Superdrive with VMware Fusion and Windows xp - watch out

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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

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Answer 1

nitty917

Level 1

0 points

Feb 4, 2008 4:26 PM in response to captfred

hmmm this is exactly what I wanted to do. So your saying that the drive always need to be connected to run windows? Are you still having problems?

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Answer 2

Feb 4, 2008 4:28 PM in response to nitty917

No, that's not what he's saying. He's saying this:

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.

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Answer 3

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 4, 2008 5:05 PM in response to tele_player

Wait a minute... the last 2 posts conflict.

I am sure you do not mean that the external drive HAS to be plugged into the USB port for the Fusion to work and run windows.

Are you able to install fusion and then windows and run them like normal?? This reads like you van only run them when you re-connect the drive EVEN though you have already installed the programs.

Whats the dealio?

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2008 5:16 PM in response to Mfoster

Re-read what captfred wrote (and what I quoted from him). Maybe you don't understand what 'suspended' means for a VM?

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Answer 5

captfred Author

Level 7

26,422 points

Feb 4, 2008 5:19 PM in response to captfred

Sorry, let me clarify a little. I really believe that the problem might be in the Software for OSX not communicating with VMware. i'm 80 percent sure that while under windows XP and having finished installing office 2003 that I hit the eject button on the Air keyboard and the disk ejected. This was probably performed by OSX. However I don't know that VMware or XP was aware of this. I suspended XP and shut down VMware. The next day without the superdrive attached I started my XP virtual machine and VMware goes away immediately.

After I returned home and a very long diagnostic process, i reattached the superdrive, put the Office 2003 cd back in and started VMware, started the xp virtual machines and things started up normally.

At this point, I instructed Windows to eject the cd, went to the lower right hand corner of the screen and told VMware to disconnect the CD drive logically and then suspended XP.

No problems operating XP without the superdrive since.

This was just a warning that if the superdrive is attached to VMware and XP during suspend, it better be there next time you Resume, otherwise you won't be using Windows until you get home and reattach the drive WITH THE SAME CD THAT WAS THERE DURING SUSPEND. I view this as a VMware problem not interfacing with the OSX eject keyboard command.

Hope this helps...

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Answer 6

Feb 4, 2008 8:14 PM in response to captfred

yes, this does seem to be my exact situation. my problem at this point is that i can't even start windows. what should i do now? how can i uninstall windows and start again? should i do that and use parallels instead? if i can get back to having windows, i will try to follow your instructions. i never really need the disk drive again....any help will be so appreciated.

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Answer 7

captfred Author

Level 7

26,422 points

Feb 4, 2008 8:20 PM in response to Gail Kovler1

unplug the printer, plug the superdrive back in. put the last cd that was in it back in. that was probably your printer driver cd.

now start VMware, start your xp session. it should come up.

At this point you go in windows explorer and eject the cd. then go to the bottom right hand corner of the screen where a bunch of usb symbols are and disconnect the cd from the windows session.

you can now plug the printer in and it should work. also windows will come up!!!

this is a bug.

make sure that you have all the devices connected that were connected that last time you suspended windows.

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Answer 8

Feb 4, 2008 8:27 PM in response to captfred

you're my hero. it works. i'm not sure if i did the eject thing just as you wanted me to but the problem seems to be solved. i have been working on this for hours and i can't tell you how great it is for someone to be soooo helpful. i presume this problem is now over for me, right? if i have to install any other programs, it won't be a problem again? thanks so very much.

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Answer 9

captfred Author

Level 7

26,422 points

Feb 4, 2008 8:41 PM in response to Gail Kovler1

You're quite welcome gail.

Yes in future it could be a problem. when you connect the superdrive to windows just be sure to eject the disk in windows and disconnect the drive from the VMware session BEFORE you suspend. otherwise you must have the drive connected load with the same cd when you try to start it next time.

This is a bug that will eventually get fixed, but until then, do this religiously!!

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Answer 10

Feb 4, 2008 8:45 PM in response to captfred

ok, just to be clear: you say eject the disk in windows and disconnect the drive from the VMware session . i'm not sure what these two things are. when i went to the bottom right, while the disk drive was plugged in, it says cd/dvd not connected. i hit connect and then disconnected and that seemed to be what worked. but what do you mean when you say eject the disk in windows (i realize you mean not to hit the eject button the the keyboard but what else?) and what do you mean about disconnecting from the vmware session? i'm sorry, i just don't want to get stuck again.hope i'm not taking advantage ofyour willingness to help here.

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Answer 11

captfred Author

Level 7

26,422 points

Feb 4, 2008 8:53 PM in response to Gail Kovler1

In your Windows explorer you should see the CD loaded in the device. I forget where it is, maybe a "right click option" you can unload the cd. Just make sure to do it in Windows, not the Airbook keyboard key. The bottom right talks to VMware on what devices to make available to Windows. Just make sure that the superdrive is disconnected from the session before you suspend your session. you never know when the next time you resume will be and if the superdrive will be available.....

btw if this worked, click me helpful and mark your thread solved.

Thanks,

CaptFred

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Answer 12

Feb 6, 2008 8:39 AM in response to captfred

@captfred: thank you, thank you, thank you! same problem here, but I couldn't figure it out since vmware gave no error message. reconnecting the superdrive, starting my vm, then disconnecting from within vmware before suspending solved it!

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Answer 13

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

I have a MBAir, 80 gb/1.8. I want to install Fusion and windows XP Home. How much hard drive space does this use. I want to use as little hard drive space as possible to preserve space for the Mac. The only windows apps I need to install are Office and Firefox.

thanks

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Answer 14

Mfoster

Level 1

75 points

Feb 7, 2008 9:48 PM in response to Michael Kaplan1

I put fusion and windows and MS Office 2008. All full versions, no tricks... in total for everything was 4 gig.

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Answer 15

Feb 8, 2008 8:57 AM in response to Mfoster

was that windows vista or xp home...?

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