How to set up a windows xp virtual machine?

**uRock** · May 20th, 2012

Outside of MSDNAA, I do not think it is posible to downlad a legitimate copy of Windows XP.

**lisati** · May 20th, 2012

There's always *cough* *mumble* <insert-name-of-dubious-website-I'm-not-about-to-name-it> *mumble* *mutterings about being careful* Having said that, wherever you finally get a working disk and/or ISO file from, watch out for malware.

Speaking as a forum user (and not necessarily forum staff), I'm wondering what options are available at the MS website for people in this situation. One thing I've heard of is people being able to get OEM disks from their computer manufacturer.

edit: Ninja'd with suggetsion to check MSDNAA

**uRock** · May 20th, 2012

Originally Posted by lisati

Speaking as a forum user (and not necessarily forum staff), I'm wondering what options are available at the MS website for people in this situation. One thing I've heard of is people being able to get OEM disks from their computer manufacturer.

I hunted MS's site for quite some time searching for an ISO download via their site. Couldn't find anything aside from buying Windows 7. I do not think the OEM image will install to a VBox as the installer will be looking for the mobo model, IIRC.

**lisati** · May 20th, 2012

Originally Posted by uRock

I do not think the OEM image will install to a VBox as the installer will be looking for the mobo model, IIRC.

Now that you mention it I think you have a point. Out of curiosity I once tried running the recovery disks for one of my machines on another machine by a different manufacturer. It didn't work.

@OP: good luck with your search for a safe and legal copy. I now step aside for others who might have more useful ideas.

**PhantomTurtle** · May 20th, 2012

An OEM copy will be tied to that machine and will not work with other computers. There is a similar concept in normal CD's. Downloading just any iso will not work with your key because the keys are tied to the cd and will not work without the cd iso that it originally came from. (I know, it's really stupid. And that's why we use Ubuntu, because it's awesome and lets us use what's rightfully ours).

**scottbomb** · May 20th, 2012

Any XP .iso I should install to the point at least where you enter your key. If it doesn't like the key, it will reject it. It sounds like the OP can't even get that far.

**Rebelli0us** · May 21st, 2012

You can easily make your own ISO using NLite and any Windows CD.

**emagar** · July 11th, 2012

Rebelli0us, could you expand on how to make an iso via NLite? I have a win7 recovery cd from this machine (from before I nuked windows) and wish to be able to use it with virtualBox. Thanks!

**pqwoerituytrueiwoq** · July 11th, 2012

that is unlikely to work since the recover disk will want the mobo on the host not the virtual board
any retail (or oem cd) iso/cd will work
a retail cd will work with a oem license key

you can have virtual box use a physical cd see attached image

Originally Posted by p.wolf

Do you know where I could get a working copy of windows xp? I have the registration key, just not the disc, so it should be legal.

answering this directly is not allowed but you do know how to use google
and if your xp install does not ask for a key google how to change it

**CharlesA** · July 11th, 2012

Originally Posted by pqwoerituytrueiwoq

and if your xp install does not ask for a key google how to change it

I wouldn't trust any Windows XP CD that doesn't ask for the serial. With Win7, you can bypass filling in the serial during setup, but it will prompt you to activate that copy of Windows and you'd need the serial to do that.

Of all the XP installs I have done (retail, OEM and volume) I haven't run into any that didn't ask for a serial.