Back from the Shop...

[nas8e9]

OK, just opened the Win7 package and out come 2 DVDs:
- OEM preinstallation kit
- Win7 Pro 64

Do I need the first one at all???

Not that I know of. I'd create an image file of the the Windows 7 install DVD with ImgBurn and use the resulting .iso file to install Windows 7 in VirtualBox.

One licensing wrinkle: the license of the OEM/system builder version you have, is tied to the motherboard. If you intend to use the copy you've just bought to only be used in VirtualBox and not on your new PC, there's no problem (although I would delay activation as long as possible in any case per my previous post), but if you intend to use it eventually on your new PC I'd definitely delay activation.

OT: The motherboard as licensing linchpin is since Vista.

[admin]

Thanks for the tips!

OK, VirtualBox 3.1.6 installed. Win7 DVD .iso image created on 1st harddisk. 2nd harddisk empty with 931 GB waiting to be wasted.

Now looking at VirtualBox. I guess some configuration is necessary:

vbox_settings.png (8.28 KiB) Viewed 1573 times

I assume that the default folders should be better somewhere on my new big disk???
Any other things to care of before starting the install?

And then, after configuration, I press "New", and...?

[nas8e9]

Thanks for the tips!

OK, VirtualBox 3.1.6 installed. Win7 DVD .iso image created on 1st harddisk. 2nd harddisk empty with 931 GB waiting to be wasted.

Now looking at VirtualBox. I guess some configuration is necessary:

vbox_settings.png

I assume that the default folders should be better somewhere on my new big disk???
Any other things to care of before starting the install?

And then, after configuration, I press "New", and...?

File > Settings: only the default folders need to be set.

To create a new VM:
- press the New button (thorough again... );
- press Next;
- in the VM Name and OS Type screen:
- enter a Name;
- select Microsoft Windows with *Windows 7 (64 bit)" as version. This step is critical in that it sets some highly technical if not obscure options;
- set the Base Memory Size (assuming 4 GB RAM) to 2 GB, half if you're running with 2 GB RAM;
- create new hard disk;
- leave the Storage Type set to Dynamically expanding storage;
- set the size to anything above the recommended 20 GB; I'd go for 50 GB. That much room is only used if you fill the virtual HD to capacity; if you're only installing Windows 7, the actual space use on the host's HD will be much lower;
- click Finish two times.

You should now see the name of the newly created VM in the left panel.

Two bonus tips with regard to screen resolution:
1. after creating the VM as described above:
- fully exit VirtualBox;
- change to the VirtualBox program folder (should be C:\Program Files\Sun\VirtualBox) containing VBoxManage.exe;
- open a command prompt as Administrator:
- execute the following command:
VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution any
- restart VirtualBox.
2. When the VM starts, it will do so in a non-maximized window. By maximizing it and keeping it that way, Windows 7 can use your full horizontal resolution.

Finally, when Windows 7 is installed, the very first thing you should do is install the Guest Additions. These contain special drivers and utilities to enable seamless mouse integration among other things. This is done as follows:
- press Right Ctrl to move focus from the guest to the host;
- select Devices > Install Guest Additions and follow the prompts.
After this is complete, you can move the mouse seamlessly between guest and host. By clicking outside the guest, keyboard input is moved back to the host.

Unlike VMware's products, VirtualBox unfortunately does not support drag-and-dropping files between host and guest. Section 4.7 of VB's help file details how to set up file sharing in the guest to access your host's files.

I'm unfortunately off-line for the rest of the evening. Good luck!

[admin]

Thanks for the tips!

OK, VirtualBox 3.1.6 installed. Win7 DVD .iso image created on 1st harddisk. 2nd harddisk empty with 931 GB waiting to be wasted.

Now looking at VirtualBox. I guess some configuration is necessary:

vbox_settings.png

I assume that the default folders should be better somewhere on my new big disk???
Any other things to care of before starting the install?

And then, after configuration, I press "New", and...?

File > Settings: only the default folders need to be set.

To create a new VM:
- press the New button (thorough again... );
- press Next;
- in the VM Name and OS Type screen:
- enter a Name;
- select Microsoft Windows with *Windows 7 (64 bit)" as version. This step is critical in that it sets some highly technical if not obscure options;
- set the Base Memory Size (assuming 4 GB RAM) to 2 GB, half if you're running with 2 GB RAM;
- create new hard disk;
- leave the Storage Type set to Dynamically expanding storage;
- set the size to anything above the recommended 20 GB; I'd go for 50 GB. That much room is only used if you fill the virtual HD to capacity; if you're only installing Windows 7, the actual space use on the host's HD will be much lower;
- click Finish two times.

You should now see the name of the newly created VM in the left panel.

Two bonus tips with regard to screen resolution:
1. after creating the VM as described above:
- fully exit VirtualBox;
- change to the VirtualBox program folder (should be C:\Program Files\Sun\VirtualBox) containing VBoxManage.exe;
- open a command prompt as Administrator:
- execute the following command:
VBoxManage setextradata global GUI/MaxGuestResolution any
- restart VirtualBox.
2. When the VM starts, it will do so in a non-maximized window. By maximizing it and keeping it that way, Windows 7 can use your full horizontal resolution.

Finally, when Windows 7 is installed, the very first thing you should do is install the Guest Additions. These contain special drivers and utilities to enable seamless mouse integration among other things. This is done as follows:
- press Right Ctrl to move focus from the guest to the host;
- select Devices > Install Guest Additions and follow the prompts.
After this is complete, you can move the mouse seamlessly between guest and host. By clicking outside the guest, keyboard input is moved back to the host.

Unlike VMware's products, VirtualBox unfortunately does not support drag-and-dropping files between host and guest. Section 4.7 of VB's help file details how to set up file sharing in the guest to access your host's files.

I'm unfortunately off-line for the rest of the evening. Good luck!

Thanks a lot!

[nas8e9]

Forgot one thing: attaching the .iso file:
- Settings > Storage;
- select the CD/DVD device;
- click the folder icon with a green upward-pointing arrow;
- in the Virtual Media Manager:
- click Add;
- select the .iso file in the file dialog;
- select the .iso file in the Virtual Media Manager and click the Select button;
- click OK to close the Settings window.

[admin]

Forgot one thing: attaching the .iso file:
- Settings > Storage;
- select the CD/DVD device;
- click the folder icon with a green upward-pointing arrow;
- in the Virtual Media Manager:
- click Add;
- select the .iso file in the file dialog;
- select the .iso file in the Virtual Media Manager and click the Select button;
- click OK to close the Settings window.

Cool, thanks.

It will have to wait until tomorrow because I first want to buy the additional RAM.

[nas8e9]

FYI: VirtualBox 3.1.8 has been released. At least one bugfix (VMM: fixed massive display performance loss (AMD-V with nested paging only)) seems pertinent.

My experience with VirtualBox updates is that the safest way is to uninstall the previous version, reboot and then reinstall the new one. A bit of a pain, but I've seen an upgrade installation resulting in VirtualBox not working correctly.

[admin]

FYI: VirtualBox 3.1.8 has been released. At least one bugfix (VMM: fixed massive display performance loss (AMD-V with nested paging only)) seems pertinent.

My experience with VirtualBox updates is that the safest way is to uninstall the previous version, reboot and then reinstall the new one. A bit of a pain, but I've seen an upgrade installation resulting in VirtualBox not working correctly.

Just in time.

[admin]

Alright, all running! The 4 GB works fine, I now got Win7 Pro 64 in Virtual Box, and it took me 1 minute to reproduce the error 10 in XYplorer 9.10.

I now have to install my programming environment in Win7 and a couple of other things... getting closer...

BTW, Win7 looks ugly.

[admin]

My Virtual Win7 now does not see any files on my XP system, nor does it recognize any of my DVD or USB drives. Currently my only way to share files is to upload them in XP and download them in Win7.

Is the only way to share files "Shared Folders" thing, or can I use an DVD or USB drive somehow?

[zer0]

BTW, Win7 looks ugly.

Do you have Aero enabled? What's ugly about it?

[admin]

BTW, Win7 looks ugly.

Do you have Aero enabled? What's ugly about it?

Well, Aero does not work at the moment. Here's some German: "Aero-Darstellungen werden von der aktuellen Grafikkarte möglicherweise unterstützt, wenn der Treiber mit Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) kompatibel ist. Einen WDDM-kompatiblen Treiber erhalten Sie vom Hersteller des Computers bzw. der Grafikkarte."

But, Aero apart, the general colors are a bit depressive IMO, and when I look at XYplorer menu bar I want to look somewhere else quickly. Horrible.

[admin]

BTW, Win7 looks ugly.

Do you have Aero enabled? What's ugly about it?

Well, Aero does not work at the moment. Here's some German: "Aero-Darstellungen werden von der aktuellen Grafikkarte möglicherweise unterstützt, wenn der Treiber mit Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) kompatibel ist. Einen WDDM-kompatiblen Treiber erhalten Sie vom Hersteller des Computers bzw. der Grafikkarte."

But, Aero apart, the general colors are a bit depressive IMO, and when I look at XYplorer menu bar I want to look somewhere else quickly. Horrible.

I found only a BETA driver for my graphic card (Grafik Geforce 6100 Shared):
Nvidia GeForce 181.71 Beta 64 Bit (110 MB)
Does anybody happen to know if this is really the latest?

[ale]

My Virtual Win7 now does not see any files on my XP system, nor does it recognize any of my DVD or USB drives. Currently my only way to share files is to upload them in XP and download them in Win7.

Is the only way to share files "Shared Folders" thing, or can I use an DVD or USB drive somehow?

A workaround is to build an .iso file with something like ImgBurn and then mount the resulting .iso to the virtual machine. Did you intall the "Guest Additions"? it's the only most important thing to do after installing the guest, to improve the performance and usability of the virtual machine. As far as I know VirtualBox doesn't support Aero (yet), only VMware products do.

[zer0]

But, Aero apart, the general colors are a bit depressive IMO, and when I look at XYplorer menu bar I want to look somewhere else quickly. Horrible.

That's why I hide it That being said, GUI can be coded to one's heart's content. Since XY wasn't coded to include all the bells and whistles of Win 7 -- GPU acceleration, skinning and the like -- one can't expect it to look all pretty.

I found only a BETA driver for my graphic card (Grafik Geforce 6100 Shared):
Nvidia GeForce 181.71 Beta 64 Bit (110 MB)
Does anybody happen to know if this is really the latest?

This one looks to be newer:

Code: Select all

Version: 197.57 BETA
Release Date: 2010.05.03
Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit
Language:English (U.S.)
File Size: 142 MB