How to use “Virtual PC 2004” to test-boot BartPE ISOs
Virtual PC 2004
is is a great (and free) tester for your Reatogo CDs.
It allows you to boot the ISO without burning a CD.
However your CD has to include the special drivers etc. for it so that the emulated soundcard and network card etc. are supported.
The plugin for “VMAdditions XP VirtPC 2004” does that for you.
created by Reatogo and Mustang,
This plugin is standalone (does not depend on the Reatogo setup).
The plugin is for XP and 2k3 source
The needed files can normally only be collected if you actually install WinXP on a Virt. Machine, install the VMAdditions to it, boot your “virtual XP installation” and then copy the files from within that virtual boot.
With THIS plugin, you do NOT have to install XP on a virtual machine just to get these files. The plugin extracts the files from
"%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Virtual PC\Virtual Machine Additions\VMAdditions.iso"
within your REAL XP installation.
Included in the plugin is also a “TEMPLATE_DISK.vhd” for you, which is a virtual hard drive that is already formatted with NTFS and ready to use. To get this disk whould otherwise also require a virt. Machine with XP installed. A virtual machine can have max. 3 disks. Just rename copies of the template and point the virt. machine to them.
In short:
If you just want to use the Virtual PC as a tester for ISOs, the plugin and the disk template allows you to set up for that without installing XP to a virtual machine.
PROCEDURE:
1.) Download and install the free Virtual PC 2004 from MS
2.) Create a virtual machine using the wizard of the program.
Use the attached “TEMPLATE_DISK.vhd” as a hard disk for the new virt. Machine you created. (Already formatted with NTFS and ready to use)
3.) Configure the plugin for “VMAdditions XP VirtPC 2004”
4.) Build your recovery CD (ISO) including the VMAdditions from (3)
5.) Start the virtual Machine and point it to the ISO you want to boot:
How to point it to the ISO you want to boot:
ReatogoBuilder.iso booting on Virtual PC 2004 ...
