Why didnt I use Virtual Machine earlier.

dark_matter · 10 Oct 2006 at 23:28

Sorry for starting this thread. However, these forums are wicked. Today I have learned the best imaging tool is Acronis, and not Ghost. Something I thought was the best, and was considering buying.

Also, I tend to install a lot of crap on my PC, shareware and stuff. So I am always reinstalling Windows. I have nLited my install, something else I larned from these forums, which helps.

However, even though im still going to buy Acronis. I have just donloaded and installed VMWare. I cant beleive what this does, and I cant believe its FREE!! Finally I can satisfy my need to install rubbish, whithout affecting my pristine installation...

But first I need to reinstall windows.

Thanks OC'ers, your all stars. Well, those who dont shout out me for saying my thing despite me even saying "just a thought" at the start of my post. You know who you are guys.

m4cc45 · 11 Oct 2006 at 07:47

Used them all.

My list at the moment is:

1. Altiris (Only for big companies really - you can tell the client to backup regularly, join to the domain, add users to groups, etc. and all at the click of a button comes with in built PXE boot where you can choose which image to deploy or tell the client to restart, deploy the image and then join it to the domain).

2. Ghost - nothing is as quick as ghost and as easy to use coupled with sysprep you have your own images in seconds

3. Anything else. Acronis is okay for me it's not great though.
With regards to VMWare it's not free if you want to do your own virtual PC's I think the player is free which allows you to run templates. It's completley different in what it does though to ghost, etc.

Just my opinion....

Raumarik · 11 Oct 2006 at 09:52

I've tried most of them too, Acronis I thought was superb but I still prefer to use Ghost. I'm not sure if I'm just more familiar with ghost or because it's simply tried and tested over several years to be exceptionally reliable, fast and frankly does what I need.

Echo toxin · 11 Oct 2006 at 09:56

VMware player is free but that only allows you to "play" pre-configured virtual machines - unless you hack it. The actual Workstation product is something you must pay for.

Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 is free and soon to be updated to version 2007, I think.

riddlermarc · 11 Oct 2006 at 10:00

VMWare Server is free: http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

TrUz · 11 Oct 2006 at 10:07

I think you can still get a free copy of Acronis 7 - link is around here somewhere.

TrUz

leaskovski · 11 Oct 2006 at 10:15

So on VMServer (the free one) you cannot create your own virtual machines?

I know on MS Virtual Machine (now free) it allows you to do this.

Does VM Server use a standard set of hardware, or are the devices that becomes visible to the VM actually the same as your devices, if you get what i mean?

Eg, Graphics card on OS is nVidea 6800GT, but graphics cards in VM is Standard SVGA Graphics Adapter.

marc2003 · 11 Oct 2006 at 10:34

just to clarify, vmware server is FULLY functional AND free.

no need to edit those config files in notepad like you had to with vmware player.....

leaskovski · 11 Oct 2006 at 15:08

Okay which has the better performance? (for all those people that have tried them)

MS VPC or VMWare?

Echo toxin · 11 Oct 2006 at 15:44

Uno momento - doesn't VMware server require a server operating system to run on, i.e. Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003?

leaskovski · 11 Oct 2006 at 15:55

Echo toxin said:
Uno momento - doesn't VMware server require a server operating system to run on, i.e. Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003?

Nope, VMWare Server is the equivilant of MS VPC. Its VMWare Player but with the option of creating virtual machines.

I just installed it on an XP machine and imported an MS VPC for win2k.

Echo toxin · 11 Oct 2006 at 16:12

I thought VMware Workstation was the equivalent of Virtual PC...

* goes off to VMware site to check *

Host System Requirements
You can install the VMware Server software on a Microsoft Windows or Linux server. You can store virtual machines on the server host or locate them on a network share.

leaskovski · 11 Oct 2006 at 16:24

My Understanding....

VMWare Server (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto any OS.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto any Windows OS.

VMWare Player (Free) - View any virtual machine you download. Cannot create them(?). Installs onto any OS.

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 (£££) - I don't know what is so great about this.

VMWare Workstation (£££) - Again, what is so good about this???

Damn this is confusing as to what product does what!

Echo toxin · 11 Oct 2006 at 16:43

leaskovski said:
VMWare Server (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto any OS.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto any Windows OS.

VMWare Player (Free) - View any virtual machine you download. Cannot create them(?). Installs onto any OS.

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 (£££) - I don't know what is so great about this.

VMWare Workstation (£££) - Again, what is so good about this???

My understanding -

VMWare Server (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto Windows or Linux SERVER OS.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto any Windows OS.

VMWare Player (Free) - View any virtual machine you download. Cannot create them. Installs onto any Windows or Linux OS.

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 (£££) - Equivalent to VMWare server.

VMWare Workstation (£££) - Equivalent to MS Virtual PC 2004.

leaskovski · 11 Oct 2006 at 16:52

Echo toxin said:
My understanding -

VMWare Server (Free) - Create virtual machines of any OS and install onto Windows or Linux SERVER OS.

Is that only onto Linux Server boxes? As i have downloaded this for free and installed onto my windows xp box.

So Basically, the best looks like it is VMWare Server (Free)...

http://www.vmware.com/download/server/

dark_matter · 11 Oct 2006 at 21:52

I have bought Acronis 9. I have now got a hidden partition. I can press F11 on the boot menu and restore my C: Partition from it. It takes about 6 minutes. I didn't like the trial I had of Ghost.

Im using VMServer. It is free. However, when I boot my machine it takes forever to boot! Whats happening? I've had to disable the VM Services as it was almost as though the VMServer was hanging the OS. It would take about 3-4 minutes after logging on to get to the desktop. I thought it might be my firewall stopping something, but it wasnt. Also disabled AV, still the same. Anyone got any ideas on this?

PinkPig · 12 Oct 2006 at 07:57

VMWare server has done the same to my PC - may well be that it's not supposed to be run on XP Home?

oddjob62 · 12 Oct 2006 at 08:13

Echo toxin said:
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 (£££) - Equivalent to VMWare server.

Nah it's free I've been using it loads recently.

VeNT · 12 Oct 2006 at 08:30

Echo toxin said:
Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 is free and soon to be updated to version 2007, I think.

and it ROCKS for anywhere that you need to let other users lose on a PC
need to do troubleshooting? VPC!
need to try a new driver? VPC!
need to try that new file you think could be a virus? VPC!
wanna visit sites with spyware on em? VPC!

get in!

leaskovski · 12 Oct 2006 at 12:40

VeNT said:
and it ROCKS for anywhere that you need to let other users lose on a PC
need to do troubleshooting? VPC!
need to try a new driver? VPC!
need to try that new file you think could be a virus? VPC!
wanna visit sites with spyware on em? VPC!

get in!

And 2007 is in beta release and its stable as mook!