A VmWare question...

djkav · 24 Sep 2011 at 13:58

Hi, I got a new SSD for a new build soon.

Is it possible to use VmWare 8 to install Windows 7 to this drive and configure it. So when I get the final bits for my build. I can just slot in this drive and boot into a new clean windows?

I just thought this might save me time and continually swapping drives around later on.

marc2003 · 24 Sep 2011 at 14:12

not a good idea. you want a proper clean install on a new machine.

oli356 · 24 Sep 2011 at 14:17

marc2003 said:
not a good idea. you want a proper clean install on a new machine.

MR.B · 24 Sep 2011 at 22:34

It's a completely different thing. Installing Windows on VMware will only make Windows work with the VMware software and nothing else. So you cant actually boot Windows from that drive.

Mattus · 24 Sep 2011 at 22:47

I'm fairly sure it's possible to make a VMWare virtual machine use a "real" partition to store its files, rather than a virtual disk. I highly doubt you could get the install of Windows to boot outside of the VM, though. Windows would be expecting to find the virtualised hardware rather than the real PC, so it'd probably just BSOD.

sagum · 25 Sep 2011 at 17:36

Windows 7 should be able to boot outside of the VM if you use a physical state disc. Windows 7 will check for hardware changes on boot and all the required modules are there to load as needed, the only problem being is if you need extra drivers for such thins as disc controllers, such as RAID and the like
However, because of the way Windows 7 installs itself on certain types of hardware, such as SSD systems, it is best that you do a proper clean install of Windows if you can. Also, Windows 7 takes around 24hours of use after an install before its fully optimised for a system and the way you use it.

Sin_Chase · 25 Sep 2011 at 18:53

Actually, moving from a VM install to physical hardware is more likely to work than the other way around.

Still would not recommend it though, save the hassle and fresh build from the hardware natively.

Deleted member 77746 · 25 Sep 2011 at 19:40

marc2003 said:
not a good idea. you want a proper clean install on a new machine.

anything I don't mind · 25 Sep 2011 at 23:38

It is not possible to go from a vmware disk to normal windows disk. You can go the other way but the vmware workstation or converter application do not have that functionality.

Aod · 26 Sep 2011 at 13:25

it's also probable that even if windows were able to boot, it'd detect too many hardware changes and refuse to boot on that basis.

skyripper · 27 Sep 2011 at 13:36

groen said:
It is not possible to go from a vmware disk to normal windows disk. You can go the other way but the vmware workstation or converter application do not have that functionality.

It is possible to create and boot a VM connected to a physical hard disk. Used this before to retrieve hard drive contents from a non working box.

Will have network driver issues, AHCI/IDE/raid issues, graphics card drivers etc. will all be foobar until installed properly though. The applications themselves on there shouldnt care though.

skyripper · 27 Sep 2011 at 13:38

djkav said:
Hi, I got a new SSD for a new build soon.

Is it possible to use VmWare 8 to install Windows 7 to this drive and configure it. So when I get the final bits for my build. I can just slot in this drive and boot into a new clean windows?

I just thought this might save me time and continually swapping drives around later on.

The time it will take to clean install Win7 on a SSD will outweigh any time advantages you'd have with building it in a VM then migrating it back to normal hardware.