How do I move an insider VM from one machine to another?

Would anyone know how to move a HyperVM containing Windows Insider from one machine to another? I just built a new PC and I thought maybe I could just create another VM and reload Insider from scratch, but that doesn't work. It won't activate, ostensibly because the new Insider instance has a different serial number, so it looks like I'll have to move the old VM to the new machine. (I hope the serial number isn't tied to HW.....)

Anyone done this before?

Thanks,

Jabiru

If you go into the advanced settings on the VM's disk you can hard code the "physical" serial number for that VM. Just copy the entire folder with all the hyper-v files for that VM to the new system and make sure you record the existing serial just in case and then set it back to the record value if it does change.

Hi there
@Jabiru

Easiest way. Doesn't take long and saves messing around with settings etc,

1) copy the VM's .vhdx file(or files) to your new machine say to C:\<your_account>
2) Start the HYPER-V Manager on your new system.
3) Choose create New Virtual machine
4) go through the relevant prompts - the create new virtual machine wizard is actually very good and simple to follow -- don't bother with the "Quick" version - just open the bog standard HYPER-V manager.
5) You'll probably want to select a Generation 2 system -- There's not much reason to use generation 1 any more. If your VM boots via UEFI then you have to use a generation 2 machine.
6) ignore the create virtual disk -- you'll be using your copied vhdx file(s). Delete any "new" virtual disk created.
7) after the machine has been created - go to settings in the virtual machine - lower pane in the hyper-V menu on the right hand side
8) user preference here but I tend to disable checkpoints and secure boot - choice to you --if creating Linux VM's you don't need the "Windows secure boot" enabled.
9) in the add hardware - add SCSI controller-->hard disk-->use existing virtual disk and choose your vhdx file
10) change boot option from file to hard disk

That's it.

Two points though -- if you want decent host / guest or LAN communication etc go back to the top pane and choose virtual switch manager to create an external switch. Then in the bottom pane delete the default switch in the VM's settings and add the new external switch. The default switch uses NAT whereas the external one gives the VM its own IP address which will be on the same subnet as the rest of your lan e.g if your host is on 192.168.x.xxx then your VM will have an IP address of 192.168.x.yyy.

Now good to go !!!! - if you added any HDD's on your previous VM simply ensure those are offlined to the Windows Host and then add as physical disks in the VM's add hardware pane.

You'll save a whole lot of time and frustration doing this -- just takes a few seconds to get your VM up and running again.

Note though if using modern Linux distros for VM's under Hyper-V you are unlikely to get any sound working. That's because sound is essentially transmitted via RDP and modern distros use Wayland which is incompatible with RDP rather than X11 and XORG which were OK through XRDP/FREERDP etc. Non UEFI older distros or Windows systems such as XP might work if you select a generation 1 VM - but normally that option is increasingly becomming redundant.

Cheers
jimbo

Only thing you need to do is copy the VM and the VHDX files over to your new machine. The VM-files contains your settings and your VMs machine ID, so everything will stay activated wherever you move the VM to.

If you create a new VM, then you get a new machine ID which won't activate unless you have another serial-key.

EDIT: Your VM files are usually located in

and your VHDX files in:

@jimbo45

I'm not sure if your answer is relevant to the OPs question...

SlicEnDicE said:

Only thing you need to do is copy the VM and the VHDX files over to your new machine. The VM-files contains your settings and your VMs machine ID, so everything will stay activated wherever you move the VM to.

If you create a new VM, then you get a new machine ID which won't activate unless you have another serial-key.

Click to expand...

Sometimes that doesn't work -- you can errors such as "unauthorized access" appear when doing it that way even if you are "the administrator" or start HYPER-V in elevated command mode.

Creating a new VM with the old vhdx files more often than not doesn't require windows re-activation - but presumably if the machine does require re-activation then presumably it's found significant hardware differences -- The activation process checks the hardware and it's rare that the "Virtual hardware" should change because you've loaded the VM on to a new machine but if it does throw up activation required then presumably that would happen however you create the VM.

The HWID of the machine is (assuming it's been activated with a digital license) is a file with a name like GenuineTicket.xml and the one on your machine (HWID) must be the same as that stored on Ms's servers. This should only change if Windows detects significant hardware differences -- presumably the new HOST machine is already properly activated so I can't see that a MOBO change would call for the VM to require re-activation.

Cheers
jimbo

If you get that error, then you have to unblock the files. Happens sometimes when you move files over from unknown sources.

I've done this copy operation thousands of times and worked every single time on multiple machines.

Also the VM hardware ID is tied to the VM not to the physical hardware.