VMWare Settings!?

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OK, this may be long winded, so I will start by apologizing...

I have a MBP 2.6 with 2GB RAM. New to Mac and loving OS X. I do, however, have a need for Windows on a daily basis (work related). I use programs such as Visio, Quicken (Mac version is not great, I already tried it), Blackberry Desktop Manager, and Outlook. I have been using Fusion with XP SP2 since I have had my Mac and installed it under what I am guessing was the default settings for Fusion (512 MB RAM, 1 Virtual Processor, 20 GB space, Accelerate 3D Graphics unchecked). It ran perfectly! No issues, hangs or performance problems. Then, I got greedy! I decided to upgrade to Vista Home Premium. Yeah, as most of you reading this can imagine, it was all down hill from here. Vista is actually running, however, it is very slow and choppy and I can not get Aero to run. So, here is my 2 real questions for help!

1. Can I adjust the settings in Fusion to help Vista run better than it is, even to the point where it should be running natively (if possible). I can allocate more RAM, both virtual processors, and turn on the 3D graphics if it will make a real difference. But if it is only going to make a marginal difference I would rather not take the resources form OS X.

2. If the above can not be done, how do I remove Vista and go back to XP? The reason I ask this question is I am not sure if I can remove Vista and reinstall XP using the XP install disc or, do I have to wipe the Virtual Machine and re-install XP from scratch (I am hoping this is not the case).

Nonetheless, I appreciate any help and direction you all can give me. I hope to be as fluent with Mac, OS X and all their benefits to someday be able to contribute to the forum as much as I get out of it. You all do a great job.
 
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I am ordering more RAM (4 GB total) as well, so allocating these resources (if it will help) will not be a problem. Thanks again!
 
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45 views and nothing...? Maybe I am not asking the right questions? Let me know if anyone has any questions. I really need some advice and direction on this. I have been doing searches all day to try and find out my options...
 
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I can answer one of your questions . To un-install you just drag your Virtual machince from the folder (Can't remember the name I'm at work )In documents to the trash. However whats stopping you installing XP anyway. You can select the virtual machince you want to run when you launch Fusion.
 
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Agree. Just reinstall XP like you did the first time and you'll have a new VM. You can delete Vista's VM (or not) as you please. As far as changing the settings, you can do the things you like (more RAM, etc.) won't have a huge impact on OSX but Vista is a hog which is why I did not install it.

But note - you can tweak the settings; if they work fine, leave them. If not, tweak them back or reinstall XP in a new VM or whatever. Fusion is so flexible, none of this should have a huge impact on you as a practical matter.

Cheers
 
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Thanks for the feedback Slim and Kilted. I actually did not think about installing a second VM with XP only. Sometimes you get really technical answers, sometimes you realize how simple something can be if you think about it...

With regards to Vista, is their a reason that Aero does not work? I am not sure how to check to see if the OS X graphics card is being seen/used in Vista? Let me know. Thanks again!
 
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Aero requires 3D hardware acceleration, if I remember right and won't work on any PC (Mac or PC) with only an integrated graphics chip. Should work with a MBP however, with the 3D box enabled. However, I own a MB (not a MBP) and have only installed XP, so I don't really know. I seem to recall some discussion on this forum - I would search for "Aero" and see what turns up. Good luck.
 
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In general, I'd just stay with XP unless you have a need to move to Vista. Especially in a VM environment.
 
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Aero requires 3D hardware acceleration, if I remember right and won't work on any PC (Mac or PC) with only an integrated graphics chip. Should work with a MBP however, with the 3D box enabled. However, I own a MB (not a MBP) and have only installed XP, so I don't really know. I seem to recall some discussion on this forum - I would search for "Aero" and see what turns up. Good luck.

I have tried just about every configuration I can find (which does not exclude all of them out there), with no luck with Aero. I have tried with the 3D box both enabled and disabled, as well as max RAM usage and dual processors versus single processor (I have noticed things run a bit better using only 1 processor though). I think Aero is not a function supported via VMWare Fusion at this time. Someone correct me if I am wrong (and give direction on how to fix...:)

Thanks again...
 
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Too bad - did you see the post in this thread re Aero? http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97496&highlight=aero+fusion

You might have to do something in windows itself if Aero is important to you. I wish you luck. You might also want to just email VMWare technical support or check their forums - they are probably a good resource. If you find a definitive answer, please post it back on this forum.

Cheers
 
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Too bad - did you see the post in this thread re Aero? http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97496&highlight=aero+fusion

You might have to do something in windows itself if Aero is important to you. I wish you luck. You might also want to just email VMWare technical support or check their forums - they are probably a good resource. If you find a definitive answer, please post it back on this forum.

Cheers

All the info that I can find is pretty old, circa mid 2007 or earlier, so I am not sure if the info is till accurate. Unfortunately, they point to not supporting Aero. It is not a big deal at this time as I was just interested in seeing the functionality of it. Below is a quote that I found that came as close as possible to answering the question, but, again this article was written in August 2007 (great article though on Fusion Vs. Parallels). Let me know if anyone comes across anything else....

"Both Parallels and VMware are working to improve support for Windows 3D graphics; both currently offer support for Direct X 8.1, but both current lack support for the newer Direct X 9.0 or 10 standards. As a result, neither will run many games and neither will support Windows Vista's Aero graphics effects".


Complete article link if interested: http://lowendmac.com/mac2win/m2w07/0820.html
 

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