How "Virtual" is Virtual Machine Software?

[HoppaLong]

I found this thread about installing Windows 98 on a virtual partition:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid...5174&page=5

My experience with virtual software is limited to mounting a virtual

image using backup software, or creating a partition to simulate an

optical drive on a hard drive.

Exactly how can you run an old system like 98 on a computer that's

only a few months old? Let's say you're running Vista Ultimate with

a wireless keyboard and mouse. The drivers for this hardware are

compatible with Vista, not Windows 98.

The app recommended in this thread is Microsoft's Virtual PC. Is some

kind of overlay created that allows your wireless mouse and keyboard

to function within the 98 partition? I can't imagine anyone plugging in

an older mouse and keyboard just for the virtual 98 partition.

In effect, the virtual software would have to create a buffer between the

two systems, so you can use the same hardware for both. 98 "sees" the

new hardware and drivers as being compatible. If virtual software doesn't

create this buffer, then all your Vista compatible hardware would be useless.

Now that I've speculated about how virtual software works, tell how that

old system can run harmoniously within a much newer Windows system.

Edited December 19, 2009 by HoppaLong

[cluberti]

Wikipedia has a good article about this very subject that I suggest you have a look at. What the poster in the article you linked was describing was a System Virtual Machine, which provides native execution of emulated hardware (meaning the virtual machine in the VM software running Windows 98 only sees very generic hardware, regardless of what's in the parent machine running the system virtual machine software - in this case, Vista running Microsoft Virtual PC).

[submix8c]

Tips, Tricks, Info -

http://blogs.msdn.com/Virtual_PC_Guy/

[HoppaLong]

Thank you cluberti and submix8c!

I'll definitely read the info you both recommended.

If I understand you correctly cluberti, Microsoft's Virtual PC creates an

environment in which 98 sees all that Vista hardware as a generic mouse,

keyboard, etc. You may lose some of the advanced features provided

by the software, but your hardware will function at some basic level

within the virtual 98 partition. Am I on the right track here?

Edited December 19, 2009 by HoppaLong

[submix8c]

Will this help understanding the term (not-necessarily) "generic"?

http://www.msfn.org/board/best-virtualisat...re-t140233.html

Roughly, the Host provides Real Hardware, the VM Software provides Virtual Hardware Interfaces, the Guest sees "Real Hardware" (via the Virtualisation). Each VM Software provides its own methods of interface, so after a fashion, "generic" is a "true-ism".

Keep reading, you'll get the idea...

(post written just to provide a link for the OP to possible future collected info.)

[MrJinje]

One nice thing about Virtual Hardware, is you can run your Windows 98 VM on any machine without any hardware issues. Essentially it makes your entire OS portable. I have an XP VM that I run from a 4GB USB drive.