Comments on: How to install Virtualbox & run Windows XP / Office 2007 in Ubuntu

By: Bob Deschambault

Bob Deschambault — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:55:52 +0000

Hi, I noticed that I have the exact same problem described by nittalope above. Any insight into this issue would be greatly appreciated.

By: How to install Ubuntu : The Ubuntu Installation Guide « Hello! Linux

How to install Ubuntu : The Ubuntu Installation Guide « Hello! Linux — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:55:20 +0000

[...] guide to set it up. Want to run Office 2007 or Windows XP from inside Ubuntu? Use this guide to install Virtualbox. Want to have that amazing 3d cube desktop? You’ll need to install Compiz. Want to make your [...]

By: nittalope

nittalope — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:22:49 +0000

Ok, I found out that in the settings there is the choice to enable APIC i/o, but now I’ve got the same problem as with the 32bit installation disk: when the installations says that windows will be started everything freezes slowly and at the end I have to abruptly end the ubuntu session and restart the system… any idea?

By: nittalope

nittalope — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:59:33 +0000

Great tutorial, but I’m having a problem, maybe somebody can help me.
I’ve installe Ubuntu 9.10 on a Acer Aspire 6530G with amd turion 64 bit. Installed VirtualBox OSE without problems.
Now I want to install Windows XP in VirtualBox, but I cannot. I’ve got a Windows XP installation cd and when I boot it in my XP machine after few seconds of the installation it freezes everything. I thought it could be a problem of the 64bit architecture, so now I’ve got a Windows XP 64bit installation cd, but when I started the machine and the installation should begin I receive a “Enable the local advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC). The x64-basederating system you are loadig does not have APIC enabled. Check the system’s firmware settings and make sure that does not have an APIC setting, please contact the system manufacturer for a firmware update to enable the local APIC.

Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.” message.
Now I’ll try with another Windows version, but I’m a bit stuck…

By: George

George — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:26:14 +0000

For some reason, setup thinks my disk is an upgrade disk, but it is not. This is a legit full install disk with the packaging and the holograms on the front of the disk and everything. Because of this, it gets stuck on an early screen looking for a Windows disk (old version to verify that the ‘upgrade’ is valid?). Any ideas? I’m running an HP w/ an AMD Turion (don’t remember the speed, but it’s only ~18 months old), with Ubuntu 9.10 (karmic), 10GB for VirtualBox, 120GB free, 3GB RAM. Ubuntu works great, but I need TWO windows programs for work. Help, please.

Thanks

By: Silver

Silver — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:28:52 +0000

When I try to instal Office 2007 to XP running in VBOSE, I receive a message the program cannot run without windows installer 3.1. I do not see any part of this post dealing with installing Office 2007 after XP is running within VBOSE, perhaps I am missing something very obvious (which is likely) please help. Thank you.

By: ughh

ughh — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:32:15 +0000

SICK!

I WAS able to get this to work using a borrowed copy of XP from TPB! Sorry about that Bill… oh wait NO I’M NOT! HA!

Oh and rather than the student version I just went with my original XP 2005 Media Center, but you can choose Vista or whatever you want.

By: ughh

ughh — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:58:45 +0000

No CD in this post… So in other words you should either have a version of XP on CD with a key code or go to Pirate Bay and download a student version that has one. From what I hear the student version is capable of running on multiple machines without the proprietary Mr. Burns drama that comes from the other versions.

I installed Ubuntu in the first place because my system was booby trapped by Microsoft/HP via a “code purple”. When you do something silly like install more RAM and have to do an inedible system restore later, you get a nice message telling you that your system has a config error and the only way to fix it is to get it repaired for hundreds of dollars or just buy a new one I have a legit version of XP somewhere on my restore drive but can’t access it because I’ve been locked out buy THEM.

I REFUSE to spend another cent on anything Windows. It’s off to Pirate Bay I go to borrow a student version of XP then.

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:28:01 +0000

Great tutorial. But mine seems not working. It kept popping up this message whenever I tried to click ’start’.
The VirtualBox Linux kernel driver (vboxdrv) is either not loaded or there is a permission problem with /dev/vboxdrv. Re-setup the kernel module by executing

‘/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup’

What does that even mean? I dug into “init.d/vboxdrv” folder, however there isn’t a “setup” function, neither can I change any permission issues.

Can anyone help me out?

By: Dread

Dread — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:51:26 +0000

nice it works very well.
cpts

By: Georgi Hockaday

Georgi Hockaday — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:14:51 +0000

I wiped out my Windows OS on Dell Dimension 2400 desktop and completely installed Ubuntu Hardy Heron about six months ago. Now I would like to be able to use software that is only Windows compatible.

1) Please confirm that I understand correctly: To install WinXP in Virtual Box, I CANNOT use my Dell re-installation CD. I will need a new installation disk with a new license.

2) If I cannot buy a WinXP disk, can I install Vista Home Edition on Virtual Box instead?

System: 63G hard disk free, Intel Pentium 4, 2.80GHz CPU, highest grade NVidia compatible graphics card for age of computer. Will this handle Vista?

3) Not sure I understand how I can run Windows software on an Ubuntu system. Doesn’t Windows software require MS drivers?

By: Wordsmith

Wordsmith — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:24:17 +0000

I have a full XP install disk and VirtualBox works great on my Mac, but when I put the XP disk in, I get a “you’ve put a blank disk in” message. What gives? (And I am a little technologically challenged.”

By: richardbaxterseo

richardbaxterseo — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:43:34 +0000

@alienkid – step 4 is the bit where your virtualbox machine is ready to boot into a windows XP installation CD. If you don’t have one, make one. You’ll need a Windows XP licence.

By: alienkid

alienkid — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:22:38 +0000

at step 4 it says “(from CD in this post)” but there is no “CD” in this post so what do I do?

By: richardbaxterseo

richardbaxterseo — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:49:03 +0000

Yeah – you’ve got to get a full Windows XP licence. If I were you I’d get a new CD too! Thanks for the update!

By: E. Zachary Knight

E. Zachary Knight — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:28:05 +0000

I tried the OEM disks the same way with the ISOs. It installed just fine, but does not recognize that it is on the same original laptop. So it treats it like a 30 day trial.

Oh well. Not much I can do there as OEM licenses are not transferable.

By: E. Zachary Knight

E. Zachary Knight — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:21:58 +0000

Thanks Richard. I actually found a way to work with upgrade disks. I haven’t tried the trick for OEM disks though.

Basically, I made a iso copy of all the disks in the process and used the cd change icon in the VirtualBox window to swap isos when disks needed swapping. Worked like a charm and I am now installing XP.

I will touch back when I try it with my OEM disk.

By: richardbaxterseo

richardbaxterseo — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:21:02 +0000

Hi There E. Zachery. Yeah, you’re going to need a full xp install cd, not an upgrade disk. There’s no point messing around with old upgrade cds / OEM installation CD’s for branded machines. Get an XP licence and you’ll be fine!

By: E. Zachary Knight

E. Zachary Knight — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:50:57 +0000

I have been trying to install XP in Virtual Box for a few days now, but can’t get it to work. Both of my XP install disks are multi disk installs. The first is the Gateway OS install disk that came with my laptop. It starts off with a red driver disk and then asks for the blue OS disk. When I stick the blue OS disk in, it won’t read the disk.

The Second is an XP home upgrade disk. I stick the XP disk in and it starts alright. Then it prompts for a previous version of Windows. I stick in the 98 disk and it verifies and asks for the XP disk again. When it gets to that point it fails.

I am running on Ubuntu 8.04 with 2.8ghx processor and 1.5gigs of RAM.

By: richardbaxterseo

richardbaxterseo — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:30:58 +0000

@Tom Moss

Hi Tom! That’s quite a problem. It sounds like Vbox isn’t listening to your keyboard, or the host key has been pressed. You *should be able to get round this by clicking with the mouse in the vbox window first. Let me know if that works, and sorry if you’ve already tried.

I’m actually not a MAC person (I’m an Ubuntu?!) But I did find this: did find this. Hope that’s useful!