new laptop with both Windows 7 Home and PCLOS and VirtualBox

[YouCanToo]

I have a friend that just purchased a new Acer Aspire AS5732Z with Windows 7 Home Premium.  What he wants to do is put PCLOS on it and than run Windows in Virtual Box

Here are the specs of the machine
Intel Pentium CPU X2 2.20GHz
4GB DDR2 667
DVD Super Multi
350 GB sata Hard drive
Ethernet:  10/100Mbps
WLAN: 802.11b/g/Draft-N WLAN
Video: Intel GMA 4500M
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

So what would the best way be to handle putting PCLOS and than installing Windows7 in VirtualBox. 

So I make a recovery disk before doing anything else?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[rayman2]

Your friend might need to buy another windows license, as you may only install windows on one computer using one license. As Virtualbox behaves as a seperate computer, you'll need a unused license(or you can pirate it, but I don't think "that kind of information" may be shared on the pclinuxos forum...).
Do be aware that with most manfacturers, you lose your guarantee when installing another operating system. If your friend has two hard disks, I would recommend installing pclos on one, and then take the hard disk out if you want to repair it with guarantee.
But that's just an option. If your friend doesn't need guarantee, and is willing to pay the repair costs(if any), it would be best to backup all of the important data on the computer. Then make the windows partition smaller, and install PClinuxOS next to it(just to be sure, so if it doesn't work out the way you want, you still have your windows installation). Then install virtualbox from the repos, and make sure your friend has got a windows cd + unused serial key. Install windows in the virtualbox, and make sure it works.
At the end, you can remove your windows partition. Or, if you used two hard drives, you can keep it...

[menotu]

Has your friend considered dual-booting?

He could then keep his current Windows install and add PCLos to a separate partition and that way he has the best of both worlds (and no performance "hit" from running within the VBox virtual machine environment)

Note 1: Back up all important data / settings / firefox addons etc etc to somewhere safe (spare USB stick / CD-DVD disks / ext. hard disk)
Note 2: Some new Windows laptops/desktops don't come with the original Windows installation CD/DVD - they just stick it on an "hidden" recovery partition, whereby the user can then recover the system from that....

Whatever option is chosen make sure the "hidden" partition isn't deleted or overwritten etc.

I personally have always found that when doing a Windows/PClos dual boot setup it is always best to install PCLos last as Grub includes Windows as one of the boot options, whereas installing Windows last always means having to faff about with the boot options

Of course its very easy to install virtualbox onto PCLos and run Windows 7 within that but as rayman2
mentioned it may mean having to use/purchase an additional windows license.

[YouCanToo]

Your friend might need to buy another windows license, as you may only install windows on one computer using one license. As Virtualbox behaves as a seperate computer, you'll need a unused license(or you can pirate it, but I don't think "that kind of information" may be shared on the pclinuxos forum...).

I believe he was thinking of wiping the hard drive and than installing PCLOS and Windows within Virtualbox. I do not believe that one would need to have another license for that .

Do be aware that with most manfacturers, you lose your guarantee when installing another operating system. If your friend has two hard disks, I would recommend installing pclos on one, and then take the hard disk out if you want to repair it with guarantee.
But that's just an option. If your friend doesn't need guarantee, and is willing to pay the repair costs(if any), it would be best to backup all of the important data on the computer. Then make the windows partition smaller, and install PClinuxOS next to it(just to be sure, so if it doesn't work out the way you want, you still have your windows installation). Then install virtualbox from the repos, and make sure your friend has got a windows cd + unused serial key. Install windows in the virtualbox, and make sure it works.
At the end, you can remove your windows partition. Or, if you used two hard drives, you can keep it...

The mfg guarantee isn't worth the paper it is written on, we are not worried about having it or not.  We would like to keep (reinstall) the system as it was from the factory should he decide to sell it at a later time.  I have also thought about the idea of just buying another hard drive and just swapping them out.  Just trying to figure out my options at this time.   Thanks for your suggestions.

[menotu]

I believe he was thinking of wiping the hard drive and than installing PCLOS and Windows within Virtualbox. I do not believe that one would need to have another license for that .

'm not so sure of that coz Windows 7 will see VirtualBox as a completely new system and most license's are only for installation on one set of hardware (if memory serves, MS allows one or two items of hardware to change (memory - HDisks etc) before they start asking questions.....

[rayman2]

I believe he was thinking of wiping the hard drive and than installing PCLOS and Windows within Virtualbox. I do not believe that one would need to have another license for that .

'm not so sure of that coz Windows 7 will see VirtualBox as a completely new system and most license's are only for installation on one set of hardware (if memory serves, MS allows one or two items of hardware to change (memory - HDisks etc) before they start asking questions.....

Exactly.

[YouCanToo]

Has your friend considered dual-booting?

Yes, we have considered that.

He could then keep his current Windows install and add PCLos to a separate partition and that way he has the best of both worlds (and no performance "hit" from running within the VBox virtual machine environment)

Note 1: Back up all important data / settings / firefox addons etc etc to somewhere safe (spare USB stick / CD-DVD disks / ext. hard disk)
Note 2: Some new Windows laptops/desktops don't come with the original Windows installation CD/DVD - they just stick it on an "hidden" recovery partition, whereby the user can then recover the system from that....

Whatever option is chosen make sure the "hidden" partition isn't deleted or overwritten etc.

I personally have always found that when doing a Windows/PClos dual boot setup it is always best to install PCLos last as Grub includes Windows as one of the boot options, whereas installing Windows last always means having to faff about with the boot options

Of course its very easy to install virtualbox onto PCLos and run Windows 7 within that but as rayman2
mentioned it may mean having to use/purchase an additional windows license.

If one choose the dual boot route, than there is really no reason to install Windows within Virtual Box in this case.  I see that there is still allot that I have to figure out here.  Does anybody know if one can run Windows7 64bit within Virtual Box or does it even matter? If it can be used in Virtual Box, I think I would rather run it that way than going the dual boot route.  I have the feeling if we went the dual boot route my friend would not ever go into PCLOS, seeing that to use it he would have to log out of one and boot into the other. The laptop is going to be used for his business and there is just one program he needs that uses windows. They do not make a Linux version of it and I do not know if it will work in Wine or not.

[rubentje1991]

hlo,

I nearly replied to try wine without reading the last post, but why not trying it???
Today, it supports many apps (more if you buy some license - I've never done it before)

IF it works, you haven't any problem anymore (and you can have an (nearly) unused dual boot at the same time)
(if it doesn't, wait a couple of weeks for 2010-release with a more recent wine-version I guess??? => I don't know if there's an update for wine)

RuBeN

[menotu]

If one choose the dual boot route, than there is really no reason to install Windows within Virtual Box in this case. 

I agree, there'd be no reason for using VBox (for that reason anyway)

Does anybody know if one can run Windows7 64bit within Virtual Box or does it even matter? If it can be used in Virtual Box, I think I would rather run it that way than going the dual boot route.

Yes, VBox will run Win 7 64 bit no problem - just choose the 64Bit option when setting up the VBox virtual machine

Another decision you may want to make is whether you want to wait for the new PCLos 2010 distro (which has to have a fresh install) before you decide on a dual-boot option.

[YouCanToo]

hlo,

I nearly replied to try wine without reading the last post, but why not trying it???
Today, it supports many apps (more if you buy some license - I've never done it before)

IF it works, you haven't any problem anymore (and you can have an (nearly) unused dual boot at the same time)
(if it doesn't, wait a couple of weeks for 2010-release with a more recent wine-version I guess??? => I don't know if there's an update for wine)

RuBeN

Thanks for the reply.   Since the new laptop hasn't arrived yet. Suppose to be here on Friday.  I am going to take my laptop and see if the program he needs will work with Wine on mine  (KDE4.3).   

[YouCanToo]

If one choose the dual boot route, than there is really no reason to install Windows within Virtual Box in this case. 

I agree, there'd be no reason for using VBox (for that reason anyway)

Does anybody know if one can run Windows7 64bit within Virtual Box or does it even matter? If it can be used in Virtual Box, I think I would rather run it that way than going the dual boot route.

Yes, VBox will run Win 7 64 bit no problem - just choose the 64Bit option when setting up the VBox virtual machine

That is good to know.

Another decision you may want to make is whether you want to wait for the new PCLos 2010 distro (which has to have a fresh install) before you decide on a dual-boot option.

Yes, I was aware of the new version and the need for a reinstall.  I was going to hold off doing anything until the new iso comes out. I really do not want to do all this twice if it can be avoided.  Thanks for pointing out about the new release, and also that Win7 64 bit will work under Virtual Box.