Real WinXP partition running under VirtualBox... (answer)

[kitepilot at kitepilot.com]

Hello PLUG! 

Sometime ago I asked how to run a "hard" WinXP partition under VirtualBox.
Well, it ain't so difficult...   :) 

This is what I did: (fine-grain steps are described elsewhere in the WEB) 

Before shutting down Windoze, I created a new "profile". 

I installed Kubuntu 9.10 in a flash-drive and, of course, installed 
VirtualBox. 

Then I booted from the "stick", started VBox, created a hard-drive for the 
physical WinXP partition using commands available in the "User's manual" 
(RTFM?!?!?!) and created a machine for XP attached to that drive. 

Finally I booted WinXP in VBox, chose my "virtual" profile, installed 
drivers and guest additions and now the XP machine is just an afterthought 
where I get emails and IMs while working (secretly ;-) in my Linux 
machine...   :) 

I can also pull the stick and boot the machine from its normal boot record 
and the only trace left is the profile and the guest additions (which were 
not really needed) 

WinXP performance sucks, but I hardly use that machine anyway... 

I like it!   8)
THANKS!!!   :)
ET