VM Win8 - .msi failing

[Acps]

So I am working on setting up my first VM, and the first issue I have run into is, that after I login for the first time. I want to add some applications to Windows 8, I download and run a .msi file and get errors each time. I would try the "Run as Admin" command but it is missing for some reason from context menu and its greyed out in properties menu too.

 

Is there something I am missing here?

[GHunter]

I would try re-downloading the file as it may have been a bad download.

 

There is no "Run as Admin" for .msi files as they run as administrator already so you can just run them normally and you will be prompted with a warning that the application will need to modify some system settings.

 

Gary

[jonp]

Doubt this is a VM issue.  Perhaps an issue with the source file or something else.

[Acps]

You guys were right! I took a look again and tried to reinstall the VM and it failed again, even after downloading from another source.

 

Then I flipped over to a Win7 VM, and it worked like a charm. It must have been a Win8.1 issues, although I never tried to run as compatibility for win7, that might have worked.

 

One a side note, would it be possible to setup a VM off of an existing Windows drive? I have a dual ssd in raid 0, that I boot Windows from normally. However it has become cumbersome to reset boot devices and boot windows or unRaid.

 

Can you point a VM towards my previous install and have it boot with all my data intact?

[jonp]

The dual SSD raid 0...  Is it a software raid 0 made in Windows or do you have a hardware raid controller for the raid 0?

[JonathanM]

would it be possible to setup a VM off of an existing Windows drive?

One way is to take a full backup with something like driveimage xml or acronis, and restore the backup into a VM.

[jonp]

Well there is another way too...one that doesn't require you to use 3rd party tools.  Qemu-img convert.  Google search it.  That said, you could also keep a software raid 0 intact and try to pass through the block devices to a VM.

[Acps]

would it be possible to setup a VM off of an existing Windows drive?

One way is to take a full backup with something like driveimage xml or acronis, and restore the backup into a VM.

 

I was able to get a backup image of my drive with, driveimage xml. Now I have an xml file and severak 600mb files. I tried the restore drive, however It will not let me. It says it cant restore to a system drive. How do I go about creating a VM with my driveimage xml files now?

 

Thanks for the help!

[JonathanM]

How do I go about creating a VM with my driveimage xml files now?

Boot the vm with a live cd image that includes the driveimage xml tool. You will need to use a drive manager of some flavor to set up a valid partition on the VM's disk, then you can restore to that partition with driveimage. What tool you use to create the partition depends on which live boot cd you use. If you are more comfortable in a windows environment, try this as your live cd.

[Acps]

How do I go about creating a VM with my driveimage xml files now?

Boot the vm with a live cd image that includes the driveimage xml tool. You will need to use a drive manager of some flavor to set up a valid partition on the VM's disk, then you can restore to that partition with driveimage. What tool you use to create the partition depends on which live boot cd you use. If you are more comfortable in a windows environment, try this as your live cd.

 

Ok, that worked really well. After I figured out that I needed to install the drivers for the Live Boot, I was able to load the image onto the C: drive.

 

Now I cannot figure out how to get the C drive to boot now? Just removing the Live Boot iso, gives the unable to boot from hard drive. I tried a Windows iso. but of course reinstalling over the image I just put on there would be silly. So how do I boot from the C drive with my freshly made install from XML image?

 

Thanks again for the help!

[Acps]

Also, the only thing I used to format my drive before restoring my image, was the disk manager in Windows. Was there something else I was to do?

[jonp]

Also, the only thing I used to format my drive before restoring my image, was the disk manager in Windows. Was there something else I was to do?

Did you follow this guide?  Just skip the telnet part for converting your physical disk to virtual.

[Acps]

Also, the only thing I used to format my drive before restoring my image, was the disk manager in Windows. Was there something else I was to do?

Did you follow this guide?  Just skip the telnet part for converting your physical disk to virtual.

 

Well, I guess I did the copy of my windows image another way, using 3rd party programs. The only thing I need to do now to get it to boot correctly is adjust the XML then?

[jonp]

Also, the only thing I used to format my drive before restoring my image, was the disk manager in Windows. Was there something else I was to do?

Did you follow this guide?  Just skip the telnet part for converting your physical disk to virtual.

 

Well, I guess I did the copy of my windows image another way, using 3rd party programs. The only thing I need to do now to get it to boot correctly is adjust the XML then?

You need to add a second vdisk to the VM and then edit the XML per the rest of the instructions.

[JonathanM]

Ok, that worked really well. After I figured out that I needed to install the drivers for the Live Boot, I was able to load the image onto the C: drive.

 

Now I cannot figure out how to get the C drive to boot now?

Did you make the partition you set up active? You should be able to run a startup repair from your OS install CD to correct that type of error. You will need to load the virtio storage drivers with the install CD as well so it can find your data. If you are getting a blue screen or an instant restart, then you need to complete the virtio storage driver install using the guide JonP posted. The same drivers needed to get the live CD to work are necessary for the OS as well. There are ways of installing the drivers in a running system before you do the migration, but since you already have the backup restored, you may as well just follow through with the wiki method.

[Acps]

Ok, that worked really well. After I figured out that I needed to install the drivers for the Live Boot, I was able to load the image onto the C: drive.

 

Now I cannot figure out how to get the C drive to boot now?

Did you make the partition you set up active? You should be able to run a startup repair from your OS install CD to correct that type of error. You will need to load the virtio storage drivers with the install CD as well so it can find your data. If you are getting a blue screen or an instant restart, then you need to complete the virtio storage driver install using the guide JonP posted. The same drivers needed to get the live CD to work are necessary for the OS as well. There are ways of installing the drivers in a running system before you do the migration, but since you already have the backup restored, you may as well just follow through with the wiki method.

 

But where do I go to install the drivers to run my imaged drive? Do I boot a Windows install ISO? The image of my backup doesnt boot because I dont have the drivers for VM installed. Normally that is done during the OS install. But since I skipped that step, what do I boot to to install the drivers?

[JonathanM]

But where do I go to install the drivers to run my imaged drive? Do I boot a Windows install ISO? The image of my backup doesnt boot because I dont have the drivers for VM installed. Normally that is done during the OS install. But since I skipped that step, what do I boot to to install the drivers?

 

The directions in the wiki that JonP pointed to tell you how to get the drivers installed. To summarize, you edit the xml to change the drive controller to a generic IDE that will allow your image to boot, and create a temporary small image that is using the virtio storage controller so your windows image sees an unknown device to install the virtio drivers, then you can edit the xml again to remove the temporary image and set your main image to use the virtio controller.

 

If your image still won't boot with the generic IDE specified in the xml, then you will need to use your windows install iso to do a startup repair. You say it won't boot, but that can mean different things. If it doesn't find any bootable device, that's not the virtio drivers causing it. Virtio drivers not installed will cause a blue screen or a reboot to a failed startup screen, depending on the recovery settings in the windows install.

 

Did you follow this guide?  Just skip the telnet part for converting your physical disk to virtual.

You need to add a second vdisk to the VM and then edit the XML per the rest of the instructions.

[Acps]

I tried it via the wiki, and it was stuck at the Booting from Hard drive. So I think switched from the SeaBios to OVMF, whenever I boot from OVMF it just sits at the Shell prompt. So I can't get it to boot past the bios in either case.

 

Is this due to the fact my image is from a hardware raid? I have an XML backup and I made a Windows Image backup. I tried the windows restore from image as well, but after the reboot it says that it cannot find the image, and just stops.

 

I would try the copy from the wiki, but I wouldnt know where to begin to try and mount my raid 0.

[JonathanM]

I tried it via the wiki, and it was stuck at the Booting from Hard drive. So I think switched from the SeaBios to OVMF, whenever I boot from OVMF it just sits at the Shell prompt. So I can't get it to boot past the bios in either case.

 

Is this due to the fact my image is from a hardware raid?

If you boot from your OS install CD and choose the repair option, does it find the windows installation in the VM?

[Acps]

I tried it via the wiki, and it was stuck at the Booting from Hard drive. So I think switched from the SeaBios to OVMF, whenever I boot from OVMF it just sits at the Shell prompt. So I can't get it to boot past the bios in either case.

 

Is this due to the fact my image is from a hardware raid?

If you boot from your OS install CD and choose the repair option, does it find the windows installation in the VM?

 

I decided to try and start over. Which bios should I be using, initially I was using the default, SeaBios, but at one point I was hanging at the Booting from Hard Drive, so I tried to switch it to the OVMF as per the wiki. However that requires me to remake the VM as the bios option is greyed out after you create the VM. The same image though booted in OVMF got hung up at the bios with the Shell prompt waiting for a command. This was after altering the XML for the vdisk1 and adding the vdisk2.

 

For trying to repair the windows option, after I install the image on the C drive with the live boot image. Is the repair done after you load the Virtio drivers, during the Windows Install, because after the drivers it wants you to select the drive to format/select to use for windows installation.

 

Just to confirm, after I restore the image to the C drive, I switch the OS install iso in the VM settings, from the Win8 Live boot to the Windows 7 OS install iso?

 

And on a side note, in regards to formatting the C drive, the Windows8 live, device partition manger, will only let me  initialize the disk as a MBR and not a GPT. The C drive is only 256gb, with the image itself is only 120gb. NTFS, obviously and I always make sure to mark it as active. Is the MBR what I need the disk as, or do I need to find a partition manager that will let me do a GPT?

 

Sorry if it seems that I am not intuitive with this yet. It has been awhile since I have been more than just a user.

 

I really do appreciate all the help! Thank you

[JonathanM]

Defaults for Win7 should be seabios and i440fx. If you boot from the win7 install cd, there should be a "repair" option in the bottom left corner on the same screen with the big "install" button in the middle of the screen. If you click on the repair option, does it find your windows install?

[Acps]

Defaults for Win7 should be seabios and i440fx. If you boot from the win7 install cd, there should be a "repair" option in the bottom left corner on the same screen with the big "install" button in the middle of the screen. If you click on the repair option, does it find your windows install?

 

I just tried that, I went through and loaded all the drivers, however it still does not find my installation. If I continue with the installation to where I would load the drivers to install windows fresh, it will load the drivers and find the disk just fine.

 

Not sure what to do at this point, it's all getting to frustrating.

[jonp]

Let me ask this, do you still have your hardware raid 0 intact?  If so, are there any other devices attached to that raid card?

[Acps]

Let me ask this, do you still have your hardware raid 0 intact?  If so, are there any other devices attached to that raid card?

 

Its an onboard raid controller for my gigabyte board. Just the 2 disks are in raid 0. My other drives are attached to my motherboard of course, all of which are via Sata.

 

On a side note, in the windows install boot, I was able to load the drivers, I was even able to browse the C drive from my image, but it still refuses to boot the c drive. It just hangs at Booting from Hard disk.

[JonathanM]

At this point maybe try a different backup software, if you own a WD drive you can use the Acronis WD edition.

http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en

Install it and create the bootable ISO standalone recovery manager image, and see if you get further along with that.

 

I'm pretty sure that the software will work without the source or destination being WD drives, but you may need to have a WD drive attached to one of the sata ports in the system.