies, Ultimate combines all the features found in the home Premium with those found in the Business enterprise.  Put simply, if you read about a Vista feature, such as BitLocker drive encryption, then you can be sure it’s in the Ultimate version.  See much more about the Vista Ultimate Edition.

2) Vista Enterprise (Only for SA or EA customers)

Windows Vista Enterprise will only be available to customers who have PCs covered by Microsoft Software Assurance (SA) or a Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (EA).

The key feature is Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption.  The Business Enterprise version also has Unix and multi language support.  I imagine that the Enterprise Version is Vista Ultimate, but without the Media Center.

3) Vista Business (OK)

Regular business edition.  Similar to the basic Vista version, but with the ability to join a domain.  This edition also has Remote Desktop.  However, it lacks the Media Center.

4) Vista Home Premium (Good)

The key feature of the Premium edition is the Windows Media Center.  You will also notice that the specification for this edition includes a mention of the Aero Graphics interface.

5) Vista Home Basic (Avoid)

If you buy a new machine from a store, if the marketing blurb says ‘Windows Vista pre-installed’, then it’s likely to be the Home Basic version.  You will get a wonderful operating system, it just will not have the Windows Media Center and will not be able to join a domain.  Beware, double check, whereas Microsoft explicitly mention Aero Graphics for the above four editions, they do not mention Aero in the Home Basic version.

Microsoft are describing Home Basic as the foundation for all the other Vista versions.  That means even the Home Basic version has the core Vista operating which means it’s safer, securer and more robust than XP.  New features such as pre-fetch, proactive wizards and troubleshooters are here in this simplest version.

6) Vista Starter (Simplest)

Microsoft say Vista Starter is designed for old machines with slow processors and minimal RAM.  The idea is to benefit from Vista’s extra security, but to sacrifice the graphics.  This edition does not, repeat, not support Aero Graphics. 

The Starter Edition comes only in 32-bit form, furthermore, it is also only licensed for use on these processors:

• Intel Pentium 3 processors
• Intel Pentium 4 processors not supporting Hyper-Threading technology
• Intel Pentium 4 processors model 541, 531, 524, 661, 651, 641, 631, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670
• Intel Celeron, Celeron D, or Celeron M processors
• AMD Athlon XP, Duron, Geode or Sempron processors
• Also equivalent processors from other manufacturers

=>Extend Windows Vista Trial to 120 Days

Windows Vista is the first windows operating system to let you use a trial version for 30 days before buying. It’s a really great move for Microsoft, especially in light of how little benefit you get from upgrading to Vista in the first place. There’s a soon to be well known trick that can extend the trial period up to 120 days.

If you right-click on the computer icon on the start menu, you’ll see the basic system information window, and you’ll also see the amount of days you have left to activate:

   

Now run this command from the prompt:slmgr -rearmIt will take a little while, but eventually a dialog will pop up telling you to reboot. Do so, and you’ll see that the activation period has been reset to 30 days.Note that if you want to get a full 120 days out of this tip that you need to use this command on day 29 or 30 of your trial mode. You can only use this command 3 times before Microsoft smacks you down.If you are already locked out (Reduced Functionality Mode)You can still reactivate Vista if you have more resets left. If you’ve already used up all 3, then you are out of luck, but if not, you can follow these steps to unlock your computer again.·                  First, Open up Internet Explorer, and type C:\ into the address bar. You’ll be prompted for UAC. ·                  Now type in C:\Windows\System32\ into the address bar, and find the cmd.exe executable. Right-click it and choose “Run as Administrator”. ·                  Now use the same method as above (slmgr -rearm). ·                  You should see the message saying that the computer is rearmed. You’ll probably want to restart the computer at this point. Getting a Trial Copy of Windows VistaWindows Vista is the first Microsoft operating system to let you have a trial period. One of the questions that I get asked constantly is “Where do I get a copy of Vista?”. This answer is less obvious.If you have an MSDN license, you can download it from there and run it in trial mode. Most people don’t have MSDN, however.If you know somebody that has a copy of Vista, you can borrow the CD and use it to install in trial mode. As long as you aren’t trying to use their serial number, there shouldn’t be a problem with this.There are various “other” ways to get a copy of the Vista CD. If you don’t know what I mean, you should ask the person that everybody knows has a huge collection of downloaded content. I suspect they can hook you up, but remember it’s just a trial copy. I don’t advocate piracy.Alternatively, you could buy a copy.Addressing the 1 Year Activation Patch There’s been a debate about a 1 year activation hack that can allow you to run Windows Vista for up to 1 year without activating. As far as I can tell, this is completely bogus, and shouldn’t even be attempted. Honestly, it’s best to just buy a new computer with Vista already installed.Addressing the “TimerStop” hack
There is a hack that will allow you to run Windows Vista forever without registering. This hack is obviously illegal, unsupported by Microsoft, and likely to break with future patches to Vista. I have verified that this works with some friends. Although I have not personally used it, I do not believe it should be used, and I would advise strongly against doing so.