VMware Fusion 4: Import vs Running?

[ohla313]

I've been using VMware Fusion 4 for my MBP for 3 months so far and was very curious about the Import feature. What does it exactly do? I imported it and see no difference aside from Suspend and Snapshots.

Is it ok to still use Vmware without importing?

Here is what my screen looks like as of now.

http://cl.ly/1n323G1W3y3y24350F0N

Thanks!

 

[MJL]

I've been using VMware Fusion 4 for my MBP for 3 months so far and was very curious about the Import feature. What does it exactly do? I imported it and see no difference aside from Suspend and Snapshots.

Is it ok to still use Vmware without importing?

Here is what my screen looks like as of now.

http://cl.ly/1n323G1W3y3y24350F0N

Thanks!

If you run it as bootcamp then it is using the bootcamp partition.If you import it then a virtual image is created on the OS X partition. Main difference is where is the image located and how is it getting backed up and how do you do a restore. Functionality should be exactly the same.

Potentially there is a difference with licensing: if a virtual machine then you can migrate it to any machine without reactivating. If installed under bootcamp then you potentially have to relicense/reactivate when moving to another machine. (have not tried the bootcamp but I know about the virtual machine - you can freely move it, even between windows VMware and Fusion without reactivating)

 

[ohla313]

If you run it as bootcamp then it is using the bootcamp partition.If you import it then a virtual image is created on the OS X partition. Main difference is where is the image located and how is it getting backed up and how do you do a restore. Functionality should be exactly the same.

Potentially there is a difference with licensing: if a virtual machine then you can migrate it to any machine without reactivating. If installed under bootcamp then you potentially have to relicense/reactivate when moving to another machine. (have not tried the bootcamp but I know about the virtual machine - you can freely move it, even between windows VMware and Fusion without reactivating)

Thank you for the insight! When I do import the bootcamp partition and the VM image is made, I can delete my Bootcamp partition? And importing a VM image is beneficial in that I can basically carry my Windows partition and run it on different computers with VMware?

Thanks again

 

[MJL]

Thank you for the insight! When I do import the bootcamp partition and the VM image is made, I can delete my Bootcamp partition? And importing a VM image is beneficial in that I can basically carry my Windows partition and run it on different computers with VMware?

Thanks again

That is correct. I have VMware installations that I made of Windows 2000, XP and Vista that I have made over the past 6 years or so under older (windows) versions of VMware and never needed to re-activate, even after upgrading to newer (windows) versions of VMware (or in this case moving to Fusion).

Basically MSN checks the license against the hardware which in this case is "virtual" hardware which stays the same regardless on which platform you are running the virtual machine.

 

[ohla313]

That is correct. I have VMware installations that I made of Windows 2000, XP and Vista that I have made over the past 6 years or so under older (windows) versions of VMware and never needed to re-activate, even after upgrading to newer (windows) versions of VMware (or in this case moving to Fusion).

Basically MSN checks the license against the hardware which in this case is "virtual" hardware which stays the same regardless on which platform you are running the virtual machine.

Also does the VM image change size? Such as does it stay the same size as the boot camp partition was? I had it at 160 so will it stay that or is it based on how much I have used up?

 

[shortcut3d]

Also does the VM image change size? Such as does it stay the same size as the boot camp partition was? I had it at 160 so will it stay that or is it based on how much I have used up?

The image will be reduced to the used space. By default VMware dynamically allocates additional space up to the configured disk space. You can create a static virtual drive that reserves the space. You can also perform maintenance on the VM to decrease the size as it grows from install/uninstall.