Virtual PC™ for Windows Version 4.
Copyright Connectix makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Connectix shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved.
Contents Chapter 1 Introduction / 1 About this User Guide / 1 If you need additional help / 2 Online Help / 2 Read Me file / 2 Connectix Web site / 2 Connectix Support / 3 Other products and license information / 3 Chapter 2 Touring Virtual PC / 5 What is Virtual PC? / 5 About the host PC / 6 Components of a virtual machine / 6 More about disk images / 6 Undoable disk images / 7 Running multiple virtual machines / 7 The Virtual PC window / 8 VPC Additions and virtual machine integration / 8 Printing wi
Installing an application on a virtual machine / 29 Modifying the settings for a virtual machine / 30 Creating a virtual machine with standard settings / 31 Duplicating settings of an existing virtual machine / 32 Chapter 4 Using a Virtual Machine / 33 Chapter contents / 33 Starting up Virtual PC / 34 Using the host key / 34 Starting up a virtual machine / 35 Using CTRL+ALT+DELETE / 35 Changing the virtual machine display / 36 About video resolution / 36 Minimizing a virtual machine window / 36 Pausing,
Chapter 5 Networking with Virtual PC / 45 About the Networking setting / 45 Shared Networking option / 45 Modem access / 47 LAN, DSL, or cable access / 47 Virtual Switch option / 47 File sharing / 48 Switching the host PC network interface card / 49 Chapter 6 Changing Settings and Preferences / 51 Chapter topics / 51 Changing settings for a virtual machine / 52 PC Name setting / 52 Memory setting / 53 More RAM improves performance / 53 Real RAM required / 53 Hard Disk 1 setting / 54 About the Undoable
Chapter 7 Using Virtual Disk Wizard / 69 Creating a hard disk image / 69 More about hard disk image types / 70 Disk image file splitting / 72 Creating a floppy disk image / 73 Examining or modifying a disk image / 74 Fixed-size disk images / 74 Dynamically expanding disk images / 75 Differencing disk images / 75 Disk images linked to a host volume / 75 Disk images linked to a host physical drive / 76 Chapter 8 Using PC-DOS / 77 Introduction to PC-DOS / 77 The command prompt / 78 Typing a command / 78 T
Appendix A Technical Specifications / 91 Processor / 91 Motherboard / 91 BIOS / 91 Memory / 91 IDE controller / 92 Hard drive images / 92 CD-ROM / 93 Video / 93 Keyboard controller / 93 Keyboard / 93 Mouse / 93 Floppy / 93 Serial ports / 94 Parallel port / 94 Sound / 94 Ethernet / 94 Appendix B Command Line Parameters / 95 Appendix C Volume License Guidelines / 97 Preparing for large-scale deployment of Virtual PC / 97 Building a disk image for deployment / 97 Building a drive image “from scratch” / 9
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Chapter 1 ••••••••••• Introduction Welcome to Virtual PC for Windows—a sophisticated software emulation program that lets you run multiple virtual machines each with a different operating system on a single host PC. This introduction provides a road map to the chapters in this guide and information about getting additional assistance. About this User Guide Here is a brief description of each chapter and appendix in this guide. Please read Chapter 2, “Touring Virtual PC,” before you install the program.
Chapter 8 Using PC-DOS —using the PC-DOS operating system Appendix A Technical Specifications —technical specifications for Virtual PC Appendix B Command Line Parameters —using Virtual PC command line parameters Appendix C Volume License Information —information about volume licensing If you need additional help If you need additional help, please consider these options: Online Help Use the online Help feature in Virtual PC. (In the Virtual PC window, on the Help menu, click Virtual PC Help.
Connectix Support Before you contact Connectix Support, please have the following information available: ! Your Virtual PC for Windows serial number ! Software version number—In the Virtual PC window, on the Help menu, click About Virtual PC.
•••• 4 Virtual PC 4.
Chapter 2 ••••••••••• Touring Virtual PC This chapter provides a tour of Virtual PC for Windows. Look it over to get an understanding of key features before you install the program. What is Virtual PC? Virtual PC lets you create one or more virtual machines or guest PCs on a host PC. A virtual machine runs its own operating system.
About the host PC The host PC, where you install Virtual PC and create one or more virtual machines, must be running Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0. (For details of other host PC requirements, see page 12.) Components of a virtual machine A basic virtual machine (or guest PC) consists of three components: ! Settings that determine the operating relationship with the host PC, such as the amount of RAM allocated for the virtual machine, or the assignments for the COM1 and COM2 ports.
Undoable disk images You can designate any disk image as undoable. This means that any changes you make during a session with a virtual machine are saved to a separate, temporary file. At the time you shut down the virtual machine, you then have the option of discarding these changes or committing them to the disk image. Running multiple virtual machines You can create and simultaneously run several virtual machines on the same host PC.
The Virtual PC window When you start up Virtual PC, the Virtual PC window appears. This is the “dashboard” for Virtual PC. From this window, you can start up a virtual machine, create a new virtual machine, change the settings for a virtual machine, or delete the settings for a virtual machine. 2-3 As you run a guest PC, its thumbnail picture in the Virtual PC window updates dynamically.
! You can share a folder or a volume between the host PC and a virtual machine. (You can even share the same folder with multiple guest PCs running at the same time.) In addition, the clock of the virtual machine is synchronized with the clock of the host PC. (This is especially important when saving or restarting a virtual machine.
Help Virtual PC includes Help available on the screen. In the Virtual PC window, on the Help menu, click Virtual PC Help. 2-4 Creating a virtual machine After you install Virtual PC on the host PC, you create one or more virtual machines. (Virtual PC for Windows ships with one virtual machine running PC-DOS already created.) You can set up a virtual machine using a prepared boot disk image from a Connectix OS Pack. (See page 15.) This disk image already has an operating system and VPC Additions installed.
Chapter 3 ••••••••••• Setting Up Virtual PC This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for setting up Virtual PC for Windows.
Installation requirements Before you install Virtual PC for Windows on a host PC, note these requirements: •••• 12 ! Host PC processor — Athlon, Duron, Celeron, K6-III, Pentium II, Pentium III, or Pentium 4 — 266 MHz minimum, 500 MHz recommended — Level 2 cache required ! Host PC OS — Windows Me — Windows 2000 (Service Pack 2 recommended) — Windows NT 4 with service pack 6 ! Host PC Disk space Use the following table to determine the required disk space on the host PC.
! Host PC RAM Use the table below to determine the minimum physical RAM required for the host PC. First determine the minimum required RAM for the OS on the host PC (Windows 2000, Windows NT, or Windows Me). Then add the RAM requirement for the virtual machine or machines you intend to run. Additional memory beyond this minimum amounts usually improves performance.
Installing Virtual PC for Windows To install Virtual PC for Windows, follow these steps: 1 Log in to the host PC as an administrator or as a user with administrative privileges. 2 If you purchased Virtual PC for Windows online, decompress the file “Virtual PC for Windows.zip.” Then open the extracted folder and double-click the file “Install Virtual PC for Windows.exe.” If you purchased a Virtual PC for Windows with an installation CD, insert this CD in the CD-ROM drive of the host PC.
Registering Virtual PC If you purchased Virtual PC for Windows with an installation CD, please follow the directions provided to register your product at the Connectix Web site. You must register to receive support. If you purchased Virtual PC for Windows online, you have already completed the registration process. Creating a virtual machine with an OS Pack With Virtual PC installed on the host PC, you can now create a virtual machine using a Connectix OS Pack.
3 Click New PC. The PC Setup Wizard appears. 3-3 4 Click Next. 5 Type a name for the virtual machine and click Next. 3-4 •••• 16 Virtual PC 4.
6 Choose the Guide me option and click Next. 7 Use the drop-down menu to choose the operating system installed on the Connectix disk image. Then click Next.
8 Click No to keep the recommended memory setting and click Next. (You can always change the memory setting later.) 9 Click the option Select an existing hard disk image and click Next. 3-7 3-8 •••• 18 Virtual PC 4.
10 Click Browse, navigate to the Connectix disk image installed on the host PC, and click Open. To make the disk image undoable, click the option Enable undo support. (See page 55 for more information about this option.) Then click Next. 3-9 11 Check the information in Setup Summary and click Finish. 3-10 The new virtual machine now appears in the Virtual PC window. To install an application on the new virtual machine, see page 29.
Creating a virtual machine with a copy of an OS With Virtual PC installed on the host PC, you can now create a a virtual machine using your own copy of an OS. (Virtual PC for Windows ships with one virtual machine running PC-DOS already created.) NOTE To create a virtual machine using a Connectix OS Pack, see page 15.
2 Click New PC. The PC Setup Wizard appears. 3-12 3 Click Next. 4 Type a name for the virtual machine and click Next.
5 Choose the Guide me option and click Next. 6 Use the drop-down menu to choose the operating system you plan to install on the disk image. Then click Next. 3-14 3-15 •••• 22 Virtual PC 4.
7 Click No to keep the recommended memory setting and click Next. (You can always change the memory setting later.) 8 Click the option Create a new hard disk image and click Next. 9 Click Browse and navigate to the location for the drive image. Type a name for the drive image and click Save. Then click Next. 3-16 3-17 10 Check the Setup Summary and click Finish.
Installing an OS Virtual PC for Windows supports a variety of Pentium-based operating systems installed on virtual machines. Operating systems you can install on the boot disk image for a virtual machine include: ! MS-DOS 6.22 Upgrade—You must prepare the drive image with PC-DOS 7. ! Windows 3.1 ! Windows 3.11 for Workgroups ! Windows 95 ! Windows 98 ! Windows Me ! Windows NT 4.
With a bootable CD If you can install the OS from a bootable CD, follow these steps. A CD disk-caching utility (such as Smart Drive) installed on the host PC can significantly accelerate the process of installing an OS on a disk image. NOTE 1 Insert the bootable CD in the CD-ROM drive. It is automatically captured by the virtual machine. 2 Press any key to continue. The OS setup program on the CD then takes you through the process of installing the OS on the drive image for the virtual machine.
Installing VPC Additions VPC Additions enable integration between a virtual machine and the host PC. (See page 39 for more information.) VPC Additions are available for most Windows operating systems installed on a virtual machine. (VPC Additions are already installed on disk images provided in Connectix OS Packs.) Check the Connectix Web site for new releases of Virtual PC Additions.
If you purchased Virtual PC for Windows online 1 Open the Additions folder in the folder you extracted from the download. 2 Drag the file "VPC Additions.iso" to the CD icon on the VPC Toolbar of the virtual machine where you want to install VPC Additions. 3-19 CD This captures the CD image on the virtual machine and launches the installation program for VPC Additions. 3-20 3 Click Virtual PC Additions. 4 Continue with the section “Finishing VPC Additions installation” on page 28.
Finishing VPC Additions installation 1 Read the explanatory text shown and click Continue. 2 Follow the instructions provided by the VPC Additions Installer Wizard. At the end, choose the option to not immediately restart the virtual machine. 3 Release the CD disk or disk image from the virtual machine by right-clicking the CD icon on the VPC Toolbar. 4 Restart the OS installed on the virtual machine. 3-21 You may now want to install an application on the new virtual machine. See the next section.
Installing an application on a virtual machine To install an application on a virtual machine: 1 Start up Virtual PC on your host PC. Click the Start button and point to Programs. Then point to the Connectix Virtual PC submenu and click Virtual PC. This launches Virtual PC and opens the Virtual PC window. 2 Select the virtual machine in the Virtual PC window and then click Start Up. The virtual machine appears in a window on the desktop of the host PC.
Modifying the settings for a virtual machine Each virtual machine has a number of settings you can modify.
Creating a virtual machine with standard settings You can use the PC Setup Wizard to create a new virtual machine with standard settings. 1 Start up Virtual PC on your host PC. Click the Start button and point to Programs. Then point to the Connectix Virtual PC submenu and click Virtual PC. The Virtual PC window appears. 2 Click New PC in the Virtual PC window. The PC Setup Wizard appears. 3 Click Next. 4 Type a name for the virtual machine and click Next.
Duplicating settings of an existing virtual machine You can use the PC Setup Wizard to create a new virtual machine that duplicates the settings of an existing virtual machine. 1 Start up Virtual PC on your host PC. Click the Start button and point to Programs. Then point to the Connectix Virtual PC submenu and click Virtual PC. The Virtual PC window appears. 2 Click New PC in the Virtual PC window. The PC Setup Wizard appears. •••• 32 3 Click Next.
Chapter 4 ••••••••••• Using a Virtual Machine This chapter provides information about using a virtual machine on the host PC.
Starting up Virtual PC To start up Virtual PC on your host PC, click the Start button and point to Programs. Then point to the Connectix Virtual PC submenu and click Virtual PC. This launches Virtual PC and opens the Virtual PC window. 4-1 With Virtual PC running, you can display the Virtual PC window by pressing the host key and the L key. NOTE Using the host key The host key is a designated key used to control certain behaviors of Virtual PC for Windows.
Starting up a virtual machine To start up a virtual machine: ! Select a virtual machine in the Virtual PC window and then click Start Up. ! Alternatively, double-click the thumbnail for the virtual machine in the Virtual PC window. You can also start up a virtual machine by right-clicking on it in the Virtual PC window and choosing Start Up from the shortcut menu. NOTE Virtual PC opens a virtual machine window on your host PC desktop and starts up the PC operating system installed on it.
Changing the virtual machine display A virtual machine can run inside a window on your desktop (Windowed mode), or it can fill the entire screen (Full Screen mode). To switch from Windowed mode to Full Screen mode: ! On the PC menu in the virtual machine window, click Enable Full Screen. ! Alternatively, hold down the host key (by default, the right ALT key) and press ENTER. To switch from Full Screen mode to Windowed mode: ! Hold down the host key (by default, the right ALT key) and press ENTER.
Pausing, resuming, and restarting a virtual machine You can pause a virtual machine so that it is no longer running. On the PC menu in the virtual machine window, click Pause. Click Resume to resume processing. You can press the host key and the P key to pause or resume a virtual machine. NOTE You can restart a virtual machine. On the PC menu in the virtual machine window, click Reset. This is the equivalent of pressing the restart button on the front of a PC.
Using the VPC Toolbar The VPC Toolbar appears in the lower left corner of the window for a virtual machine. It provides shortcuts to several settings for a virtual machine as well as functions for capturing or releasing media. 4-3 Hard Disk Floppy CD Networking Shared Folders The VPC Toolbar has five icons.
Host PC and virtual machine integration Virtual PC provides several capabilities that integrate the host PC and a virtual machine. Most require the installation of the set of software components called “VPC Additions.” (See page 26.
Virtual PC does not support drag-and-drop operations directly from one virtual machine to another. You can, however, move files and folders from one virtual machine to the host PC, and then move them again from the host PC to another guest PC. NOTE Copy and paste You can copy and paste text and graphics between an application running on a virtual machine and an application running on the host PC, or vice versa. You can also copy and paste between virtual machines. Text is copied unformatted.
Sharing other removable volumes The virtual machine and host PC can share a removable volume such as a Zip disk (or media in other types of drives). To share a volume, drag it to the Folder icon on the VPC Toolbar. You can share the same volume with multiple virtual machines running at the same time. Capturing a floppy image or floppy disk Virtual PC supports capture of both floppy disk images and real floppy disks by a virtual machine.
Printing from a virtual machine You can print from an application running on a virtual machine in two ways: ! Using the (default) Shared Networking option or the advanced Virtual Switch option (see page 62), you can print from an application running on a virtual machine to a network printer.
Host PC processor usage Processor usage on the host PC—as reported in the Task Manager—is very high when a virtual machine is running the Windows 98 or earlier operating system. With later operating systems, Virtual PC can detect if a guest OS is executing its idle loop and give back most of the time to the host PC. When the frontmost window on the host PC is not a virtual machine, Virtual PC scales back its processor usage. (You can override this behavior with the fastbackground command line parameter.
To quit Virtual PC and save all running virtual machines in their current state, hold down the CTRL key while choosing Exit from the File menu in the Virtual PC window. NOTE Turn Off PC—This is the equivalent of pressing the power button on a real PC. The virtual machine is turned off immediately, and no information is saved. As with a real PC, it is recommended that you normally shut down the guest OS properly. Use this option as a last resort.
Chapter 5 ••••••••••• Networking with Virtual PC This chapter provides information about networking with Virtual PC for Windows. About the Networking setting The Networking setting for a virtual machine is briefly described on page 62.
The Shared Networking option works well for standard network activities such as browsing the Web, reading e-mail, accessing FTP sites, or accessing shared printers and files. It is not suitable for more advanced scenarios, such as running HTTP or FTP servers on the virtual machine. For these advanced scenarios, use the Virtual Switch option.
Modem access If you are running a virtual machine with Shared Networking and accessing the Internet over a modem, you can connect to your Internet service provider from your host PC. With the connection still open, you can then access the Internet from the virtual machine.
! Local and external—packets are routed between virtual machines and also allowed to go out over the wire. In this case, a virtual machine becomes a first-class network citizen and acts like any other PC on the local network. N O T E When you create a virtual machine, Networking is set by default to Shared Networking.
Switching the host PC network interface card If the host PC is running Windows 2000 and if it has more than one network interface card installed, you can use the Virtual Switch preference to designate a host PC network interface card for use by virtual machines. (See page 66.
•••• 50 Virtual PC 4.
Chapter 6 ••••••••••• Changing Settings and Preferences This chapter explains the settings for a virtual machine and the global preferences for Virtual PC for Windows.
Changing settings for a virtual machine You should generally only make changes to the settings for a virtual machine when it is not running. To make changes to the settings of a virtual machine: 1 Click the thumbnail of the virtual machine in the Virtual PC window. 2 Click Settings. •••••••••••••• The PC Settings window appears. The following pages describe each setting. Some virtual machine settings may be disabled if the machine is currently running or is saved to disk.
Memory setting Use this setting to allocate RAM for a virtual machine. 6-2 Use the slider control to make changes. The system warns you if you set too little memory. The maximum value allowed is based on the total physical RAM in your host PC. You need to make a separate allocation of physical RAM memory on the host PC for each virtual machine. See page 12. NOTE More RAM improves performance Performance of the OS running on a virtual machine may improve when more RAM is allocated to the virtual machine.
Hard Disk 1 setting Use this setting to designate a disk image file as Hard Disk 1— the boot or C drive for a virtual machine. Hard Drive 1 contains all the files needed to run a guest OS. 6-3 The available options are: None—click this option if no disk image is assigned to Hard Disk 1. If Hard Disk 1 is not specified, you can only start up the virtual machine from a bootable floppy or bootable CD. Hard disk image file—click this option to specify a disk image as Hard Disk 1 (the boot disk).
About the Undoable option When you designate a disk image as undoable, information written to the disk image by the guest OS is not immediately written to the disk image file itself. Rather, changes are written to a temporary file and accumulated throughout the session. When you shut down the virtual machine, you can choose to commit or undo the changes. If you choose commit, the changes from the temporary disk image are merged back into the original disk image.
CD-ROM setting Use this setting to control the behavior of CDs. (Virtual PC automatically recognizes your host PC CD-ROM drive and reads CDs inserted in it.) 6-4 The available options are: Allow booting from CD—select this option if you need to boot from a CD to install an operating system on the virtual machine. (See page 20.) Attach drive to secondary IDE controller—clear this option only if the operating system on the virtual machine requires that the CD-ROM drive is attached to the primary controller.
Floppy setting Use this setting to control the behavior of the emulated floppy drive in the virtual machine. 6-5 The available options are: Allow booting from floppy—select this option to allow the virtual machine to attempt to boot from a floppy inserted in the floppy drive or a floppy disk image mounted on the virtual machine.
Shared Folders setting Use this setting to designate a folder on the host PC that is shared with the virtual machine. 6-6 To set up a folder as a Shared Folder: 1 Click Share Folder. 2 Navigate to the folder you want to share. 3 Click the option Share every time if you want to share the folder every time you start up the virtual machine. Click this option if you using an application installer in a shared folder that may reboot the virtual machine. NOTE 4 Click Share.
Mouse setting Use this setting to control integration of the mouse pointer between the host PC and the virtual machine. 6-7 The available option is: Use host pointer integration—select this option to allow the pointer to move freely between the host PC desktop and the window displaying the virtual machine. This option is not active if VPC Additions are not installed (see page 26.) You may need to clear this option for some programs (mostly games) that are incompatible with host pointer integration.
COM1 and COM2 settings Use these settings to support various serial communication options. The COM1 port on a PC is typically used for a modem. The COM2 port is typically used for a serial device or modem. If you have an external modem connected to your host PC, select the appropriate host PC serial port to make it accessible by your virtual machine. 6-8 The options are: None—click this option to not use the COM port.
LPT1 (Printing) setting Use this setting to select a host PC parallel port that the virtual machine can use for its emulated LPT1 port. This feature is typically used to print from a virtual machine. 6-9 The options are: None—click this option if you do not want to use a parallel device connected to a parallel port on the host PC. Host parallel port—click this option to redirect the emulated LPT1 port on the virtual machine to a parallel port on the host PC.
Networking setting Use this setting to control networking options for a virtual machine. 6-10 The options are: None—click this option to “remove” the emulated network interface card from the virtual machine. Shared networking (NAT)—click this option to share the IP address of your host PC, including Ethernet, PPP, and SLIP. (This option works well for simple network activities such as browsing the Web, sharing printers and files, and so on.
Deleting settings for a virtual machine To delete the settings for a virtual machine and remove the virtual machine from the Virtual PC window, select it in the Virtual PC window and then click Delete. Deleting the settings for a virtual machine does not delete the drive image for the machine. The Delete key on your keyboard will not delete your virtual machine. You must use the Delete button on the Virtual PC window.
About global preferences Virtual PC Preferences allows you to change five global preferences: PC Performance, Sound, Virtual Switch, Keyboard, and Mouse. PC Performance preference To change the PC Performance preference: 1 On the File menu in the Virtual PC window, click Preferences. 2 In the Global Setting list, click PC Performance. 3 Select or clear the following settings.
Sound preference To change the Sound preference: 1 On the File menu in the Virtual PC window, click Preferences. 2 In the Global Setting list, click Sound. 3 Select or clear the option Mute sound in background. 6-12 Enabling this option mutes conflicting sounds from multiple virtual machines running at the same time. 4 Click OK.
Virtual Switch preference The Virtual Switch preference is only available when the host PC is running Windows 2000. It lets you choose among the available network interface cards installed in your host PC. All external virtual switch network traffic is routed to the selected network interface card. To change the Virtual Switch preference: 1 On the File menu in the Virtual PC window, click Preferences. 2 In the Global Setting list, click Virtual Switch.
Keyboard preference The Keyboard preference lets you determine the host key setting and the NUM LOCK key setting. The host key is used in certain key sequences. For example, pressing the host key in combination with the ENTER key switches between Full Screen display mode and Windowed mode. By default, the host key is set to the right ALT key. To change the Keyboard preference: 1 On the File menu in the Virtual PC window, click Preferences. 2 In the Global Setting list, click Keyboard.
Mouse preference The Mouse preference lets you set the behavior of the mouse pointer when you move it into a virtual machine window. By default, you must click in a virtual machine window to have the virtual machine capture the pointer. To change the Mouse preference: 1 On the File menu in the Virtual PC window, click Preferences. 2 In the Global Setting list, click Mouse. 3 Select or clear the option Click in window to capture pointer.
Chapter 7 ••••••••••• Using Virtual Disk Wizard This chapter provides information about using Virtual Disk Wizard, an integrated utility that allows you to create, modify, and examine disk images. Creating a hard disk image Virtual PC stores data on virtual hard disks that take the form of disk image files stored on your host machine (or on a networked file server). To create a hard disk image: 1 In the Virtual PC window, on the File menu, click Virtual Disk Wizard. 2 Click Next.
7 Choose the type of disk image you want to create and click Next. See the section “More about hard disk image types” below. The last two linked disk image types should only be used by advanced users logged in to the host PC as an administrator. (See page 72.) NOTE 7-1 8 Follow the Virtual Disk Wizard on-screen instructions to complete the creation of the disk image. More about hard disk image types Here are the details about the hard disk image types available in Virtual Disk Wizard.
warn you if the dynamically expanding drive starts to approach the limits of available space left on the host volume. Fixed-size disk image—The simplest type of hard drive image is a fixed-size disk image that represents the entire virtual hard drive in a single disk image file. All of the space is pre-allocated, so these files are typically quite large. For example, if you create a fixed-size hard disk image that represents a 1-GB hard drive, the resulting file would be 1 GB in size.
•••••••••••• In general, the two linked disk image types should only be used by advanced users logged into the host PC as an administrator. In this mode, Virtual PC is accessing data from the host PC hard drive at a very low level. If the virtual machine OS crashes or contains bugs, the host volume might be corrupted. IMPORTANT Disk image linked to host volume—You can link a disk image to a volume on the host PC.
If you want to copy an existing disk image from one location to another, be careful to include not only the primary file, but any split files associated with it. Also, keep in mind that if a disk image on an NTFS volume grows beyond 2 GB, you cannot copy it to a FAT volume. Creating a floppy disk image •••••••••••• To create a floppy disk image: 1 In the Virtual PC window, on the File menu, click Virtual Disk Wizard. 2 Click Next.
Examining or modifying a disk image To examine or modify a disk image for a virtual machine: 1 Shut down the operating system on the virtual machine whose drive image you want to examine or modify. (If the machine has a saved state, you cannot modify the drive image.) 2 In the Virtual PC window, on the File menu, click Virtual Disk Wizard. 3 Click Next. 4 Click the option Examine or modify existing disk image, and then click Next. 5 Click Browse and navigate to the location of the disk image.
Dynamically expanding disk images Expand the disk image—increase the maximum (fully expanded) size of the disk image. The same limit exists as for fixed-size disk expansion. Convert to a fixed-size disk image—convert the dynamically expanding disk image to a fixed-size disk image. Compact the disk image—attempt to “shrink” the dynamically expanding disk image by removing portions that have been “zeroed” with a disk utility program.
Disk images linked to a host physical drive Convert the host physical drive to a fixed-sized drive—write the host drive contents to a newly created, fixed-size disk image. Note that you cannot create the new disk image on the associated host drive. Convert the host physical drive to a dynamic drive image—write the host drive contents to a newly created, dynamically expanding disk image. Note that you cannot create the new drive image on the associated host drive. •••• 76 Virtual PC 4.
Chapter 8 ••••••••••• Using PC-DOS This chapter provides an introduction to PC-DOS. For complete information about PC-DOS commands, please refer to the PDF file for the IBM PC-DOS manual located in the Connectix folder. Introduction to PC-DOS PC-DOS is a command-line interface. This means that all actions are executed by entering the commands at the PC-DOS command line or C:\ prompt—from creating a folder, to moving or copying a file, to running an application program or game.
The command prompt When you first start up PC-DOS, installation information appears on screen. When the information stops scrolling past, you see the following on a black background in white letters: C:\>_ This is called the command prompt. You are being prompted to enter a command that PC-DOS can execute. The flashing underscore next to the command prompt is called the cursor. The cursor shows you where you can begin typing in the command at the prompt.
The PC-DOS directory structure The C:\ prompt represents your current location, which is the top or root level of drive C. Drive C is a virtual machine drive image. Viewing the directory (dir) list of files A directory list displays all the files and subdirectories in a directory.
Viewing the contents of a directory in wide format 1 Type the following at the command prompt: dir /w The directory list displays with the filenames listed in wide format. Only filenames are listed. No information about file size or date and time of creation appears.
3 To view a list of the files on the floppy disk in drive A, type the following at the command prompt: dir 4 Now change back to drive C. C: The drive letter that appears in the command prompt indicates which drive is the current drive. Unless you specify otherwise, any commands you type are carried out of the current drive and in the current directory. For example, you can view the file on a disk in drive A without switching to drive A.
3 To switch back to the root directory, type: cd \ Note that the slash you type in this command is a backslash (\), not a forward slash (/). This command always returns you to the root directory of a drive. Creating a directory and subdirectories You create a directory with the md (make directory) command.
Deleting a directory To delete a directory (or subdirectory), use the rd (remove directory) command. To delete the hounds subdirectory: 1 Check that the command prompt looks like this: C:\dogs> 2 Enter: rd hounds 3 To confirm that you successfully deleted the hounds subdirectory, enter: dir The hounds subdirectory should no longer appear in the directory list under the dogs directory. You cannot delete a directory if you are in it.
Printing under PC-DOS PC-DOS has built-in support for inkjet printers. To print a document: 1 Set the printer you want to use as the default printer in the host PC OS. 2 Locate the directory that contains the file you want to print. For example, say you want to print the file autoexec.bat located in the C directory. 3 At the command prompt, type: print autoexec.bat Be sure to type the entire file name, including the three-character extension.
Copying files To copy a file, use the copy command and include two parameters: ! the location and name of the file to copy, or the source ! the destination where the file copy is to go Separate the source and destination with a space, like this: copy source destination Copying a single file To copy the ehelp.hlp file from the dos directory to the dogs directory, do this: 1 Return to the root directory. Type: cd \ 2 Change to the dos directory. Type: cd dos 3 Type: copy c:\dos\ehelp.
Copying multiple files Use wildcards to copy a group of files from the dos directory (your current location) to the dogs directory. The asterisk (*) wildcard matches any character in the position where it appears and all the other positions that follow it. For example, to list all files ending with the extension .inf and then copy them from the dos directory to the dogs directory, do this: 1 Enter: dir *.inf Note that there is a space before the asterisk (*), but not after it.
Renaming files Use the ren (rename) command to rename a file. It includes two parameters: ! the file (oldname) you want to change ! the new name (newname) for the file Separate the two names with a space using this format: ren oldname newname 1 To rename the file cmd.inf that you copied into the dogs directory, first change directories by typing: cd\dogs The command prompt changes to: C:\dogs> 2 To rename the cmd.inf file to poodle.inf,type: ren cmd.inf poodle.
Deleting a group of files To list and then delete all the files in the dogs directory that end with the extension .inf, do this: 1 First type: dir *.inf A list of all the files that end with the extension .inf appears. Usually before you delete a group of files, you want to check to make sure you’re not going to delete a file you want to keep. 2 Now type: del *.inf 3 To confirm that all the files with the extension .inf have been deleted, type: dir The dogs directory should contain no files.
Getting PC-DOS Help There are two types of online help for PC-DOS commands: ! PC-DOS Command Reference— complete online reference for PC-DOS commands ! PC-DOS Error Messages—messages that display command errors and offer some tips on how to resolve a problem To start PC-DOS Help and choose a topic, type the following at the command prompt: view cmdref To start PC-DOS Error Messages and choose a topic, type the following at the command prompt: view doserror •••• Using PC-DOS 89
•••• 90 Virtual PC 4.
Appendix A ••••••••••••• Technical Specifications This appendix lists the technical specifications for Virtual PC for Windows Processor ! The emulated environment “sees” the same processor model as the processor in your host PC. For example, if your host machine contains a Pentium III, the OS on a virtual machine reports running on a Pentium III as well. All functionality of your host processor is supported within the virtual machine, including MMX, SSE, SSE-2, 3DNow, and so on.
IDE controller ! Uses standard dual IDE/ATAPI controllers configured according to two options listed here: Standard Configuration and Alternate Configuration.
CD-ROM ! Uses the CD-ROM in the host PC (if present) ! ATAPI interface supports data and audio commands Video ! Emulates the S3 Trio 32/64 PCI SVGA Card ! Implements 4 MB of emulated VRAM, allowing for up to 1600 x 1200 PC screen resolutions ! Fully implements S3 Trio 32/64 graphic acceleration features and is compatible with S3 Trio 32/64 drivers ! Supports 1600 x 1024 and 800 x 512 16:9 aspect ratio modes ! Also backwards compatible with MDA, CGA, EGA, and VGA video modes ! VESA 2.
Serial ports ! Emulates COM1 and COM2 serial ports ! Redirects emulated COM1 and COM2 ports to specified host PC serial port or a text file Parallel port ! Emulates LPT1 parallel port ! Redirects emulated LPT1 output to selected host parallel port Sound ! Emulates Creative Labs PCI Sound Blaster 16 card ! Supports both DSP (sound effects) and FM synthesis (music) ! Emulation includes two Yamaha OPL2 chips as well as a CT1345 mixer ! Sound card is configured to use a base port of 0x220, IRQ 5,
Appendix B ••••••••••••• Command Line Parameters This appendix provides information about the command line parameters available in Virtual PC for Windows. If you launch Virtual PC for Windows using the Run command line interface, you can specify certain parameters. For example, typing Virtual PC.exe -quiet launches Virtual PC for Windows, but does not start up any virtual machines.. Each command line parameter must be preceded by a hyphen (-). For example, typing: Virtual PC.
•••• 96 Parameter Action pc [name] Targets a virtual machine by name launch Launches the target virtual PC fullscreen Puts the target virtual PC in Full Screen mode nofullscreen Puts the target virtual PC in Windowed mode geometry Sets the target virtual PC window size to [width] x [height] +/- [xoffset] +/- [yoffset] pause Pauses the target virtual PC nopause Resumes the target virtual PC show Redisplays the target virtual PC from the host PC taskbar noshow Minimizes the target virtual
Appendix C ••••••••••••• Volume License Guidelines This appendix provides information for anyone who needs to perform a Virtual PC volume license installation. Before you start the installation, you should be familiar with Virtual PC.
In building a drive image for deployment within your organization, you can either: ! start with the drive image purchased from Connectix as part of this volume license and then customize it for your organization ! build the drive image yourself “from scratch” Each option is explained below. Building a drive image “from scratch” It is possible to build a disk image yourself using a licensed OS installation disk. For instructions on creating a new hard disk image with your own copy of an OS, see page 20.
Starting with a disk image from Connectix Starting with a drive image from Connectix can save you considerable time. (Be sure to read the legal issues sections in this appendix to ensure that you are properly using your licensed Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity. See page 100.) You can also install properly licensed Windows applications, utilities, fonts in this disk image, as well as any data files needed by all your users.
Networking Shared IP Networking is the default setting for Virtual PC networking and this default should be kept unless there are specific reasons for having a dedicated IP address for the guest operating system in Virtual PC. For Windows 9x versions of Virtual PC, networking is set to use DHCP (for the Shared IP functionality). Other Windows settings specific to networking the guest operating system have to be manually set (WINS, DNS, etc.).
Index B backing up a virtual machine 43 booting from a CD 56 booting from a floppy 57 C cable access 47 capture floppy 41 CD disk image (.
optimizing performance 42, 53 OS Pack 8, 10, 15 modifying 30 Mouse 59 Networking 45, 62 PC Name 52 Shared Folders 58 standard 31 Shared Networking 45, 46 sharing CDs 40 sharing files 48 sharing folders 9, 40, 58 sharing volumes 9, 41 shutting down a virtual machine 43 sound 42, 94 Sound Blaster 16 42 starting up a virtual machine 35 starting up Virtual PC 34 P T file 75 merge differencing drive with parent 75 modem access 47 motherboard 91 mouse pointer 39, 59 N networking 9 Networking settings None op
Full Screen mode 36 installing VPC Additions 26 integration with host PC 8, 39 networking 45, 62 pausing 37 RAM allocation 43 restarting 37 resuming 37 running multiple 7, 37 setting up 15, 20 settings 30, 52 shutting down 43 starting up 35 Windowed mode 36 with standard settings 31 Virtual PC window 8, 34 Virtual Switch option 47, 62 Virtual Switch preference 49, 66 volume license 95, 97 VPC Additions 8, 26 installing 26 VPC Toolbar 38 VPC Toolbar status lights 38 W Windowed mode 36 Z ZIP disk 41 ••••
•••• 104 Virtual PC 4.
