CLONING A VIRTUAL MACHINE IN "WINDOWS VIRTUAL PC"

HIGH-LEVEL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In "Windows Virtual PC", you cannot copy a virtual machine directly. In "Windows Virtual PC", you can copy a .VHD virtual hard drive directly using "Windows Explorer" or "My Computer". Then you create a new virtual machine and attach it to the cloned virtual hard drive.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: When you follow this procedure to clone a virtual machine, the new virtual machine that you create will have a new, unique "UUID.BIOS" (="computer UUID"). However, the virtual hard drive of the new virtual machine will have the same "hard disk UUID" as the virtual hard drive of the original virtual machine. In "Windows Virtual PC", the *.vmc file of a virtual machine stores the "UUID.BIOS". The "UUID.BIOS" is also known as a "motherboard UUID" or a "system UUID". In "Windows Virtual PC", the "hard drive UUID" is stored inside the .vhd "virtual hard drive" file. When you follow this procedure, the new virtual network adapter that is created in the cloned virtual machine will have a unique MAC address that is different from the original virtual machine. When you follow this procedure, the new .vhd "virtual hard drive" that is created for the new, cloned virtual machine will have the exact same Windows "SID" or "Security Identifier" as the original virtual machine. This is not an issue for virtual

machines that are in the same "workgroup". This is sometimes a problem for virtual machines that are in the same "Windows Server" "domain".

STEP-BY-STEP EXAMPLE: Step 1: Open the Windows "Control Panel". Step 2: Double-click on the "Folder Options" icon:

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Step 3: A "Folder Options" dialog box will be displayed:

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Step 4: Click on the "View" tab:

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Step 5: Select the "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" option:

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Step 6: Click on the "Apply" button:

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Step 7: Click on the "OK" button:

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Step 8: Start "Windows Explorer" or "My Computer":

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Step 9: Click on the C: drive in the left-most pane:

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Step 10: If you are running "Windows 7" or "Windows Vista" in the host computer, double-click on "Users" in the right-most pane. If you are running "Windows XP" in the host computer, double-click on "Documents and Settings" in the right-most pane.

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Step 11: Double-click on your user profile folder in the right-most pane:

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Step 12: Double-click on the "AppData" folder in the right-most pane:

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Step 13: Double-click on "Local" in the right-most pane.

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Step 14: Double-click on "Microsoft" in the right-most pane:

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Step 15: Double-click on "Windows Virtual PC" in the right-most pane:

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Step 16: Double-click on "Virtual Machines" in the right-most pane:

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* Note that in our example, the "Windows 7 Enterprise Trial" virtual machine is not in the default location for "Windows Virtual PC" virtual machines so we will now look at an alternate location where "Windows Virtual PC" virtual machines were stored by the end user of this computer:

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Step 17: Double-click on the L: drive icon:

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Step 18: Double-click on "Users" in the right-most pane:

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Step 19: Double-click on the "testuser" folder:

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Step 20: Double-click on the "Documents" folder:

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Step 21: Double-click on the "VirtualPC_VMs" folder:

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Step 22: We have located the .vhd "virtual hard drive" file of the "Windows 7 Enterprise Trial 32-bit" virtual machine:

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Step 23: Use the right mouse button to click on the file called Windows 7 Enterprise Trial 32-bit.vhd Step 24: A pop-up context menu will be displayed:

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Step 25: Click on "Copy" in the pop-up context menu:

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Step 26: Navigate to the location where you want to copy the *.vhd "virtual hard disk" file to. Step 27: Use the right mouse button to perform a click at this location. Step 28: A pop-up context menu will be displayed:

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Step 29: Click on "Paste" in the pop-up context menu:

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Step 30: A new file called <name of old file> - Copy.vhd will be shown at the desired location:

* In our example, the new file is called Windows 7 Enterprise Trial32-bit - Copy.vhd

Step 31: Use the right mouse button to perform a click on this new file:

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Step 32: A pop-up context menu will be displayed:

Step 33: Click on "Rename" in the pop-up context menu:

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Step 34: Type in an appropriate name for the new .vhd file: In our example, we typed in Windows 7 Enterprise Trial 32-bit - Clone01.vhd

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Step 35: Press the "Enter" key to lock in the new file name:

* Step 36: Click on the Windows "Start" button. Step 37: Click on "All Programs".

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Step 38: Scroll downward to the bottom of the left-most side of the "Start menu":

* Step 39: Click on "Windows Virtual PC".

Step 40: A submenu will be shown.

Step 41: Click on the "Windows Virtual PC" submenu item:

Step 42: A list of virtual machine .vmcx files will be shown at C:\Users\<your profile name>\Virtual Machines\

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Step 43: Click on the "Create virtual machine" button:

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Step 44: A "Create a virtual machine" window will be shown:

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Step 45: Type in a name for your new virtual machine: In this example, we typed in Windows 7 Enterprise Trial 32-bit clone01

* Step 46: Change the default location for virtual machine, if you want to.

Step 47: Click on the "Next" button:

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Step 48: A "Specify memory and networking options" box will be shown:

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Step 49: Adjust the memory to a value that is less than half the amount of RAM in the host computer. Take into account how many virtual machines that you wish to run at the same time:

* Note that for "Windows Virtual PC" virtual machines, you cannot have more than 3.712 Gigabytes of memory allocated to any single virtual machine:

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Step 50: Click on the "Next" button:

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Step 51: An "Add a virtual hard disk" box will be displayed:

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Step 52: Select the "Use an existing virtual hard disk" option:

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Step 53: Click on the "Browse" button:

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Step 54: A "Select virtual hard disk" box will be displayed:

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Step 55: Navigate to the location of the .vhd "virtual hard disk" that you created in the earlier steps of this procedure: *

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Step 56: Click on the .vhd "virtual hard disk" file. In this example, we clicked on Windows 7 Enterprise Trial 32-bit - Clone01.vhd

* Step 57: Click on the "Open" button:

* You will now be back at the "Add a virtual hard disk" box:

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Step 58: Click on the "Create" button:

* Step 59: The "Add a virtual hard disk" box will disappear. *

Step 60: Click on the Windows "Start" button:

Step 61: Click on "All Programs". Scroll down vertically in the left-most side of the "Start menu":

* Step 62: Click on "Windows Virtual PC".

Step 63: A submenu will be displayed:

Step 64: Click on the "Windows Virtual PC" submenu item. Step 65: All of your virtual machines will be displayed:

* Step 66: Use the right mouse button to click on the newly-created virtual machine. In this case, we used our right mouse button to click on Windows 7 Enterprise Trial clone01.vmcx

* A pop-up context menu will be displayed. Click on "Open".

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Step 67: Your newly-created virtual machine will start up:

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* This newly-created virtual machine will look like a "spitting image" of the virtual machine that was used to create it.