Running a Windows partition through Virtualbox
 

Hi guys,

This may seem like a stupid question, but I freely admit to being totally clueless about Virtualization.

I really do not want to have to continue to use Windows, but have little choice, since 2 major and complex applications I rely on are not available under Linux or Unix. This really pisses me off, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I run these apps from a Windows partition on the Unix box I'm using to write this question. This is a hassle I could do without, having to reboot from one installation to the other and whatnot.

How would I go about running these apps under Virtualbox instead? I have no idea where to even begin to start. I just need some sort of brief overview of how best to go about this. I have zero idea of what I should do. Can some kind soul clue me up, please?

Thanks, CC.

What applications do you want to run and which version of windows do you run them on? VirtualBox runs WinXP very well but, in general, you can't run graphically intense applications like games or CAD software(limited DirectX support). Also, usb support in a guest WinXP on VirtualBox can be tricky if the program you want to run need access to a usb device.

Thanks. Doesn't sound too good, then. One is Magix Movie Edit Pro which can be used to make films and the other is a SPICE simulator which models complex electronic circuit behaviour graphically.

You can run a windows partiton from most emulators, how to's on web for most VM's. Not a real great idea but can be done, it has some risks maybe still.

Can also convert to VM if you want to be sure it will not affect the system. P2V or MS's Disk2vhd or VMware's converter may work.