Windows Vista using XP with Virtual PC 2007

I have down loaded Vitual PC 2007 installed it on my Windows Vista Home Basic
laptop. When I try and to setup Virtual for XP Virtual runs a Argon PX boot
agent file and then stops at "reboot and select proper Boot device" on the
command screen. The program seems to be looking for a ISO file.
When do I use my XP CD to load up ?
--
jdb

Hi John

You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS. Sounds like the VM is
currently trying to boot from the PXE card (ie a network boot) before it
tries the CD-ROM driver.

While the VM starts up, hold down the Delete key. It will take you to the
blue and white BIOS config screen (an AMI BIOS, just like a real PC). Then
go to Boot, Boot Disk Priority. Make sure that CD-ROM is higher in the list
than PXE. Hit ESC to exit or F10 to Save and Exit, if you make any changes.

If the CDROM is ahead of PXE in the boot order, but the machine still looks
for a PXE server at boot time, then your VM is not detecting the CDROM when
it boots up. Make sure:
- you have the physical XP CD-ROM disk in the drive, as you boot;
- under "Settings" the VM is configured to attach its CD/DVD Drive to the
Physical drive in the host machine (not to an ISO file).

Once you have the VM configured correctly, it should boot up from your XP
CD-ROM, just like a real PC would.

Hope it helps,
Andrew

If you need additional help try the microsoft.public.virtualpc newsgroup...

"Andrew McLaren" <andrew@fakeaddress.com> wrote in message
news:CA7F0D49-86DC-4054-85F1-440DC524C012@microsoft.com...
> Hi John
>
> You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS. Sounds like the VM is
> currently trying to boot from the PXE card (ie a network boot) before it
> tries the CD-ROM driver.
>
> While the VM starts up, hold down the Delete key. It will take you to the
> blue and white BIOS config screen (an AMI BIOS, just like a real PC). Then
> go to Boot, Boot Disk Priority. Make sure that CD-ROM is higher in the
> list than PXE. Hit ESC to exit or F10 to Save and Exit, if you make any
> changes.
>
> If the CDROM is ahead of PXE in the boot order, but the machine still
> looks for a PXE server at boot time, then your VM is not detecting the
> CDROM when it boots up. Make sure:
> - you have the physical XP CD-ROM disk in the drive, as you boot;
> - under "Settings" the VM is configured to attach its CD/DVD Drive to the
> Physical drive in the host machine (not to an ISO file).
>
> Once you have the VM configured correctly, it should boot up from your XP
> CD-ROM, just like a real PC would.
>
> Hope it helps,
> Andrew
>

Hi That now works fine thank you. Last question now, how do I see data files
either from Vista C: drive or the virtual C: drive to copy to or from the
vitual drive.
--
jdb


"Andrew McLaren" wrote:

> Hi John
>
> You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS. Sounds like the VM is
> currently trying to boot from the PXE card (ie a network boot) before it
> tries the CD-ROM driver.
>
> While the VM starts up, hold down the Delete key. It will take you to the
> blue and white BIOS config screen (an AMI BIOS, just like a real PC). Then
> go to Boot, Boot Disk Priority. Make sure that CD-ROM is higher in the list
> than PXE. Hit ESC to exit or F10 to Save and Exit, if you make any changes.
>
> If the CDROM is ahead of PXE in the boot order, but the machine still looks
> for a PXE server at boot time, then your VM is not detecting the CDROM when
> it boots up. Make sure:
> - you have the physical XP CD-ROM disk in the drive, as you boot;
> - under "Settings" the VM is configured to attach its CD/DVD Drive to the
> Physical drive in the host machine (not to an ISO file).
>
> Once you have the VM configured correctly, it should boot up from your XP
> CD-ROM, just like a real PC would.
>
> Hope it helps,
> Andrew
>

"john" <woodlands16@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in ...
> Hi That now works fine thank you. Last question now, how do I see data
> files
> either from Vista C: drive or the virtual C: drive to copy to or from the
> vitual dr

It's easy; you, um, read the very helpful Virtual PC Help file :-) But in
summary, there are 2 basic approaches:

- Shared Folders. To get the best performance and use from your new VM, you
need to install a set of drivers and services called the "Virtual Machine
additions" into the guest OS (in your case, XP). Once of the facilities
available after you install the Additions is Shared Folders. This makes a
folder you select on the host machine appear as a network drive in the
guest. So for example, C:\Users\John\Documents on your Vista host machine,
could show up as drive S: in your XP guest machine. To move files back and
forth you just copy them to C:\Users\John\Documents and/or S:. While the VM
is running, go to the Settings panel in the VPC Console, highlight "Shared
Folders" in the list of Setings, and then browse to the host folder you want
to share.

- or use ordinary networking. Your VM is a full, complete machine, with it
own network interface, IP Address, machine name, etc. You you can just map a
drive between host and VM, the same as you would for any other two machines
on your network (or use ftp, if you're that way inclined). This is what I
usually do; but it's much of a muchness.

In earlier versions of Virtual PC, you were able to drag-n-drop files from
your Host machine onto the desktop of the guest OS. This was certainly a
very convenient, easy to use facility. However it was inherently insecure,
so it was dropped (maybe back in Virtual PC 2004; certainly in Virtual PC
2007). Either of the above methods are pretty straightforward to use,
anyway.

Cheers
Andrew

Andrew
Thank you for your responce. Could you please expand on where the "Vitual
Machine Additions" are?

Regards

John
--
jdb


"Andrew McLaren" wrote:

> "john" <woodlands16@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in ...
> > Hi That now works fine thank you. Last question now, how do I see data
> > files
> > either from Vista C: drive or the virtual C: drive to copy to or from the
> > vitual dr
>
> It's easy; you, um, read the very helpful Virtual PC Help file :-) But in
> summary, there are 2 basic approaches:
>
> - Shared Folders. To get the best performance and use from your new VM, you
> need to install a set of drivers and services called the "Virtual Machine
> additions" into the guest OS (in your case, XP). Once of the facilities
> available after you install the Additions is Shared Folders. This makes a
> folder you select on the host machine appear as a network drive in the
> guest. So for example, C:\Users\John\Documents on your Vista host machine,
> could show up as drive S: in your XP guest machine. To move files back and
> forth you just copy them to C:\Users\John\Documents and/or S:. While the VM
> is running, go to the Settings panel in the VPC Console, highlight "Shared
> Folders" in the list of Setings, and then browse to the host folder you want
> to share.
>
> - or use ordinary networking. Your VM is a full, complete machine, with it
> own network interface, IP Address, machine name, etc. You you can just map a
> drive between host and VM, the same as you would for any other two machines
> on your network (or use ftp, if you're that way inclined). This is what I
> usually do; but it's much of a muchness.
>
> In earlier versions of Virtual PC, you were able to drag-n-drop files from
> your Host machine onto the desktop of the guest OS. This was certainly a
> very convenient, easy to use facility. However it was inherently insecure,
> so it was dropped (maybe back in Virtual PC 2004; certainly in Virtual PC
> 2007). Either of the above methods are pretty straightforward to use,
> anyway.
>
> Cheers
> Andrew
>

"john" <woodlands16@yahoo.co.uk> wrote...
> Thank you for your responce. Could you please expand on where the "Vitual
> Machine Additions" are?

Sure. While your new XP VM is running, go to the Help menu and choose
Virtual PC Help. Then click on the Search tab, and seach for the word
"additions". The first hit returned will be the topic "Installing Virtual
Machine Additions". Read that section as far down as the Link to "Install
Virtual Machine Additions for a Windows Operating System". After you follow
this link, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to ...

No wait! I was thinking of the wrong thing - you want to know how to install
the Virtual Machine Additions. Obviously the Help won't, um, help you there.
Okay. While your new XP VM is running, go to the Action menu, and choose
"Install or update Virtual Machine Additions". Then follow the bouncing
ball - a dialogue box wil appear in the guest OS (XP) and you click Next,
OK, etc. At the end, you'll need to reboot the guest (but not the host).

Cheers
Andrew

Hi Andrew,
Can I view a memory stick in a USB drive through the VM screen? If so how do
I go about it?
--
jdb


"Andrew McLaren" wrote:

> "john" <woodlands16@yahoo.co.uk> wrote...
> > Thank you for your responce. Could you please expand on where the "Vitual
> > Machine Additions" are?
>
> Sure. While your new XP VM is running, go to the Help menu and choose
> Virtual PC Help. Then click on the Search tab, and seach for the word
> "additions". The first hit returned will be the topic "Installing Virtual
> Machine Additions". Read that section as far down as the Link to "Install
> Virtual Machine Additions for a Windows Operating System". After you follow
> this link, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to ...
>
> No wait! I was thinking of the wrong thing - you want to know how to install
> the Virtual Machine Additions. Obviously the Help won't, um, help you there.
> Okay. While your new XP VM is running, go to the Action menu, and choose
> "Install or update Virtual Machine Additions". Then follow the bouncing
> ball - a dialogue box wil appear in the guest OS (XP) and you click Next,
> OK, etc. At the end, you'll need to reboot the guest (but not the host).
>
> Cheers
> Andrew
>

"john" <woodlands16@yahoo.co.uk> wrote ...
> Can I view a memory stick in a USB drive through the VM screen? If so how
> do
> I go about it?

The machine which forms the VM emulates most "standard" PC devices, such as
keyboard, mouse, video card, serial port, etc. One device which is not
currently emulated (unfortunately) is a USB controller. So, the VM cannot
see any USB devices at all. It's a frequently requested feature and will
probably be added to a future version. But no USB today, in a VM.

You can copy the files from the USB drive to your shared folder on the host
machine, and then use them within the VM that way. Just copy them back to
the USB when you're returning to work, or whatever. You might even be able
to configure your shared folder to map to the USB key on the host (eg make
the host directory "H:\" or the like) - but, it will still look like a
network drive from inside the VM, it won't look like a USB key (won't matter
if you just want to read/write files).

Hope that makes sense.
Andrew

Andrew
All sorted I hope and thanks for all your help
Sorted activation by not having wireless connection but cabled.

Regards

John
--
jdb


"Andrew McLaren" wrote:

> "john" <woodlands16@yahoo.co.uk> wrote ...
> > Can I view a memory stick in a USB drive through the VM screen? If so how
> > do
> > I go about it?
>
> The machine which forms the VM emulates most "standard" PC devices, such as
> keyboard, mouse, video card, serial port, etc. One device which is not
> currently emulated (unfortunately) is a USB controller. So, the VM cannot
> see any USB devices at all. It's a frequently requested feature and will
> probably be added to a future version. But no USB today, in a VM.
>
> You can copy the files from the USB drive to your shared folder on the host
> machine, and then use them within the VM that way. Just copy them back to
> the USB when you're returning to work, or whatever. You might even be able
> to configure your shared folder to map to the USB key on the host (eg make
> the host directory "H:\" or the like) - but, it will still look like a
> network drive from inside the VM, it won't look like a USB key (won't matter
> if you just want to read/write files).
>
> Hope that makes sense.
> Andrew
>