[dba-Tech] [dba-OT] Cross-posted to dba-Tech regarding MS VPC

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Mon Sep 22 13:20:36 CDT 2008


Use DriveImageXML... super product... super price. Add it to the BartsPE
disk and you have an unbeatable combination.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-ot-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-ot-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of dickford1 at aol.com
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 10:29 AM
To: dba-ot at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: Re: [dba-OT] Cross-posted to dba-Tech regarding MS VPC

Okay, Steve...here are some questions: Does Casper work on "Beast" as it
is...with it's 20gb HD intact? Is Casper capable of using DMA (Direct Memory
Access)?

If the answer is yes to either...you're part way there. All you need to do
now is figure out how to connect "Beast" with your "Shuttle PC" (BTW, what
is that?). If you have available USB -or- parallel ports, you should be home
free. I used to have a number of commercial -and- freeware utils that could
do this with aplomb, via DMA. IIRC, XTree Gold was one of these...

Even DOS 6.xx had a basic util with which you could connect two PC's via
parallel ports...in which the "master" operated the "slave". You could XCOPY
an entire partition (making sure you had sufficient space available), using
the appropriate "switches", of course.

Here's another thought: If "Casper" works on the "Beast", why not just
"clone" the whole mess to an external HD and be done with it?

Dickford?


-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Erbach <serbach at gmail.com>
To: Off Topic <dba-ot at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 7:23 am
Subject: Re: [dba-OT] Cross-posted to dba-Tech regarding MS VPC



Dickford,

I'll have to look for those messages from Drew regarding the virtual
drive partitions.  That sounds very promising.

To flesh out my question that included a reference to Casper: Casper
is a superb utility that clones hard disks.  I use it to backup my
main drive to an external hard disk.  Casper defaults to an
incremental approach to backing up a drive, so my backups usually take
just a few minutes...but the backup is completely bootable.

Here's what I'm hoping to do: take the 20 GB Windows XP drive from my
old-old workstation (named Beast because it has a 666 MHz processor)
and mount it in my new Shuttle PC.  I haven't tried that yet; the
Shuttle has IDE controllers but Beast has the older variety I'm pretty
sure and I don't know yet if I can use one of the newer IDE cables on
an old (9-year-old) drive.

THEN my hope is to use Casper to clone that 20 GB physical drive with
all of its applications intact onto the 20 GB virtual drive I set up
the other day...and VOILA! I'd have a bootable virtual drive
containing all of the applications, including QuickBooks and all of my
old invoices.  THAT'S the nub of the matter.

I'm going to check with our genius network admin regarding the
possibility, too, though he's more of a fan of VMWare.  I see that
VMWare Workstation is NOT free, as VMWare Server is, so that's what
pushed me to try MS VPC.

Regarding memory-resident utilities under XP...I have already
experimented using the autoexec as you mentioned with no luck.  I have
no frame of reference beyond those experiments; that's why I'm asking
about VPC's possbilities in that arena.

Steve Erbach
Neenah, WI


On Sun, Sep 21, 2008 at 5:32 PM,  <dickford1 at aol.com> wrote:
> Steve, Drew Wutka here has made all kinds of "virtual" drive partitions 
available for downloading...including DOS 6.22 and Win95, using VPC.?He has
also 
included detailed instructions as to how to do what you want.
>
> I am currently using VPC on my "new" Vista SP1 system. There are some
minor 
issues...and, I stress minor. On my recently 
deceased WinXP SP2 system...it 
worked without a hiccup. I cobbled together a DOS OS, which returns a "ver"
of 
8.01...quite "bootable"...ran every Paradox DOS 4.02 app I ever wrote.
>
> Once VPC creates a .VHD file...it can be copied to a partition in it's 
entirety...and operated there, once initiated. IOW, it's a PC unto itself.
>
> I have no familiarity with "Casper", so I cannot comment intelligently on
that 
subject.
>
> That said, insofar as I know....and have used VPC...you would treat your
new 
partition as you would any "fresh" PC...install the OS...and every scrap of 
software you think you need. Check it...test it. Once you're satisfied, that

.VHD can be copied...and installed to any "fresh" partition you have
available, 
regardless of the actual physical location of the drive itself. You may have
to 
"jigger" certain app references to "drives" and "URL's"...but, it's really
easy 
to use productively.
>
> Insofar as that TSR is concerned...it can indeed be run effectively under 
WinXP -or- Vista...provided it is loaded upon bootup...just edit your 
AUTOEXEC.xxx
>
> Do a li'l experimentation, guy...<g>
>
> Dickford
_______________________________________________
dba-OT mailing list
dba-OT at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-ot
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com

_______________________________________________
dba-OT mailing list
dba-OT at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-ot
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com




More information about the dba-Tech mailing list