Jonathan Lalou's blog

Posts Tagged ‘Windows XP’

Target and Constraints

I need a Windows XP running as a virtual machine (VM).  Don’t think of using your former OEM licence, it won’t work: Windows checks and makes a difference between OEM and other licences.

Microsoft provides VHD files: you can consider them as “virtual” HDD. Officially, these VHD files are intented at developpers to test their websites on various Windows (XP to Seven) and Internet versions (6 to 9).

The VHD files provided for Windows XP need a licence key to be activated, and therefore have two main drawbacks:

1. after three days and/or three reboots, the system will allow you to log in anymore. That’s quiet a limitation :-(.
2. But wait, there’s even worse: the VHD file provided by Microsoft will be completely disabled on February 14th, 2013!

At last, I stress on having an absolutely legal solution, since it will be deployed both on personnal (Ubuntu) and professional (Windows 8 ) desktop computers. I do not want to waste my time playing hide and seek with authorities.

Prerequisites

In this post I will assume you are a bit familiar with working on VirtualBox. If you are not, then browse the web, ask Google, RTFM, or, at last, leave a message in the comments, I’ll try to figure out a moment to write a short tutorial.

• Download Windows XP VHD file from this page: Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image. Even though you get a .exe file, you can uncompress it with a regular 7-zip.
• Download Windows XP SP3 iso file from that page: Windows XP Service Pack 3 – ISO-9660 CD Image File. Keep the xpsp3_5512.080413-2113_usa_x86fre_spcd.iso as is.
• Download PCINTPC5 ethernet drivers from this page: NDIS5 Driver for Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows 98.
  • Unzip and convert this V4.51.zip as an ISO file: as a reminder, the Linux command is:

    mkisofs -o target.iso -J --rock sourceFolder

  • Alternatively, you can download that ISO that I prepared: ethernet_drivers_for_WinXP_VirtualBox.iso (don’t forget to thank me for the precomputed work)

Operations

Classic

• Create a VM within VirtualBox
• Name it “Windows XP” for instance
• Set the VHD file as the one downloaded and unzipped above.

Specific

• Run the VM. You must log in as IEUser. The default password is Password1 (on French keyboards: Pqsszord&)
• Do not validate the licence.
• The VM will require CmBatt.sys(and possibly another one):
  • On host system: mount SP3 iso device > CD/DVD Devices> Choose a virtual CD/DVD virtual file > select WinXP SP3 ISO (xpsp3_5512.080413-2113_usa_x86fre_spcd.iso)
  • On guest system: run the CD, eg: Windows+E > D:\ > Autoplay > Install. All the files will be unzipped in a folder such as C:\1a2b3c4d5e... (with hexadecimal value).
  • In the frame asking for CmBatt.sys, select it in C:\1a2b3c4d5e...\i386
• Windows XP will ask for drivers and try to download them. But the ethernet card has not yet been installed!
  • On host system:
  • • Mount the  ethernet_drivers_for_WinXP_VirtualBox.iso (cf. above for details)
    • Devices > Install Guest Additions > accept all
  • On guest system: manually install drivers for ethernet card.
• In order to bypass the limitation of February 14th,
  • if you read this post after February 14th, 2013: set the system time to January 1st 2013 for instance (I didn’t test ; it should work)
  • disable time synchronization between host and guest systems, eg:

    $VIRTUALBOX_HOME/app32/VBoxManage setextradata "Windows XP" "VBoxInternal/Devices/VMMDev/0/Config/GetHostTimeDisabled" 1

Now everything should work. I suggest to take a snapshot ;-), and then to revert to it as often as needed.

Conclusions

Officialy, the VHD files provided by Microsoft are intented at developpers who need test their websites on obsolete and out-of-date browsers like Internet Explorer. But you can imagine many other usages. On my side, the interest is to have VM as a module in a complete integrated testing environment and in the frame of a software forge.

My opinion? The solution provided by Microsoft does exist, it’s better than nothing ; anyway, implementing it is a far hard matter. Limitations and complexity of install spoil the user experience. It’s a pity, because the idea of VHD is great, but does not match that of precompiled open source Virtual Boxes: http://www.virtualboxes.org

J’ai effectue plus ample connaissance avec Moblin 2.1, le systeme d’exploitation base sur Linux (Fedora pour etre plus precis) et developpe par Intel, specialement pour les netbooks a base d’Atom. Je me suis servi de l’OS installe une clef USB, sur mon netbook Medion Akoya 1210 (a base d’Atom, 1Ghz, 1Go de RAM).

Premieres impressions

• c’est rapide, tres rapide, ca boote beaucoup plus vite que le Windows XP d’origine!
• a l’utilisation c’est vraiment fluide, les animations ne sont pas saccadees.
• premiers bemols: il ne s’agit pas d’un OS a “bureau” comme les OS classiques. On sent bien qu’ici l’accent est mis sur la mobilite, caractere propre aux netbooks.
• pour installer le clavier AZERTY: aller dans “applications”, puis “settings”, “layout” et installer le francais.
• j’ai essaye de passer en localisation francaise (toujours dans applications > settings ), mais le reglage n’etant pris en compte que lors du login cela n’a pas fonctionne pour la session courante.
• reconnaissance materielle: Wifi et ethernet OK, clavier et touchpad fonctionnent sans le moindre  souci.
• petit surf rapide sur internet, Flash est detecte et lu. Les pages s’affichent rapidement.
• un terminal est disponible dans le menu applications
• petite difficulte: eteindre le netbook. Oui je sais, c’est assez amusant, mais je n’ai pas trouve comment me delogger ou eteindre la machine. Finalement un appui sur le bouton on-off et l’appareil propose de s’eteindre dans 30 secondes.

Petits regrets

• le fait de passer a un OS sans bureau est assez deroutant. Mais en s’y donnant la peine on s’y adapte facilement.
• mon principal reproche: les reglages effectues pendant la session sur la clef USB ne sont pas sauvegardes. Autant je comprends que ce soit le cas pour un CD, autant pour une clef USB je m’attendais a ce que ca fonctionne. Je pense qu’il doit etre toutefois possible de sauvegarder des sessions sur l’USB, j’effectuerai quelques recherches.

Conclusion

La vitesse, legerete et reactivite du systeme sont vraiment appreciables et constituent les principales qualites de Moblin. Les ingenieurs d’Intel ont tres bien travaille!

Moblin est tres bien adapte aux usages d’internet mobile. Par contre pour un usage plus classique (bureautique ou loisirs) je reste sceptique.

Je pense que dans un premier temps je vais conserver Moblin sur un clef USB lorsque j’aurai uniquement besoin d’un acces rapide et sans risque sur internet.