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WSE · Sep 25, 2003, 06:30 PM

I just bought a new powerbook G4 and my old powerbook G4 has Virtual PC on it. I want to move it over without going through the extended work to reinstall the connectix version, upgrade to microsoft version, and then completely set up the virtual hard drive.

Are there any shortcuts to this? Can I at least move the disk image over?

I tried moving all the preference files and finder-copying the application and hard drive. Virtual PC opens and the PC window opens but when I try to launch anything from within the PC I get an error message "unknown hard error"

geekwagon · Sep 25, 2003, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by WSE:
I just bought a new powerbook G4 and my old powerbook G4 has Virtual PC on it. I want to move it over without going through the extended work to reinstall the connectix version, upgrade to microsoft version, and then completely set up the virtual hard drive.

Are there any shortcuts to this? Can I at least move the disk image over?

I tried moving all the preference files and finder-copying the application and hard drive. Virtual PC opens and the PC window opens but when I try to launch anything from within the PC I get an error message "unknown hard error"

I move my disk image between my PB and Powermac all the time.. You should probably shut the Windows image down before you move it though (it doesn't seem to like that.) I had an existing setup on my Powerbook, I just installed the VirtualPC application on my Powermac, went through the "wizard" (gave it my SN, etc) and stopped when it wanted me to setup Windows. I then just copied my disk image and double-clicked it and other than some complaining about having not setup my image (which I disabled) it works..

I wouldn't copy the app and preferences,etc I had problems with that. Just copy the disk image.

bmhome1 · Sep 25, 2003, 06:48 PM

Connect the two with firewire target mode. Open VPC on old Powerbook, select "duplicate" and direct image to mounted new Powerbook, duplicate drive image. Copy the drive image alias in your home/documents/Virtual PC list folder to launch.

WSE · Sep 25, 2003, 08:40 PM

Thanks for this advice on moving the image, what about moving the VirtualPC application itself?

Also I recall that I had to be connected to the internet to install Windows XP within VirtualPC, do you know if they record machine number and they will barf when it comes up on a new machine?

I don't mind "deauthorizing" the old machine once it is transferred.

bmhome1 · Sep 25, 2003, 09:30 PM

You can copy VPC application over if you also copy over the preference files and two VPC folders in home/docs.

You only ever have to authorize the original XP drive image once, duplicated drive images don't, thankfully. VERY good reason to have a back up drive image as an archive, otherwise you have to activate from CD installs again.