Virtual Machine and Windows 7. Is it possible?

[SebSmith]

So I just bought an HP Envy 14 Beats Edition. Super sweet. Now on my last laptop (Acer 4000 Ferrari, also super schweet) it was failing me on the Windows XP due to single core AMD overheating issues. Bleh.

On my failing laptop I installed Ubuntu on a dual boot until the XP would just utterly fail in every aspect. Natural selection, I wiped my hard drive and decided to just run Ubuntu by itself until now.

Being completely in love with Ubuntu, I want to have it at the begining of my HDD on my new Envy laptop. But I also want Windows 7 on dual boot. But i'd like it at the back end of my hard drive.

Heir ist mein kampf..

In order to do this, I am getting the sneaking suspicion that I need to buy a stand alone copy of Windows 7.

Well hell, I'd really rather have Windows 7 running out of VirtualBox or Virtual Machine or whatever the heck it is. I want the Windows 7 for iPhone application syncing as well as music. the rhythm box method works for the ipod classic, but it never seems to work on iPhones right.

Do I need to buy a seperate Windows 7 OS disc? how do I do this? where can i get it? will an oem version work? if oem will work, will it work on the hdd as well as virtual box?

Solution oriented responses are much appreciated. Thank you.
-SebSmith

[123456789123456789123456]

The computer came blank no os on it?

Yes it is possible to dual boot, windows 7 and Ubuntu. as long as Ubuntu is 10.10. it should work as the main OS on the system.

You will need a copy of windows 7 if you want to start from scratch with the installation. First install Ubuntu, but use partition manager to seperate partitions, install Ubuntu and swap onto one partition map, the other leave vacent.

install windows 7 on the second partition, note that once you do that, the windows boot loader will replace the grub boot loader in MBR. Best way to accomplish installations is to partition the hard disk, install windows on the second partition, go back install ubuntu on the first partition. That way Ubuntu is first and windows second, Ubuntu Grub takes over the MBR and is able to boot both Ubuntu and Windows, if you use the other way, make sure you tell the Ubuntu installation in optional installation method, to install grub on the hard disk partiton and not MBR. then use a program for windows, cant remember the name, it basically edits the windows boot loader file, so that Ubuntu is added to the boot list, and is linked to the ubuntu partition, so that when the computer stats up, windows boot loader asks what system to start from, choose Ubuntu, it points to the Ubuntu partition and Grub takes over from there and boots the system.

[SebSmith]

The computer came blank no os on it?

No it did, but it comes stock installed on the small end(front) of hdd. i want windows 7 further back.
thank you very much for that tutorial on grub. i prefer grub loader

but i still dont understand virtual box.

[tgm4883]

No it did, but it comes stock installed on the small end(front) of hdd. i want windows 7 further back.
thank you very much for that tutorial on grub. i prefer grub loader

but i still dont understand virtual box.

I don't understand your questions. You need to purchase 1 copy of Windows 7 for every installation of Windows 7 that you want. For instance, if you want to install Windows 7 as a dual boot option, and also in a virtual box virtual machine, then you will need to purchase 2 copies of Windows 7. Windows 7 can be purchased for most electronic stores or places like amazon.com.

[SebSmith]

I don't understand your questions. You need to purchase 1 copy of Windows 7 for every installation of Windows 7 that you want. For instance, if you want to install Windows 7 as a dual boot option, and also in a virtual box virtual machine, then you will need to purchase 2 copies of Windows 7. Windows 7 can be purchased for most electronic stores or places like amazon.com.

you answered my question perfectly! thank you! now are you familiar with the oem system builder version of win7?
apparently if you install it multiple times only one version can be on at a time. does this mean that i can just buy one of those disks and use it on my computer AND the VB?

and just to clarify, i cannot move my stock manufaturer's installation of windows 7 to the back end of my har drive? i want ubuntu up front so its faster

[bruno9779]

Win7 will not install anywhere else than the beginning of the disk. At least it did when it borked my system 1.5 years ago.
Vista was just the same I reckon (but can't remember clearly).

Be careful with the recovery partition it creates. Legacy partitioning is limited to 4 primary partitions. Win7 will create 2 and WILL not tell you about it during the install process.
If you don't have enough free partitions, it will just choose another partition and will overwrite it.

[CharlesA]

you answered my question perfectly! thank you! now are you familiar with the oem system builder version of win7?
apparently if you install it multiple times only one version can be on at a time. does this mean that i can just buy one of those disks and use it on my computer AND the VB?

That's not how it works. It is only good for one copy on one machine. IIRC OEM copies cannot be virtualized, but I could be wrong, haven't read up on it in a while.

and just to clarify, i cannot move my stock manufaturer's installation of windows 7 to the back end of my har drive? i want ubuntu up front so its faster

There is no difference where a partition is located. Just resize the Windows 7 partition and install Ubuntu side-by-side. Backup your data first.

[rvchari]

Originally Posted by SebSmith
No it did, but it comes stock installed on the small end(front) of hdd. i want windows 7 further back.
thank you very much for that tutorial on grub. i prefer grub loader

but i still dont understand virtual box.


dont use virtual box OSE that is installed from ubuntu software center. it is good to install from virtualbox site, 3.2.10 / 12.
its nice to virtualise and installation is a breeze. OSE gave me lots of nightmares so i resorted to virtualbox site and installed the deb. dont forge to install the guest additions to access ur ubuntu part or data partition which must be in ubuntu part....

virtualbox forums did help me a lot in fine tuning...

[3rdalbum]

I don't know if the EULA legally prevents OEM copies from being run in a virtual machine, but I have done just that and it works without issues. Windows 7 Home Premium.

Moving anything to "the front of the disk" won't make its access faster. If you're running Ubuntu at the "end of the disk" the hard disk head will stay towards where all your data is anyway.

[Spr0k3t]

That's not how it works. It is only good for one copy on one machine. IIRC OEM copies cannot be virtualized, but I could be wrong, haven't read up on it in a while.

You are correct. The OEM licensed version of 7 can not be used in a virtual machine (legally). There are stop points in the installation that prevent it from completing an installation. Nevertheless, there are hacks to get around it... but that's way outside the scope of these forums as well as code of conduct.

The retail version of 7 on the other hand works very well in a VM.