Create disk image of C drive and run on VMware virtual machine

Question

I run Windows XP SP3 Pro on my desktop PC and I want to create an image of its C Drive. I'd like to run this image in a virtual machine on VMware.

How can I do this?

1. Install XP in VMware first – Create a restore point image from the desktop PC and restore that image in the virtual machine
2. Create a live disk from my desktop's C drive and run it on VMware.
3. Any other way?

Possible Solutions: Creating a Windows Virtual PC image from a Physical machine

Solution 1

I tried it using the answers given in the links above but they did not work properly and people here didn't understand the problem correctly – so I found a solution myself:

1. When you copy your C: drive (Windows XP or Windows 7 installed drive) just use Disk2vhd (I got this from the above quoted answer)

2. Use WinImage tool to convert VHD to VDMK – in the fourth step of the given link, go for the second option, else the first option would create a huge .vdmk image.

3. Install VMware and use that vdmk file: How to open VMDK File?

Solution 2

I've done this before using VMWare VCenter Converter which is a free util from VMWare that will convert Windows or Linux computers to a VMWare image. I know this is an old question, but it's hard to beat the simplicity of this utility.

Comments

[Jan Doggen]

I have used Paragon Drive Copy 10.0 Personal Edition for that in the past for Virtual PC. Maybe they have something for VMWare too? Not free, but cheap.

[spt025]

Vmware or Virtual Machine is not an issue... Can use either of them..

[ZippyV]

What's wrong with the answer in your link?

[Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007]

possible duplicate of Creating a Windows Virtual PC image from a Physical machine

[spt025]

In the link given above Windows Virtual PC is not at all nice software to use and doesn't even load the XP in W7. Tried all possible ways then only commenting

[barlop]

did winimage, but it doesn't treat the image and maybe it should, so I got this BSOD about hard disk community.spiceworks.com/topic/… one method not mentioned there that might get round the BSOD, I may try is sysprep