Windows 7 VM w/ IE (Virtualbox)

ie6winxp.vm.md

This will provide a much faster and favorable experience VS RDC over network (or worse, the internet). It also gives you free reign to do whatever else you might want to do on windows (which for me isn't much, but a nice-to-have none-the-less).

The following list of commands will get you a free (microsoft sponsored) Windows XP VM environment with IE6 installed. The password is "Password1". When you first login, you will be asked to activate the OS. Do this immediately over the internet. You will get 90 days of activation. Once this runs out, activate the snapshot called "The initial VM state" to go back in time.

% mkdir -p ~/.vm/hdds/windows/winxp-ie6/
% cd !$

% wget http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/7/2/B72085AE-0F04-4C6F-9182-BF1EE90F5273/Windows_XP_IE6.exe
% unrar e Windows_XP_IE6.exe

% vm=winxp-ie6
% vhd="Windows XP.vhd"
% vm_type=WindowsXP
% vhd_path=/Users/wilmoore/.vm/hdds/windows/winxp-ie6

% VBoxManage createvm --name "${vm}" --ostype "${vm_type}" --register
% VBoxManage modifyvm "${vm}" --memory 256 --vram 32
% VBoxManage storagectl "${vm}" --name "IDE Controller" --add ide --controller PIIX4 --bootable on
% VBoxManage storagectl "${vm}" --name "Floppy Controller" --add floppy
% VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid "${vhd_path}/${vhd}"
% VBoxManage storageattach "${vm}" --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium "${vhd_path}/${vhd}"
% VBoxManage storageattach "${vm}" --storagectl "Floppy Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type fdd --medium emptydrive
% VBoxManage snapshot "${vm}" take clean --description "The initial VM state"

NOW, start virtualbox and select "winxp-ie6"

ie8win7.vm.md

This will provide a much faster and favorable experience VS RDC over network (or worse, the internet). It also gives you free reign to do whatever else you might want to do on windows (which for me isn't much, but a nice-to-have none-the-less).

The following list of commands will get you a free (microsoft sponsored) Windows 7 VM environment with IE8 installed. The password is "Password1". When you first login, you will be asked to activate the OS. Do this immediately over the internet. You will get 90 days of activation. Once this runs out, activate the snapshot called "The initial VM state" to go back in time.

% mkdir -p ~/.vm/hdds/windows/ie8/
% cd !$

% wget http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/7/2/B72085AE-0F04-4C6F-9182-BF1EE90F5273/Windows_7_IE8.part0{1.exe,2.rar,3.rar,4.rar}
% unrar e Windows_7_IE8.part01.exe

% vm=ie8vm
% vhd=Win7_IE8.vhd
% vm_type=Windows7
% vhd_path=/Users/wilmoore/.vm/hdds/windows/ie8

% VBoxManage createvm --name "${vm}" --ostype "${vm_type}" --register
% VBoxManage modifyvm "${vm}" --memory 256 --vram 32
% VBoxManage storagectl "${vm}" --name "IDE Controller" --add ide --controller PIIX4 --bootable on
% VBoxManage storagectl "${vm}" --name "Floppy Controller" --add floppy
% VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid "${vhd_path}/${vhd}"
% VBoxManage storageattach "${vm}" --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium "${vhd_path}/${vhd}"
% VBoxManage storageattach "${vm}" --storagectl "Floppy Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type fdd --medium emptydrive
% VBoxManage snapshot "${vm}" take clean --description "The initial VM state"

NOW, start virtualbox and select "ie8vm"