Preserve Legacy Systems : Convert Outdated Windows XP, 7, Server 2008, 2012 to Virtual Machines and Run Old Programs on New Hardware.

Here are the steps to install Oracle VM VirtualBox and use Disk2VHD to create a virtual machine from an existing Windows XP installation:

Step 1: Download and Install Oracle VM VirtualBox

Go to https://www.virtualbox.org/
Click on the “Downloads” tab
Select the correct operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux) and architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)
Choose the VirtualBox version you want to download (e.g. VirtualBox 6.x.x)
Run the downloaded installer (.exe file) and follow the installation prompts
Once installed, launch Oracle VM VirtualBox

Step 2: Download Disk2VHD

Go to https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/disk2vhd
Click on the “Download” button
Choose the correct operating system (Windows or Linux) and architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)
Run the downloaded installer (.exe file) and follow the installation prompts

Step 3: Prepare a New Computer Machine

If possible, use a computer machine with an SSD or NVME hard drive for improved performance
Ensure that the machine has enough disk space to create a virtual machine (at least 20 GB recommended)

Step 4: Create a Virtual Machine using Oracle VM VirtualBox

Launch Oracle VM VirtualBox and click on “New”
Select “Windows XP” as the operating system and choose the correct architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)
Allocate enough disk space for the virtual machine (at least 20 GB recommended)
Choose a name for your virtual machine and click “Create”

Step 5: Create an Image of Your Existing Windows XP Installation using Disk2VHD

Launch Disk2VHD and select the physical disk where your existing Windows XP installation is located
Select the desired image format (e.g. VDI, VMDK, or OVA)
Choose a name for your virtual hard disk image and click “Create”
Wait for Disk2VHD to create the image of your Windows XP installation

Step 6: Import the Virtual Hard Disk Image into Oracle VM VirtualBox

Step 7: Start your Virtual Machine