The MojoPac Windows Vista Upgrade Won't Work - Here's Why (Followup)

Overview

The video is a follow-up explaining why a Windows Vista upgrade attempt fails when using MojoPac—a portable environment that runs Windows XP-like programs from an iPod/USB drive. The creator corrects earlier assumptions and provides technical reasoning about how MojoPac actually works and why a Vista upgrade isn’t possible.

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Core Correction: MojoPac Is Not a True Independent VM

The creator clarifies that MojoPac is not like a full virtual machine (e.g., VMware/VirtualBox), where a self-contained OS installation runs entirely inside the virtual environment.

Instead, MojoPac is described as sandbox-like / virtualization with strong dependence on the host:

• It runs a Windows XP environment.
• However, crucial OS files appear to be partially artificial or mapped/inflated using the host computer’s files.

Evidence Shown

• The size of the Windows folder inside MojoPac changes over time:
  • It was previously claimed to be around ~672 KB.
  • It later grows (e.g., to ~18 MB),
  • but still misses many expected files.
• In MojoPac’s “system32”, there’s only limited content.
  • An example mentioned: a single executable related to “Tablet PC Platform.”
• When comparing the host vs. MojoPac:
  • MojoPac can “see” the same Windows folder structure,
  • but it does not behave like a full standalone installation.

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Why Upgrading to Windows Vista Fails

The creator tries to run the Windows Vista Home Premium upgrade setup from within MojoPac. The installer fails with messages indicating it can’t proceed:

• “Upgrade has been disabled”
• “Not enough space”
  • The creator disputes this, noting there is large free space on the iPod.
• Then a key issue:
  • “No drives were found.”

Conclusion

MojoPac’s environment does not present a suitable drive/partition structure for the Vista upgrade process. As a result:

• Vista upgrade doesn’t work
• A clean install also isn’t possible from within MojoPac

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Host Isolation Behavior (Features & Limitations)

The video discusses MojoPac’s isolation characteristics:

• Changes inside MojoPac generally do not affect the host.
  • Example: installing Doom 2 and Microsoft Office 2003 inside MojoPac shows up within MojoPac,
  • while the host retains a different Office version (example given: Office 2010).

Possible “Isolation Leak” Rumor

The creator discusses a potential bug/leak scenario:

• A Wikipedia reference is cited, attributed to Ringcube (MojoPac’s company), suggesting that modified MojoPac system files could reflect onto host system files.
• The creator also tests a comment rumor:
  • that installing Office 2003 might “leak” outside MojoPac.

Their test suggests this was not the issue—Office auto-started from the CD on the host due to normal installer behavior, not because MojoPac escaped isolation.

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Tested Behaviors / Compatibility Checks

The video includes small experiments based on viewer comments:

• Power off behavior inside MojoPac
  • Powering off closes/unloads MojoPac and returns to the host.
  • It is not a full machine shutdown.
• Running MojoPac on a Windows 10 host
  • Fails with access/compatibility errors, including:
    • “Logged in as a limited user”
    • “MojoPac requires… only one user be logged in”
• Running MojoPac on a Windows XP virtual machine host
  • Works as expected:
    • MojoPac can apply settings/theme and install apps within that XP environment.
  • This supports the idea that MojoPac functions correctly only when its intended host conditions are met.

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Practical Takeaway

MojoPac can be useful for running a portable Windows XP-like environment from an iPod/USB, but:

• it is not equivalent to a full VM
• it is not suitable for major OS upgrades like Vista, due to how MojoPac handles storage and installation expectations

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Main Speakers / Sources (from Subtitles)

• Main speaker: the YouTube video creator/host (speaking throughout)
• Source referenced: Ringcube
  • Quoted/mentioned indirectly via a Wikipedia page that cited Ringcube