Guidance needed

[ichase]

Greetings all,My company laptop is Windows 7 based. I have 2 virtual machines set up using Windows Virtual PC provided by Win7. Both of these VMs are XP loads. I have the current version of our software on one VM and the other has the latest version not yet released. They are used for testing and troubleshooting. DoD systems are still using Win XP Pro so that is why they are installed in XP.My question is, I know very well how to make clones of partitions. I do it weekly. But what is the best way to make an image or copy of an existing VM if something goes wrong.Have been doing some google searches and I keep coming up on XP mode which I am not using.Could I theoretically go to C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines and make a copy of the .vsv file or would it be the .vhd file? And if so, how would I go about restoring it, if something were to go wrong with the current VM? Or does Windows Virtual PC have a backup VM option with quick restore of backup if needed? I have been looking at the program and I do see where I can select "Burn" when one of the VMs is highlighted but do not see a restore function.I do a lot of testing, and so far only one time did I have to wipe the VM and start from scratch with a new XP load, ISS and our software etc and would much rather have an image or copy when everything is good to go and restore that if I needed it.Thanks much for any and all guidance you provide. :)All the best,Ian

Edited April 20, 2011 by ichase

[Guest LilBambi]

The easiest and likely the best way would be to have an external hard drive and create an image of your C drive. Great disaster protection overall. Built into Windows 7 BTW.Second step would be to include the entire Users folder into the Backup scheme setup, not just My Documents, etc.And here's How to create a Virtual PC hard disk image by using a backup disk image file:

To create a Virtual PC hard disk image by using a backup disk image file, follow these steps.Note You must have administrator credentials on the Virtual PC host computer. Create a backup disc image file and a recovery disc of the physical source computer by using the recovery or backup program that you prefer. Note The backup image taken from GHOST is not supported. Copy the backup disk image to a disk volume (partition) that does not have Virtual PC installed. Use the Virtual Disk Wizard to create a virtual hard disk image. Important To complete this procedure, the amount of free space that is available on the disk where you store the disk image must be larger than the size of the disk of which you want to create an image. Start Microsoft Virtual PC, click File, click Virtual Disk Wizard, and then click Next. Click Create new virtual disk, click Next, click A virtual hard disk, and then click Next. Click Browse, locate the folder where you want to save the disk image, type a name for the new disk image, click Save, and then click Next. In the Virtual Hard Disk Options dialog box, click Linked to a hard disk (Advanced). In the Caution - Virtual PC dialog box, click OK, and then click Next. Select the volume that contains the disk image from which you want to create a virtual disk, click Next, and then click Finish. Use the Virtual Disk Wizard again to create an expandable disk image: Start Microsoft Virtual PC, click File, click Virtual Disk Wizard, and then click Next. Click Create new virtual disk, click Next, click A virtual hard disk, and then click Next. Click Browse, locate the folder where you want to save the disk image, type a name for the new disk image, click Save, and then click Next. In the Virtual Hard Disk Options dialog box, click Dynamically expanding (Recommended). In the Virtual hard disk size box, type the disk size that you want, and then click Next. Note The available hard disk space on the host computer limits the actual hard disk image size. You can create a hard disk image that is larger than the available hard disk space on the host computer. However, the hard disk image expands to use only the hard disk space that is available on the volume where you create the hard disk image. Click Finish, and then click Close. Create a new virtual machine: Start Microsoft Virtual PC, click File, click New Virtual Machine Wizard, and then click Next. In the Options dialog box, click Use default settings to create a virtual machine, and then click Next. In the Name and location dialog box, click Browse to locate the folder where you want to save the virtual machine, type a name for the virtual machine name, click Save, and then click Next. Click to select the When I click Finish, open settings check box, and then click Finish. In the Settings for Virtual_Machine_Name dialog box, click Hard Disk 1, click Virtual hard disk file, and then click Browse. Locate and then click the expandable virtual disk file that you created in step 3, and then click Open. In the Settings for Virtual_Machine_Name dialog box, click Hard Disk 2, click Virtual hard disk file, and then click Browse. Locate and then click the virtual hard disk file that you created in step 2, click Open, and then click OK. Start the newly created virtual machine by using the recovery disk that you created in step 1. Restore the backup image from drive D to drive C. Note You can remove drive D after the virtual machine restarts the first time after the restore operation. You can do this because you do not need drive D after you copy the backup image to drive C.

[ichase]

Thanks Fran, you are right, the best way would be to have a good image of my C drive. But company policy is, if something happens to the main OS (in this case Win7) that their IT's have to be the one to re-image. They have an image file of everyone's computer, granted, anything installed or changed would be lost. The VMs though I have Carte Blanche with so I am more interested in doing a weekly copy, backup, image of these VMs that would be easy to restore. Ian

[Guest LilBambi]

OK, then it looks like they don't want you to do an image (silly, but there it is).So just set up a backup scheme that will include your User account (not just the stock My Documents). Also, built into Windows 7.

[ichase]

Sounds easy enough :thumbsup:Thanks Fran :)Ian

[Guest LilBambi]

You are very welcome!

[Guest LilBambi]

BTW: When you setup the backup, there are a few things to consider.1. You want to choose what is being backedup (don't let Windows choose)2. You want to scroll down on the page where you choose locations to click on Users and choose the user account you fully want to have backed up as well as any Libraries (that you want to include*2. You do not want to include an image every night! So untick the check box for creating an image at the bottom of the screen to choose locations to backup* Note, I personally hate backing up Libraries. Not all files are always included in them. Better to backup the User account so all files are backed up and in your case, the virtual images for XP Mode/VirtualPC.

[ichase]

I agree with what you are saying, and please please please do not think I am being argumentative. But in essense. When you create a VM. The VM itself is a file that is located in: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines in Windows 7. Now if I save the most current .vhd file (Virtual Hard Disk) and let's say, I save this file once a week. The following week I have a castrophic failure of one of my VMs. This would normally mean that I would have to create another VM, install XP Pro from scratch, get online to get all of the updates etc etc to have the VM back up and running. Could I not use my saved .vhd file (that I may have on a external HD) and overwrite the one that is currently in the folder? Seems like it could work? Opinions are always welcomed. Especially from you Fran as I respect your experience. :)Thanks,Ian

[Guest LilBambi]

OK, I will give a guarded opinion on this with three caveats: 1. My personal virtual environments are limited to VirtualBox (where copying the vdi file works great, 2. My client experience is with VMWare (where copying the virtual drive file works fine on the Mac), and 3. Although I have installed many XPMode/VirtualPC environments for clients, I have used only imaging for full drive image cloning and backup schedule where booting to the Repair Disk and restoring the image and then restoring from the backups works great on Windows 7 (which restores the latest XPMode/VirtualPC image).Since copying the files works for both VirtualBox and VMWare, it would tend to follow that it would also work with XPMode/VirtualPC, but I haven't used that particular method. I have read that with the Mac VirtualPC you can copy the file. Again, I haven't used it so I don't know for a fact.Hopefully someone else will confirm that it works the same as with VirtualBox and VMWare on the Mac.I would hate to tell you for sure without personal experience doing it that way.

[b2cm]

You can back up the virtual machine file, if you like. The file you really need to back up or have a copy of is the VHD (virtual hard disk that you can use or mount in any Microsoft VPC).

Edited April 21, 2011 by b2cm

[goretsky]

Hello,I am using VMware Workstation, which has options to "clone" and to "take snapshots" of virtual machines. Does Virtual PC have something similar? If so, that could provide you with a way to rollback changes made to the guest operating environment.Regards,Aryeh Goretsky

[ichase]

Thanks for all of the guidance. I made a backup copy of the VHD file as well as the VSV file. Hopefully if I run into problems, I will replace the current VHD and VSV file with the one I backed up bringing it back to that "good working" VM. Think I will make this a weekly task so that I will not loose to much data if I have to restore.Fran, I am like you, If I had my way, I would be cloning the C drive weekly and have that to restore but as mentioned before Company policy gives me restrictions on what I can and can not do. I have to ask for permision (in written form) to even add any software to the computer. My work phone is an IPhone and I had to ask for permission to install ITunes. Aryeh, I have been looking at Virtual Machine and have not been able to find a clone or snapshot option. Only thing I have seen is a "Burn" option that when selected, releases your CD door to add a CD. I may try that as well to see what happens.Again, I thank all of you for taking the time to resolve this issue for me.All the best,Ian

Edited April 21, 2011 by ichase

[Guest LilBambi]

I hear ya Ian! So glad we could help.

[b2cm]

I am using VMware Workstation, which has options to "clone" and to "take snapshots" of virtual machines. Does Virtual PC have something similar? If so, that could provide you with a way to rollback changes made to the guest operating environment.

Yes, there is. There is the Undo Disk feature as well as the Save State or Restore From Saved State feature. The *.vhd is the virtual hard disk and the *.vsv file is the saved state. The *.vmc file is the virtual machine.

Thanks for all of the guidance. I made a backup copy of the VHD file as well as the VSV file. Hopefully if I run into problems, I will replace the current VHD and VSV file with the one I backed up bringing it back to that "good working" VM. Think I will make this a weekly task so that I will not loose to much data if I have to restore.Fran, I am like you, If I had my way, I would be cloning the C drive weekly and have that to restore but as mentioned before Company policy gives me restrictions on what I can and can not do. I have to ask for permision (in written form) to even add any software to the computer. My work phone is an IPhone and I had to ask for permission to install ITunes. Aryeh, I have been looking at Virtual Machine and have not been able to find a clone or snapshot option. Only thing I have seen is a "Burn" option that when selected, releases your CD door to add a CD. I may try that as well to see what happens.

You should back up the VMC (virtual machine config) file as well. Now, if you have a copy of those three files, you already have the clone of the virtual PC. As for the host PC, try Windows Backup (System image backup) that comes with Windows 7.

[ichase]

Thank you b2cm for the additional guidance. :thumbsup:All the best,Ian

[b2cm]

You're welcome.You might want to have a look at this:Mount and Unmount a VHD File in Windows Explorer via a Right-Clickhttp://www.howtogeek.com/51174/mount-and-u...-a-right-click/or this:FREE: VHD Attach – Attach and detach VHDs in Windows Explorerhttp://4sysops.com/archives/free-vhd-attac...ndows-explorer/

Edited April 24, 2011 by b2cm