How to migrate a Windows Server from AWS EC2 or Xen to KVM

Download KVM Fedora driver
Replace the Citrix SCSI driver by Fedora one

Add the following legacy devices :
VirIO Baloon
NetKVM

If on Xen, export the volume like this :

[root@xen ~]# xe vdi-list  name-label=windows
uuid ( RO)                : 0db82c11-6ea3-4e7a-bcf5-a75470968200
          name-label ( RW): omnitrack
    name-description ( RW): Created by XenCenter Disk Image Import
             sr-uuid ( RO): e5772b34-5ad1-6ac9-f91d-575dbec3aea6
        virtual-size ( RO): 32212254720
            sharable ( RO): false
           read-only ( RO): false


[root@xenr13sm6d ~]# xe vdi-export uuid=0db82c11-6ea3-4e7a-bcf5-a75470968200 filename=/var/run/sr-mount/6ad66e9d-f3dd-845e-e783-5077cb157a13/widnows.raw format=raw progress=true
[|] ######################################################> (100% ETA 00:00:00)
Total time: 00:07:11

Reinstall Grub after Windows 7 erased it from the MBR

You just reinstalled Windows on your dual boot computer and it removed Grub, now you can't access to your Linux (Ubuntu in my case)... Here is how to fix that :

Boot on a Linux live CD/DVD or USB Stick

Let's assume my harddisk will be called /dev/sda

Make yourself root :
sudo -s


List your patition to identify the one which contains your Linux system
fdisk -l /dev/sda


Create a folder and mount your Linux on it
mkdir /mnt/mylinux
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/mylinux (where 1 is the partition number of your linux system I identified before)

Check if you recognize your system :
ls -l /mnt/mylinux

Now we have to bind sys, dev and proc
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/mylinux/dev
mount -o bind /sys /mnt/mylinux/sys
mount -o bind /proc /mnt/mylinux/proc

Chroot to your system by typing
chroot /mnt/mylinux /bin/sh


Reinstall Grub properly
grub-mkconfig > /boot/grub/grub.cfg (menu.lst is you are using old Grub)
grub-install /dev/sda


Done !


Unmount everything and reboot :)
exit
cd /
umount /mnt/mylinux/dev
umount /mnt/mylinux/sys
umount /mnt/mylinux/proc
umount /mnt/mylinux/
sync
reboot

How to make Windows Color Management work

My Dell Vostro 3350 screen is very bad calibrated. Everything looks ugly and cold by default!

Unfortunately I don't have any Color probe to create a custom ICC Color Profile but I found one on this excellent website : http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-Vostro-3350-Subnotebook.54680.0.html

Anyway, the point is, I got my ICC color profile and I want to use it on Windows 7 but when I install it, it doesn't want to apply !

Here is how I got it work :

Go to the color profile panel

In the advanced tab, click on change system defaults.

The same windows appear, but as Administrator. Again, go to the advanced tab and check if the "Use Windows Display Calibration" is thicked.

Now go back to the Devices tab and import your Profile.
You will also import another profile, pick any of the default ones.
Select it and Set it as Default profile

Then select the profile you really want to apply and set it as default. At this point, the profile should apply in real time. If not, try calibrating your screen with Windows tool and re do all these steps.

Potentials issues :

If you are using Intel HD Graphics like me, the igfxpers.exe process might reset the profile to a bad value each time your screen is blinking or the UAC is prompted.

Is this case, juste disable it from the boot with msconfig.

Make it persistent :

Windows suffer from a bug, if you use multiple screen, which is often the case when using a laptop. It will mess up with the color profiles each time you plug in a new screen. To correct this you can use the Task Scheduler to re apply color setting on a plug event :

Fix Windows 7 boot and remove Grub

Just removed my Ubuntu Linux and decided to restore Windows 7 boot manager

Boot on Windows 7 USB or DVD


First try :
Bootsect /nt60 C:


Second try :
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
bootrec /scanos

Third try :
bcdboot c:\windows


Should work :)