64-bit OS in Virtual PC?

[bc3tech]

I know that the XP Mode system is only a 32-bit version of windows XP, but how can I set up a 64-bit guest OS w/in Win7's new Virtual PC??? Specifically, try to install Win7 x64 into a new Virtual PC - you'll be greeted w/ the msg that the processor doesn't support an x64 OS.

This is bogus as I'm pretty sure VPC 2007 allowed you to do this, and they don't allow you to install/run VPC 2k7 on Windows 7 either!

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Kougar]

Virtual PC will run on a 64bit host, but it does not support 64bit guest OS's.

Virtual PC does support Windows 7 as the host and as the guest, but it looks like only W7 Enterprise or W7 Ultimate run as the guest OS if I read this link correctly: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/support/requirements.aspx

 

[bc3tech]

Virtual PC will run on a 64bit host, but it does not support 64bit guest OS's.

exactly my point. why? if i would like to test a 64-bit OS in a virtual environment, how am I expected to do so?

VPC 2k7 i am fairly certain allowed you to run a 64-bit OS in it - why has MS taken this ability away?

 

[clifford_cooley]

Lets see if I understand this correctly

You are trying to install a 64 bit O.S. in virtual PC. Which the only reall benefit would allow you to access more than 4GB memory from within the guest O.S. That is a big chunk of resources for testing when every virtual PC requires its own memory to be allocated. The memory allocated for those virtual PC's would not be available for the main O.S.

Is there a reason why the 32 bit is not sufficient in vitual mode?

 

[Kougar]

exactly my point. why? if i would like to test a 64-bit OS in a virtual environment, how am I expected to do so?

VPC 2k7 i am fairly certain allowed you to run a 64-bit OS in it - why has MS taken this ability away?

The "why" is because Virtual PC emulates a Pentium III processor, which definitely doesn't support 64bit technology. It never has supported 64bit guest OS's because the "processor" is inherently 32bit.

If you want to run 64bit virtual machines then I suggest using VMware, VirtualBox, or some other VM program.

 

[Thrax]

VMWare and VirtualBox are both excellent and easy-to-use programs that support 64-bit, as Kougar pointed out. They're also superior to VPC.

 

[clifford_cooley]

WOW Kougar - How do you and Thrax remember all these things.

I'm throwing in my two bit worth trying to help or lead in the right direction. Part of the time looking things up before I respond. The two of you seem to know it all from the top of your head. I never would have thought to check for a 32 bit emulation in Virtual PC.

 

[bc3tech]

Lets see if I understand this correctly

You are trying to install a 64 bit O.S. in virtual PC. Which the only reall benefit would allow you to access more than 4GB memory from within the guest O.S.

or to test 64-bit stuff w/o having to install an OS on your actual computer.....

The "why" is because Virtual PC emulates a Pentium III processor, which definitely doesn't support 64bit technology. It never has supported 64bit guest OS's because the "processor" is inherently 32bit.

didn't vpc2k7 support this?

If you want to run 64bit virtual machines then I suggest using VMware, VirtualBox, or some other VM program.

looking around virtualBox's site earlier today I'm pretty sure it said it only supports x86

VMWare and VirtualBox are both excellent and easy-to-use programs that support 64-bit, as Kougar pointed out. They're also superior to VPC.

correct me if i'm wrong but vmware isn't free, and vbox has the same prob (from what i understood from their site)

 

[Kougar]

WOW Kougar - How do you and Thrax remember all these things.

I'm throwing in my two bit worth trying to help or lead in the right direction. Part of the time looking things up before I respond. The two of you seem to know it all from the top of your head. I never would have thought to check for a 32 bit emulation in Virtual PC.

Actually, you're closer than you think. I remembered hearing that Virtual PC didn't support 64bit so I simply looked up why and found that out. Google is amazingly powerful, the hard part is just knowing how to use it because the info is almost guaranteed to be out there somewhere.

or to test 64-bit stuff w/o having to install an OS on your actual computer.....

didn't vpc2k7 support this?looking around virtualBox's site earlier today I'm pretty sure it said it only supports x86

correct me if i'm wrong but vmware isn't free, and vbox has the same prob (from what i understood from their site)

For the last time, no VPC2007 didn't support 64bit guests and never officially has that I know of. VirtualBox does support x86 and x64 guests and hosts operating systems.

VMWare Player is free, and so is the basic version of VirtualBox as well. If you want full functionality and tools then you'll want VMWare Workstation, which of course is not free.

 

[Ian]

Go for VirtualBox, it really is an excellent bit of software and it supports 64 bit guest operating systems just fine .

 

[happy2bhere]

So how do Microsoft propose that I virtualise a Windows 2008 R2 environment on my Windows 7 (64 bit) machine?

There are plenty of good reasons to virtualise a server operating system on a Windows 7 host - so will I be stuck with virtualising Windows 2008 Server 32bit for ever...?

 

[Thrax]

1. Own an Intel processor with VT or an AMD processor with AMD-V.
2. Make sure your motherboard's BIOS can enable these features.
3. Install VirtualBox or VMWare.
4. Install the 64-bit OS on the virtual machine.

The trick is to use a real VM, and not a casual one for casual use like Virtual PC.

 

[coldapoy]

just want to raise this issue again...

will the new version of virtual pc run on a 64bit windows 7 host?

thanks for the help windows7 community

 

[Core]

just want to raise this issue again...

will the new version of virtual pc run on a 64bit windows 7 host?

thanks for the help windows7 community

Host, yes.

 

[catilley1092]

coldapoy, welcome to the forum! Yes, Windows Virtual PC will run on either a 32 or 64 bit host. But you can only run 32 bit guests within it. As long as you can live within that limitation, you're fine.

But, if you plan to run a 64 bit guest, you'll need VirtualBox or VMWare, as Thrax pointed out.

Cat

 

[coldapoy]

@core

i'm confused with your answer?

@catilley

thanks for the warm welcome...
we've been using virtual pc for quite sometime already and we are planning to shift on windows 7 as our local/host machine os and iv'e been looking for alternatives on how we could reuse our VHD's

also been looking on vmware and virtualbox as well.

 

[catilley1092]

I've used backups to reinstall everything, but not the VHD's themselves. If you're upgrading computers, you have a couple of options. You can use the Easy Transfer Cable to copy your documents to your new computer (the VHD's are in your documents, inside of the Virtual Machines folder). A plain old USB cable won't do.

Secondly, you can copy the contents of this folder to an external drive, and using VirtualBox (or whatever VM you use), when you're looking for the VHD, point it to where it's copied or backed up to.

Thirdly, you can remove the hard drive from your old computer, install it into a case, plug it in through a USB or eSATA cable (whichever you have), and using the VM program that you install, select the VHD's from the drive itself.

I've never personally done this, but I use VM's extensively, and I know for a fact that one of the above will work. Especially the third option, you can retrieve any file that you wish, I've retrieved other files in such a manner.

PS: I have retrieved a VHD in the third way I described, but it's been a while back, but it will work.

Best of Luck,
Cat

 

[inaun]

Lets see if I understand this correctly

You are trying to install a 64 bit O.S. in virtual PC. Which the only reall benefit would allow you to access more than 4GB memory from within the guest O.S. That is a big chunk of resources for testing when every virtual PC requires its own memory to be allocated. The memory allocated for those virtual PC's would not be available for the main O.S.

Is there a reason why the 32 bit is not sufficient in vitual mode?

That is an incorrect summery of "real benefit". When using virutal machine for testing (one of the biggest benefits of VM), the test needs to be run on the exact OS that production systems will use. There are enough differences between a 32 and 64 bit system that testing on 32 invalidates the results.

Additionally (and where I hit this problem myself), backups must be validated to be considered good. So I've made a nice system backup with restore disk and want to be sure it actually works. VM seems like the perfect solution, but becomes entirely useless because it does not support 64 bit guest OS.

 

[clifford_cooley]

There are enough differences between a 32 and 64 bit system that testing on 32 invalidates the results.

And there are enough differences between a real machine and virtual machine to invalidate testing as well.

 

[inaun]

And there are enough differences between a real machine and virtual machine to invalidate testing as well.

Ah, but that depends on the type of testing one is doing. For example, the backup test I described is a valid test in a VM environment (but of course requires restoring backup of a 64 bit system image to a 64 bit VM).

Testing an application upgrade prior to test pilot roll-out for most applications is also valid in a VM environment (be it an internal development or OTS). But obviously testing such an upgrade on a 32 bit version of the application proves nothing for the 64 bit version of that same app since the two versions may use different code base.

Testing application integration is valid, testing to see if an application will run on a 64 bit system is valid...really testing any high-level application functionality is valid because of hardware separation.

Now if you are wanting to test drivers or other lower level system apps I would totally agree. I would also have to agree with you if we are looking at any type of final regression testing from a strict QA perspective.