How to create a Virtual PC environment 9 March, 2008

This isn’t strictly a Citrix article but it is useful nevertheless. My students often ask me how we create the virtual images that we use in class. I use both VMWare Player and Virtual PC 2007. Many students have used Microsoft’s Virtual PC 2007, but not many have actually set it up themselves. This is an excellent way of setting up some computers to assist you with your studies.

I will admit, I never compiled this little document – I lifted it from Trevor’s blog at www.grounding.co.za. 

Thanks Trevor.

Download VPC2007 from Microsoft – it is free – get it here.

Install VPC2007. Be sure to have sufficient resources (CPU, memory etc.) on  your computer to host the guest operating systems.

After you have installed Virtual PC on your machine, now is the time to create a VPC, follow the steps below:

Creating a Virtual Machine

To create a custom virtual machine

1. Open Virtual PC Console.
2. In Virtual PC Console, click New.
   
3. In the New Virtual Machine Wizard dialog box, click Next.
   
4. In the Options dialog box, click Create a virtual machine, and then click Next.
   
5. In the Virtual Machine Name and Location dialog box, type a name for the new virtual machine, and then click Next.
   By default, the wizard creates a new virtual machine configuration file (.vmc) and a new folder, both with the same name, in the My Virtual Machines subfolder of the My Documents folder. If you want to store the new folder and configuration file in a different location, type the full path for this location or click Browse to find it.
6. In the Operating System dialog box, in the Operating system list, select the operating system that you want to run on this virtual machine, or click Other if the operating system is not listed, and then click Next.
   
7. In the Memory dialog box, do one of the following:
   

• To accept the recommended memory allocation, click Using the recommended RAM, and then click Next.
• To modify the recommended memory allocation, click Adjusting the RAM, change the setting by moving the slider or by typing the number of megabytes, and then click Next.

1. In the Virtual Hard Disk dialog box, do one of the following:To use a previously created virtual hard disk

• Click An existing virtual hard disk, and then click Next.
• In the Virtual Hard Disk Location dialog box, type the name of an existing virtual hard disk file (.vhd).
• Select or clear the Enable undo disks check box, and then click Next.By default, the wizard looks for the virtual hard disk file in the My Documents folder. If the file that you want to use is in a different folder, type the full path for this folder or click Browse to find it.

To create a virtual hard disk for this virtual machine 

1.  
   1. Click A new virtual hard disk, and then click Next.
      
   2. In the Virtual Hard Disk Location dialog box, type a name for the new virtual hard disk file, and then click Next.
      By default, the wizard creates a new virtual hard disk file in the same folder as the virtual machine file. If you want to create the new file in a different location, type the full path for this location or click Browse to find it.

1. In the Completing the New Virtual Machine Wizard dialog box, click Finish.
   

Install your operating system and software

1. Open Virtual PC Console,
2. In the list of virtual machines, click the virtual machine that you want to run, and then click Start.
   
3. In the CD menu, choose Use Physical Drive D:.
   

You may use either physical drives or ISO images, if you use the ISO, choose Capture ISO image from the CD menu and specify the path to the ISO file

1. Proceed to install your Operating System, register it and install service packs.
2. Shut down your operating system and Commit Changes to disk.