Virtual PC

Is it possible for me to install Virtual PC on an external harddrive as if it
was a pc?

Do I need the Installation software for whatever I would like make virtual.
For example Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

I am studying for my MCSE. I do not have an extra pc and I think someone
told me I could use an external harddrive. Please advise. Thank you.

Virtual PC is a program that installs on you computer like any other
program. You can store the virtual machines on an external hard disk -
but you do not have to. The virtual machines are just a couple of files
(the biggest one being the "virtual hard disk" - which looks like a
whole hard disk to the virtual machine, but is just a single file on the
physical computer) and you can store these files anywhere on the
physical computer.

You do need to have the installation media for the operating systems
that you want to install.

Cheers,
Benjamin Armstrong
===========================
Senior Program Manager Lead
Windows Virtualization

Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy
Book: http://tinyurl.com/ysxcbm

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights. You assume all risk for your use.

ocean wrote:
> Is it possible for me to install Virtual PC on an external harddrive as if it
> was a pc?
>
> Do I need the Installation software for whatever I would like make virtual.
> For example Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
>
> I am studying for my MCSE. I do not have an extra pc and I think someone
> told me I could use an external harddrive. Please advise. Thank you.

Thank you Benjamin for answering my question so quickly. I appreciate it.

I am currently studying for the 270 exam and a lot of the questions are about
permission over a domain. How can I create these scenarios through the
virtual machines? Can I set up a virtual network? or a virtual printer? It
is hard to describe, but I am sure you took your 270 at some point.

"Benjamin Armstrong [MSFT]" wrote:

> Virtual PC is a program that installs on you computer like any other
> program. You can store the virtual machines on an external hard disk -
> but you do not have to. The virtual machines are just a couple of files
> (the biggest one being the "virtual hard disk" - which looks like a
> whole hard disk to the virtual machine, but is just a single file on the
> physical computer) and you can store these files anywhere on the
> physical computer.
>
> You do need to have the installation media for the operating systems
> that you want to install.
>
> Cheers,
> Benjamin Armstrong
> ===========================
> Senior Program Manager Lead
> Windows Virtualization
>
> Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy
> Book: http://tinyurl.com/ysxcbm
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights. You assume all risk for your use.
>
> ocean wrote:
> > Is it possible for me to install Virtual PC on an external harddrive as if it
> > was a pc?
> >
> > Do I need the Installation software for whatever I would like make virtual.
> > For example Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
> >
> > I am studying for my MCSE. I do not have an extra pc and I think someone
> > told me I could use an external harddrive. Please advise. Thank you.
>

This is all possible. You basically need to create multiple virtual
machines (at least two, probably three - one domain controller, one
secondary server and one client). You can setup all virtual machines on
a private "virtual machine only" virtual network - and do any
configuration you need to do.

For learning how to setup printer security - I would recommend getting
one of the software PDF printers and installing it in the server virtual
machine. I like to use this one:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

It looks just like a printer - but just spits out PDF files instead of
needing paper :-)

Cheers,
Benjamin Armstrong
===========================
Senior Program Manager Lead
Windows Virtualization

Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy
Book: http://tinyurl.com/ysxcbm

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights. You assume all risk for your use.

ocean wrote:
> Thank you Benjamin for answering my question so quickly. I appreciate it.
>
> I am currently studying for the 270 exam and a lot of the questions are about
> permission over a domain. How can I create these scenarios through the
> virtual machines? Can I set up a virtual network? or a virtual printer? It
> is hard to describe, but I am sure you took your 270 at some point.
>
> "Benjamin Armstrong [MSFT]" wrote:
>
>> Virtual PC is a program that installs on you computer like any other
>> program. You can store the virtual machines on an external hard disk -
>> but you do not have to. The virtual machines are just a couple of files
>> (the biggest one being the "virtual hard disk" - which looks like a
>> whole hard disk to the virtual machine, but is just a single file on the
>> physical computer) and you can store these files anywhere on the
>> physical computer.
>>
>> You do need to have the installation media for the operating systems
>> that you want to install.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Benjamin Armstrong
>> ===========================
>> Senior Program Manager Lead
>> Windows Virtualization
>>
>> Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy
>> Book: http://tinyurl.com/ysxcbm
>>
>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
>> rights. You assume all risk for your use.
>>
>> ocean wrote:
>>> Is it possible for me to install Virtual PC on an external harddrive as if it
>>> was a pc?
>>>
>>> Do I need the Installation software for whatever I would like make virtual.
>>> For example Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
>>>
>>> I am studying for my MCSE. I do not have an extra pc and I think someone
>>> told me I could use an external harddrive. Please advise. Thank you.

Benjamin Armstrong [MSFT] wrote:
> For learning how to setup printer security - I would recommend getting
> one of the software PDF printers and installing it in the server
> virtual machine. I like to use this one:
> http://sourceforge . net / projects / pdfcreator/

As recently as yesterday, there are reports of that containing a trojan:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index...96&atid=485457

Andrew

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:32:21 +0100, "Andrew Morton"
<> wrote:

>Benjamin Armstrong [MSFT] wrote:
>> For learning how to setup printer security - I would recommend getting
>> one of the software PDF printers and installing it in the server
>> virtual machine. I like to use this one:
>> http://sourceforge . net / projects / pdfcreator/
>
>As recently as yesterday, there are reports of that containing a trojan:
>http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index...96&atid=485457
>
>Andrew
>

Ouch!
What about the Cute PDF printer then, does it also contain trojans?
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp


--
Bo Berglund

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:58:52 +0100, "Mark Rae [MVP]"
<> wrote:

>"Bo Berglund" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>
>> What about the Cute PDF printer then, does it also contain trojans?
>> http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
>
>I use this:
>http://www.primopdf.com/primopdf_free_idx.htm
>
>And this as my PDF viewer:
>http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
(Mine too)

>
>Adobe Reader v9 is little short of a joke... Massively bloated, and doesn't
>even support an MDI interface any more...
(Indeed!)

I've had good luck with Bullzip PDF printer also.

--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/

>I've had good luck with Bullzip PDF printer also.

Cutepdf and pdf995 here, no problems with either.

--
Bob Comer


On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:52:49 -0700, "Steve Jain [MVP]"
<noreply.-@-.essjae.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:58:52 +0100, "Mark Rae [MVP]"
><> wrote:
>
>>"Bo Berglund" <> wrote in message
>>news:. ..
>>
>>> What about the Cute PDF printer then, does it also contain trojans?
>>> http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
>>
>>I use this:
>>http://www.primopdf.com/primopdf_free_idx.htm
>>
>>And this as my PDF viewer:
>>http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
>(Mine too)
>
>>
>>Adobe Reader v9 is little short of a joke... Massively bloated, and doesn't
>>even support an MDI interface any more...
>(Indeed!)
>
>I've had good luck with Bullzip PDF printer also.

Thank you for your help. I thought that the domain controller was a part of
Windows 2003 Server. I mean I thought it was managed through the Windows
2003 server. Is that not the case? What do you mean secondary server? I am
confused.

So, I guess it would be good to set up one virtual Windows 2003 server,
maybe 2 workstations, and a virtual printer? Right?

BTW, I use CutePDF and it is totally safe everybody.

"Benjamin Armstrong [MSFT]" wrote:

> This is all possible. You basically need to create multiple virtual
> machines (at least two, probably three - one domain controller, one
> secondary server and one client). You can setup all virtual machines on
> a private "virtual machine only" virtual network - and do any
> configuration you need to do.
>
> For learning how to setup printer security - I would recommend getting
> one of the software PDF printers and installing it in the server virtual
> machine. I like to use this one:
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/
>
> It looks just like a printer - but just spits out PDF files instead of
> needing paper :-)
>
> Cheers,
> Benjamin Armstrong
> ===========================
> Senior Program Manager Lead
> Windows Virtualization
>
> Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy
> Book: http://tinyurl.com/ysxcbm
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> rights. You assume all risk for your use.
>
> ocean wrote:
> > Thank you Benjamin for answering my question so quickly. I appreciate it.
> >
> > I am currently studying for the 270 exam and a lot of the questions are about
> > permission over a domain. How can I create these scenarios through the
> > virtual machines? Can I set up a virtual network? or a virtual printer? It
> > is hard to describe, but I am sure you took your 270 at some point.
> >
> > "Benjamin Armstrong [MSFT]" wrote:
> >
> >> Virtual PC is a program that installs on you computer like any other
> >> program. You can store the virtual machines on an external hard disk -
> >> but you do not have to. The virtual machines are just a couple of files
> >> (the biggest one being the "virtual hard disk" - which looks like a
> >> whole hard disk to the virtual machine, but is just a single file on the
> >> physical computer) and you can store these files anywhere on the
> >> physical computer.
> >>
> >> You do need to have the installation media for the operating systems
> >> that you want to install.
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >> Benjamin Armstrong
> >> ===========================
> >> Senior Program Manager Lead
> >> Windows Virtualization
> >>
> >> Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy
> >> Book: http://tinyurl.com/ysxcbm
> >>
> >> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
> >> rights. You assume all risk for your use.
> >>
> >> ocean wrote:
> >>> Is it possible for me to install Virtual PC on an external harddrive as if it
> >>> was a pc?
> >>>
> >>> Do I need the Installation software for whatever I would like make virtual.
> >>> For example Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
> >>>
> >>> I am studying for my MCSE. I do not have an extra pc and I think someone
> >>> told me I could use an external harddrive. Please advise. Thank you.
>

Can anyone recommend any sites that walk you through how to set up a virtual
lab for MCSE preparation? I only have my laptop which has enough free gbs ,
an external harddrive, the MS virtual machine install disk, and I think I
might have some trial versions of software from my old MCSE course books(like
windows 2003 server,etc)