installing windows server 2003 on virtual PC

[stolenblessing]

Hello Guys..

I want to install windows Server 2003 on Virtual PC 2007.

Please guide me with the steps..

Thanks...

[greenbrucelee]

First you need a copy of windows server, then you set uo a vitual host by selecting the appropriate button (can't remember what is) then you put in the disk and install it to the host pc and configure it as you would normally along the way.

[Sparky]

1- Download Virtual PC 2007
2- Create a virtual machine.
3- Make sure it is configured to boot from CD
4- Put server 2003 CD in the CD drive
5- Start Virtual machine
6- When prompted to "Boot from CD" press any key.
7- Follow the setup for Server 2003


Job done.

[Stoney]

Or you can install using an ISO, but you need something like Virtual CD Rom to emulate the CD drive.

[Frank_Sposaro]

Hello. I am having problems getting a bootable ISO for Windows Server 2003. I downloaded "w2k3sp2_3959_usa_x86fre_spcd" from the MSDN site, but that is still not working. Can anyone send me, or refer me to where I can find another one?

Thanks
Frank.Sposaro@gmail.com

[Frank_Sposaro]

I find one. We got it through a MSDN Subscription

[simongrahamuk]

Originally Posted by Frank_Sposaro

Hello. I am having problems getting a bootable ISO for Windows Server 2003. I downloaded "w2k3sp2_3959_usa_x86fre_spcd" from the MSDN site, but that is still not working. Can anyone send me, or refer me to where I can find another one?

Thanks
Frank.Sposaro@gmail.com

erm, might be wrong but I think thats the service pack cd that you have.

[JammyBStard]

Originally Posted by Sparky

1- Download Virtual PC 2007
2- Create a virtual machine.
3- Make sure it is configured to boot from CD
4- Put server 2003 CD in the CD drive
5- Start Virtual machine
6- When prompted to "Boot from CD" press any key.
7- Follow the setup for Server 2003


Job done.

Can I ask, How much hard-disk space does this require?

[Frank_Sposaro]

You only need a few gigs of space to install the ISO. However, this is variable on my VM. We are running all of our VMs at 10g. But keep in mind that we really don't need the extra space on them. They are linked up to the same network drive.

[JammyBStard]

Originally Posted by Frank_Sposaro

You only need a few gigs of space to install the ISO. However, this is variable on my VM. We are running all of our VMs at 10g. But keep in mind that we really don't need the extra space on them. They are linked up to the same network drive.

So you have several virtual machines using the same 10gig space on a network drive? Or several virtual machines with their own 10gig space on the same network drive?

I'm working on this stuff at my girlfreinds not at home where my network drive is, so I wondering about running some VMs using an external USB drive on my Laptop, possible even my ipod which has a spare 15gigs on it!

Feel free to shoot me down!

[Stoney]

A virtual hard disk that has a clean install of Windows Server 2003 is approx 1.5GB in size. As you add more components and programs to the virtual machine the size of vhd file will grow.

I would allocate approx 5 - 10 GB of data on your pc/network drive/whatever for each virtual machine disk. You can limit the physical size that the vhd files will take up on your pc so that they don't grow and eat all your disk space.

You can run vhd files off an external USB hard disk but you may find the virtual server responds a bit slower than if the vhd's were saved on an internal IDE/SATA hard drive. Not sure about the iPOD, I don't see why not if you can use it as a regular external drive.

HTH

[Tinus1959]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Or you can install using an ISO, but you need something like Virtual CD Rom to emulate the CD drive.

Nope, Virtual PC support iso file itself. Just right click on the CD icon in the statusbar and choose capture Iso file.

[Tinus1959]

Originally Posted by JammyBStard

Can I ask, How much hard-disk space does this require?

The virtual disks are dynamic. Just make sure you have enough space to support the disk-file which is created.

[Stoney]

Nope, Virtual PC support iso file itself. Just right click on the CD icon in the statusbar and choose capture Iso file.

Yeah I only realised that about a month or so ago! I think you used to have to use a virtual CD emulator with early VPC 2004 and I never realised they added native ISO image support.

[greenbrucelee]

You can also use a free program called Daemon tools lite which turns iso into a virtual cd and cd drive so when you open virtual pc you just selct the deamon CD and it installs as if it where a real cd.