Virtualizing Windows

[TheAppleFreak]

Okay, before I begin, I just want to say that I am no stranger to virtualizing operating systems. I've done it with Windows XP/7, Mac OS X, and several flavors of Linux. However, this is driving me insane.

As a bit of background: My mom is finally getting a new computer, the Lenovo G550 if I'm not mistaken. She's getting it to replace her desktop, a Dell Inspiron L800r. Because I doubt you know what it is, the thing's 12 years old, has 128 MB of RAM, a completely outdated Intel Pentium III processor with clock speeds of less than 1 GHz, and Windows 2000. Tomorrow when it arrives, she wants me to back up everything on that dinosaur and migrate it over. To help ease the transition, I want to make a virtual machine out of 2000 so if I miss anything, I always have an easy-to-access copy of the computer (I'll also have the HD, but that won't be too easy to access).

Sounds simple? I think not.

I tried using VMware's Converter software to convert the machine into a VM, but that failed multiple times with a variety of settings (Windows kept running too low on virtual memory and had internal, unexplained errors that prevented it from finishing). My question is, how else can I virtualize it? Does anyone know of a network utility for this, so I could run it on my much more capable laptop or netbook? Is there a way to take the physical drive and back it up as a VM? Even virtualizing OS X, which was and is a pain to do, seems easier than this!

Thanks for any help, and if anything seems incoherent, I typed this at 12:35 AM after a long day. So... yeah.

 

[donavannj]

You should use something like True Image to make an image of it to an external hard drive, and then convert it from there. That's the most reliable of the ways I've done it.

 

[NOOBLMAO]

Don't lock yourself into that idea. Is there another way to make sure you can retrieve stuff from her Windows 2000?

 

[donavannj]

Of course, if it's just the files, all you've gotta do is copy them all over. I'm assuming there's some web bookmarks you want to copy off, though, as well as some configurations you want to imitate.

 

[TheAppleFreak]

Don't lock yourself into that idea. Is there another way to make sure you can retrieve stuff from her Windows 2000?

Too late for that. I'm also gonna copy over her entire Documents folder onto a flash drive because that's the most immediate and important need, but she also wants her 60-something collection of bookmarks to make the jump as well, which could be a pain to find (they're both in IE6[!!?!?!]) and Firefox, something that may take ages to find in the ancient file system.

Of course, if it's just the files, all you've gotta do is copy them all over. I'm assuming there's some web bookmarks you want to copy off, though, as well as some configurations you want to imitate.

You hit it right on the mark. I figure once I lay my hands on a SATA-to-USB adapter, or a hard drive sled, I'll do your method a few posts above, but yeah. The configurations will be a pain to copy over.

 

[linkinpark187]

I'm going to assume that your mom's new laptop will have Windows 7 on it. Why not just use Windows Easy Transfer? So long as your mom's old desktop has networking or you have a USB transfer cable handy, it should work.

 

[Spinor]

Ummm... Windows 2000, that thing is older than my kid brother, really. >_>

Just back up the data, screw that dinosaur. The policy to day is "No 1(GHz), No half (GB RAM), No Go"

Old habits have to die hard. It shouldn't be too hard to transition operating systems.

NOW, if she was going from DOS to Windows, that's another chapter in the book.

 

[donavannj]

I'm going to assume that your mom's new laptop will have Windows 7 on it. Why not just use Windows Easy Transfer? So long as your mom's old desktop has networking or you have a USB transfer cable handy, it should work.

I don't think that'll work when going from Windows 2000. Plus, that method's not very effective.

 

[linkinpark187]

I don't think that'll work when going from Windows 2000. Plus, that method's not very effective.

I'll have to play around with it and let you guys know. I still have my Windows 2000 disk, so I should be able to throw something together. And I've had great luck with the Windows Easy Transfer, so far.

Again, I'll play with it and report. :D

 

[donavannj]

I'll have to play around with it and let you guys know. I still have my Windows 2000 disk, so I should be able to throw something together. And I've had great luck with the Windows Easy Transfer, so far.

Again, I'll play with it and report. :D

I still rather distrust it, since it may transfer malware and spyware unintentionally.

But I personally just love doing clean installs because that's how I've always done it, and you know for sure that you've blasted out any malware and spyware by wiping out the old OS.