Hard drive question

Let me start by saying I think this question would probably have fit in any one of multiple topical forums other than "Switcher" but since it's so wide open, I figured I would try here. MOD's if you see a better forum to put this in, I'm fine with that.

I have a work pc running Windows XP on it. It just died and they are sending me a new system with Windows 7 on it. However, I'm going to keep the XP hard drive so I can copy over the data to the new pc.

After that though, my company doesn't want the HD back because it's old and of no use to them. So what I was wondering is this, I've been wanting to have a VM to be able to run a few Windows games that I've been itching to play here lately.

I'm going to pick up a USB enclosure for the sata hard drive so I can interface through USB.

Since that HD has Windows XP on it, is there a way to somehow utilize that as a VM through USB on my Mac for use with some windows games?

So basically, is there a way to take a functional Windows XP hard drive running Windows XP and hook it up through USB in such a way that I can utilize it on my Mac as either a VM or something else?


Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

Steve

Thread moved to more appropriate location.

As far as your question (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). You cannot just use a hard drive that has Windows installed on it…plug it into a Macintosh computer…and think that it will work. If this was the case…why would all of use "Mac-Users" need to "mess-around" with "Bootcamp" or virtualization programs like Parallels or VWware Fusion??

To run Windows on a Mac…you either have to install Windows via "Bootcamp" (within it's own hard drive partition)…which requires you to reboot the computer into that partition. Or install Windows using a virtualization program like Parallels or VWware Fusion.

HTH,

- Nick

You're in the right forum.

To answer your question.... you might be able to convert the Windows XP installation on that drive to a VMWare Fusion virtual machine. Note that I used the word "might". I've tried this several times myself and was never really entirely successful in doing the conversion. I finally gave up and just wound up creating a new XP virtual machine instead.

Here's the LINK to the VMWare knowledge base article which describes the process.

Additionally, I'm not sure that Parallels offers the same conversion process. I know that the free VirtualBox from Oracle does not. I really think you may be better off just starting out with a new virtual machine instead. That way you could use the free VirtualBox and avoid having to pay the $79 fee for either Fusion or Parallels.

Another note.... if you intend to play Windows games, you may be better off using the Boot Camp assistant and install Windows on your Mac as a dual boot.

Thanks gents. Let me just clarify a few things.

First, I knew I wouldn't be able to just simply plug it in and use it. That's why I mentioned whether or not I would be able to create a VM using the external drive rather than an internal partition. But I digress.

I have VirtualBox installed on my system so don't know if there is anyway to get it to look to the external HD through USB and have it create a VM with that.

Lastly, the reason I'm wanting to try and use it is because I don't have a recovery disk or OS disk of windows XP on here anymore. It's a fully legal version of Windows XP mind you, but I was somehow hoping to use the XP that is on that hard drive so I wouldn't have to buy another Windows disk.

I mean, it's still mine so I was just hoping to keep utilizing it. Not looking to get a free copy nor will I pirate so I was just hoping to utilize the XP I already had.

Thanks