XP Mode or Virtual PC doesn't start

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  1. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
       #1

    XP Mode or Virtual PC doesn't start


    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
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 262
    windows 7
       #2

    can you check if XP Mode is indeed installed? it's in c:\program files\Windows XP Mode.
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  3. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Yes, I've checked, it is there.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 262
    windows 7
       #4

    what happens if you run this in command prompt:

    vpcwizard.exe /defaultvm

    does it launch a window?
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  5. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

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


  6. Posts : 262
    windows 7
       #6

    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.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    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.
    Last edited by Luxa; 21 Jan 2010 at 02:26. Reason: typo
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 262
    windows 7
       #8

    can you delete this vm using virtual PC? then create a new one.
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  9. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    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.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 262
    windows 7
       #10

    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.
      My Computer


 
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