Restore windows home server to VM instead of computer

"Keeping in mind that I haven't actually done this, but it sure seems possible.

Create a new VM, no need to even install anything to it. Boot it from the physical restore CD (or connected to the .iso of same) and turn it loose.

Only issue I could see would be the XP activation -- an OEM licensed XP will surely holler on first boot... granted, that might be a rather large issue."

"Whether getting the computer's OS into a VM or reading the data, you'll have to plug the disk into another computer to access the disk - would that not be enough to get at the data?

Perhaps you need to use a special program that only runs in the other OS - that is a very good reason to use a VM. As long as you can plug the disk into the new computer and read it, you might try using the VMware Converter to create a VM from the disk, then use that VM under VMware Player to get into your old OS and data. This is all available for free."