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VistaNewbie
Guest
Re: 64-bit Cisco VPN Client
Thanks, Colin! Thanks Charlie!
This is the first thread I have ever started in this newsgroup. I cannot
recall ever getting such enthusiastic help from any other newsgroup. The
replies here encourage users to try new solutions to problems without all
the sanctimony one often gets in other newsgroups. It is sincerely
appreciated.
"Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:31FDEF11-6F88-4D08-B05F-8424855C2A1B@microsoft.com...
> That's the other side of the coin I was describing. Those are the
> supported editions. MS is not going to list an edition for which Product
> Support Services does not provide support. MS is careful to advise users
> that only self-support options are available when using VPC with home
> editions. Self-support, of course, means user groups, the Knowledgebase,
> books, peers, experience, help files, etc.
>
> MS has never supported the home editions of either XP or Vista but VPC has
> always run on all of them and the home editions have always run as guests.
> MS does not comment on any Linux distributions that run in VPC either but
> over a thousand do.
>
> VPC is free and easily uninstalled. I know of no downside to trying it.
>
> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:eKZFtNa3IHA.4500@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>I was referring to the Product Specifications for the guest OS listed on
>>Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 webpage
>>(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/overview.mspx).
>>It specifically mentions the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate versions
>>of Vista as the requirements for Virtual PC 2007. The Virtual PC 2003
>>page also mentions only those three versions of Vista. Home Premium is
>>excluded from both.
>>
>>
>> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:E1141706-67D4-4E4B-B70A-5D9C94A8AD76@microsoft.com...
>>> If you are referring to the advisory message when you install VPC on a
>>> Home edition, skip it. It is just advisory. And "not supported" does
>>> NOT mean "won't run". What "support" means is phone and email support
>>> from MS. VPC runs fine on the Vista home editions. The next time you
>>> see the advisory, check the box to "don't show this message again."
>>>
>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:0625F448-CF5F-4486-A985-8776AC82A115@microsoft.com...
>>>> Oh, well! Got stopped by the very first hurdle. I'm running Vista
>>>> "Home Premium". Virtual PC requires Windows Vista Business, Windows
>>>> Vista Enterprise, or Windows Vista Ultimate.
>>>>
>>>> I believe that would require me to purchase two new retail licenses: a
>>>> 64-bit & a 32-bit Vista Business licences. On-line pricing for OEM
>>>> versions of these puts me in the $400 arena.
>>>>
>>>> I only telework one day a week and I think a quick cost/benefit
>>>> analysis suggests that the $399 Lenovo 3000 N200 (0769-F8U) is a much
>>>> more practical "out of the box" solution. Not much of a laptop but,
>>>> for the money, it will work for me one day a week.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks all for the help.
>>>>
>>>> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:F20B63E9-E724-4667-9582-8DDDE0070BCD@microsoft.com...
>>>>> Think of a virtual machine like you do any computer. You install and
>>>>> configure Windows on it exactly the same way you would on any other
>>>>> computer. Don't let the virtualization part distract you. You can
>>>>> keep it simple.
>>>>>
>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:BA3DA279-98BF-4D48-A2DE-B52A48B2872E@microsoft.com...
>>>>>> Thanks Charlie.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I understand the concept and although it sounds like more than an
>>>>>> afternoon's worth of work, I am going to try it. I appreciate your
>>>>>> recommendations and will start with the VirtualPC setup and work my
>>>>>> way through the OS installation and the required networking
>>>>>> configurations to set up my telework office.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank again.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
>>>>>> message news
7C4CDD0-EFBE-4305-9F41-A8C1FFA19BDE@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>> The process requires installing some sort of virtualization software
>>>>>>> (Virtual PC is a good choice here, and free), then installing an
>>>>>>> operating system in a Virtual Machine created with that
>>>>>>> virtualization software. This could be XP or Vista, personally since
>>>>>>> it's a single use VM, I'd choose XP - the resource requirements are
>>>>>>> less. You'll need a license for that OS, by the way. Now, once you
>>>>>>> have the new OS installed, and communicating with the world, install
>>>>>>> the Cisco software.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Trying to give you a "step by step" here is a bit beyond the scope
>>>>>>> of this newsgroup, frankly. But there is a VirtualPC specific
>>>>>>> newsgroup, some excellent blogs, and full download documentation
>>>>>>> from microsoft.com on VirtualPC and it's setup and configuration.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> BTW, I first talked about this alternative quite a while back:
>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64/archive/2006/03/29/88280.aspx.
>>>>>>> There I used it as an alternative to dual-booting XP x64, and we
>>>>>>> didn't yet have a version of VirtualPC that worked in 64-bit, but
>>>>>>> the basic concept hasn't changed - use a virtualized legacy OS
>>>>>>> running on your new 64-bit hardware to get around compatibility
>>>>>>> issues.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Charlie.
>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news3DC5855-4575-4460-90E0-513F8FDF9A64@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>I have never run a program in a virtual machine and do not have a
>>>>>>>>clue as to where to start but I am pretty good at following
>>>>>>>>directions.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Do I need to install any additional software on my system to run
>>>>>>>> the client in a virtual machine? My first challenge is to figure
>>>>>>>> out how to install the client. Obviously, there must be a
>>>>>>>> different procedure for running the setup program in order to get
>>>>>>>> it to install. Once installed, how would I run it "in a virtual
>>>>>>>> machine"?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Also, once connected to my office network, would I also have to run
>>>>>>>> the application programs I use to perform my job "in a virtual
>>>>>>>> machine"? Typically, I log on to Windows, connect to the internet,
>>>>>>>> connect the VPN Client, connect to my network drives, launch
>>>>>>>> Microsoft Outlook to access our Exchange server and use several
>>>>>>>> programs on my notebook to performs tasks, e.g. Excel, Access,
>>>>>>>> Word, Acrobat, WordPerfect, etc.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I would like to be able to use all 4 GB of RAM I paid for and I
>>>>>>>> would be willing to invest the time to set the notebaook back to
>>>>>>>> its original 64-bit configuration but I need some assiatnace to get
>>>>>>>> me there - even if it's just a general outline of the steps I need
>>>>>>>> to perform after I restore the computer to a 64-bit Vista Home
>>>>>>>> Premium edition.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
>>>>>>>> message news:F07AF527-4424-4821-BD74-B6534EEC955A@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>> No, they probably didn't. I have no way of knowing if it would
>>>>>>>>> work, but I can't think of a single reason why not. It doesn't
>>>>>>>>> depend on any hardware that's not available in the VM. It will
>>>>>>>>> connect the VM to your VPN, not the host, but you can communicate
>>>>>>>>> between the host and the guest, so I'm confident you can work with
>>>>>>>>> that.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Charlie.
>>>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
>>>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>> news:91D4EF38-0F27-4E76-8362-9FA4D8B8E351@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>I spent hours on the phone with HP and my agency's IT department
>>>>>>>>>>looking for a workaround. No one offered running the Cisco VPN
>>>>>>>>>>client in a virtual machine. If they had, and if I had confidence
>>>>>>>>>>in how to do that, I would have tried it before sacrificing a gig
>>>>>>>>>>of RAM and installing the 32-bit Vista.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I suspect that going back to the 64-bit Vista to then attempt to:
>>>>>>>>>> a) install the 32-bit client (It wouldn't install on Vista 64)
>>>>>>>>>> b) run it in VM mode
>>>>>>>>>> would be a significant undertaking with no guarantee that it will
>>>>>>>>>> work.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>> message
>>>>>>>>>> news:F2926BAD-B696-47AB-A0D5-C686CDB7B266@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>> yes, we need the Cisco's and Adobe's and others to get with the
>>>>>>>>>>> program.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> That being said, you might have been able to work around the
>>>>>>>>>>> problem by running the Cisco VPN client in a virtual machine,
>>>>>>>>>>> running Vista (or XP) 32-bit in the VM.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>> Charlie.
>>>>>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
>>>>>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>> news:09FE102D-0FA0-43DF-B39F-A69799471C0B@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>>>I bought an HP Notebook to replace an old desktop that was
>>>>>>>>>>>>running Windows XP Pro. The notebook was configured with:
>>>>>>>>>>>> a.. Vista Home Premium (64-bit) SP1
>>>>>>>>>>>> b.. Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 @ 2.50 GHz
>>>>>>>>>>>> c.. 4.00 GB RAM
>>>>>>>>>>>> To my dismay, I have discovered that the VPN client that my
>>>>>>>>>>>> government agency requires to connect to my office network will
>>>>>>>>>>>> not install on the notebook. The client is a 32-bit program
>>>>>>>>>>>> and my IT department does not provide a 64-bit client. So my
>>>>>>>>>>>> new notebook was rendered useless as a computer to telework
>>>>>>>>>>>> with.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I configured it as a 64-bit Vista OS because HP sales told me
>>>>>>>>>>>> it was needed in order to be able to use the 4 GB of RAM. With
>>>>>>>>>>>> memory becoming more affordable, it seems to me that more
>>>>>>>>>>>> purchasers of new PCs will be taking advantage of the 4+ RAM
>>>>>>>>>>>> options and hopefully companies like Cisco will see fit to
>>>>>>>>>>>> release 64-bit versions of their programs.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I have replaced the OS with a 32-bit Vista Home Premium and
>>>>>>>>>>>> installed the VPN client. The tradeoff: loss of about a
>>>>>>>>>>>> gigabyte of RAM for the ability to use my notebook to do my
>>>>>>>>>>>> job.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
Thanks, Colin! Thanks Charlie!
This is the first thread I have ever started in this newsgroup. I cannot
recall ever getting such enthusiastic help from any other newsgroup. The
replies here encourage users to try new solutions to problems without all
the sanctimony one often gets in other newsgroups. It is sincerely
appreciated.
"Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:31FDEF11-6F88-4D08-B05F-8424855C2A1B@microsoft.com...
> That's the other side of the coin I was describing. Those are the
> supported editions. MS is not going to list an edition for which Product
> Support Services does not provide support. MS is careful to advise users
> that only self-support options are available when using VPC with home
> editions. Self-support, of course, means user groups, the Knowledgebase,
> books, peers, experience, help files, etc.
>
> MS has never supported the home editions of either XP or Vista but VPC has
> always run on all of them and the home editions have always run as guests.
> MS does not comment on any Linux distributions that run in VPC either but
> over a thousand do.
>
> VPC is free and easily uninstalled. I know of no downside to trying it.
>
> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:eKZFtNa3IHA.4500@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>I was referring to the Product Specifications for the guest OS listed on
>>Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 webpage
>>(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/overview.mspx).
>>It specifically mentions the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate versions
>>of Vista as the requirements for Virtual PC 2007. The Virtual PC 2003
>>page also mentions only those three versions of Vista. Home Premium is
>>excluded from both.
>>
>>
>> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:E1141706-67D4-4E4B-B70A-5D9C94A8AD76@microsoft.com...
>>> If you are referring to the advisory message when you install VPC on a
>>> Home edition, skip it. It is just advisory. And "not supported" does
>>> NOT mean "won't run". What "support" means is phone and email support
>>> from MS. VPC runs fine on the Vista home editions. The next time you
>>> see the advisory, check the box to "don't show this message again."
>>>
>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:0625F448-CF5F-4486-A985-8776AC82A115@microsoft.com...
>>>> Oh, well! Got stopped by the very first hurdle. I'm running Vista
>>>> "Home Premium". Virtual PC requires Windows Vista Business, Windows
>>>> Vista Enterprise, or Windows Vista Ultimate.
>>>>
>>>> I believe that would require me to purchase two new retail licenses: a
>>>> 64-bit & a 32-bit Vista Business licences. On-line pricing for OEM
>>>> versions of these puts me in the $400 arena.
>>>>
>>>> I only telework one day a week and I think a quick cost/benefit
>>>> analysis suggests that the $399 Lenovo 3000 N200 (0769-F8U) is a much
>>>> more practical "out of the box" solution. Not much of a laptop but,
>>>> for the money, it will work for me one day a week.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks all for the help.
>>>>
>>>> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:F20B63E9-E724-4667-9582-8DDDE0070BCD@microsoft.com...
>>>>> Think of a virtual machine like you do any computer. You install and
>>>>> configure Windows on it exactly the same way you would on any other
>>>>> computer. Don't let the virtualization part distract you. You can
>>>>> keep it simple.
>>>>>
>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:BA3DA279-98BF-4D48-A2DE-B52A48B2872E@microsoft.com...
>>>>>> Thanks Charlie.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I understand the concept and although it sounds like more than an
>>>>>> afternoon's worth of work, I am going to try it. I appreciate your
>>>>>> recommendations and will start with the VirtualPC setup and work my
>>>>>> way through the OS installation and the required networking
>>>>>> configurations to set up my telework office.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank again.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
>>>>>> message news
7C4CDD0-EFBE-4305-9F41-A8C1FFA19BDE@microsoft.com...>>>>>>> The process requires installing some sort of virtualization software
>>>>>>> (Virtual PC is a good choice here, and free), then installing an
>>>>>>> operating system in a Virtual Machine created with that
>>>>>>> virtualization software. This could be XP or Vista, personally since
>>>>>>> it's a single use VM, I'd choose XP - the resource requirements are
>>>>>>> less. You'll need a license for that OS, by the way. Now, once you
>>>>>>> have the new OS installed, and communicating with the world, install
>>>>>>> the Cisco software.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Trying to give you a "step by step" here is a bit beyond the scope
>>>>>>> of this newsgroup, frankly. But there is a VirtualPC specific
>>>>>>> newsgroup, some excellent blogs, and full download documentation
>>>>>>> from microsoft.com on VirtualPC and it's setup and configuration.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> BTW, I first talked about this alternative quite a while back:
>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64/archive/2006/03/29/88280.aspx.
>>>>>>> There I used it as an alternative to dual-booting XP x64, and we
>>>>>>> didn't yet have a version of VirtualPC that worked in 64-bit, but
>>>>>>> the basic concept hasn't changed - use a virtualized legacy OS
>>>>>>> running on your new 64-bit hardware to get around compatibility
>>>>>>> issues.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Charlie.
>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news
3DC5855-4575-4460-90E0-513F8FDF9A64@microsoft.com...>>>>>>>>I have never run a program in a virtual machine and do not have a
>>>>>>>>clue as to where to start but I am pretty good at following
>>>>>>>>directions.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Do I need to install any additional software on my system to run
>>>>>>>> the client in a virtual machine? My first challenge is to figure
>>>>>>>> out how to install the client. Obviously, there must be a
>>>>>>>> different procedure for running the setup program in order to get
>>>>>>>> it to install. Once installed, how would I run it "in a virtual
>>>>>>>> machine"?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Also, once connected to my office network, would I also have to run
>>>>>>>> the application programs I use to perform my job "in a virtual
>>>>>>>> machine"? Typically, I log on to Windows, connect to the internet,
>>>>>>>> connect the VPN Client, connect to my network drives, launch
>>>>>>>> Microsoft Outlook to access our Exchange server and use several
>>>>>>>> programs on my notebook to performs tasks, e.g. Excel, Access,
>>>>>>>> Word, Acrobat, WordPerfect, etc.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I would like to be able to use all 4 GB of RAM I paid for and I
>>>>>>>> would be willing to invest the time to set the notebaook back to
>>>>>>>> its original 64-bit configuration but I need some assiatnace to get
>>>>>>>> me there - even if it's just a general outline of the steps I need
>>>>>>>> to perform after I restore the computer to a 64-bit Vista Home
>>>>>>>> Premium edition.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
>>>>>>>> message news:F07AF527-4424-4821-BD74-B6534EEC955A@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>> No, they probably didn't. I have no way of knowing if it would
>>>>>>>>> work, but I can't think of a single reason why not. It doesn't
>>>>>>>>> depend on any hardware that's not available in the VM. It will
>>>>>>>>> connect the VM to your VPN, not the host, but you can communicate
>>>>>>>>> between the host and the guest, so I'm confident you can work with
>>>>>>>>> that.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Charlie.
>>>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
>>>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>> news:91D4EF38-0F27-4E76-8362-9FA4D8B8E351@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>I spent hours on the phone with HP and my agency's IT department
>>>>>>>>>>looking for a workaround. No one offered running the Cisco VPN
>>>>>>>>>>client in a virtual machine. If they had, and if I had confidence
>>>>>>>>>>in how to do that, I would have tried it before sacrificing a gig
>>>>>>>>>>of RAM and installing the 32-bit Vista.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I suspect that going back to the 64-bit Vista to then attempt to:
>>>>>>>>>> a) install the 32-bit client (It wouldn't install on Vista 64)
>>>>>>>>>> b) run it in VM mode
>>>>>>>>>> would be a significant undertaking with no guarantee that it will
>>>>>>>>>> work.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "Charlie Russel - MVP" <charlie@mvKILLALLSPAMMERSps.org> wrote in
>>>>>>>>>> message
>>>>>>>>>> news:F2926BAD-B696-47AB-A0D5-C686CDB7B266@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>> yes, we need the Cisco's and Adobe's and others to get with the
>>>>>>>>>>> program.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> That being said, you might have been able to work around the
>>>>>>>>>>> problem by running the Cisco VPN client in a virtual machine,
>>>>>>>>>>> running Vista (or XP) 32-bit in the VM.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>> Charlie.
>>>>>>>>>>> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
>>>>>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "VistaNewbie" <wpla@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>> news:09FE102D-0FA0-43DF-B39F-A69799471C0B@microsoft.com...
>>>>>>>>>>>>I bought an HP Notebook to replace an old desktop that was
>>>>>>>>>>>>running Windows XP Pro. The notebook was configured with:
>>>>>>>>>>>> a.. Vista Home Premium (64-bit) SP1
>>>>>>>>>>>> b.. Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 @ 2.50 GHz
>>>>>>>>>>>> c.. 4.00 GB RAM
>>>>>>>>>>>> To my dismay, I have discovered that the VPN client that my
>>>>>>>>>>>> government agency requires to connect to my office network will
>>>>>>>>>>>> not install on the notebook. The client is a 32-bit program
>>>>>>>>>>>> and my IT department does not provide a 64-bit client. So my
>>>>>>>>>>>> new notebook was rendered useless as a computer to telework
>>>>>>>>>>>> with.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I configured it as a 64-bit Vista OS because HP sales told me
>>>>>>>>>>>> it was needed in order to be able to use the 4 GB of RAM. With
>>>>>>>>>>>> memory becoming more affordable, it seems to me that more
>>>>>>>>>>>> purchasers of new PCs will be taking advantage of the 4+ RAM
>>>>>>>>>>>> options and hopefully companies like Cisco will see fit to
>>>>>>>>>>>> release 64-bit versions of their programs.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I have replaced the OS with a 32-bit Vista Home Premium and
>>>>>>>>>>>> installed the VPN client. The tradeoff: loss of about a
>>>>>>>>>>>> gigabyte of RAM for the ability to use my notebook to do my
>>>>>>>>>>>> job.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
64 bit enabled