Virtual PC on Vista is horribly awfully slow. Is VMWare any faster?

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Leros

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
I need to install Ubuntu as a virtual machine on my Vista laptop. I used Virtual PC like I have in the past, but it was really really slow. The Ubuntu live machine took about 15 minutes to boot and everything was really slow (took about 30 seconds between my click on the install icon and when the window actually opened). This is absolutely terrible performance.

Is VMWare any better?
 
MrChad

MrChad

Lifer
Aug 22, 2001
13,507
3
81
I can't speak for Vista, but Ubuntu 7.10 runs great under VMWare on my XP laptop.
 
J

JackBurton

Lifer
Jul 18, 2000
15,993
14
81
Originally posted by: Leros
I need to install Ubuntu as a virtual machine on my Vista laptop. I used Virtual PC like I have in the past, but it was really really slow. The Ubuntu live machine took about 15 minutes to boot and everything was really slow (took about 30 seconds between my click on the install icon and when the window actually opened). This is absolutely terrible performance.

Is VMWare any better?
Click to expand...

Yes. Virtual PC sucks.
 
mechBgon

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
1
0
Originally posted by: JackBurton
Originally posted by: Leros
I need to install Ubuntu as a virtual machine on my Vista laptop. I used Virtual PC like I have in the past, but it was really really slow. The Ubuntu live machine took about 15 minutes to boot and everything was really slow (took about 30 seconds between my click on the install icon and when the window actually opened). This is absolutely terrible performance.

Is VMWare any better?
Click to expand...

Yes. Virtual PC sucks.
Click to expand...

Virtual PC works great on Vista here :confused:
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,638
10,155
126
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Originally posted by: JackBurton
Originally posted by: Leros
I need to install Ubuntu as a virtual machine on my Vista laptop. I used Virtual PC like I have in the past, but it was really really slow. The Ubuntu live machine took about 15 minutes to boot and everything was really slow (took about 30 seconds between my click on the install icon and when the window actually opened). This is absolutely terrible performance.

Is VMWare any better?
Click to expand...

Yes. Virtual PC sucks.
Click to expand...

Virtual PC works great on Vista here :confused:
Click to expand...

It works fine for me also. I have no performance complaints whatsoever. I think VMWare is nicer, but VirtualPC isn't bad, especially considering the cost ;^)
 
MrChad

MrChad

Lifer
Aug 22, 2001
13,507
3
81
My understanding is that Linux distributions are not supported as guest OSes under Virtual PC. Does VPC have an equivalent to VMWare Tools? I know that VMWare Tools helps guest OS performance, and they do have a Linux version of their tools package.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,638
10,155
126
Originally posted by: MrChad
My understanding is that Linux distributions are not supported as guest OSes under Virtual PC. Does VPC have an equivalent to VMWare Tools? I know that VMWare Tools helps guest OS performance, and they do have a Linux version of their tools package.
Click to expand...

That part of the OPs post confused me a bit. I think you can install Linux, but there's a bunch of hurdles that need to be jumped. That was how I first became familiar with VMWare. I wanted to install Ubuntu as a guest, but after reading up on it, I thought VMware was a better bet. I think it can be done, but much trouble involved afaik.
 
Leros

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
I've used VirtualPC under XP to install Ubuntu before. Other than having to add a few flags when running the Live cd, it works great. Under Vista, the live version took about 15 minutes to boot up and then was unusably slow. I clicked the install button and the window didn't open for about two minutes. I also looked around at tutorials for installing Ubuntu on VirtualPC under Vista and I was doing everything I should have.

VMWare Server works wonderlly under Vista. Everything was fast as it should have been. I just don't like this VMWare console.
 
L

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
81
Originally posted by: Leros
I've used VirtualPC under XP to install Ubuntu before. Other than having to add a few flags when running the Live cd, it works great. Under Vista, the live version took about 15 minutes to boot up and then was unusably slow. I clicked the install button and the window didn't open for about two minutes. I also looked around at tutorials for installing Ubuntu on VirtualPC under Vista and I was doing everything I should have.

VMWare Server works wonderlly under Vista. Everything was fast as it should have been. I just don't like this VMWare console.
Click to expand...
Are you using 1.0.4 or the 2.0 beta? IMO, 2.0 is total crap.
 
Leros

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
21,867
7
81
Originally posted by: loup garou
Originally posted by: Leros
I've used VirtualPC under XP to install Ubuntu before. Other than having to add a few flags when running the Live cd, it works great. Under Vista, the live version took about 15 minutes to boot up and then was unusably slow. I clicked the install button and the window didn't open for about two minutes. I also looked around at tutorials for installing Ubuntu on VirtualPC under Vista and I was doing everything I should have.

VMWare Server works wonderlly under Vista. Everything was fast as it should have been. I just don't like this VMWare console.
Click to expand...
Are you using 1.0.4 or the 2.0 beta? IMO, 2.0 is total crap.
Click to expand...

1.0.4

It does bring my machine to a halt for a few minutes when I first start the virtual machine. My machine nearly locks up and Windows tells me that VMWare is non-responding. I looked it up online and this seems to be a common issue. Once you get past the loading, its smooth sailing from there.

I'm not sure what happens when it locks up. My hard driving is being hit pretty hard when it happens. I think it might be setting up my virtual RAM since it creates a 512mb file on my computer (not sure why it does this, swap perhaps?) and vista nearly dies when you do stuff like that.

When I created the 8GB virtual hard disk, my computer became non-responsive for about 10 minutes. I think its a combination of me working on the same drive Windows is on and Vista being crappy.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,638
10,155
126
Originally posted by: Leros
Originally posted by: loup garou
Originally posted by: Leros
I've used VirtualPC under XP to install Ubuntu before. Other than having to add a few flags when running the Live cd, it works great. Under Vista, the live version took about 15 minutes to boot up and then was unusably slow. I clicked the install button and the window didn't open for about two minutes. I also looked around at tutorials for installing Ubuntu on VirtualPC under Vista and I was doing everything I should have.

VMWare Server works wonderlly under Vista. Everything was fast as it should have been. I just don't like this VMWare console.
Click to expand...
Are you using 1.0.4 or the 2.0 beta? IMO, 2.0 is total crap.
Click to expand...

1.0.4

It does bring my machine to a halt for a few minutes when I first start the virtual machine. My machine nearly locks up and Windows tells me that VMWare is non-responding. I looked it up online and this seems to be a common issue. Once you get past the loading, its smooth sailing from there.

I'm not sure what happens when it locks up. My hard driving is being hit pretty hard when it happens. I think it might be setting up my virtual RAM since it creates a 512mb file on my computer (not sure why it does this, swap perhaps?) and vista nearly dies when you do stuff like that.

When I created the 8GB virtual hard disk, my computer became non-responsive for about 10 minutes. I think its a combination of me working on the same drive Windows is on and Vista being crappy.
Click to expand...

VirtualPC and VMware both work flawlessly on Vista32 and Vista64 for me. VMWare locks up my machine when started for the first time after rebooting, but after that it's completely smooth. When my computer locks up, both of my cores get pegged, and my ram use maxes out. After about 10 seconds, it becomes responsive again, and my ram shows about 450mb in use. The used ram climbs back to normal after using the pc for awhile.
 
Nothinman

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
0
0
VirtualPC and VMware both work flawlessly on Vista32 and Vista64 for me. VMWare locks up my machine when started for the first time after rebooting, but after that it's completely smooth. When my computer locks up, both of my cores get pegged, and my ram use maxes out. After about 10 seconds, it becomes responsive again, and my ram shows about 450mb in use. The used ram climbs back to normal after using the pc for awhile.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call that flawlessly, but that's probably Windows' fault and I doubt there's anyway to fix it.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,638
10,155
126
Originally posted by: Nothinman
VirtualPC and VMware both work flawlessly on Vista32 and Vista64 for me. VMWare locks up my machine when started for the first time after rebooting, but after that it's completely smooth. When my computer locks up, both of my cores get pegged, and my ram use maxes out. After about 10 seconds, it becomes responsive again, and my ram shows about 450mb in use. The used ram climbs back to normal after using the pc for awhile.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call that flawlessly, but that's probably Windows' fault and I doubt there's anyway to fix it.
Click to expand...

LoL, I thought that right after I wrote it, but it isn't a show stopping problem so I deal with it. VirtualPC doesn't hang whatsoever, just VMWare. I have a preference for VMware though, so it's worth it to me.
 
Gooberlx2

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
Originally posted by: Pabster
Try VirtualBox.
Click to expand...

This.

I've been running Ubuntu under Virtualbox with ease. Performance is very acceptable for a virtualmachine, every bit as good as the VMWare VMs I've tried.
 
mc866

mc866

Golden Member
Dec 15, 2005
1,410
0
0
Try VirtualBox. :thumbsup:

Just got Ubuntu 8.04, Xubuntu and XP working last night with virtual box after I gave up on virtual PC. I tried but couldn't get ubuntu running at all, worked first try on Virtual Box
 
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