Virtual Machine questions

[87GT]

Maybe CR can answer my question. Google hasn't help me. Is is possible to boot my machine and get to the windows login and have an option to boot a virtual machine without using my physical OS login? All I can find is how to have my VM start on boot after I login to my computer or how to dual boot into a VM. I am doing this strictly as a guest account. I could just make a second login to Win10 but I rather it be on a VM. I also don't want to reboot if a guest needs to use the computer. I want to go to start, log off, and just select the VM. Thoughts?

 

I am currently running win 10 professional and using Hyper-V to run my VM. It is installed as Win 7 professional and everything inside the VM is fine.

[jeffro]

run it as a service? services start at bootup.

[smokin5s]

you should purchase a thin client like a WYSE device, and have it boot into your virtual environment.

[mmrmnhrm]

As Jeff says, you need to find a way to start whatever it is you need started as a service. There's a tool called Alwaysup that I'm somewhat familiar with (in that, I know it's a royal PITA because it's what our battery software uses to auto-start/auto-restart itself) that might do what you're looking for.

[EssFo]

So I understand this, you want the physical windows OS to boot, then launch another virtual OS automatically?

 

*Edit, I think I see what you're trying to do. I think the answer is probably no without a second account. Since you want a "guest" to do this having your base OS auto login isn't an option. You could create (or use) the guest account on your base OS then set the VM to start automatically and auto log that in.

 

To add to what was said above, you could have another device running that uses RDP and just have the person remote into the virtual that's running on your base OS. Make sense?

[ShowHBK]

My two cents...

 

My same question is similar to EssFo in what exactly you are asking for.

 

It seems to me like you want your Primary OS running but a way to "log off" your primary account and then load up an entire new OS (the VM) while your main account is still locked. You seem to want the VM to be as detached as possible from your main account.

 

I do not think this is possible because once you lock your workstation you cannot really do much of anything without unlocking it, The same would go for logging off as well because if you log off your profile then most of your programs will exit or shutdown. I do not believe the services option will work in this case because I have seen in most cases small pieces of software running on the lock screen but I have never seen an entire VM running on the lock screen. I just don't think that is possible without some heavy modifications.

 

One possible solution that I could offer would be the thin-client option on a switch of some kind to the display where you would have your main system and thin-client plugged into one port and when you want your guests to use the computer you hit a button and the thin-client shows up on the screen. Only problem with this is that you would have to switch out the keyboard and mouse when doing this each time unless you ran third party software to bridge the mouse and keyboard over a network.

 

You might want to search into Windows 10 and take a look at the different profiles you can create. I know there are "child" profiles you can create in Windows 10 where access is extremely restricted or you can create a guest profile and deny all user privileges to view the C: drive or anywhere else you would not what them to go. A while back I wrote a script for a high school who was having problems with their students deleting things in the System32 folder so I made their view look like everything inside to the "student" users profile blank/empty and the problem was solved.

 

Hope this helps

[87GT]

Thanks for the replies.

 

To further clarify what I want is to login to my windows 10 account number 1 and run whatever apps I need. I would click "switch user" and let it sit at the windows login screen. Then if I leave my house or whatever someone could go to the windows login screen and select account number 2 which runs my VM guest OS.

 

They COULD login to a guest account and then launch the Win7 VM but that is an extra step that should be eliminated. I might as well just have a local guest account and no VM.

 

I COULD setup my VMD as a bootable disk. I can attach one I think in computer management? But I would have to reboot the computer to launch this and lose any data I might have in account number one that is always logged in. Again an extra step I don't want to do.

 

Someone told me windows server 2016 could maybe do this. I don't want to buy the OS unless I know for sure this can be done. Also the VM doesn't need to always be running as a service. That could be a drain on my primary account.

[EssFo]

But if you use the local guest account to log in and auto launch the VM, on that VM they could have admin rights and install any software they wanted and you don't have to worry about them messing your base PC up.

[ShowHBK]

So you want Account #1 to run Windows 10, click "switch users", then have Account #2 log in using a VM/another OS?

 

I know it is possible to do this but you would need to do some HEAVY and I mean HEAVY modifications to the users account.

 

What you would need to do is the following:

 

1. Create the second user account

2. Deny all privileges to "explore" the C: Drive on user #2's account

3. Hide the desktop, start bar, and disable "right click" on the desktop

4. Run a script or event so that when the second user logs onto Windows, the VM software would boot up and run Windows 7 inside the VM in full screen

5. Deny all user control of the VM options menu other than to "power down" the VM

6. Create an event so that when the VM shuts down or terminates for any reason Windows 10 will log the user out and return to the main users page

 

Can this be done? YES! Do I have any idea how to do all of this? Nope, not a clue.

 

In all honesty even if you could do all this, it would take so much time and effort to customize. I am sure you have your reasons for wanting a guest OS, but this is REALLY going to be complicated for you to pull off in the way you are describing. My guess is that Windows Server could in fact do exactly what you want because I know multiple instances of Windows sessions can run on Windows Server, but I would have no idea how to configure or confirm and features. I run a small Dell 1850 Blade running Windows Server 2012 for a Minecraft server and a small bit of network storage but I have never done VM inside Windows Server.

[87GT]

But if you use the local guest account to log in and auto launch the VM, on that VM they could have admin rights and install any software they wanted and you don't have to worry about them messing your base PC up.

 

I guess this is the easiest option. I need to figure out how to make Hyper-V auto start on the guest login but start in full screen mode. It needs to be seamless.

[87GT]

I run a small Dell 1850 Blade running Windows Server 2012 for a Minecraft server and a small bit of network storage but I have never done VM inside Windows Server.

 

You should try it and let me know

[EssFo]

If you can't make Hyper-V I believe you can with Vmware Player.

 

I run an older HP DL380 at home with Vmware ESXi (Free version) and a few Windows servers/desktops.

[mmrmnhrm]

I guess I'm still trying to figure out they 'why' part of all this... seems like a real pain in the butt to accomplish, well, what exactly? Are you trying to run some application that doesn't "play well" with Win10? Do you have someone in the house that can't learn a new UI? Are you a masochist and get your jollies from doing things the hard way?

[EssFo]

If you have to ask why you aren't IT nerd enough.

[87GT]

I guess I'm still trying to figure out they 'why' part of all this... seems like a real pain in the butt to accomplish, well, what exactly? Are you trying to run some application that doesn't "play well" with Win10? Do you have someone in the house that can't learn a new UI? Are you a masochist and get your jollies from doing things the hard way?

 

My answer to your questions is yes.

[mmrmnhrm]

If you have to ask why you aren't IT nerd enough.

 

My answer to your questions is yes.

 

If the goal is to show off your IT chops, or prove the length of your neckbeard, there are better ways to go about it. What I see is more like asking us to come up with some sort of hacked-up Frankensolution in search of a problem.

[Tractor]

I guess it depends on what the "guest account" will be used for. If its just occasional and casual use of the computer just create a guest logon and use security policies to lock down folders, etc you don't want the guest messing with. Its already built into windows and no reason to make it harder than it needs to be.

[ShowHBK]

If the goal is to show off your IT chops, or prove the length of your neckbeard, there are better ways to go about it. What I see is more like asking us to come up with some sort of hacked-up Frankensolution in search of a problem.

 

It's not like that at all. Some people are generally interested in modifying their computer or operating system just as one would modify his/her car. It's not about asking "why?" more like asking "why not?"

 

that...

 

or...

 

He is hiding his porn... take your pick.

[87GT]

If the goal is to show off your IT chops, or prove the length of your neckbeard, there are better ways to go about it. What I see is more like asking us to come up with some sort of hacked-up Frankensolution in search of a problem.

 

That is not how I think about this or my intentions. Why is it upsetting you so much?

 

I do have some apps that have been crashing in windows 10 that I can run in the windows 7 VM fine. When it crashes I lose my display, keyboard, and mouse. The HD runs at 100% while this happens. I have to cold boot to fix. I would like the ability to run these from time to time in the separate environment and switch users between them. I also do have someone in my house that can not learn a new UI and still needs to use my PC. They need a guest account. And I like doing things that are difficult. That is why I am doing it.

 

Any discussion or insight on this feel free to let me know

[ShowHBK]

87GT -

 

Based off that explanation, have you looked into the Multi-Desktop option in Windows 10? It should be a small icon that looks like this http://windowsinstructedmain.windowsinstructe.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-13_23-10-54.png Down near your start button.

 

From here you can create a new desktop and switch between them with Ctrl + Windows Key + (Right or left). Windows key + Tab also works just as nice.

 

I currently use this to switch between my main two displays of gaming and netflix to my other two displays of Por--...err.... Research. In your case, you could always have your VM running on another desktop and quickly switch to the VM with the hot keys. This way, its out of your way when you don't need it and there when you want it.

[greg1647545532]

Can't you just create a startup script that launches the VM from the command line, and then run that startup script for a specific user that you create? Anytime that user logged in the VM would launch and they'd be in Windows 7 full screen. I don't know anything about Hyper-V but this seems somewhat trivial, which is why people are asking questions. Are you trying to lock this guest user out of the main OS, or are you just doing this for your own convenience? Will the guest user tolerate looking at the Win10 desktop for a few seconds while waiting for the VM to spin up?

[87GT]

87GT -

 

Based off that explanation, have you looked into the Multi-Desktop option in Windows 10? It should be a small icon that looks like this http://windowsinstructedmain.windowsinstructe.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-13_23-10-54.png Down near your start button.

 

From here you can create a new desktop and switch between them with Ctrl + Windows Key + (Right or left). Windows key + Tab also works just as nice.

 

I currently use this to switch between my main two displays of gaming and netflix to my other two displays of Por--...err.... Research. In your case, you could always have your VM running on another desktop and quickly switch to the VM with the hot keys. This way, its out of your way when you don't need it and there when you want it.

 

Yeah I looked at it. It is just like the multi-desktop option on my Mac. I used that often when my Mac was my primary machine. I guess what I want to accomplish is impossible and that is okay. If there is no way to login to a VM I will just make a guest account and a second account for my VM windows 7 legacy apps. Keeping everything separate in their own windows login is asking for too much.

[87GT]

Can't you just create a startup script that launches the VM from the command line, and then run that startup script for a specific user that you create? Anytime that user logged in the VM would launch and they'd be in Windows 7 full screen. I don't know anything about Hyper-V but this seems somewhat trivial, which is why people are asking questions. Are you trying to lock this guest user out of the main OS, or are you just doing this for your own convenience? Will the guest user tolerate looking at the Win10 desktop for a few seconds while waiting for the VM to spin up?

 

I could make it auto load. They could tolerate the wait time. I do want this all other users locked out of the main OS only for protecting myself from malware. An infection has already happened and took too long to repair. The main risk I think is they could use the windows 10 guest account and add malware/virus. I rather just delete the VMD and reload a saved snapshot than deal with cleaning out my main OS hard driver. I am just using hyper-v because it is built into windows and free. If some other VM application can do more I would try it.

[greg1647545532]

But who are these users? If you're worried about grandpa accidentally installing some malware on your computer, creating a "Grandpa" user account with extremely limited privileges that immediately loads a full-screen VM on login sounds perfectly sufficient. If this is a public terminal and you're worried about Zero Cool teenagers intentionally installing malware and want to make sure that they can absolutely, under no circumstances, access the core OS, then this becomes needlessly difficult.

[87GT]

But who are these users? If you're worried about grandpa accidentally installing some malware on your computer, creating a "Grandpa" user account with extremely limited privileges that immediately loads a full-screen VM on login sounds perfectly sufficient. If this is a public terminal and you're worried about Zero Cool teenagers intentionally installing malware and want to make sure that they can absolutely, under no circumstances, access the core OS, then this becomes needlessly difficult.

 

4-5 different users will be using some type of guest account. The reason shouldn't really matter. I just want to know if it is possible and if so a general idea how. I will figure out the details.