You can turn a Windows HDD into a VHD but I was never able to get it to boot up properly on a VM, so I just use Linux to view old files instead. I forgot the approach I used, but it probably isnt too complicated to google.
I recall reading that Windows historically built its hardware abstraction layer at install time and that's why you couldn't simply move a disk from like hardware to unlike hardware without a reinstall. You may want to try a fresh install of Windows, then copy over the application files. It might be tough if the vendor modified Windows libs and did not provide any installer.
In the days of XP I could not slap an old hard drive from one computer into another and expect it to boot.
With Windows 10 I have done so many of times to my surprise.
We have also virtualised many physical servers at my job. We use Veeam to create the VHD
boot windows safe mode, execute sysprep. This strips windows of hardware-specific drivers, so that qemu should have an easier time running it.
The whole thing is crusty, and it may or may not work. It does change Windows, so make a copy and keep the original image unchanged.
Thank you! I might wind up trying this, it's an old computer my wife used to one imaged, I've been wanting to make it bootable for the nostalgia effect that it would produce. I just want the least amount of damage to the OS as possible. Getting the files is one thing, being able to boot it, is something far more interesting.
I think there was a way in NT (at least with NT5/2000) to replace HAL components with more 'generic' components (eg standard SATA drivers, uniprocessor kernel) so you could more easily move it to different hardware.
I've only read about it but never tried it though, it may have been using the SYSPREP tools?
For Windows XP, you have to go to device manager and uninstall the CPU and/or the motherboard, that will reset them to generic ACPI something if I recall well.
I've done it once, migrating a very old machine to new hardware by just moving the disk.
You can totally do this at least since Windows 8.1. The main hurdles are the boot menu settings (if you're unfamiliar with that) than any hardware related stuff.
