Problem With Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

Okay, okay. So it's not exactly a game issue as such, but I'm really quite stumped as to why I cannot get thins damn thing working properly. Here's the lowdown:

I have a relatively new gaming PC (around 6 months old) running Windows Vista Home Premium x64. I have an older gamethat simply will not run either running as Administrator or using compatibility modes or anything and I have decided to try out Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 (hereafter referred to as "MVPC 2007").

Just for reference, my specs are as follows:
- AMD Phenom Quad Core processor, 2.4Ghz
- Nvidia GeForce 8800GT graphics card
- 4GB RAM
- Over 1TB of hard disk space
- ...erm, I don't think I need list much else for the purposes of this query, but ask away if more detail is needed.

So, I have Vista as the host operating system and yesI know it is an unsupported version for MVPC 2007, but that does not affect the installation.

So, I install away and choose to create a Windows XP virtual machine. I assign it 256MB of RAM and, bingo, it is created. I pop in my XP installation disc and it installs as it would on an standalone computer. But once it has installed, the problem arises.

Essentially, it is running the XP guest operating system very slowly. I have installed the MVPC 2007 Service Pack 1 - which is the most recent upgrade according to the Microsoft download website.

I click on the Action tab in the upper left of the MVPC 2007 dialogue box, select Properties and go on the Statistics tab. I feel that this is where the root of the problem lies, because it tells me that XP is running at between 35 and 40 frames per second. Now I was under the impression that it had to drop below 30 frames per second for us to notice a lag, but other than this, I have no leads as to why it's running so painfully slow. Well, maybe not painfullyslow in the strictest sense, but slow enough to render most meaningful tasks nigh on impossible...such as playing a game. Oh, and if you're curious...the game I'm trying to play is Riven.

So yeah, any help on this issue would be champion, because at the moment, it kinda sucks to not be able to get this thing working. I have heard of folk also having Vista Home Premium as a host and running...a good 4 other Microsoft operating systems in WVPC 2007 as guest systems.

Cheers m'dears.

Just thought I'd throw a couple of ideas on the table...

Have you thought about switching to VMware's virtual products? I don't want to get into a whole FanBoy argument, but I've always found them fast, and easy to use. VMware Server is also free. Sun's VirtualBox is also highly rated.

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

Just thought I'd throw a couple of ideas on the table...

Have you thought about switching to VMware's virtual products? I don't want to get into a whole FanBoy argument, but I've always found them fast, and easy to use. VMware Server is also free. Sun's VirtualBox is also highly rated.

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

perldude

Aweh, thank you. :)

I'm all open to trying other stuff. Just that MVPC 2007 was the first one I came across. :P

Just thought I'd throw a couple of ideas on the table...

Have you thought about switching to VMware's virtual products? I don't want to get into a whole FanBoy argument, but I've always found them fast, and easy to use. VMware Server is also free. Sun's VirtualBox is also highly rated.

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

perldude

Was about to suggest the same. Vmware is way better than MVPC, especially when concerning performance.

[QUOTE="perldude"]

Just thought I'd throw a couple of ideas on the table...

Have you thought about switching to VMware's virtual products? I don't want to get into a whole FanBoy argument, but I've always found them fast, and easy to use. VMware Server is also free. Sun's VirtualBox is also highly rated.

http://www.vmware.com/products/server/

SuperBeast

Was about to suggest the same. Vmware is way better than MVPC, especially when concerning performance.

Thanks a lot, champs. :lol:

Well, chaps, VMware isn't going well. It's telling me that it's trying to installed drivers without a digital certificate, and when I click install anyway, error messages appear saying that "Windows requires a digitaly signed driver".

Any ideas what's up?

Well you are using a 64bit OS and basically all the software we use are 32bit so you are bound to have problems. Vista 64bit requires sign drivers and your game might be 16bit which isn't supported on the 64bit OS. Google to find out how to disable the sign driver requirement. If you really want to play this old game why not install a 32bit OS?

Virtual machines are not meant to play games. What game are you trying to play?

Edit: I see the game is Riven and that is 16bit so it will never work on 64bit. That's why I use Vista 32bit.

Windows 98 would be a lot better to play that game.

I don't want to tell you to install a different O/S...but this link tells you how to disable driver signing with Vista X64...

http://www.vistax64.com/drivers/166307-driver-signings.html

I don't run Vista x64, so I can't tell you if it works or not. Use at your own risk!

Also,

you might want to check out the VMware Workstation Beta. Its like VMware Server, but allows you to do much more with your Virtual Machines.

It supposedly works with 32bit and 64 bit windows.

http://www.vmware.com/communities/content/beta/ws65/download.html

Bear in mind that although the beta is free, the finished product will cost ... umm $100 or so. The Beta product will also expire after a month or so.

Well you are using a 64bit OS and basically all the software we use are 32bit so you are bound to have problems. Vista 64bit requires sign drivers and your game might be 16bit which isn't supported on the 64bit OS. Google to find out how to disable the sign driver requirement. If you really want to play this old game why not install a 32bit OS?

Virtual machines are not meant to play games. What game are you trying to play?

Edit: I see the game is Riven and that is 16bit so it will never work on 64bit. That's why I use Vista 32bit.

Windows 98 would be a lot better to play that game.

Deihmos

I don't want to tell you to install a different O/S...but this link tells you how to disable driver signing with Vista X64...

http://www.vistax64.com/drivers/166307-driver-signings.html

I don't run Vista x64, so I can't tell you if it works or not. Use at your own risk!

perldude

Also,

you might want to check out the VMware Workstation Beta. Its like VMware Server, but allows you to do much more with your Virtual Machines.

It supposedly works with 32bit and 64 bit windows.

http://www.vmware.com/communities/content/beta/ws65/download.html

Bear in mind that although the beta is free, the finished product will cost ... umm $100 or so. The Beta product will also expire after a month or so.

perldude

Thanks a lot, boys. I'm going to give VMware Workstation a try and see if I can get things diddling.

VMware Workstation has an evaluation version and the purchase for the full version is $189.99.

What gives? :?