Windows 7 XP Mode and Virtual PC not showing in Start Menu or All Programs???

[mobile1]

Just built this Windows 7 64-Bit desktop machine with a 3 GHz Intel i5 CPU, an Intel DB75EN mobo, and 16 GB of RAM.

I installed XP Mode and Virtual PC, but they do not appear in the Start Menu or under All Programs. They also do not appear under installed programs, or when I do a search for XP.

Yet when I try to install them again, it says they are already installed.

I recently did this on my notebook PC so I know what it should look like.

I cannot find any settings in the BIOS for virtualization.

Can anyone help me figure out what is happening here?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Trouble]

I cannot find any settings in the BIOS for virtualization.

BIOS with Intel VT or VT-d support (found on the Security menu in BIOS setup) Desktop Boards — Compatibility with Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)

 

[mobile1]

Right you are. Found the BIOS settings. They say:

Intel Virtualization Technology <enabled>
Intel VT for Directed I/O (VT-d) <enabled>

So it should work, right? Why not?

Thanks.

 

[Trouble]

Heck if I know. I would have thought that they or it would have failed to install without the Virtual Tech being already enabled so when you said you had already managed to install them I figured the BIOS settings were likely OK already. Just thought I would pass the actual location along.
Sorry I can't help further as I've moved to Windows 8 and am currently using Hyper-V for my virtual machines.... and actually liking it. So VMware, VirtualBox and Microsoft's Virtual PC are in my rear view mirror....
But there is likely someone else here who will come a long with a suggestion or two.
Mine would be two uninstall, reboot, re-download, and try again. Back when I actually used it briefly before purchasing VMware Workstation 7 and then 8, I didn't have any such issue. So I'm actually pretty worthless as a helpful resource in this case.
Best of Luck
Randy

 

[Joe S]

You might try disabling the virtual settings reboot then enable them again. Sometimes that works with other settings that appear correct but don't work.
Joe

 

[Trouble]

Take a look here
C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines
For XP mode files
Windows XP Mode.vhd
Windows XP Mode.vmc
Windows XP Mode.vmc.vpcbackup
Windows XP Mode.vsv
And here C:\Users\YourUserName\Virtual Machines
for XP Mode file
Windows XP Mode.vmcx
That's where everything should be if it installed correctly. I just went through the process and installed Virtual PC / XP Mode on my Windows 7 Pro 32 bit VM which I have running within HyperV on My Windows 8 Pro 64 bit physical host machine.
So nested three deep the running XP machines looks like this

EDIT: And again no problems.

 

[Joe S]

Is Hyper a VM like Vmware or is it a virtual hard disk using your actual hardware?
Joe

 

[Trouble]

Hi Joe.
Hyper-V in Windows 8 is a native application used to create and manage various Virtual Machines very similar to what you may have seen in other Virtualization Software products like VMware Workstation, VMware Player, Virtual Box and Microsoft Virtual PC.
It has its' own Virtual Machine Manager for constructing the VMs configuring the various settings, CPUs, Memory allotment, Networking, etc., See attached thumbnail.

You can also use the Hyper-V Manager to connect to the VMs and run them like you would normally do but that particular interface has some restriction as to how well it accepts peripherals attached to the host. So typically after I configure a Virtual Machine, install the associated OS and run the integration services setup, I'll configure the machine with a static IP address and then just start the machine with Hyper-V Manager and then use Remote Desktop (mstsc.exe) to actually run the machine.
That way I can configure through the RDP options which devices, like printers, hard drives, USB thumb drives, etc., I want to be available to the Virtual Machine from those attached to the Host Machine.

The single caveat is that the MoBo / Processor has to support Virtualization Technology, which most recent boards do so it's usually not an issue.
Regards
Randy

EDIT: Some additional system requirement enumerated. http://winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-feature-focus-client-hyperv-142889

 

[mobile1]

Tried it. Thanks but no luck.

I should add that It is running Windows 7 Pro, so this feature should be enabled.

 

[mobile1]

Thanks but the folder C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Virtual PC\Virtual Machines does not exist.

 

[Trouble]

Do you have this folder on your machine?
C:\Program Files\Windows XP Mode (may be in Program Files (x86)
And does it contain?
Windows XP Mode base.vhd (file approximately 1.1 gig in size)
If so perhaps you can go back and just download "Virtual PC" only, as a stand alone product. Install it and point it at that file when you construct a new VM.
Or else go to the control panel -> programs and features and select Windows XP Mode and click the uninstall button and see about starting over.

 

[mobile1]

Ha! Fixed it. I downloaded and installed the file Windows6.1-KB958559-x64-RefreshPkg.msu and this enabled XP mode and the virtual machine.


Not sure why this was need as I did not have to do this on my notebook PC.

 

[Trouble]

I believe that that is actually the updated version of Virtual PC and the fact that you needed to run it may have had something to do with whether or not Service Pack 1 was installed on your Windows 7 Pro machine or not.
At any rate. Very glad you managed to resolve you issue and thanks for posting back and letting us know about your solution.
Regards
Randy