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How and to Virtualize Windows 95

wattsup — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:06:48 +0000

I’m not joking, although just the thought of using Windows 95 after using Windows 7 or iOS 4 does make me laugh.. and cry a little bit

If you have a legacy application that only will run on Windows 95 first check to see if you can simply copy the program folder over to a newer system. Many older programs never required registry changes and have everything they need to run in that folder. If that is not the case proceed to virtualizing your old Windows 95 machine.

The general steps are to take an image of the Windows 95 drive. Run VMware converter to make it a virtual machine. Install VM Player or similar virtualization software and run the 95 VM.

More detailed steps:

1. Remove the Windows 95 drive from the old computer.
2. Slave it to a newer computer.
3. Using cloning software such as Acronis or Norton Ghost create a backup image of the VM and save it to the newer computers disk.
4. After taking the image start the newer computer.
5. Install VMware converter
6. Start converter and choose Convert Machine.
7. Specify the source as a backup image and point to the image you took earlier.
8. Specify the destination and type (ESX, VM Player, VM Workstation, VM Server). Both Player and Server are free.
9. Finish the wizard, keeping the defaults.
10. Install VM Player or your virtualization product of choice.
11. Start VM Player and open the VM you just created.

Isn't that the clearest WIndows 95 splash screen you've ever seen?

Got goosebumps yet?

VM Converter – Unable to obtain hardware information

wattsup — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:16:36 +0000

Problem: Using VM Converter 4.0.1 to make a v2v clone of a Windows 2008 R2 VM and receive the error “Unable to obtain hardware information for the selected machine”.

~~Solution:~~ Workaround: VM converter 4.0.1 has a bug when converting Windows 2008 R2 VMs. Either use vCenter/VIC/or edit the config file to specify the VM O/S as Vista 64bit. Refresh converter and reselect the VM. Converter will recognize the VM and allow you to clone/convert it. After the conversion change the O/S back to Windows 2008 R2 before powering back on.

VM Converter “The session is not authenticated”

wattsup — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:29:05 +0000

When selecting the destination ESX server for a VM being converted you receive the error “The session is not authenticated.

Thanks to the VMware Communities

Before rebooting the machine running converter open task manager and look for multiple instances of VM Converter running under processes. (ex. vm-converter.exe). Kill both and try again. It will ask you to restart Converter Server, click yes and proceed.

VM Tips: VMC fails at 2% sysimage.fault.NfcConnectionFault

wattsup — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:24:17 +0000

VMC (VM Converter) is a great and free tool released by VMWare to assist in cloning VMs and making physical machines into virtual machines and vice versa.

If you receive the error

P2VError UNKNOWN_METHOD_FAULT(sysimage.fault.NfcConnectionFault)

In Converter Wizard, at Source Data wizard page, pick “Select volumes and resize to save or add space” option. Select all the volumes and don’t resize any disks.