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+---- Thread: Boot up a virtual machine from an external HDD? (/showthread.php?tid=5319786)
Boot up a virtual machine from an external HDD? - Lord - Jun 27, 2016
Okay so I don't have really any experience with sandboxed environments or virtual machines. Even just recently started using RDP.
My question is, is there a way to in a separate window on my already running windows 7 computer, boot up off of an external hard drive?
Like
Pop open a window > Select hard drive from a list of drives > Have a second computer in my computer?
I hope this isn't a stupid question but it probably is.
* - Defscape - Jun 27, 2016
I don't think that it'd work.
* - Lord - Jun 27, 2016
(Jun 27, 2016 12:37 PM)Defscape Wrote: I don't think that it'd work.
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work?
Then again I have no clue what i'm talking about right now sooo.
* - Defscape - Jun 27, 2016
(Jun 27, 2016 12:39 PM)That One Random Wrote: I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work?
Then again I have no clue what i'm talking about right now sooo.
I mean... you'd have to look not only in the software, but in the hardware too.
I can't say for sure, because I might be VERY wrong, but every HDD has to be attached to a motherboard to work. Here comes the hardware part. You'd need more HDD ports on the motherboard... if the motherboard's configuration is set to be able of running multiple HDDs, then you'd need to use more supply power usage/more video card ports....
Anyways, sounds like a great idea, and it definitely caught my attention.
Disclaimer: That's my opinion. I might be VERY wrong. But I'm using an old motherboard so...
Edit: I'm starting to think that I'm VERY wrong.......
* - Lord - Jun 27, 2016
(Jun 27, 2016 12:42 PM)Defscape Wrote: I mean... you'd have to look not only in the software, but in the hardware too.
I can't say for sure, because I might be VERY wrong, but every HDD has to be attached to a motherboard to work. Here comes the hardware part. You'd need more HDD ports on the motherboard... if the motherboard's configuration is set to be able of running multiple HDDs, then you'd need to use more supply power usage....
Anyways, sounds like a great idea, and it definitely caught my attention.
Disclaimer: That's my opinion. I might be VERY wrong. But I'm using an old motherboard so...
I have 6 Hard drives plugged into my desktop right now.
Not sure if that's what you mean. But I plugged one in from an old computer and it has all the windows files and everything.
So I was wondering if I could boot off of it in a VM.
But a bit of googling after posting this shows that apparently that's very difficult if not impossible to do.
http://www.howtogeek.com/213145/how-to%C2%A0convert-a-physical-windows-or-linux-pc-to-a-virtual-machine/
This looks like it may be what i'm looking for.
* - joepvand - Jun 27, 2016
This is a virtual machine, or is that not what u ment?
* - Defscape - Jun 27, 2016
(Jun 27, 2016 12:46 PM)That One Random Wrote: I have 6 Hard drives plugged into my desktop right now.
Not sure if that's what you mean. But I plugged one in from an old computer and it has all the windows files and everything.
So I was wondering if I could boot off of it in a VM.
But a bit of googling after posting this shows that apparently that's very difficult if not impossible to do.
howtogeek.com/213145/how-to%C2%A0convert-a-physical-windows-or-linux-pc-to-a-virtual-machine/
This looks like it may be what i'm looking for.
Nevermind, lol. I couldn't understand your question.
However, it sounds like a great idea.
For others: Don't mind my post(s)
* - Lord - Jun 27, 2016
(Jun 27, 2016 12:48 PM)joepvand Wrote: This is a virtual machine, or is that not what u ment?
I want a virtual machine, but I want to boot up the virtual machine using a hard drive from an old computer.
* - Triops - Jun 27, 2016
I was wondering about this too, or rather something different. I was asking around about installing Kali on an External HDD that I could boot on my laptop. Found a few ways to do it.
* - joepvand - Jun 27, 2016
you can do this i think. like not a virtual disk but a real hdd?
its software specific. i belive both virtualbox and vmware can do this. dont quote me on that tho
* - Lord - Jun 27, 2016
(Jun 27, 2016 12:51 PM)joepvand Wrote: you can do this i think. like not a virtual disk but a real hdd?
its software specific. i belive both virtualbox and vmware can do this. dont quote me on that tho
Yea, a real hard drive. Pulled out of an old PC.
I'm downloading VMware right now and I'm gonna test it out and see if I can figure out how to get it working.
* - archangel.dmitry - Jun 27, 2016
Yes, you can boot VMs off external drives but it might depend on hypervisor.
* - trustNOone - Aug 2, 2016
I'm positive you can do this you just need to have hard disk up and running first make sure it is visible in computer and when you get VMware running and you have your operating system ISO just install a vm like normal but instead use your desired hard disk I'm sure it gives you the option