Windows 7: Virtual Windows XP

Hi Folks

I bought a new DELL Inspiron 1545 with Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OS.

When I try to use Virtual Windows XP, I get an error message called "Windows Virtual PC requires hardware-assisted virtualizaiton. There is no hardware-assisted virtualization support in the system". Has anyone encountered the same problem? Can I download any driver to resolve this issue?



Is there any other way I can run XP in virtual mode on my Windows 7?

Thanks
Hari

Welcome!


But good news! You can use other programs to convert the XP file from Microsoft to a type usable in another program: I cant install Windows Virtual PC

~JK

either that or he hasnt enabled VT in bios.

Hi there
you CAN run a Virtual XP machine - this is different from "XP MODE". You don't need the VT feature to run a 32 bit GUEST virtual machine using vbox or vmware.

You can use VBOX (FREE), VMWARE (SERVER OR PLAYER - both free), Vmware workstation - paid software or even QEMU - fiddly that one.

I wouldn't use MS'es Virtual PC for running a "Normal" VM - i.e one not using "XP MODE".

To run a virtual XP machine however you will need an XP install disk with a key. Once you have this just install the OS just as you would on a real machine - the Virtual software (vbox / vmware) usually has self explanatory easy wizards for creating virtual machines.

(You can also convert a physical XP disk -- i.e a running XP system into a vmware virtual disk via the FREE vmware converter -. This IMO is a bit more complex and fiddly than just creating or installing an XP system from the install disk using the Create Virtual Machine wizards in vmware or vbox).



Note also that using vbox / vmware software you CAN run virtual machines on Windows 7 Home Premium too.

Cheers
jimbo

Correct me if i'm wrong, but with the Windows 7 Home Prem OS, you cannot run virtual XP. You can only run XP compatibility mode. You need 7 Professional to run Virtual XP.

That may the reason for the error messag.e

You are right, Elizabeth. XP Mode needs Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise to run.

Kari

Thanks guys for your replies.

I sorted it out by installing the SUN Virtual Box. Although my laptop is 64 bit, I had to install 32 bit Windows XP because SUN Virtual Box only supports 32 bit.

Regards
Hari

It's not a problem that you loaded the 32-bit version of Virtualbox. It will work and function just fine. I don't believe that VMWare has a native 64-bit VMWare Player or Workstation app either.

Hi there

I'm not sufficiently grounded in vmware's internals - however you CAN run using vmware products (with the VT feature enabled) a full 64 bit guest os on a 32 bit system (I've run Windows 7 X-64 as a VM on a 32 bit W2K3 server host and an XP host. Of course the disadvantage of doing this is that the HOST can only see a max of 4GB RAM (probably 3.25GB) so the amount available to the guest will be less.

So I'm not sure if it really matters if the "vmware application" is 32 or 64 bit since a 64 bit guest Virtual machine runs in full 64 bit mode as well as the applications running on it even if it's running on a 32 bit HOST.

Exactly how this works is a bit beyond "my pay grade" as they say in the CIA but it definitely is NOT by using emulation. The VM is using proper 64 bit CPU instructions.

Cheers
jimbo

Jimbo,

You are absolutely correct. As long as your hardware supports virtualization technology, you most certainly can run 64-bit guests from within a 32-bit VM application on the local host. In fact, you can run a 32-bit HOST operating system and launch 64-bit guests as well.

I was just trying to reassure the poster than the 32bit version of the actual virtual machine software was indeed perfectly acceptable and likely the only option they would find.