Running an existing installation in VMWare?

[wazzoo]

Does anybody know if it is possible to run my existing windows installation in linux via VMWare? the only information I have managed to find online involves installing a fresh OS using VMWare and then running that, whereas I want to access the other OS on my dual-boot machine. Can it be done?
Thanks

[Marsolin]

Not that I've ever heard of, but VMware can use a physical hard disk instead of just a virtual one. You could try creating a new VM and setting up it's drive to match the partition you are currently installed to. I'd back up before trying though.

Another possibility is creating a clone of your partition and recreating it in a virtual disk. That would be safer.

[wazzoo]

Thanks, I'm morbidly short on disk space at the moment but when I get my external HD I'll back it up and give it a go.

[daredevilfury]

i had seen an addon for vmware called "p2v assistant", which converts physical os's to virtual machines..:

http://www.vmware.com/products/p2v/