[ubuntu-uk] Ending Dual-Boot: XP partiton question

[SuperEngineer]

As an aside [& to continue with the original mail....]
I have just finished a build of my own desktop pc [started with a
Zoostorm cheapo and replaced/added/donated some parts from old pc - an
ageing Dell Dimension].  
The original XP partition is now on the my sda as sda1.
No surprise, but XP won't boot -failing at a "Windows failed to start"
blue screen with "this may be because you have installed...].  I am not
surprised as most of the machine is different [but I am surprised that
it didn't at least boot to the "Oi you! this is not the same machine!
message followed by option to re-validate].

The question I have is: would it be possible to run that XP partition on
a VM?  I normally use VirtuaBox - but have no idea if it can load an XP
[ntfs] partition rather than loading a cd or live cd tro a VirtualBox
VM?  ...and would it be a waste of time trying simply to end up with the
same result as booting it direct from GRUB.

It would be nice to have a Win load - but don't won't to splash out on a
new Windows system I don't fully want - I want a Linux [Ubuntu] pooter
than can, if needed, use the existing WinXP install [which I will be
internet disabling in April anyway].

Thanks in anticipation.
-- 
Bill B. [SuperEngineer]