BIOS 440BX for Windows XP

[jackdovix]

Hi
I'd like to virtualize and old phisical computer that use Windows XP SP2 with industrial software that I don't want and I cannot upgrade to the newer version.
The computer is isolated from the web and has all the requested security BUT it's a Windows XP... The computer now works fine... Till now I have found spare parts to repair the demaged parts, BUT I want to virtualize.

I have done several test with VirtualBox, VMWare and ProxMox.
With VirtualBox the Virtual Machine works fine without problem it's like a phisical machine but it's a workstation software, and I'd like to use a server and hipervisor.
I have tested the same machine in VMware Workstation and in esxi server and to reach the compatibility I had to use an old BIOS version from an old VMWare Workstation 6.5 following this article https://pete.akeo.ie/2011/06/extracting-and-using-modified-vmware.html
So I can use the Virtual Machine correctly in VMWare but I'd like to use ProxMox.
After several test with the configuration of the parameter in webgui BIOS SeaBios/OVMF and Machine pc-i440fx/Q35, with several version from 5.0 to 6.2. the virtual machine start but some service of the operating system and application starts and use the cpu al 100% and the VM become unusable.

This is the question it's possibile to use an old BIOS like in VMWare (bios440.filename = "bios440.rom") to set in the configuration the use a particular old BIOS? I think that the problem is the compatibility from the actual bios version and the proxmox actual version.

I's possible to use the bios firmware like the one used in vmware workstation/esxi?

Thanks to everybody that could help me
also some suggest is really appreciate!

Thanks Very Much

 

[LnxBil]

Another idea would be to virtualize e.g. a Linux with nested virtualization, then install virtualbox and run the Windows itside of that. I use this for multiple "legacy" software products and it works fine with various older virtualization tools.

 

[wigor]

Hey,

i use "normal XP" virtualized on proxmox for legacy software as well. run´s out of the box and stable. I tried the nested thing also, it works, but no need.
Before proxmox i used VirtualBox with an Web-GUI phpvirtualbox IIRC. If you are using industry software an need USB or a good timing behavior for machine communication, i would recommend virtualbox. (but i myself did not use it for 3 years now).

 

[LnxBil]

i use "normal XP" virtualized on proxmox for legacy software as well.

The problem is not installing XP (which works great), but converting another hypervisor-virtualized XP to PVE, which is not as easy.