I just got a new computer running Vista Home Premium. I'm having problems
getting some older programs to work, and thought I'd install VPC running an
XP guest to run those programs. I'm wondering how VPC works.....does it
start automatically at boot so you always have the two OS's running (and both
consuming memory)? Or does the computer boot Vista and not allocate any
memory (or other resources) to VPC until it is started? If this is the case,
do you need to wait for the VPC to "boot" every time you start it? Also, can
you exit the VPC and give all memory back to Vista?



Ideally, I'd like to just have the capability to run the programs when I
need them via VPC....but the rest of the time, I'd like VPC to be out of the
way.

TIA
Tom

"Tom Bizon" <Tom Bizon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0B057958-4827-4394-86EE-1B3BA3CACC84@xxxxxx

> I'm wondering how VPC works.....does it start automatically at boot

Not unless you *explicitly* make it do so, e.g. by copying its shortcut into
the Startup folder, just like any other application...

> Or does the computer boot Vista and not allocate any memory (or other
> resources) to VPC until it is started?

No.

> If this is the case, do you need to wait for the VPC to "boot" every time
> you
> start it?

No.

> Also, can you exit the VPC and give all memory back to Vista?

Yes, but only if you've already started it first...!

> Ideally, I'd like to just have the capability to run the programs when I
> need them via VPC....but the rest of the time, I'd like VPC to be out of
> the
> way.

In which case you're in luck, because that's exactly how VPC works! It's
just an application, like Word or Excel. If you don't launch it, it doesn't
start. I think you may be getting confused with Virtual Server, which runs
as a service and can be set to launch at startup just like any other Windows
service...


--
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

Bob Campbell wrote:

> "Tom Bizon" <Tom Bizon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:0B057958-4827-4394-86EE-1B3BA3CACC84@xxxxxx
>

>> Ideally, I'd like to just have the capability to run the programs when I
>> need them via VPC....but the rest of the time, I'd like VPC to be out
>> of the
>> way.

>
> It will work fine for that.
>
> VPC is like any other app. Nothing happens/is allocated until you start
> it. When you quit VPC, all resources are returned. When you start your
> VM, yes you have to wait until XP boots.
>
> I guess you could add it to your Startup folder and have it start
> automatically that way.

That's what I've done, added it to my Startup folder. You can also take
advantage of the VPC option to "re-open all active VMs". When you want
to shut down your VM, make sure you do it by closing VPC itself from the
systray. It will ask you what you want to do with your open VMs and you
can tell it how to close them. By doing it this way, they'll be restored
when VPC starts again (from the Startup menu).

"Tom Bizon" <TomBizon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:345CA28C-47E0-4843-82C0-50C18437C0C4@xxxxxx

> Thanks to both Bob and Mark for the answers....it sounds like VPC will
> work
> the way I'd like. I do have one followup question....
>
> Can I access files on the Vista (host) from the XP (guest)? Is there
> anything special I need to do?
>
> Thanks again
> Tom
>

The best way to do that is to use normal network file shares (as you
would between two networked workstations).

"Tom Bizon" <TomBizon@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:345CA28C-47E0-4843-82C0-50C18437C0C4@xxxxxx

> Can I access files on the Vista (host) from the XP (guest)?

Yes, and vice versa.

> Is there anything special I need to do?

Exactly the same way as you would between any other two machines on your
network.


--
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

"Bob Campbell" <bob@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:kbWdnWeW8MSWadvUnZ2dnUVZ_uudnZ2d@xxxxxx

> Ah, cool idea. After I posted earlier about the Startup folder, I
> started thinking "well that will start the VPC console, but the VM will
> not auto start". I forgot about the re-open option.

All you need to do is drag a shortcut into the Startup folder of the .vmc of
the VM you want to auto-start...


--
Mark Rae
ASP.NET MVP
http://www.markrae.net

"Mark Rae [MVP]" <mark@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OApcsUxXJHA.208@xxxxxx

> "Bob Campbell" <bob@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:kbWdnWeW8MSWadvUnZ2dnUVZ_uudnZ2d@xxxxxx
>

>> Ah, cool idea. After I posted earlier about the Startup folder, I
>> started thinking "well that will start the VPC console, but the VM will
>> not auto start". I forgot about the re-open option.

>
> All you need to do is drag a shortcut into the Startup folder of the .vmc
> of the VM you want to auto-start...

Yeah I thought about that too, but haven't tried it.

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:28:02 -0000, "Mark Rae [MVP]"
<mark@xxxxxx> wrote:

>"Bob Campbell" <bob@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:kbWdnWeW8MSWadvUnZ2dnUVZ_uudnZ2d@xxxxxx
>

>> Ah, cool idea. After I posted earlier about the Startup folder, I
>> started thinking "well that will start the VPC console, but the VM will
>> not auto start". I forgot about the re-open option.

>
>All you need to do is drag a shortcut into the Startup folder of the .vmc of
>the VM you want to auto-start...

you can even drag the icon for the vm from the VPC list directly into
the startup folder and amke the shortcut that way.

--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/