PCA Forums

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:53 pm**

For those of you interested in Dual Booting or trying new software without putting you system at risk here's something you might want to look at.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 45-Day Free Trial Edition

A "virtual PC" lets you experiment with software and system settings in a nearly 100% safe way, without affecting your current setup--- and without even having to reboot or leave your main OS. Everything about your current setup--- your OS, your apps, everything--- stays up and running normally while the virtual PC is in operation.

You see, a virtual PC is a standard desktop computer completely emulated in software. You can install an operating system, applications, or utilities on a virtual PC and use it exactly the same way you do on a standard PC. The installed software thinks it's running on a normal, stand-alone physical system, but it's not: Instead, it's running inside a protected memory space on a host system, with special emulation software masquerading as a separate and standalone BIOS, motherboard, hard drive, floppy, CD drive, display adapter, network card, and so on. A virtual PC provides all the normal hardware of a standard PC, created entirely in software

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2004 6:56 pm**

For more info

Langa Letter: Virtual Excellence: Microsoft's 'Virtual PC' Is Too Good Not To Check Out - April 5, 2004

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2004 10:44 pm**

I've been doing this for a year using VMWare Workstation. I have several virtual computers I can run with differenct OSes - makes it easier to do help desk and troubleshoot OS specific problems without having to have a seperate box with each OS installed.

Posted: **Thu Apr 08, 2004 8:13 am**

I don't think I would trust it if it came from M$ anyway.

I mean if you blue screen, is that a problem with M$ or virtual M$? Do I have to install all the patches like Blaster and then install Virtual Blaster patch too?