James Bannan16 December 2008, 10:00 PM
Need to keep XP running on your Vista system? Virtualization is the key and our step-by-step tutorial will get you there.
Page 5 - Install Guest Additions
Step 5 - Install Guest Additions
Most virtualization solutions offer a software package which can be installed on guest machines which provides better access to the host hardware and other resources like shared folders, clipboard, file copying and so on.
Once the Windows XP VM has been installed and has rebooted, skip through the welcome animation, the internet connectivity test, type in username and log into the desktop. Then, press the host key to release the cursor, then select the Devices menu and then "Install Guest Additions". This mounts the additions image into the VM.
The additions media will autorun and launch the setup procedure. Click Next, the accept the License Agreement and click Next again. Accept the default install location and click Install.
Setup will continue, and the package will install a number of drivers which offer better integration with the host's resources and improved guest performance. These drivers are not signed by Microsoft, so you'll get a warning popup message during installation. Click "Continue Anyway" on all the popups, then reboot to complete the install.
When the system restarts you'll be able to move the cursor between guest and host without having to use the host key, and there will be an icon in the system tray indicating that the additions are active. Installing the additions also gives you extra functionality between guest and host, which we'll look at in the next step.