XP Mode or Virtual PC doesn't start

[Luxa]

Hello!

I've been struggling with this problem for a while and thought that I might get some help here.

I have a Thinkpad T500 with Windows 7 Pro 64-bit installed, and I need VPN connection to my library. The library handles only Cisco clients properly, so I have to use the provided Cisco 32-bit client. So I thought about installing XP Mode to solve my problems.

I downloaded and installed the files and turned CPU support on in BIOS, but if I try to start Virtual PC or XP Mode, usually visually nothing happens. Vpc.exe does show up as a process and system log contains a line Virtual PC has successfully started (or the Hungarian equivalent...). But nothing else.

Sometimes I can make it to the next screen and actually try to start XP Mode. It always start as a new installation, asks for some configuration options like login, and then says it configures itself. Then nothing happens. Right now I can't describe the exact sequence, as I can't even reach that point.

I'd be very grateful for any ideas on this problem...

Regards,
Luxa

 

[huisinro]

can you check if XP Mode is indeed installed? it's in c:\program files\Windows XP Mode.

 

[Luxa]

Yes, I've checked, it is there.

 

[huisinro]

what happens if you run this in command prompt:

vpcwizard.exe /defaultvm

does it launch a window?

 

[Luxa]

No, it loads a bit then nothing happens. System log contains Virtual PC has successfully started as usual.

 

[huisinro]

This is so weird. Do you actually see any virtual machine created?

search inside your user name folder, c:\users\your-usr-id\..., a file called "Windows XP Mode.vmcx".

usually, "c:\users\your-id\Virtual Machines\Windows XP Mode.vmcx"
maybe you can post it here.

 

[Luxa]

Yes there is a virtual machine called Windows XP Mode.wmcx, contents are the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<!-- Microsoft Virtual Machine Description and Registration Settings -->
<vm_description>
<ram_size type="string">512 MB</ram_size>
<vmstate type="string">Kikapcsolva</vmstate> (Kikapcsolva means turned off)
<vmc_path type="string">C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\Windows XP Mode.vmc</vmc_path>
<primary_disk1 type="string">C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\Windows XP Mode.vhd</primary_disk1>
<secondary_disk1 type="string" />
</vm_description>

Also since then I've managed to reach both the VM setting window (the one listing the Virtual Machine subdirectory) and get XP Mode right until the question about if I want to activate security updates but thereafter it did nothing as usual (the same scenario I mentioned in my first post). I really don't know what is different between these times and the others...

So the logs from this morning are the following (translated from Hungarian, so there might be some errors):
The recovery disks of Windows XP Mode have been cancelled (ID 86)
The hibernated state of Windows XP Mode has been cancelled (ID 85)
System has deleted C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\Windows XP Mode.vmc configuration file (ID 7)
The program has created C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\Windows XP Mode.vhd virtual harddisk (ID 175)
The system has created C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\Windows XP Mode.vmc configuration file (ID 6)

It looks like the VM has been created and subsequent starts delete it.

 

[huisinro]

can you delete this vm using virtual PC? then create a new one.

 

[Luxa]

I deleted the old one and created two new Virtual PCs. One with using the default settings:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<!-- Microsoft Virtual Machine Description and Registration Settings -->
<vm_description>
<ram_size type="string">512 MB</ram_size>
<vmstate type="string">Fut</vmstate> (means running)
<primary_disk1 type="string">C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\VMTeszt.vhd</primary_disk1>
<secondary_disk1 type="string">E</secondary_disk1>
<notes type="string" />
<vmc_path type="string">C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\VMTeszt.vmc</vmc_path>
</vm_description>

and one using the vhd in the XP Mode directory as hard disk:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<!-- Microsoft Virtual Machine Description and Registration Settings -->
<vm_description>
<ram_size type="string">512 MB</ram_size>
<vmstate type="string">Kikapcsolva</vmstate> (means turned off)
<vmc_path type="string">C:\Users\Luxa\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtuális gépek\XP Mode Teszt.vmc</vmc_path>
<primary_disk1 type="string">C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode\Windows XP Mode base.vhd</primary_disk1>
<secondary_disk1 type="string">E</secondary_disk1>
</vm_description>

I was able to start the first one, its status changed to running, it wrote a line stating this (ID 80) to the system log and right now it consumes 9980 K of RAM and the full CPU core it occupies. But I have no graphic output or anything else.
The second one did not start.

 

[huisinro]

those settings file are looking good. Really strange there are so many problems.

I recommend you try our VMLite, it's better than VPC anyway.

 

[Luxa]

I've downloaded WMLiteWorkstationSetup.exe, ran it and gave it permission to modify my computer. And nothing happened. This is a bit surprising as I have absolutely no problems with my system otherwise and I can run and install other programs. Do you think I should do a repair install to try to fix the problem?

 

[huisinro]

interesting, do you mean the installer didn't run at all? do you see any dialogbox coming out? you may need to redownload the file, and re-install it.

 

[Luxa]

No, the installer doesn't run at all, sadly not even after redownload.

 

[huisinro]

no dialog boxes poping up? no user reported that so far. so weird !

 

[Luxa]

There is always a first time. It shows up a bit in the processes list in Task Manager then exits...

 

[huisinro]

wait for 20 mins, i will upload a msi file for you to test. Your host is 64-bit, right?

 

[Luxa]

Okay, there are still some 5 hours left of today here, I can wait. Yes, it is 64-bit, I'm running a 64-bit Hungarian Windows 7 Professional.

 

[ccatlett1984]

Download and run this Intel® Processor Identification Utility - Intel® Processor Identification Utility support

Upload a screenshot of the "technologies" tab.

 

[huisinro]

Download

you need to login first, then get the 3rd file: VMLiteWorkstationSetup64.msi

I removed the bootstrap code that may not run on your pc.

Let me know if this msi can install.

 

[Luxa]

I have uploaded the screenshot as the attachment of this post. Also I've been filling out system specifications before, I'm not sure if anything is relevant beyond CPU, but there you go.

@huisinro: I'm downloading the file, it will take some twenty minutes. After that, I will try it out. Thanks!