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I have a single hard drive with 3 multiboot partitions:

  • Windows 8.1 Professional;
  • Windows XP x32;
  • Windows XP x64

The current XP partitions contain many programs for which I no longer have registration details or installation files.

To boot the XP versions, I change the SATA settings in BIOS from AHCI to IDE before boot proceeds and back again when I want to boot Win 8.1 I no longer have the installation media for XP - I restore from Macrium Reflect images if any problems occur.

I want to make virtual machines for both XP variants, so that I do not have to access the BIOS before booting. No matter how I try, I can't make virtual machines that work.

  • I tried to make virtual machines from running XP instances (using VMWare vConverter) but these do not work.
  • I tried to make a VM (within Win 8.1) from only one XP at a time using Easeus ToDo Backup but these partitions were not detected as active and I had to include the Win 8.1 partition as well in the image. This was too large and I stopped the process.

Can anybody suggest how to accomplish the task?

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    I do not think the current VMware Converter supports XP. But and older version (4 or 5) might work to convert the system. I did use VMware Converter to make my XP machine larger, so an older version should work. Look on the VMware site for older versions or search for older versions.
    – anon
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 0:04
  • Thanks, John - I used version 3, which works in XP
    – Johnp2
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:49
  • I posted an answer for you.
    – anon
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 10:19

3 Answers 3

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From what I understand you want to create a VM out of an existing physical OS installation. Windows is very picky when it comes to the IDE/ATA controller from which is supposed to boot and it will fail if it's changed. For that you will need to download and install a program called MergeIDE on the Windows XP machine that will make changes in the registry related to the IDE/ATA controller, before you make an image out of it. It's possible that you missed this step and that's why you VM's are not booting, as I don't see you have provided that information.

Check this VirtualBox instructions to making WinXP VM's out of existing installations.

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    Thank you, dmb - I did miss out this step on purpose (because I am using the same motherboard/chip and figured that this was the same controller). I will try it out.
    – Johnp2
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:41
  • @Johnp2 Ok, just remind that VirtualBox has it's own "virtual hardware", so technically your OS image will be running on that. Also take note that you need to make a virtual image of each OS and they will run independently. Meaning you won't have a bootloader like Grub to pick your OS.
    – dmb
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 4:44
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I tried to make virtual machines from running XP instances (using VMWare vConverter) but these do not work.

I do not think the current VMware Converter supports XP. But and older version (3,4 or 5) might work to convert the system.

I did use VMware Converter to make my XP machine larger, so an older version should work. Look on the VMware site for older versions or search for older versions.

Followup Note:

Windows 8.1 is now out of support and you already know about Windows XP.

I suggest a newer machine, supported OS, and fast SSD drive. Then run XP as Virtual Machines in the new host.

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Just a thought, I'd comment but I haven't been contributing in awhile.

If you're moving the entire partition to a seperate vmdk, it may just be that you don't have a proper MBR on the new VM that loads XP.

I have thankfully not had to touch XP in a very very long time.

The MBR will not be visible from any partition viewer, it occupies a reserved area at the beginning of the hard disk.

Also, it sounds like the partition you have to include contains a bootloader.

I have a vague memory of once seeing an earlier version of windows, and this was a looooonnnngggg time ago, that allowed you to select from multiple versions of windows-only operating systems.

Also, in regards to the comment.

If you can't use VMWare, use VirtualBox. I think if you want a headless VM that it is indeed possible as well.

Regarding that distant memory, this appeared in some earlier versions AFTER you installed a new version of windows on a machine with a slightly older version.

Edit: So despite the hate my answer got I decided to update anyway.

Restore Windows XP MBR without Windows XP disc

You might try this. Copy only the windows xp over to a vdi or vmdk.

Boot the machine using the instructions with a iso and follow the steps to fix the MBR.

Likely the bootloader is still there but the MBR is taking you to the 8.1 installation.

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  • Thank you, MysteriousMadCoder - yes, I also believe that I am missing a bootloader and that is why Easeus todo backup wanted to include the Win 8.1 partition. I guess that, normally, one would boot the installation CD and repair the partition/bootloader etc., but I no longer have the CD and do not want to over-write my installation using a different VP boot medium. I wonder if it is possible to somehow add a bootloader when making the VM within XP??
    – Johnp2
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:46
  • boy do i get a lot of hate for my answers and its the one you liked wow.
    – MysteriousMadCoder
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:50
  • if there is a builtin tool you can run to do this its news to me, you might try to determine what the layout of the mbr entry is and what portion of the disk partition it would point to if you reallly want to get hacky to see if the BL is still there ON A TEST COPY. because likely the mbr is pointing to the BL on the windows 8.1 partition. a bit of interesting trivia, sometimes when you had a multboot linux/xp machine at this point and you booted into xp it would change the mbr to point to xp and lock you out of your linux install.
    – MysteriousMadCoder
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:54
  • so likely your tool is reading the mbr and realizing its point to the 8.1
    – MysteriousMadCoder
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:55
  • maybe when they delete everything they don't want to have to recreate my answers lol
    – MysteriousMadCoder
    Commented Jun 14, 2023 at 2:57

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