Virtual Windows XP – Windows 7 XP mode

I was searching for what is Windows 7 XP mode? I found it was published in Microsoft Technet under the name of Windows Virtual PC http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/downloads/default.aspx?pv=36:350

I am just testing Windows 7 XP mode which allow you to run Windows XP SP3 under Windows 7 to have full backward compatibility.

the download consists of two files one is Windows Virtual PC Beta (x64) windows_virtual_pc_beta_x64_343649.msu and the other file is Windows XP image (something like syspreped) under the name of windows_virtual_pc_beta_x64_343649.exe

Here below the Installation steps:

Step 1: Executing the first file windows_virtual_pc_beta_x64_343649.msu

It updates the windows as the new Windows Virtual PC looks like an update not a separate application something like Windows Vista Ultimate Games and features.

Here below some of the EULA for

installation in Progress is is just 2 to 3 minutes

Restart you machine to apply the new update.

Step 2: is to install the VHD for Windows XP windows_virtual_pc_beta_x64_343649.exe

 

Installation Successful.

 

Now lets start the Windows XP mode.

We have now as below Windows Virtual PC application folder Where there is a ready created “Virtual Windows XP” and Virtual Machines folder which actually is the Windows Virtual PC application in the format of Windows Vista Explorer.

so, lets start Virtual Windows XP

you have to accept the EULA as this is a complete working Windows XP.

Specify your credentials.

Windows Updates

Now it seems like it updates the Syspreped Image as I think with Entered information

Here we go a full functional Windows XP so we can run any XP applications without compatibility problems.

 

It is Windows XP SP 3

Here, lets have a look for the menu options.

1- Action Menu

View Full Screen

Sleep ---> Save state like Virtual PC

Restart

2- USB Menu

Attach your USB devices

3- Tools Menu

Disable Integration Features –> like VM additions in Virtual PC

4- Ctrl+ Alt+ Del is done by this menu item or Ctrl + Alt + End like remote desktop and Hyper-V

In the start Menu there is Virtual Machines which you can see the status of your Virtual Windows XP, modify settings or create your own Virtual Machines.

You can get the setting for your Windows XP by right click the Virtual Windows XP select Settings.

Windows XP Mode allow you to change settings like (memory  enable undo disks)assigned to your VM

Also allows you to create another VM by Click on Create virtual machine on the bar like below.

Specify a name and location for this virtual machine.

Specify memory and networking options.

Add a virtual hard disk.

 

You can create another copy of your VHD disk by creating difference disk of the downloaded VHD

Now you have a new VM. 

Lets start it,

Oops, as I did specify an empty disk, It will try to boot from network “PXE enabled”. this will be nice in other tests.

Lets shutdown it.

I wish you have enjoyed!!! see you soon in another blog.

Month Blog Summary

Windows 7 Articles:

1. How to Boot your Machine from VHD using Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 http://mahmoudthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/03/boot-your-physical-machine-from-vhd.html
2. How to convert VHD for Windows 7 to be used in Microsoft PC and Hyper-V  http://mahmoudthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/converting-windows-7-boot-from-vhd-to.html

WMI Articles:

I have also added a new series of articles under the name of "What is WMI" to give you a solid background WMI and Powershell.
I started  by describing Microsoft Management Strategy http://mahmoudthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/1-what-is-wmi.html then I will later describe what is WMI and how to retrieve data from WMI using vbscript and Powershell Plus some details Powershell v1 and v2 and finally WS-Management.

Powershell Articles:

I have added some technical Articles about Powershell; I will rewrite it all later this month because all the articles below are based on Hyper-V role in Windows 2008 and the articles I will add will be related to generic use not require certain component.

1. Using powershell in article named  Just touching Powershell http://mahmoudthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/03/just-touching-powershell.html
2. Creating VHD files by using PowerShell Creating Dynamically Expanded VHD using Powershell
3. How to Mount VHD to your Physical machine How to Mount Disks to your physical Machine using Powershell
4. In details powershell how to use its commandlets and attributes and how to excutes different methods Creating Differencing VHD using Powershell; read it to the end
5. Article for People that they rapidly change the locations for parent VHD files Reconnect VHD Parent Disk
6. How to create functions "something like commandlet" in powershell Creating Functions in PowerShell

Converting Windows 7 boot from VHD to be VM under Hyper-V or any Virtualization boots VHD

When you install Windows 7 on your machine but not directly to your hard disk but to a VHD file in your physical disks

I have created article named Boot your physical machine from a VHD file describing the installation process.

In some cases you may want to take this VHD and to make it running inside Virtual Machine in Microsoft Hyper-V or Microsoft Virtual Server.

There is some simple facts you have to know about boot from VHD

1. The windows is fully installed in the first partition on the VHD.
2. When your machine restarts the boot files are launched from the physical disk.
3. Next, the VHD is mounted and an entry in the Boot Configuration Data configuration loads the winload.exe

VM where the VHD is mounted will not boot and it will display the screen below; this means the partitions is not marked as active

to make the VM bootable it will take two main steps:

First, step is to make the Partition bootable

Second, we have to install the BCD in the active partition

To complete these steps.

I will boot the VM with Windows 7 DVD.

Click next to proceed in the repairing process.

Click Repair your computer.

Press next after finish searching

Select Command Prompt

Type in command prompt the following

Diskpart

then select the disk and the windows partition and mark the partition as active

Select disk 0

select partition 1

active

exit

To restore the boot configuration data type the below commands.

Bootrec.exe /FixMbr

Bootrec.exe /FixBoot

Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd

the final part is copy the boot manager files to the VHD boot partition.

Change directory to Drive D:\ where the Windows 7 DVD is mounted by type

d:

copy bootmgr c:\

copy bootmgr.efi c:\

Now, you can start the VM and it will Windows 7 will boot correctly correctly.

1- What is WMI?

As, I promised I will try to give you a solid background about Windows Management Instrumentation WMI.

I will write multiple articles with the name of What is WMI. I will start by start by Microsoft Management Console ending by WS-management in Windows server 2008 and its R2

In this article I will tell you mainly about today’s Microsoft Management Technology like Powershell and WMI, but this will be later in this topic.

Early Microsoft Management Technologies:

I will first describe Microsoft strategies in Management, I will start in late January 1998 when Microsoft released Microsoft Management Console (MMC) where it is a main Console and the developers create their applications as a part of the console or what we name is a snap-in, I think MS main concern is to facilitate administration interfaces and to combine them into one interface, and MS introduced IIS version 4 as a part of  Microsoft Windows NT 4 Option Pack to be Full MMC complaint application and to contain all the snap-ins for (web service and FTP and other components)

If you remember when we were using Windows NT 4 administrative tools, where the way to access the application manu  is inconsistent where you fine the menu is file, edit, view and for other application is user, view, tools and so on

Microsoft Management strategies in those old days was wonderful where you unify management in a single console with context menus.

User Manager for Domain- the main Domain users and group management	Server Manager – Used to manage computer accounts Services application – for start and stop  system services

In windows Server 2000 Microsoft released MMC version 1.2 where is supports group policy management and user account snap-ins plus other features you may fine in Wikipedia.

 

You can fine Microsoft definition for MMC in MSDN

The Microsoft® Management Console (MMC) component is a framework for administering Microsoft Windows®-based environments. MMC provides a simple, consistent, and integrated administration user interface and administration model.

You can use MMC to create, save, and open administrative tools, called consoles, which manage the hardware, software, and network components of your Windows system. If an application uses MMC to host its management tasks, then the application provides a console with snap-ins, which are dynamic-link libraries (DLLs). Event Viewer is an example of an application using the MMC framework in this way.

Event Viewer in Windows NT 4	Event Viewer in Windows 2003 / XP

Step-by-Step Guide to the Microsoft Management Console

In Microsoft April 2003 release Windows Server 2003 which incloded with MMC version 2.

in Microsoft released Windows 2003 R2 which supports natively MMC version 3, the two main features are A new pane called the actions pane is available; It displays available commands for the selected node and Functionally rich views can be created using one of the four available view types: list, Windows Forms, HTML, and message like below System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SCOM summary web pages inside the console.

see you next article.

Windows 7 RC version is released

Windows 7  the most popular OS in the beta phase has been released in technet downloads you can download it if you have technet subscription https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/securedownloads/default.aspx

This new release will be available in Microsoft public web site 5th of May http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/default.aspx

I am currently downloading this version and hopefully to have the time to make a technical review.

Register for Beta Exam 71-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring

Registration begins: April 27, 2009

You are invited to take beta exam 71-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring. If you pass the beta exam, the exam credit will be added to your transcript and you will not need to take the exam in its released form. The 71-xxx identifier is used for registering for beta versions of MCP exams, when the exam is released in its final form the 70-xxx identifier is used for registration.
By participating in beta exams, you have the opportunity to provide the Microsoft Certification program with feedback about exam content, which is integral to development of exams in their released version. We depend on the contributions of experienced IT professionals and developers as we continually improve exam content and maintain the value of Microsoft certifications.

71-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring counts as credit towards the following certification(s).

· MCTS: Windows 7, Configuration

Availability

Registration begins: April 27, 2009

Beta exam period runs: May 5, 2009– May 18, 2009

Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta; we recommend that you register immediately! Beta exams have limited availability and are operated under a first-come-first-served basis. Once all beta slots are filled, no additional seats will be offered.

Testing is held at Prometric testing centers worldwide, although this exam may not be available in all countries (see Regional Restrictions). All testing centers will have the capability to offer this exam in its live version.

Regional Restrictions: India, Pakistan, China

---

Registration Information

You must register at least 24 hours prior to taking the exam.
Please use the following promotional code when registering for the exam: WIN7J
Receiving this invitation does not guarantee you a seat in the beta; we recommend that you register immediately.

To register in North America, please call:

Prometric: (800) 755-EXAM (800-755-3926)

Outside the U.S./Canada, please contact:

Prometric: http://www.register.prometric.com/ClientInformation.asp

Test Information and Support

You are invited to take this beta exam at no charge.
You will be given four hours to complete the beta exam. Please plan accordingly.