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• without BIOS strings: immediately after its creation. If a VM does not have BIOS strings set when it is started,
the standard XenServer BIOS strings will be inserted into it, and the VM will become BIOS-generic.
To allow installation of Reseller Option Kit (BIOS-locked) OEM versions of Windows, onto a VM running on a
XenServer host, the BIOS strings of the VM will need to be copied from the host with which the ROK media was
supplied.
In order to install the BIOS-locked media that came with your host, you will need to follow the steps below:
Using XenCenter
• Click the Copy host BIOS strings to VM check box in the New VM Wizard.
Using the CLI
1. Run the vm-install copy-bios-strings-from command and specify the host-uuid as the host
from which the strings should be copied (that is, the host that the media was supplied with):
xe vm-install copy-bios-strings-from=<host uuid> \
template=<template name> sr-name-label=<name of sr> \
new-name-label=<name for new VM>
This returns the UUID of the newly created VM.
For example:
xe vm-install copy-bios-strings-from=46dd2d13-5aee-40b8-ae2c-95786ef4 \
template="win7sp1" sr-name-label=Local\ storage \
new-name-label=newcentos
7cd98710-bf56-2045-48b7-e4ae219799db
2. If the relevant BIOS strings from the host have been successfully copied into the VM, the command vm-
is-bios-customized will confirm this:
xe vm-is-bios-customized uuid=<VM uuid>
For example:
xe vm-is-bios-customized \
uuid=7cd98710-bf56-2045-48b7-e4ae219799db
This VM is BIOS-customized.
Note:
When you start the VM, it will be started on the physical host from which you copied the
BIOS strings.
Warning:
It is your responsibility to comply with any EULAs governing the use of any BIOS-locked
operating systems that you install.
9.9. Preparing for Cloning a Windows VM Using VSS
The only supported way to clone a windows VM is by using the Windows utility sysprep to prepare the VM.
Computers running Windows operating systems are uniquely identified by a Security ID (SID). When cloning a
Windows VM, it is important to take steps to ensure the uniqueness of the SID. Cloning an installation without
taking the recommended system preparation steps can lead to duplicate SIDs and other problems. Because the
SID identifies the computer or domain as well as the user, it is critical that it is unique. For more information,
refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 314828, "The Microsoft policy for disk duplication of Windows
installations".
