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Level 7

26,422 points

Superdrive with VMware Fusion and Windows xp - watch out

I loaded up my Macbook Air with Fusion, Windows xp and office. I used my superdrive to load these products. Everything works like a charm. I suspended the xp virtual machine, ended fusion and went to bed.

The next day the virtual machine would not resume. Every time you tried to start the Virtual Machine, VMware would instantly disappear. No message, nothing. Just GONE.

Turns out, to get the virtual xp resumed, the superdrive had to be attached, and contain the same CD that was mounted during suspend.

Be careful how you use your superdrive with VMware. It has no tolerance for a device that was there disappearing. No message just Crash.

Of course the answer is to logically disconnect the device from Vmware xp virtual machine prior to suspending if you plan to physically disconnect the superdrive to travel. Otherwise your done. No windows.

iMac G5, MBP, MBA, iPhone, ATV, Airport Extreme, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Feb 4, 2008 2:53 PM

30 replies

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 8, 2008 10:40 AM in response to Michael Kaplan1

Xp home and full office 2004 totaled 4gig. Very snappy. I will not go to the trouble to customize installs if the whole thing was only 4gig.

Feb 8, 2008 11:40 AM in response to Mfoster

I installed fusion and xp home and allotted 2 gb to the hard drive. I keep getting error messages in windows that say hard drive disk space is too low. Do you know how to increase it in Fusion? on the settings page, I see the setting of 2 but it does not let me change it.

thanks for your attention

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 8, 2008 12:18 PM in response to Michael Kaplan1

I do not know how to change that once you have installed. But for the record, I think you could have left that much larger (default is 20g) as It only takes what it needs as it needs it. So, that is only a limit, not really a pre-set allotment that is unusable by the MAc OS.

You may have to start over. But VM seems smart, try more searching. If I see something I'll be back..

captfred Author

Level 7

26,422 points

Feb 8, 2008 1:55 PM in response to Michael Kaplan1

Michael,

I installed Firefox, Fusion with 2 virtual machines of Windows XP home, both defaulting to the 20GIG limit. I also installed office 2003 on both virtual machines and loaded all my office documents.

I have 43.2 gigs remaining of the 80 Gig Hardrive. I think this is more than enough.

wbh2008

Level 1

8 points

Feb 8, 2008 5:52 PM in response to captfred

Thank you, thank you. Saved me many hours of deleting and reinstalling Fusion and Windows XP only to find the same bug again.

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 9, 2008 7:42 AM in response to captfred

I have windows. I have been through a few computers lately with Apple (returns of MBP etc.. now have MBA)

I have now had to call Microsoft twice to get authorization to install windows. How many time have you guys installed the same copy? I did buy it, it is legit and only on the computer I am using at the time.

I fear exchanging my MBA (battery issue). Any experience out there on limits with install of legitimate windows?

Feb 9, 2008 9:53 AM in response to Mfoster

I installed fusion/windows xphomesp2-OEM on MBA 80gb. I inadvertently lowered the hard drive space allotment to 2gb--after installation, windows kept warning of insufficient disc space. I could not figure out how to change, so I did factory reinstall with Leopard disks for MBA. After an hour, the windows was still there. I realized it is much simpler to just uninstall fusion and delete the "virtual machines" folder, and then reinstall Windows/fusion. After doing this, windows validated again with no problem. I kept drive allotment at 20GB since it uses much less-it only uses what it needs. This took about 4gb.
All in all, Windows should validate on the same computer. If you change computers, you will likely have to do a phone validation with Microsoft...

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 9, 2008 9:59 AM in response to Michael Kaplan1

I think I tried to help you with that. hope you did not do a re-install of leopard just to drop fusion and windows.. Ugh, that was a long process. Yes, in the future I believe you can just drop fusion and windows and re-install them.

As for me. I am hoping to keep this MBA and persevere through the battery issue. If not I believe I will be calling Bill for authorization again.

Thanks.

Feb 10, 2008 6:11 PM in response to captfred

Help! I've tried repeatedly to install Windows XP. But every time I put the disk in the Superdrive, it runs for a few seconds, but then automatically ejects. I'm at my wits end, and this seems to be the forum of wits. I have Fusion running, and have tried dropping CD/DVD drive and changing numerous things. I really am stuck!

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 10, 2008 7:08 PM in response to whachagott

Is fusion ready to load it? Otherwise your system may not know what to do with it. Make sure fusion is ready... otherwise I am not sure.

You may trash fusion, and start over... It will ask for the windows cd when it is ready.

DO that.

Feb 10, 2008 7:41 PM in response to Mfoster

Fusion is ready, the Windows XP simply ejects. The same XP works with my other mac, so I don't understand the problem.

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 10, 2008 7:49 PM in response to whachagott

You're gonna have to drop fusion and restart. Clear everything and start over is all I can say. If you have other things inside fusion that may be a problem..

If you only have fusion for windows I would start over. I have re-installed fusion a few times--no problems as far as licensing/verify.

Sorry friend.

captfred Author

Level 7

26,422 points

Feb 11, 2008 5:10 AM in response to whachagott

Make sure that the Superdrive is attached to VMware, down in the lower right hand corner of the screen. If it's not, then OSX is reading your XP cd and won't know what to do with it, and eject it. If the superdrive is not attached to VMware, then it's attached to OSX.

Feb 11, 2008 7:37 PM in response to captfred

Good Suggestion, still no dice. I have deleted Fusion and re-installed with the same problem. I checked and the drive was installed to Fusion, but the CD still ejects. I also tried connecting it to one of the four usb ports that comes up in the virtual install screen. Now Fusion is completely shutting down everytime I try to run program. I'm so confused!

Feb 14, 2008 5:14 AM in response to whachagott

Ok, finally after a week I got it to work. I read on another forum, and its really simple if you know how. So for anyone as confused as I was listen:
Go to DVD/CD settings in Fusion. Uncheck the box that says connected. Leave the option to Automatically detect physical CD/DVD drive. There are a lot of unneeded instructions on this and other forums to uninstall fusion, and disconnect drive. I followed them, and really messed things up. This was what finally worked for me. Hopefully this will be straightened out soon by Fusion. Now it works great, I'm using XP which is great for my needs.

Superdrive with VMware Fusion and Windows xp - watch out