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Trouble with Virt PC 2004/7

T

toolboxolio

Senior member
So I decided to start using virtual PC and it all sets up fine and I get all my settings done properly.

I launch my VPC with my winXP ISO cpatured. It runs fine, gets to setup screen and installs are the PE stuff. When it gets to the point where on the bottom it says "windows setup is starting" the vpc just hangs forever using 100% of my host machine's CPU.

I have tried all kinds of different linux installs as well and zero luck. The only OS that I got to run on my VPC was the Damn Small Linux ISO I was running off of. But as you might know, it doesn't need a hard drive to run that OS.


I can't find any help via google and would like some insight on what solution there is to get my VPC to see it's own HDD. And yes, I did create the .vhd as a set size.
 
Did you try a dynamically expanding VHD? Not sure if that would make a difference, but I'd be curious to see if it does.
 
Originally posted by: stash
Did you try a dynamically expanding VHD? Not sure if that would make a difference, but I'd be curious to see if it does.
Click to expand...

Yeah, went through all that. Tried all the disc types that I could.
 
Is your XP ISO a vanilla XP CD? Or is it a custom image you made with Ghost or something similar?
 
I wish I could help you out by I just tried using VPC 2007 installing XP w/SP2 and it went perfectly with no problems at all :\ Sorry
 
Originally posted by: stash
Is your XP ISO a vanilla XP CD? Or is it a custom image you made with Ghost or something similar?
Click to expand...

It's a custom image from nlite. I don't know if that is the problem though.

All my linux ISO's that I know work on a real PC have the same problem.
 
Man, this is frustrating. I will try it on another PC to see what happens.

I wonder what is up with my custom xp install that would lead to virtual pc not recognizing it's own vhd's.
 
Check the bios settings in your virtual machine. It's been a long time but I think your answer is in there. ACPI setting perhaps?


Also, try a real XP CD and see what happens.
 
Originally posted by: Smilin
Check the bios settings in your virtual machine. It's been a long time but I think your answer is in there. ACPI setting perhaps?


Also, try a real XP CD and see what happens.
Click to expand...

Just tried both your suggestions. No luck.

What is up with my pooter!
 
I am guessing it your XP CD... I have setup dozens of images using 2004 and a few using 2007 now and never had a problem.

Like Goosemaster said, you can also try VMWare... which is free.
 
Originally posted by: Schnieds
I am guessing it your XP CD... I have setup dozens of images using 2004 and a few using 2007 now and never had a problem.

Like Goosemaster said, you can also try VMWare... which is free.
Click to expand...

Last time I checked Microsoft had made Virtual PC entirely free.
 
Originally posted by: postaled
Originally posted by: Schnieds
I am guessing it your XP CD... I have setup dozens of images using 2004 and a few using 2007 now and never had a problem.

Like Goosemaster said, you can also try VMWare... which is free.
Click to expand...

Last time I checked Microsoft had made Virtual PC entirely free.
Click to expand...

Yep, you are correct. Both Virtual PC & VMWare Server (which you can use just like VPC) are totally free.
 
Just tried vmware. Not to sound like an ass... but it's worthless.

VMplayer is nothing close to vpc2007. Am I missing something?

However, my question still stands on how to fix my virtual pc problem.
 
No one recommended VMPlayer - they recommended VMWare Server, which is free. However, its not a good recommendation for testing purposes. I use server at work, but we still purchase workstation for development\testing work. I really didn't like virtual pc 2004, but never tried 2007. I would try VMWare Workstation, since its not really that expensive.
 
Originally posted by: Schnieds
Originally posted by: postaled
Originally posted by: Schnieds
I am guessing it your XP CD... I have setup dozens of images using 2004 and a few using 2007 now and never had a problem.

Like Goosemaster said, you can also try VMWare... which is free.
Click to expand...

Last time I checked Microsoft had made Virtual PC entirely free.
Click to expand...

Yep, you are correct. Both Virtual PC & VMWare Server (which you can use just like VPC) are totally free.
Click to expand...


Adding to that.. Microsoft's Virtual Server 2005 R2, is free as well.

 
Originally posted by: tyanni
No one recommended VMPlayer - they recommended VMWare Server, which is free. However, its not a good recommendation for testing purposes. I use server at work, but we still purchase workstation for development\testing work. I really didn't like virtual pc 2004, but never tried 2007. I would try VMWare Workstation, since its not really that expensive.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I didn't want to spend more than zero cents.

I have been hearing great things about vpc for it's simplicity. Sucks that whatever is going on in my computer is keeping it from being simple.
 
Hmmm, I didn't want to spend more than zero cents.
Click to expand...

So what's wrong with VMWare Server then? It lacks some things that VMWare Workstation has like multiple levels of snapshots, but I doubt you'll miss them.
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Hmmm, I didn't want to spend more than zero cents.
Click to expand...

So what's wrong with VMWare Server then? It lacks some things that VMWare Workstation has like multiple levels of snapshots, but I doubt you'll miss them.
Click to expand...

I guess my issue is that I want to get VPC to work on my computer. It gives me a bad feeling in my face hole that I am the only person on the whole internet who seems to be running into this problem.

I'll probably just give up and go the VMWare route.

 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Hmmm, I didn't want to spend more than zero cents.
Click to expand...

So what's wrong with VMWare Server then? It lacks some things that VMWare Workstation has like multiple levels of snapshots, but I doubt you'll miss them.
Click to expand...

I really like VMWare Server and use it on a test server in my office, although we will be moving to Virtual Infrastructure soon. For test servers\light duty production servers its great. However, for real time saving when testing scripts, patches, etc. I find the multiple snapshot feature in Workstation to be invaluable. Make a mistake, something doesn't work - just rollback to any snapshot you want. If the OP is just using it to test ISO booting, etc. then VMWare Server would most work fine.

OP - I have had issues with GUI installs of Linux on VMWare where it won't detect the HDD initially. I am not familiar with VPC 2007, but can you change the HDD Controller emulation from SCSI (the default in VMWare) to IDE or a different SCSI controller type (I believe VMW offers 2 diff. manuf. card emulation) and then test? I apologize if this makes no sense



Tim
 
Who knows...VMware server + VMware player is probably faster anyways though so if I were you I'd just admit defeat and move on.
 
Originally posted by: toolboxolio
Originally posted by: tyanni
No one recommended VMPlayer - they recommended VMWare Server, which is free. However, its not a good recommendation for testing purposes. I use server at work, but we still purchase workstation for development\testing work. I really didn't like virtual pc 2004, but never tried 2007. I would try VMWare Workstation, since its not really that expensive.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I didn't want to spend more than zero cents.

I have been hearing great things about vpc for it's simplicity. Sucks that whatever is going on in my computer is keeping it from being simple.
Click to expand...

I can't remember the last time I had to say this but I think your VM problems may be the result of problems on your host.

If you are mounting an original unscratched XP CD and haven't altered guest bios settings there is 0 reason why this should fail. Some last ditch shots in the dark:

Remove the virtual NIC until install is complete.
Try using IDE virtual controllers instead of SCSI.
Leave your existing .vhd in place and instead create and connect a new one (if bad sectors on physical drive exist under the virtual this will leave them there and force the new .vhd to be located elsewhere).
Blast your CDRom drive with a dust gun.
 
Originally posted by: Smilin
Originally posted by: toolboxolio
Originally posted by: tyanni
No one recommended VMPlayer - they recommended VMWare Server, which is free. However, its not a good recommendation for testing purposes. I use server at work, but we still purchase workstation for development\testing work. I really didn't like virtual pc 2004, but never tried 2007. I would try VMWare Workstation, since its not really that expensive.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I didn't want to spend more than zero cents.

I have been hearing great things about vpc for it's simplicity. Sucks that whatever is going on in my computer is keeping it from being simple.
Click to expand...

I can't remember the last time I had to say this but I think your VM problems may be the result of problems on your host.

If you are mounting an original unscratched XP CD and haven't altered guest bios settings there is 0 reason why this should fail. Some last ditch shots in the dark:

Remove the virtual NIC until install is complete.
Try using IDE virtual controllers instead of SCSI.
Leave your existing .vhd in place and instead create and connect a new one (if bad sectors on physical drive exist under the virtual this will leave them there and force the new .vhd to be located elsewhere).
Blast your CDRom drive with a dust gun.
Click to expand...

OP is having issues with Windows AND linux...this goes beyond media, he has an issue with either the VPC stuff, Host OS, or hardware.
 
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