"If you simply copy a clean XP virtual machine (the ones you can download from the Microsoft website), you can rename it and have multiple XP VMs that way.
At least it worked for me, let me know if it doesn't
Here's an overview of the required steps:
Every virtual hard drive (vhd) created
with Virtual PC consists of three
files if it is turned off, or of four
files if it is hibernated or running.
The file extensions for these files
are:
.vhd = Virtual Machine virtual hard drive image
.vmc = Virtual Machine settings file
.vsv = Virtual Machine saved state file
.vmcx = Virtual Machine description and registration settings
First three files are located in
C:\Users\Your_Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
Virtual PC\Virtual Machines, the last
one in C:\Users\Your_Username\Virtual
Machines.
The two latter files are created
automatically; to make a copy of a
Virtual Machine we only need .vhd and
.vmc files. In this example we call
the original virtual drive Windows XP
Mode, and the copy we create Windows
XP Mode- Copy. You can name all your
virtual drives as you like, as long as
you remember to modify the settings
file as described here.
Copying Virtual XP or any other
virtual hard disk created with Virtual
PC is very easy and fast. Here's what
you have to do:
Turn off your Virtual XP, do not hibernate it
Open Folder Options, choose Show hidden files, folders and drives.
Uncheck Hide extensions for known file
types
Goto C:\Users\Your_Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines
Copy Windows XP Mode.vhd and Windows XP Mode.vmc files. To be sure you copy
the right files you can open Folder
Options and uncheck ""Hide extensions
for known file types"" and click OK
Paste files to the same folder. Windows adds word Copy to both
filenames, so now you have two new
files: Windows XP Mode - Copy.vhd and
Windows XP Mode - Copy.vmc
Open Windows XP Mode - Copy.vmc with Notepad. It is a xml-file, so you can
edit it normally with Notepad
Find the following string containing virtual drives name: <drive_type type=""integer"">1</drive_type>
Under the <drive_type...> change the vhd-file name to Windows XP Mode -
Copy.vhd both in <absolute
type=""string""> and <relative
type=""string"">
Find the following place under <ethernet_adapter> containing
MAC-adress for Virtual XP's ethernet
adapter: <ethernet_card_address type=""bytes"">xxxxxxxxxxxx</ethernet_card_address>, where xxxxxxxxxxxx is a hexadecimal string representing the MAC-address.
To allow two copies of Virtual XP to connect to network simultaneously , we
have to change the MAC-adress of the
ethernet adapter to avoid MAC-adress
conflict. Address is given in hex, 0-9
and A-F. It is usually enough to change one
digit to make it unique again.
Save and close the file
Open Folder Options and choose Don't show hidden files, folders or drives.
Check Hide extensions for known file
types and click OK.
Goto C:\Users\Your_Username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines again
Double click Windows XP Mode - Copy.vmc file so that the Windows XP Mode - Copy.vmcx is automatically generated in the C:\Users\Your_Username\Virtual Machines folder with the correct settings.
That's it. Now you can run two Virtual
XP's simultaneously.
If both VMs...
.. still have the same MAC-address
or
.. both get the same IP-address from Virtual PC's DHCP server
Then read on:
Verify if a (Windows) network adapter (NIC) setting isn't forcing the same MAC address for both VMs. Because that setting overrules what is specified in the VM configuration file.
You can find this setting in the properties of the network adapter. Right click the network adapter -> Properties -> Configure... -> [Tab] Advanced -> Network Address.
Make sure either both VMs are set to Not Present, or specify a different MAC addresses for each VM."
