installingWindows 7 in virtualbox unity

rossiboy001 · 4 Dec 2011 at 19:02

Hi Been looking at tutorials but coming short on ones which explain how to install a already installed version of W7 . I currently have a duel boot system with the grub loader , but want to run my current windows version inside ubuntu unity . All the tutorials and searches relate to iso downloaded versions . Can this be done ? the intention was to be able to run installed games and yahoo messenger video calling without the need to shut down and revert into windows ? thanks .

rossiboy001 · 4 Dec 2011 at 22:20

yeah thats about the size of it , The PC came with an OEM install of 32 bit W7 , I use ubuntu as my main OS however which is on a 2tb drive , the windows comes on a 120 gb drive . I use the grub loader and have a choice which way i go ect . have to say ubuntu is much faster and have got used to using unity more than W7 , I just need the games to run , wine can be a bit hit n miss , and i know i can use google chat vid calling but the facebook and yahoo chat is much more flexible , rather than getting all my contacts to install google ect . utilizing if possible the W7 through the more powerful ubuntu would be a better way i think to use windows apps . Snag is i dont have a disk as it came with the PC . So guess its trying to get it configured to work with the HD windows file ??? , thanks for the reply .

rossiboy001 · 4 Dec 2011 at 23:27

Just basic stuff , like sims , low level stuff . Its shared with me daughter so its basic pc games , but the video mess on yahoo would be more important . Iv been playing around with it as its sunday and there nothing on telly , managed to get W8 going , and im trying zorin out . so getting the hang of it a little . though having W7 with all the drivers installed sitting on me other drive it just made sense to ask if i could get it going this way , as i can cover most of me usage in ubuntu , but its just lacking those two elements . thanks

rossiboy001 · 5 Dec 2011 at 08:03

Essexraptor said:
I thought using Virtualbox Guest Additions added 3D acceleration?

Yeah that appears in the options , I have that enabled as well as 2D for the windows 8 beta , but im new to this and working it out as i go along . getting all the drivers like ethernet going is me next thing to tackle on that . My plan allthough perhaps flawed was to have a version of windows running in ubuntu . To put on one side of me cube , useable for anything i cant do on ubuntu , without the need for re booting into windows . My understanding was that i should be able to use all the windows features I need in vitualbox . Perhaps im wrong . Is that the case with tweaking or is virtualbox more just to view an OS ?

rossiboy001 · 11 Dec 2011 at 21:15

So the issue I have got now is how do I configure virtualbox ? Ie how do I get it to run of my C Drive , and what file on the windows file I need to direct it too . To kick in . All the youtube and searches keep refering to Iso files . But im trying to boot it from me C Drive . I dont see why you cant run from the Hard drive , just I dont know how to set it up . If at all , If it will of course . cheers .

rossiboy001 · 12 Dec 2011 at 15:36

Thanks Hades for going through the trouble for me .
Iv done some practice goes with windows 8 , and zorin , and have got that part mostly sorted . But there from ISO files , which is slightly diffferent and quite self explanatory . My problem is I think ill have to buy a new copy of windows to do it that way and install that through virtualbox . What iv got is an already manfacturer installed version on the C drive , and of course a partitioned back up version . Its trying to find a way to get virtualbox to configure this C drive installed version . Alas I dont have a disk . But another question is If I did it would be straightfoward . But in doing so I think that would cancel the licence of the current install on C drive , and would only then be accessable through virtualbox in its own right , If that makes any sense ?

rossiboy001 · 13 Dec 2011 at 12:54

Thanks Hades . Yeah U got it , thats exactly what I was trying to do .
Fair enough it cant be done that way , Its a shame . theoretically I dont see no reason why this could not be possible , just I respect no one has ever set up virtualbox or any other application this way , to run such a system , Hopefully someone will .
In the meantime I have just conceded to doing it the over way , From windows , Making ubuntu my guest . Just have to set up everything from scratch , but it give me something to do .
Im interested to see how a 64 bit system will work within a 32 bit . We shall see , at least if it goes %$&* Up then it not as much hardship experimenting with an open source disk as a licensed Windows version .Thanks again .

rossiboy001 · 13 Dec 2011 at 23:06

rossiboy001 · 13 Dec 2011 at 23:11

Thanks Hades , Biffa ,Evil-I . That converter looks like something ill have to try , looks worth a punt see what happens , im gona bookmark that link and give it a go .
Just something while playing with all this , made my mind boggle . Can you run VM inside a VM ? know it is bit off thread , but just something got me wondering ?Thanks again All ..

rossiboy001 · 14 Dec 2011 at 17:16

Yeah I wish Crowze . My kids are youngish and play a variety of games from new realeses to old ones you pick up in second hand shops , I find it a major victory when i get something going through wine lol . Also for myself I spend a lot of time video chatting to far away family so video chat is worth a lot to me . If and when those two main issues ever can get addressed then ill be happy never to through me old C drive windows install out of window . everything else I prefer linux versions and the enviroment , speed ect , even ubuntu which so many moan about but havent strayed far from . So much so that it never occured to me to install windows as host .