Vmware and "making nice" with Windows 7?

[450125]

I have another thread - http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/152986-selective-removal-sp1.html - describing how my Windows 7 won't run unpatched vmware - something I need for work - with SP1 installed on my computer.

Wondering if there's some other "clever" way of making vmware run on a Windows 7 machine? Perhaps even by running it in XP compatibility mode?

 

[450125]

Okay, I should have tried before asking, but yes, vmware can be run in compatibility mode (XP SP3 works), and then Windows 7 SP1, and presumably no Windows 7 updates would then disrupt it.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Not sure what the post is trying to say.

Vmware runs on a HOST Machine (can even be Windows 2000 if you like).

I'm not sure why Windows update would effect vmware one bit -- in any case updating the HOST is something you can disable if you want - just turn off automatic updating etc.

As far as the GUEST OS is concerned same applies -- you can disable Windows update if you like.

BTW if your machine has the Virtualisation feature enabled (most do these days) and the CPU is 64 bit capable you can actually run a GUEST W7 X-64 system on a 32 bit Host including Windows XP and even Windows 2000 (you'll need the final service packs for w2k if you want to get proper USB support for your W7 Guests).

So I'm not sure why you need vmware in "Compatability mode" or whatever.

Note if you DO want to run say a W7 X-64 GUEST on a 32 bit HOST OS such as XP or W2K then remember the HOST can only see a max of 4GB RAM which will limit the size of your X-64 bit Guests.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[TBoyd]

Temporary Solution until VMware update..

I have another thread - http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/152986-selective-removal-sp1.html - describing how my Windows 7 won't run unpatched vmware - something I need for work - with SP1 installed on my computer.

Wondering if there's some other "clever" way of making vmware run on a Windows 7 machine? Perhaps even by running it in XP compatibility mode?

I had issues with VMware Player after installing SP1 on my host OS (Haven't installed it on the guest OS). I posted in the VMware Forum & this appears to be a known issue. Someone there came up with a temporary solution without using Compatibility Mode. It appears to work for everyone until VMware comes up with an update:

In the host OS - Go to C: Program Data > VMware > VMware Player (Or Workstation - depending on which one you have) > config.ini

Edit the config.ini file by adding this entry : vmmon.disableHostParameters = "TRUE"
Save & close. This should keep you going until the update.

Be sure to undo your Compatibility Mode changes first.

 

[jimbo45]

I have another thread - http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/152986-selective-removal-sp1.html - describing how my Windows 7 won't run unpatched vmware - something I need for work - with SP1 installed on my computer.

Wondering if there's some other "clever" way of making vmware run on a Windows 7 machine? Perhaps even by running it in XP compatibility mode?

I had issues with VMware Player after installing SP1 on my host OS (Haven't installed it on the guest OS). I posted in the VMware Forum & this appears to be a known issue. Someone there came up with a temporary solution without using Compatibility Mode. It appears to work for everyone until VMware comes up with an update:

In the host OS - Go to C: Program Data > VMware > VMware Player (Or Workstation - depending on which one you have) > config.ini

Edit the config.ini file by adding this entry : vmmon.disableHostParameters = "TRUE"
Save & close. This should keep you going until the update.

Be sure to undo your Compatibility Mode changes first.

Hi there --please read and understand my post and then post AGAIN what your problem is with vmware.

Cheers
jimo

 

[450125]

Hi there
Not sure what the post is trying to say.

Vmware runs on a HOST Machine (can even be Windows 2000 if you like).

I'm not sure why Windows update would effect vmware one bit -- in any case updating the HOST is something you can disable if you want - just turn off automatic updating etc.

As far as the GUEST OS is concerned same applies -- you can disable Windows update if you like.

BTW if your machine has the Virtualisation feature enabled (most do these days) and the CPU is 64 bit capable you can actually run a GUEST W7 X-64 system on a 32 bit Host including Windows XP and even Windows 2000 (you'll need the final service packs for w2k if you want to get proper USB support for your W7 Guests).

So I'm not sure why you need vmware in "Compatability mode" or whatever.

Note if you DO want to run say a W7 X-64 GUEST on a 32 bit HOST OS such as XP or W2K then remember the HOST can only see a max of 4GB RAM which will limit the size of your X-64 bit Guests.

Cheers
jimbo

I apologize for not being clear on which machine is host or guest in this case.

My employer uses vmware for us to communicate with a separately hosted server that houses our Outlook and our database - from our office, home, anywhere. There may be other ways than vmware to access this, but vmware is the way we've been told, and that's what I use and my colleagues use.

The problem comes when our local Windows 7 PC, from which we're running vmware to access a remote host, installs certain Windows updates. 2467023 and 2482017 are the two I know about, as is SP1. Doing so, from a Windows 7 machine that has these updates, presents a connection problem.

Although not a perfect solution, selecting the wswc.exe file on the local Windows 7 machine, and choosing to run it in XP compatibility mode, allows the machine to use vmware to access the remote host, while keeping the local machine updated with all relevant Windows updates, and not having to rely on your systems administrator to update vmware with patches that circumvent the problem caused by the updates.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I'm still a bit confused here since it would appear from your post that you are trying to connect to a remote VIRTUAL machine

I assume that you first have to connect to your remote LAN -- then map the network device (or devices) that the Virtual machine is defined on and THEN use vmware to power on that machine.

I still can't see how vmware would be effected by W7 updates -- the original remote connection to your LAN could be possibly effected by SP1 but I doubt it --if SP1 was hosing up network connections then there would have been about TEN TRILLION POSTS by now.

To me it would appear that 100% of the problem lies with the LAN / IT service you are trying to connect to and NOT W7.

Sorry for being obtuse here but I've never seen this type of problem before with vmware and I've been using VM's remote and local for absolutely DONKEYS YEARS.

Now going through a VPN is another matter but even here the vpn service should allow passthrough to the remote disk drives on which the Virtual Machine is defined.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[fafhrd]

The confusion seems to be because the original poster is actually talking about the VMWare-View client product - without ever saying so.

VMware View: Desktop Virtualization and Desktop Management

I had not heard of it before.

This virtual desktop solution seems to have issues with SP1 in Windows 7 and I would guess the solution will lie between VMWare and Microsoft. Until the problem is sorted, the best advice would be to wait and not install SP1 until both software vendors come up with a solution.

Or, as the OP seems to be saying in the other thread - to run in compatibility mode for XP

 

[450125]

This link describes the phenomenon I was talking about originally.

 

[pparks1]

There are currently a couple of known issues with Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and various VMWare Products.

1st is VMWare Workstation: You might get an insufficient memory message when starting a VM
VMware KB: After installing Windows 7 SP1, VMware Workstation reports the error: Not enough physical memory is available to power this virtual machine

2nd is VMWare View. This is the Desktop VDI implementation. Running virtualized desktop computers in a business rather than using a physical computer. There are many advantages like fast deployments, and terminals can be sent home with remote employees that connect and display the virtualized workstation. This way, if the home users PC is stolen, they only get a terminal and none of the actual company data. For many employees...this is far safer than equipping them with a laptop that can go missing.

However, if you load Windows 7 SP1 to your computer, and then launch your VMWare View client to connect to the virtualized desktops, you cannot authenticate at the present time. You can work around this issue by installing the build 353760 of the VMWare View Client.

Hope this helps sort this out.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
OK these are other products that possibly or really do have issues with SP1.

My misunderstanding as I thought the OP was just using "Bog standard" Vmware player / workstation to power on a Virtual machine defined either on his local workstation or on a Network LAN drive (local or remote).

Cheers

jimbo