Two Users - One VM?

[GaryDZ]

I have two users that use one machine (Windows 7 Professionl x64). I have an application that runs in Windows XP mode. When I switch users I can't access that program. Do I need to create a VM for each individual user? If so do I have to reinstall that application on that VM? Seems like a lot of work and also I would have to keep 2 VM's up to date.

Is there a way to make one virtual application that both users can use without having to create a VM for each user?

 

[logicearth]

Did you switch users or log out? If you switched did you close the VM before hand?

 

[GaryDZ]

I logged out (sorry for the confusion). But I don't think it matters. If I go to the start menu of the "new" user there is no "XP MODE" or "XP Applications" which leads me to believe that you must install XP Mode for each user. Unless there is another way, which I'm hoping there is.

 

[jav]

not sure about XPmode but as far As I can remember Virtualbox installs your virtual machines on your user folder so it means you cant see your virtual machines from another account.
maybe Xpmode does something similar to this.

Please correct me if I am wrong. (don't have any VM installed currently so I might be wrong about Vbox)

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Windows 7 like XP is a SINGLE USER system whether running as a REAL or VIRTUAL -- by this I mean that only ONE user can work on the machine at a time (You can have different users who can logon to the machine at different times - but only ONE can actually be logged on at a time).

Disks and printers can be SHARED by multiple concurrent users on a LAN if they have the correct permissions.

For Multiple CONCURRENT users you have to use a server I'm afraid (W2K3/ W2K8 for example) . If you are a technet subscriber you can download these - but if you need more than 5 concurrent users (or 2 via RDP) then you will have to get extra CAL's (Client Access Licenses).

If you have a Database type application for example MySQL, SAP or Oracle running on a server then any number (only limited by the DB application and your own network) or other APPLICATION then you don't need Client Access licenses on the server and any number of people can access them concurrently.

About the only case where you can get multiple concurrent accesses to a NON server OS such as Windows 7 is if you are running some type of Web server with its own built in data bases such as "W.A.M.P" - Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP.

(In XP there were a few tricks to "poodlefake" the OS into think it was a server so you could get up to 4 RDP sessions with different users.

This might be achevable in W7 (not the HOME versions as these only have RDP CLIENT software) but nobody has posted a fix yet --and it *might* be breaking the EULA.

If you need more than one user to be able to access the machine - if they need to LOGON then consider using a server, --if they need just to access an application -- if it's a Web based application then use a "Classical VM" -- i.e run it under vbox / vmware -- not in "XP Mode", otherwise you are back to having to use a server again.

Cheers
jimbo