Using Parallels Transporter

I tried VMware's Converter and, after I ran it from the Windows XP install (had to swap HDD back in) it did create a virtual disk on the FAT32 partition I created at the end of the Leopard-installed HDD (now in the USB drive). But in looking around for instructions on exactly which of the three options for the VMware file type I should use I found Parallels has their own Transporter.

http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/features/transporter/

And it's a free download, coming in Linux and Windows flavours. I downloaded and installed it. I actually had to install it twice (uninstall and reboot in between) because the first time it didn't work. Probably something to do with running the Tech Guys Recovery Backup on the same reboot (now have backup on 2Gb Memory Stick which somehow turned up once at work and nobody claimed - finally found a use for it). It was pretty straightforward to select the options and use Transporter to make an image of the Windows install. Even while writing this.

Scratch that, it has bombed out three times while around 20-30%.

I tried an import of the VMware image, back in OS X using Transport, choosing the file with the fewest characters! (I guess it's split to avoid any 2GB file size limit problems.) It progresses well, and at the end boots up and brings up a cmd window telling you what to do - cancel all the PnP New Hardware Wizards and deny the reboot request. The cmd windows says to press and key and reboot. That happens and, lo, I have my 'old' windows running!