Virtual PC problems
Discussion
Does anyone have any experience of installing and using this piece of Microsoft software?
I've installed it (2007 version) on a refurbished IBM T23 which would have had Win98 originally but came with XP profesional. XP is fine for my network and compatibility but I'd like to run some legacy software.
It has taken 64MB of my 256MB RAM, says it's not enough but greys out all the options to change it, though the sliding scale goes up to 203MB.
I've installed it (2007 version) on a refurbished IBM T23 which would have had Win98 originally but came with XP profesional. XP is fine for my network and compatibility but I'd like to run some legacy software.
It has taken 64MB of my 256MB RAM, says it's not enough but greys out all the options to change it, though the sliding scale goes up to 203MB.
driverrob said:
Does anyone have any experience of installing and using this piece of Microsoft software?
I've installed it (2007 version) on a refurbished IBM T23 which would have had Win98 originally but came with XP profesional. XP is fine for my network and compatibility but I'd like to run some legacy software.
It has taken 64MB of my 256MB RAM, says it's not enough but greys out all the options to change it, though the sliding scale goes up to 203MB.
As a general point, VirtualPC is usually accepted to be inferior to VMware (and I say that as Director of a company that sells a lot of Microsoft kit, develops mainly in .NET but uses VMware so make of that what you wil!l) so personally I'd recommend using VMware anyway. However, if you had this problem with VMware it would typically be because you had suspended rather than shut down the VM. Alternatively, if you're running XP as your host OS maybe it will not release the RAM you need as 192MB of RAM doesn't seem a lot to run XP on?I've installed it (2007 version) on a refurbished IBM T23 which would have had Win98 originally but came with XP profesional. XP is fine for my network and compatibility but I'd like to run some legacy software.
It has taken 64MB of my 256MB RAM, says it's not enough but greys out all the options to change it, though the sliding scale goes up to 203MB.
That's strange, '98 should install fine in 64MB RAM. I'm afraid I've only used VMware myself so all I can suggest is download the free version of that and see if you get any further? (I'd uninstall VPC first if you go this route otherwise you're asking for trouble)
Ps how much RAM is in the laptop in total - if it's only 256 you may find that this is the problem, its not unusual for XP plus a few bits like virus scanners etc. to use all 256 just sat on the desktop.
Ps how much RAM is in the laptop in total - if it's only 256 you may find that this is the problem, its not unusual for XP plus a few bits like virus scanners etc. to use all 256 just sat on the desktop.
YOu may need to install a boot manager then as 98 won't understand the XP boot device or filesystem, and as you put 98 on after XP this would be the boot manager in use and you would loose the option to boot XP - if then however you repaired your copy of XP using the repair disk - XP's boot manager understands 98 enough to boot it - you may get it back.
Whatever you do and this advice holds true for any system level messing make sure you have a good backup preferrably using something like norton ghost so you can get back to wheer you were if/when it all goes wrong.
I personally wouldn't run XP in 256MB by the time you have AV/antispyware XP and then run up an ie session you're driving well over 300MB of ram. 2nd market machines are often sold with XP (read lates version of the O/S they will run) to make them sound more up to date - wether they will run it well or not.
Normal reccomendations are 512Mb for a very light user - 1GB for normal use. I've just had to upgrade my brother in laws machien from 512MB as it was too slow with word and internet explorer running together.
VPC is more memory hungry than VMware but both need memory above and beyond what you would give to WIn98 to run 64MB in a VM you will need about 96MB of ram plus then the overheads of XP itself.
Simes.
Whatever you do and this advice holds true for any system level messing make sure you have a good backup preferrably using something like norton ghost so you can get back to wheer you were if/when it all goes wrong.
I personally wouldn't run XP in 256MB by the time you have AV/antispyware XP and then run up an ie session you're driving well over 300MB of ram. 2nd market machines are often sold with XP (read lates version of the O/S they will run) to make them sound more up to date - wether they will run it well or not.
Normal reccomendations are 512Mb for a very light user - 1GB for normal use. I've just had to upgrade my brother in laws machien from 512MB as it was too slow with word and internet explorer running together.
VPC is more memory hungry than VMware but both need memory above and beyond what you would give to WIn98 to run 64MB in a VM you will need about 96MB of ram plus then the overheads of XP itself.
Simes.
Edited by 51mes on Thursday 20th September 22:06
The laptop is running McAfee virus guard and I have been able to web browse/download with no problems. I bought it mainly for in-car data logging (it thinks the serial port is COM5 but I don't care as long as it works) but it would be nice to retrieve my handheld Compaq PC Companion from its dusty shelf. It only synchs with MS Schedule running on Win98 and it's a beauty for taking notes in meetings etc.
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