Who else runs Win 10 in a VM?

I was turned on to the idea by swarfega from my Windows 10 Decrapifier post. I find it so funny as I have been in computers for a lot of years. Not to say that I've never ran VM's I have but just for testing things not to run another permanent OS. Anyway I downloaded VMware Workstation 15 Player, "I'm going to purchase the pro version cuz I like VMware" installed and setup Win10 64bit. I gave it 4GB out of 16GB RAM and created a 120GB .vmdk file to live in. It lives on a 1TB drive with 750GB free space so lots of room for expansion. Another cool thing is is that it's so easy to backup seeing that it lives in a single folder. I just run my EaseUS Todo File backup, drop it to the taskbar and work in Win7 so I'm never stuck for an OS. Although that would never happen in my place with all the systems I have at hand. I'm not saying that running 2 OS's in this way is new! Not in a long shot. I'm just curios how many of you folks do this as the norm as I do now? I find it very convenient to instantly jump from OS to OS and work with specific applications for ether Win10 or Win7. So how about it. Are You? O! If you curios about Configuring a Virtual Network Also look at the PDF.

I couldn't live without Virtual Machines. I use Virtual Machines to setup Reference systems for the purpose of creating unattended setup configurations. I use them to test many different issues. Particularly useful is the ability to create a snapshot before performing a test, then being able to roll right back to that instant in time after the test.

I even setup entire networks with several Win 10 VMs, a Server VM, and a NAS or SAN emulator or two, all at the same time.

In my daily workflow, VMs are simply necessary to the way I get work done now.

Yes, I also have a couple of permanent machines with registered copies of Windows that I run as VMs.

Lance1 said:

... I'm just curios how many of you folks do this as the norm as I do now? I find it very convenient to instantly jump from OS to OS and work with specific applications for ether Win10 or Win7. So how about it. Are You?

I use Hyper-V rather than VMware, but I do seem to have collected quite a few VMs now. I have VM's of XP, W7, W8.1 and W10 on one of my machines, mainly used to provide a testing ground for answering interoperability questions when they crop up on these forums.

On the machine I'm currently replying from, back in April I created a VM clone of my System One below in order to test upgrading it to 1903. I restored a Macrium image of the real machine by booting the VM from a Macrium recovery ISO. At first I found it strangely disconcerting to be using what was a clone of my main machine on a different PC, but I'm used to that now. I ended up using it almost as often as the 'real' machine, particularly before I took the plunge and upgraded the original one too. I still find it convenient and it is in regular use.

You've just reminded me that it's about time I got it back in step with its original. So before starting to type this I ran up the VM, opened Macrium, browsed the network for the latest image of its parent, then started a restore. It then rebooted to its Macrium PE environment and is now (switches from Host to VM to have a quick look) 12% through restoring the image from across the network.

hsehestedt said:

I couldn't live without Virtual Machines. I use Virtual Machines to setup Reference systems for the purpose of creating unattended setup configurations. I use them to test many different issues. Particularly useful is the ability to create a snapshot before performing a test, then being able to roll right back to that instant in time after the test.

I even setup entire networks with several Win 10 VMs, a Server VM, and a NAS or SAN emulator or two, all at the same time.

In my daily workflow, VMs are simply necessary to the way I get work done now.

Yes, I also have a couple of permanent machines with registered copies of Windows that I run as VMs.

It's bean about 17 years since I was in the business. I didn't use VM them, I was hands on to the servers and work stations. I was that guy you called in the IT room.. Lance I can't login! Lance Excel's not working! Lance I can't get to my files! Lance Lance Lance!!!!! I wish I could say I Miss Those Days.... But I actually do.

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Bree said:

I created a VM clone of my System One below in order to test upgrading it to 1903.

That is really odd that you mention this. I was looking into doing that this morning! I was looking at this Disk2vhd I haven't used it yet but would like to give it a try. Have you used it or heard of it?

Lance, there are a number of utilities that will allow you to create a VM from a physical machine. Since you have VMware, you may be interested in "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1". I don't recall if VMware Workstation installs it or whether you need to download it separately, but it's free in any case.

hsehestedt said:

Lance, there are a number of utilities that will allow you to create a VM from a physical machine. Since you have VMware, you may be interested in "VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 6.2.0.1". I don't recall if VMware Workstation installs it or whether you need to download it separately, but it's free in any case.

Thanks! My hands are free right now so I'll look into that.

Edit:

You download it separately. I found it and am downloading as I type. I'll let you know.

Lance1 said:

That is really odd that you mention this. I was looking into doing that this morning! I was looking at this Disk2vhd I haven't used it yet but would like to give it a try. Have you used it or heard of it?

I've heard of it, but not used it. @Lance1, you may find this tutorial helpful.

Hyper-V - Create and Use VHD of Windows 10 with Disk2VHD

As I said, it was so easy to treat the VM as I would restoring to a real machine. I gave it an empty virtual disk, set the VM to boot from the Macrium recovery ISO, then restored the latest of my Macrium images that I routinely make as a back up of my main machine.

Normally you boot a VM from an ISO to install an OS, but it works equally well booting from a Macrium recovery media ISO and restoring an OS. This was done in Hyper-V, but you can do exactly the same in VMware.

VMware Knowledge Base


PS: Macrium and Hyper-V make an excellent working partnership. Macrium's viBoot can boot a Macrium image as a Hyper-V VM.

Macrium viBoot - Create Virtual Machine using Macrium Image


PPS: if you intend to use the VM seriously, make sure your host machine has an SSD.

Bree said:

I've heard of it, but not used it. @Lance1, you may find this tutorial helpful.

Hyper-V - Create and Use VHD of Windows 10 with Disk2VHD

As I said, it was so easy to treat the VM as I would restoring to a real machine. I gave it an empty virtual disk, set the VM to boot from the Macrium recovery ISO, then restored the latest of my Macrium images that I routinely make as a back up of my main machine.

Normally you boot a VM from an ISO to install an OS, but it works equally well booting from a Macrium recovery media ISO and restoring an OS. This was done in Hyper-V, but you can do exactly the same in VMware.

VMware Knowledge Base


PS: Macrium and Hyper-V make an excellent working partnership. Macrium's viBoot can boot a Macrium image as a Hyper-V VM.

Macrium viBoot - Create Virtual Machine using Macrium Image


PPS: if you intend to use the VM seriously, make sure your host machine has an SSD.

lots of information to absorb. And yes I am getting serious about this. I find it fun! I'll look through it all in time. O and thanks to hsehestedt suggestion on VMware vCenter Converter. I'm testing that right now!