Re: Virtual Machine to run 32-bit software?
Re: Virtual Machine to run 32-bit software?
Charlie & Colin,
Thanks for your responses. So, arguably, Virtual PC is not a free program
but an excuse to sell another OS license? What did I expect?
Moving on.... Since I have never installed an OS before, I have a few
questions. I found what appears to be a pretty complete installation guide at
http://vpc.essjae.com/#Virtual_PC_2004_for_Windows. But it raises some
questions:
1. NVWM memory: how much RAM should I specify is available to WinXP32? 3GB?
(I have 8). I presume this memory is not subtracted from real memory but is
just a limitaton on the VPC.
2. I am going to want to enable at least one USB port on the virtual machine
so I can use my existing HP printer/scanner/fax. This article seems to talk
only of the physical parallel and serial ports. Are USB ports not functional?
And/or am I better off finding a parallel printer cable and hooking the HP up
that way?
3. Partitioning: And I quote:
"Use the arrow keys to select an option: Format the partition using NTFS
file system (Quick), Format the partition using the FAT file system (Quick),
Format the partition using NTFS file system, Format the partition using the
FAT file system, or Convert the partition to NTFS. To install Windows XP on
an NTFS partition, select Format the partition using the NTFS file system
(Quick) and press Enter."
What do I do? (Thanks) FWIW, I have three separate external hard drives
(mostly used for backup) I could use if that made life easier.
4. If I do not plan to use the Windows 32-bit OS to go on the Internet, am I
correct that I need not enable Internet connectivity on the VPC?
5. As a related question, am I correct in assuming that there would then be
no need to worry about firewalls, anti-virus, automatic updates, etc., etc.?
In fact, is there any reason to worry about upgrading whatever specific
version of Windows XP 32 I buy to include the various service packs?
6. The above questions assume that a virtual machine is a DIFFERENT machine
for internet purposes than the host machine and that all of the firewalls,
etc. on the host machine would not protect the virtual machine. Is this
correct?
7. Once I have the OS up and running, do I then have to install all the
programs I want to run on it? Or can the VPC actually launch programs that
sit on the hard drive of the host machine?
I think that is it. Again, I want to thank both of you for your time and
expertise.
--
Regards,
Piccolo
"Charlie Russel - MVP" wrote:
> 1.) Yes. It won't solve hardware problems, but it can do a good job of
> running software that has issues.
>
> 2.) You need an unencumbered OS license for each machine, virtual or
> physical, you run. Now if you had bought retail versions of Windows, and you
> retired the machine it ran on, then you'd be completely within your rights
> to run the retail copy of Windows on a virtual machine. But OEM software is
> far more restrictive (one reason the price is less) - you can only run it on
> the original hardware.
>
> 3.) 64-bit. What matters is what version of OS your Host is running.
>
>
>
> --
> Charlie.
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>
>
> "piccolo" <piccolo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F54EEECE-E316-4E23-81D0-C74E6CA2578A@microsoft.com...
> > Thanks for the very prompt responses.
> >
> > However, I am also a bit confused about Virtual PC. Right after I posted
> > the
> > other two messages, I found Virtual PC on the Microsoft website. It is
> > described as a free download that will enable one to run legacy systems on
> > a
> > new computer; what is not very clear is how one does it and what is
> > required.
> > Needless to say, we have several other computers running a mixture of
> > Windows
> > XP Home 32-bit and Windows XP Pro 32-bit, all with OEM licenses. You
> > message
> > seems to suggest that if I want to run Virtual PC on my 64-bit machine, I
> > will need not only to download Virtual PC but also BUY a new version of
> > Windows XP 32-bit. If that is true, it seems pretty disingenious of
> > Microsoft
> > to call Virtual PC "free".
> >
> > Since it frankly doesn't make much sense to write software that is
> > designed
> > to facilitate compatibility with legacy systems and then charge for an
> > additional OS, I assume I have become confused and that either Virtual PC
> > includes the legacy systems somehow OR one is able to load the designed
> > secondary OSs from the original OEM disks without having a license
> > violation.
> >
> > So, breaking my questions down into small pieces:
> > 1. would Virtual PC solve my problem of wanting to run legacy software on
> > this 64-bit machine?
> > 2. do I have to buy a whole new Windows 32-bit OS or can I use the one
> > from
> > the legacy machine?
> > 3. which version of Virtual PC do I download in order to run Windows XP 32
> > on a Windows XP 64 machine?
> >
> > Thanks In Advance
> >
> > As far as HP is concerned, I tried three different workarounds without
> > success. My printer simply doesn't respond.
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> >
> > Piccolo
> >
> >
> > "Charlie Russel - MVP" wrote:
> >
> >> You still need to install a second OS - and you need a license for it as
> >> well. I've already answered your other other query. Virtual PC is a
> >> product
> >> (free) from Microsoft. There are also third party virtualization
> >> solutions -
> >> VMWare being the biggest name in this area.
> >>
> >> HP, fwiw, does a pretty decent job of supporting 64-bit. I've had few
> >> problems finding drivers for my HP hardware. Of course, I'm pretty
> >> careful
> >> about what HP hardware I buy.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Charlie.
> >> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
> >>
> >>
> >> "piccolo" <piccolo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:38AFF45A-8868-40B3-A967-88FD6014ABEC@microsoft.com...
> >> >I just bought a Dell Precision workstation with XP 64-bit only to
> >> >discover
> >> > that I have a lot of software that only runs on 32-bit (and no fixes
> >> > are
> >> > available). HP and Nikon are two companies that do not support 64-bit.
> >> > So
> >> > I
> >> > just wrote a long post asking how difficult it is to install Windows XP
> >> > 32
> >> > over Windows XP 64.
> >> >
> >> > That gives you an idea of my level of technical competence (not great).
> >> >
> >> > But is it possible to run 32-bit software on my machine without
> >> > installing
> >> > a
> >> > new OS? and, if yes, how? In the other message, you mention something
> >> > called
> >> > Virtual PC; what is that and where do I find it?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks in advance
> >> > --
> >> > Regards,
> >> >
> >> > Piccolo
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > "Charlie Russel - MVP" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> See my blog from 2005...
> >> >> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64/archive/2005/11/21/76180.aspx
> >> >>
> >> >> This assumes you actually installed the XP 32-bit partition, however,
> >> >> rather
> >> >> than plugged one in that was installed on a different computer. That
> >> >> will
> >> >> almost never work well, since it needs to be installed to the hardware
> >> >> it's
> >> >> actually being used on.
> >> >>
> >> >> A better solution if you simply need access to a 32-bit version of XP
> >> >> from
> >> >> XP x64 on an occasional basis, or for a specific task/application is
> >> >> to
> >> >> use
> >> >> a virtual machine to run XP 32-bit. See
> >> >> https://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64/archive/2006/03/29/88280.aspx for
> >> >> details.
> >> >> That assumes Virtual Server, since the Virtual PC version for 64-bit
> >> >> wasn't
> >> >> out yet, but the same basic solution works well for Virtual PC as
> >> >> well.
> >> >> And
> >> >> Virtual PC is probably a better solution for most XP users.
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Charlie.
> >> >> http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
> >> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
> >> >>
> >> >> "MadMax75th" <MadMax75th.3c4dnd@DoNotSpam.com> wrote in message
> >> >> news:MadMax75th.3c4dnd@DoNotSpam.com...
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Hey,
> >> >> > I recently added a second hard drive that had a fresh installation
> >> >> > of
> >> >> > XP32 installed. My first HD has XP64 installed. It only wants to
> >> >> > boot
> >> >> > the XP64 Drive. I was hoping to DUAL BOOT but when I go to BIOS I
> >> >> > can't
> >> >> > get it to let me change Drive Priority. I am supposed to use the
> >> >> > "+"(PLUS) sign to raise or minus sign to lower priority but nothing
> >> >> > happens! Is there a good program that I can install that will allow
> >> >> > me
> >> >> > to choose the HD I wish to boot to ? I have Partition Magic but it
> >> >> > won't
> >> >> > allow me to add a FAT32 partition on XP64, so I can add BOOT MAGIC.
> >> >> > Thanks a lot for any help you may offer.
> >> >> > Max
> >> >> >
> >> >> > PS- My XP64 is on an SATA DRIVE & the XP32 is on an IDE DRIVE,
> >> >> > though
> >> >> > they are supposed to work just fine together.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> > --
> >> >> > MadMax75th
> >> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> >> > MadMax75th's Profile: http://forums.techarena.in/member.php?u=17511
> >> >> > View this thread: http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=997018
> >> >> >
> >> >> > http://forums.techarena.in
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >>
>