Vista - Why doesn't Virtual PC "see" the CD in the drive?

I have installed VPC to run a game that is hanging in Vista. And, to learn
some new stuff on the computer (this seemed interesting). Anyway, I have VPC
07 (with XP Pro), installed the additions and installed the game. When I put
the CD in the drive (it is using my physical drive E) it says: "Please insert
the correct CD-ROM, select OK and restart application". The correct CD is in
the drive, although VPC calls it drive D. Why doesn't it think the correct
game disk is in there? The disk works fine in my old XP desktop. I also
noticed in the VPC console settings, under display, it won't let me change
anything until I install the additions...which are installed...

Thanks for your help!
Ken

Ken wrote:
I just started using VPC2007. My guess is that maybe releasing the CD
and then reattaching it to the VM would get it to reread that device to
see the volID changed for the disc in that drive.

Some settings cannot be changed while the guest OS is running. Just
like you cannot change your video adapter while your host OS is running,
you also have to turn off the guest OS to make critical hardware
changes, like for the display. So shutdown the guest OS and then change
the VM's settings.

On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:23:00 -0800, Ken
<Ken@xxxxxx> wrote:
If the CD can't be read it's likely due to copy protection. A lot of
programs/CDs that have copy protection will fail under VPC due to the
program thinking that it's not the original CD, but a copy.

Some settings cannot be changed when the VM is running or in a saved
state, only when it is shutdown.


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

Thanks both - I saw that mistake I was making in another thread, once I
turned "off" the VPC but had the console open I could make the changes.

So...I can't run a legal program in VPC? What is the purpose then? I can't
imagine the game is any more protected than OS discs are...would making an
ISO copy do any better?

Thanks for the help, I appreciate learning new things!

Ken

"Steve Jain [MVP]" wrote:

Sometimes a VPC VM can read copy protected disks on a Vista host if
you launch the VPC Console as administrator. (Right click on the VPC
icon, click on "Run as administrator".)

--
Bob Comer


On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:02:00 -0800, Ken
<Ken@xxxxxx> wrote:

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:02:00 -0800, Ken
<Ken@xxxxxx> wrote:
The game publishers put copy protection on their games to prevent them
from being made into ISOs and distributed.
VPC's purpose was never as a gaming solution.
Huh?! Microsoft doesnt' employ any copy protection schemes on their
discs.
Game companies do!! The perfect current exampe, EA's Spore and Mass
Effect.
OS CDs don't have copy protection schemes on them. Don't blame VPC,
blame game companies that use StarForce, SecureROM, etc to protect
their discs because they don't trust you.

An ISO won't work, you're doing exactly what the game company doesn't
want you to do. To the games copy protection, the virtual CD drive
looks just like a copied CD or ISO.

Back when VPC was made by Connectix, the engineers did a lot of extra
work to make games with copy protection work under VPC, but I doubt
this will be a high priority for MS.

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

"Steve Jain [MVP]" wrote:
Thanks both - I posted this yesterday, but for some reason it doesn't exist
today...

I saw the error I was making, saw it in another thread. Once I shutdown the
VPC but left the console open I was able to make the changes.

I don't understand why it won't allow a copywrighted program to work - what
is the purpose of the VPC then? The game I 'm sure is no more protected than
an OS disc. Would creating an ISO circument the issue?

Thanks for everyone's help, I enjoy learning new stuff!

Ken

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:18:01 -0800, Ken
<Ken@xxxxxx> wroteVPC is not preventing anything from working. It's the game publisher.
Game publishers put copy protection on their games to prevent them
from being made into ISOs and distributed.
VPC's purpose was never as a gaming solution. It was designed for
legacy apps and OSes, but there wasn't a focus on gaming, although it
works great for a lot fo games.
Microsoft doesnt' employ any copy protection schemes on their
discs.
Game companies do!! Perfect current examples, EA's Spore and Mass
Effect.
OS CDs don't have copy protection schemes on them (MS uses WGA
instead). Don't blame VPC, blame game companies that use StarForce,
SecureROM, etc to protect their discs because they don't trust you.

An ISO won't work, you're doing exactly what the game company doesn't
want you to do. To the games copy protection, the virtual CD drive
looks just like a copied CD or ISO.

Back when VPC was made by Connectix, the engineers did a lot of extra
work to make games with copy protection work under VPC, but I doubt
this will be a high priority for MS. And at the time, even with all
the updates some copy protection schemes couldn't be bypassed.

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

"Steve Jain [MVP]" wrote:
Ok, this is the third time I've tried to reply...

Thanks both for the help on changing the settings, I caught my error when
reading another thread - that did the trick.

I don't understand why a copyprotected program won't work. I'm sure my game
is not any more protected than OS discs are, and they work... what is the
point to VPC if it can't run a legal program off a disc?

Thanks for the help, I enjoy learning new stuff!
Ken

On Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:26:05 -0800, Ken
<Ken@xxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, and I have since replied to both of those.

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