How To Install Windows Xp On Vmware

Table of contents

Introduction
Windows XP Installation Media and Product Activation
1. Windows XP Fashion "Special Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License"
2. Windows XP Mainstream Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License
3. Windows XP Professional Volume License / Corporate Licenses
4. Windows XP Retail Full License
5. Windows XP Small Organisation Builder Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License
Setting up the Windows XP VM
Installing Windows XP
Installing VMware Tools
Microsoft Product Activation
Connecting Hardware via USB
Connecting Hardware via Series Ports

Introduction

There are different reasons for using a Virtual Auto. One of the reasons is merely to run Legacy Software. If you have the setup files for all your software you can create a new Windows XP VM and re-create then over to the VM and install your legacy software. If you don't have access to all the installers for your software you lot are best to convert your onetime PC to a Virtual Auto post-obit the procedure:

The most difficult matter about setting up a Windows XP VM is obtaining an installation ISO and Activating Windows XP.

Windows XP Mode "Special Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License"

At that place is a Virtual Auto License known every bit XP Way. XP Manner is a special Original Equipment Manufacturer License variant chosen "XP Manner" which activates under the same activation mechanism equally an OEM. In this example the OEM is Microsoft and they accept made a Virtual Machine opposed to a Physical one. It can be downloaded from Microsoft.

Windows XP Mode VHD Download
OEM SLP Key Included
OEM SLIC ane.0 Included in Virtual Machines BIOS

Unfortunately there are two main snags with XP Fashion:

Firstly Microsoft'south Virtual Machine and associated Virtualisation Tools are substandard notwithstanding nosotros tin easily convert this into a VM for utilize in VMware.
The second is the activation machinery, XP Way has a Virtual BIOS which contains the OEM SLP string Windows_Virtual_XP_F9161D8E7FCC11DDB FAA369856D89593 allowing OEM SLP to take identify. This activation mechanism works for Windows 7 Professional/Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise. However this activation machinery is omitted from Windows viii.1 Pro and more importantly Windows 10 Pro (even though Windows ten Pro is an update to these Windows 7 Products). Without this activation mechanism the VM volition but concluding 30 Days.

For more details see:

Windows XP Mainstream Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License

Designed for OEMs that shipped thousands of units.

Windows XP Professional person/Dwelling/Media Center ISO
Windows XP Professional/Home/Media Center
Offline Product Activation – OEM SLIC ane.0

The OEM License is the Windows License that comes arranged with hardware such as a Dell PC. It is designed to be tied to the hardware with support for the Windows Production and the hardware coming from the PC manufacturer for example Dell.

xp1 — ↑Dell Windows XP Reinstallation CDs↑

Windows XP OEM Reinstallation ISO including the Dell Reinstallation CD/DVDs. These have an OEM Organization Locked Preinstallation (SLP) Product Key which will be automatically installed and activate offline if the VM has a System License Internal Lawmaking (SLIC) of 1.0-2.1. Unfortunately the VMware Virtual Machine'south BIOS doesn't past default and you will get a 30 Day Trial.

Installation Media for these are not officially downloadable. The WinWorld Library doesn't include Windows XP yet.

Unofficially downloads of these accept been made aslope a modded ROM which includes Dell OEM SLIC ane.0. The ROM must be copied into the Virtual Machine'due south folder and the Virtual Machine configuration file must be modified.

The Virtual Machine must be setup without loading the ISO during creation of the Virtual Machine's Virtual Hardware to prevent "VMware's Piece of cake Install" which also breaks OEM SLP. With these workarounds a Dell Windows XP Pro install within VMware volition activate on a Dell Windows 10 Pro PC.

Windows XP Professional person Volume License / Corporate Licenses

Windows XP Professional Corporate ISO
Windows XP Professional Corporate Multi-Use Product Key
Offline Product Activation

These licenses were designed for big organisations such equally governments, large companies and universities and were in essence designed with the intent of existence imaged by Information technology departments. As Product Activation was primitive in the time of Windows XP and Microsoft didn't want to waste the time of Information technology departments, a Multi-Employ Product Key was supplied with the installation ISO and Offline Product activation occurred.

From a technical aspect these ISOs could exist used for a clean installation on new hardware and are the best for Virtual Machines.

From the terms in the license understanding, they were to merely exist used on hardware that had an existing Windows License ordinarily this would exist an OEM License and a Virtual Machine won't take an OEM License.

There is no official download links for these ISOs. The WinWorld Library doesn't include Windows XP yet.

Windows XP Retail Full License

Windows XP Professional/Home Retail ISO
Windows XP Retail Product Key
Microsoft Phone Activation

Retail Full Licenses were designed with the power for transferring to newer hardware and can be legally used in Virtual Machines.

There is no official download links for these ISOs. The WinWorld Library doesn't include Windows XP yet.

Note however that at that place were two types of Retail License. Retail and Retail Upgrade. The Retail Upgrade Licenses and Retail Upgrade installation media were Upgrade Only and cannot be used for straight clean installation on a Virtual Machine. Upgrade Installs atomic number 82 to inferior performance and VMTools won't work right going from one version of Windows to another.

Windows XP Small System Builder Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) License

Designed for OEMs that shipped ten's of units.

Windows XP Professional/Home OEM System Builder ISO
Windows XP OEM Product Key
Microsoft Phone Activation

These OEM Licenses differed from the mainstream OEM License and were very poorly understood. Equally a outcome they were usually incorrectly licensed. They were cheaper than Retail Windows XP Licenses but their purpose was for small local Computer Manufacturers or small OEMs. They were only to be sold consummate with the computer as a package onto an finish user. They were non designed direct for personal use. Sales of these licenses greatly exceeded retail licenses. Because these licenses were OEM they were designed to be installed on concrete hardware and were designed to exist tied to the hardware i.e. not-transferable. In a VM Microsoft might activate these past phone but it is at their discretion. These do not use OEM Arrangement Locked Preinstallation.

Setting up the Windows XP VM

VMware role player can be downloaded from here:

Launch VMware Workstation Player:

Select Player → File → New Virtual Machine…

Do non load the ISO here as it volition trigger VMwares auto install. Instead select I volition install the Operating System Later:

Select Microsoft Windows:

You can use the default names given but take a note of the Location as we will need to access it afterwards:

The Virtual Difficult Drive is setup by default to have a maximum size of twoscore GB. You lot tin increase this up to 120 GB (if you accept a large capacity SSD on your host PC). Once you lot've made your select, select Next:

Past default VMware volition give very poor default hardware. To amend this select Customise Hardware. This guide assumes you are running a mod (5 years old) Windows 10 PC or ane of the last PCs that supported Windows 7 (i.e. a 6th Generation Skylake i5/i7 Processor with at least 8 GB of RAM) with Windows 7 Pro.

Alter the RAM to 4 GB. Windows XP Mode is a 32 Flake Os and can use up to a maximum of 4 GB.

Change the number of Cores to ii otherwise the VM will run very slowly:

Select Use ISO ISO File and Browse to your XP ISO. In this case I will apply a Dell Windows XP Pro Reinstallation ISO:

It is ill brash to connect a >half dozen Years Stop of Life Bone to the cyberspace. And then nether Network Adaptor, uncheck Connect at Power On:

There is only support for USB 2.0 on Windows XP:

Go out the Audio Bill of fare every bit default:

Exit the Printer equally Default:

Upward the Brandish to i GB:

When done select Close:

Select Terminate:

Installing Windows XP

Now you lot tin press the Play Button and begin installation of Windows XP:

You can click into the VM with the mouse. To escape the VM use the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl] + [Alt].

Press [↵] to begin installing Windows XP:

Press [F8] to accept the License Understanding:

Printing [↵] to begin installing Windows XP on the Virtual Disk:

Printing [↵] to format the Virtual Disk:

The Windows XP setup volition format the Virtual Bulldoze, copy files over and and then restart the Virtual Machine:

In the next screen you volition be given the linguistic communication settings. Select Customize.

I volition update my linguistic communication settings to English (Uk). In one case y'all have made the changes select Use and so Okay:

I will also change my keyboard to English (Britain):

Once yous have the correct settings, select Next:

Input your user and select Side by side:

Input the proper name of your VM and select Side by side:

Select your timezone and select Next:

Use the default settings for Network and Workgroup (we are going to exit XP offline anyway):

Select OK when the Windows XP Setup asks most changing resolution. Select OK again to ostend the changes:

Y'all will now get to the last stages of the Windows setup and the Welcome to Windows vocal should brainstorm.

Select Next:

At that place are no XP Updates and the VM will remain offline so select Not Right Now and and so Adjacent:

Nosotros are leaving the PC offline so select Skip in this screen:

Select No, Non at this time and then select Adjacent:

Input your user name and select Side by side:

Finally select Finish:

You will reach the Windows XP Desktop:

You volition achieve the Windows XP Desktop.

To the bottom right select Install Tools

If this yellow balloon doesn't display, select Player → Manage → Install VMware Tools:

The VMware tools setup should automatically begin. Select Next:

Select Next once more:

Select Install:

Select End:

Select Yes to Restart the VM:

Y'all will get some nags in the notification corner. Click the Security Center Icon and select Change the way Security Heart notifies me:

Uncheck Automated Updates and Antivirus:

You volition also go the balloon popular upwards for the Tour. Click it in one case:

Select Play the non-blithe bout and and then select Adjacent. This shouldn't nag y'all anymore:

You should now be able to resize the VM and drag and drop files between the VM and the Host PC.

Microsoft Production Activation

If y'all have installed Windows XP using the Windows XP Professional person Corporate media there should be no nags for Production Activation (it will occur automatically in the groundwork).

If you have installed using Retail of OEM installation media you will get a nag informing you that you have only 30 days left for Microsoft Product Activation:

If using a Retail or OEM License, you can double click this airship. Then select yes I desire to phone a customer service representative and so select next:

Select your state and then call the number and provide your system installation identification number to the automated Product Activation System. You lot should be returned a confirmation identification number, input information technology and select Next so Finish.

For a Retail License provided it hasn't be activated multiple times within a 6 month period, activation should go off without any hitches. If you are using an OEM License, for telephone activation you'll need to go through the aforementioned procedure all the same the automated phone organisation will fail. You will need to speak to a client service representative and it is at their discretion to allow or decline product activation. Strictly according to the License Agreement they can reject Product Activation of OEM Licenses however as mentioned before OEM was extremely poorly understood in the days of Windows XP and Microsoft have became more lenient when it comes to Product Activation. They will likely ask for an OEM Product Central nevertheless.

To utilise Dell OEM SLP to your VM using the custom ROM.

Add the VM15.1_DELL2.5_BIOS.440_SLIC.ROM to the VMs folder. Then right click the VMware configuration file and select Edit with Notepad ++

Add the post-obit lines:

acpi.passthru.slic = "TRUE" acpi.passthru.slicvendor = "TRUE" SMBIOS.reflecthost = "TRUE" bios440.filename = "VM15.1_DELL2.5_BIOS.440_SLIC.rom"

Then commencement your VM up equally normal it will use the Virtual BIOS with the SLIC 1.0 included.

Connecting Hardware via USB

It is relatively easy to connect hardware to VMs by USB.

I will use the simple example of connecting to a USB Device, an Epson V33, this has modern drivers so tin can be ran in Windows 10 natively but we tin can pretend it doesn't and use the XP VM to connect to information technology, install the commuter software for it and use it to browse an image and so re-create the prototype to the host.

The software used above is an Epson V33 scanner which has a USB port, this has updated driver software for Windows 10 64 Fleck but nosotros volition pretend it doesn't have updated commuter software and connect to it through a VM via virtualisation. I want to run Windows XP 32 Bit on a Windows 10 64 Bit host and connect to the scanner using a USB Port. This is pretty easy to practise. However if you are doing this with a more sophisticated scientific instrument for instance your life may not be then simple… Software may also be on a CD/DVD drive and may require the CD to be present in an optical drive to launch the setup. The software may also have a protection USB that needs to be continued to the VM in order for the software to launch. Your hardware may also use Serial Ports. Your specialised hardware may need access to a Bootable Floppy Disc.

If I open up the Device Manager in the host and the VM. I can run across the Epson scanner shows nether the host.

We can select Player → Removable Devices → Epson V330 → Connect.

Information technology at present shows in the invitee's Device Managing director and does not brandish under the host's Device Managing director:

We have the driver installation software on the host. And so nosotros can drag and drop the folder across or if it's in ISO format, load it via the VM Virtual Drive… Information technology should be seamless but sometimes the drag and drop from host to VM guest or vice versa, may have a few attempts and resizing the VM tin sometimes help.

The setup files will re-create across:

You can now install the Windows XP driver:

Now I can use the VM to browse from the scanner:

I become the scanned image.

Now I can drag and drop information technology back through to the host:

I can now utilize all the programs on my Windows 10 PC to edit the Image or to email information technology etc. This was an example using a scanner but its a skillful demonstration. This could equally have been a very expensive scientific instrument with no modern software and an ageing PC that needs replaced with a more reliable VM.

Connecting Hardware via Serial Ports

For Series Ports its a bit more catchy. I've found the post-obit by plugable to be the most useful and have tested them on several legacy scientific instruments in the lab. The following are chapter links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.britain. No driver is required for the Windows 10 Host and these can be passed onto the Virtual Motorcar every bit Virtual Serial Ports. The Virtual Serial Port Driver will be included within VMware Tools.

Make sure your VM is powered down. Insert your USB to Serial Adapter (see recommendation in a higher place). Right click the start button and select Device Director:

I can come across the Devices listed:

These USB to serial ports work very well with VMware thespian. Open VMware player. To utilise Serial Ports go to Player → File → Preferences…:

Select Change Settings, accept the User Business relationship Control:

Then select Enable Virtual Printers and then select ok:

Now highlight your VM and select Edit Virtual Machine Settings:

Select Add…:

Select Series Port and so select next:

Select Use physical serial port on the host so select next:

Select the Serial Port you desire to Add together and select Finish:

Repeat for any other Serial Ports. You should encounter them listed. Unfortunately a Windows XP VM has COM1 on the virtual machine assigned and as a consequence has assigned Serial Port COM1 on the host to Series Port COM2 on the guest. This should be amended. In this instance COM3 is assigned as COM3 on both the host and guest:

Since these are USB to Series Ports. Note that we want the VM to use them as Series Ports and hence for the Host to retain them as USB Devices. Therefore the Serial Ports should exist Enabled in the VM (checked) and the USB Devices shouldn't exist Enabled (unchecked) in the VM.

The Device Managing director should be opened in the VM:

Right click COM1 and select Properties:

Select Port Settings:

Select Advanced:

Now change the COM port number to an unused Port e.g. COM256 and select OK:

You'll need to refresh the Device Managing director to make the changes:

Repeat the procedure for COM2 and assign it to COM1. Now the Host COM port designation and Invitee COM port designation match which should prevent confusion moreover certain Com ports numbers may need to exist designed for your legacy software to interface with the hardware correctly.

Yous can now command devices by plugging them into the series/parallel ports of the host PC and past launching the legacy software in the VM in an identical manner to the USB scanner I demonstrated earlier.