USB or Paralled Workstion

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MikeCox - 26 Feb 2008 20:55 GMT

I have read a several responces to the USB issue; several of which just
boggled my mind.

I am fairly computer savvy but tend to loose it when the conversation gets
too techy.

Here's my issue:

I've been given a Toshiba Satellite series 205 laptop with Vista Home
Premiere to replace my series 105 Toshiba with XP.

I am scared to death of Vista; based on all the bad reviews I've read and
all the nasty things I've heard said about it on Cranky Geeks, etc.

I'm given serious thought to removing it and installing XP; until I heard
about VPC.

Then I read it wouldn't run on Home Premiere, then I heard it would; even
though the documentation says it won't. So, will it? Or do I need to
upgrade Vista?

That was encourageing until I read it didn't support USB. So I went looking
to something that did; like Parallel Workstation.

Then I read that: "The host system must be running one of the following:
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003." So I guess that rules out
that option.

So I'm back to considering removing Vista or trying VPC; in spite of the USB
issue.

I understand I can use the file Shareing option to get a USB HD to work with
VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers etc.?

Signature

Michael

XP SP2
and Trying to convert to Vista

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Seaspray - 26 Feb 2008 21:17 GMT

Reference Virtual PC 2007:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/overview.mspx

Vista Home Premium is not on this list. An alternative virtual software is
VMware desktop but that will cost some $$ and it may not work on vista home
premium either. I suggest you try the home premium but hold off activating
it. You have 60 days before activation is required, and you can decide for
yourself what you think of vista. You are allowed to downgrade your OS if
you desire.

> I have read a several responces to the USB issue; several of which just
> boggled my mind.
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> I understand I can use the file Shareing option to get a USB HD to work with
> VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers etc.?

Reply to this Message

Steve Jain - 26 Feb 2008 21:35 GMT

>Reference Virtual PC 2007:
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>yourself what you think of vista. You are allowed to downgrade your OS if
>you desire.

It's not supported by MS tech support, but it works fine.

Signature

Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/
I do not work for Microsoft.

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Steve Jain - 26 Feb 2008 21:34 GMT

Comments inline:

>I have read a several responces to the USB issue; several of which just
>boggled my mind.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>I am scared to death of Vista; based on all the bad reviews I've read and
>all the nasty things I've heard said about it on Cranky Geeks, etc.

Are you having problems? If not, ignore the naysayers. I've been
using Vista on many computers for a long time and it works great.

>I'm given serious thought to removing it and installing XP; until I heard
>about VPC.
>
>Then I read it wouldn't run on Home Premiere, then I heard it would; even
>though the documentation says it won't. So, will it? Or do I need to
>upgrade Vista?

VPC will work fine on Vista Home Premium, however, it is not supported
by Microsoft. So, while it works fine, you can't call MS for product
support.

>That was encourageing until I read it didn't support USB. So I went looking
>to something that did; like Parallel Workstation.
>
>Then I read that: "The host system must be running one of the following:
>Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003." So I guess that rules out
>that option.

I'm not sure where you saw that, look here, Vista is listed:
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/sr/

>So I'm back to considering removing Vista or trying VPC; in spite of the USB
>issue.
>
>I understand I can use the file Shareing option to get a USB HD to work with
>VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers etc.?

Yes, you would simply share your printer via the standard network
sharing and then connect to it from the guest.

If you want a free VM product that supports USB, look at VirtualBox.
It will run on Vista. http://www.virtualbox.org

Signature

Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/
I do not work for Microsoft.

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MikeCox - 26 Feb 2008 21:53 GMT

Thanks for your very complete reply.

Don't know how to get Quotes in reply so I'll just cut and paste

"Are you having problems? If not, ignore the naysayers. I've been
using Vista on many computers for a long time and it works great."

I'm not having problems; I've barely used it. *Thanks* for the
encouragement; it's good to hear! I really would prefer to stick with Vista,
now that I have it; I just don't want a whole new set of distractions and
headaches.

"I'm not sure where you saw that, look here, Vista is listed"

Did I miss something?
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1951936,00.asp

Thanks for the Vertual Box link. I will check it out. I really would like
not to have to deal with this USB issue.

Signature

Michael

XP SP2
and Trying to convert to Vista

> Comments inline:
>
[quoted text clipped - 47 lines]
> If you want a free VM product that supports USB, look at VirtualBox.
> It will run on Vista. http://www.virtualbox.org

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Colin Barnhorst - 26 Feb 2008 22:01 GMT

Did you notice the date of the review? "REVIEW DATE: 04.20.06". Vista
released to the public in January of 2007.

> Thanks for your very complete reply.
>
[quoted text clipped - 78 lines]
>> If you want a free VM product that supports USB, look at VirtualBox.
>> It will run on Vista. http://www.virtualbox.org

Reply to this Message

MikeCox - 26 Feb 2008 22:22 GMT

That's what I missed! LOL

Signature

Michael

XP SP2
and Trying to convert to Vista

> Did you notice the date of the review? "REVIEW DATE: 04.20.06". Vista
> released to the public in January of 2007.
[quoted text clipped - 81 lines]
> >> If you want a free VM product that supports USB, look at VirtualBox.
> >> It will run on Vista. http://www.virtualbox.org

Reply to this Message

MikeCox - 26 Feb 2008 22:29 GMT

It doesn't look like Vertualbox allows Vista to Host a VM

"A supported host operating system. Presently, we support Windows (primarily
XP) and many Linux distributions on 32-bit hosts and on 64-bit hosts. "

Or is that another one of those "support" issue; works but isn't supported?

Michael

XP SP2
and Trying to convert to Vista

> Comments inline:
>
[quoted text clipped - 47 lines]
> If you want a free VM product that supports USB, look at VirtualBox.
> It will run on Vista. http://www.virtualbox.org

Reply to this Message

Steve Jain - 26 Feb 2008 23:50 GMT

>It doesn't look like Vertualbox allows Vista to Host a VM
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>XP SP2
>and Trying to convert to Vista

According to the VirtualBox user's manual, both Vista and Vista x64
are supported host OSes. Virtual Box also supports 32b Vista as a VM.

Signature

Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/
I do not work for Microsoft.

Reply to this Message

Colin Barnhorst - 26 Feb 2008 21:38 GMT

VPC runs on Vista Home Premium just fine. The confusion is because of the
phrase "not supported". All that means is that MS Product Support Services
does not help you with it (email or phone). That has nothing to do with how
it runs. When you install VPC you get a message telling you that you are
not running on a supported OS. When you click past that VPC will install
normally. XP Home is not supported either, so it has nothing to do with it
being Vista. To have MS support options you have to run a business edition
of either XP or Vista on your host computer.

Don't take the nay-sayers too seriously about Vista. There are websites out
there frequented by anti-Vista users and if you listened to them you would
never buy anything that hasn't been around since God was a freshman. Use
Vista and make your own judgment. I use both XP and Vista and Vista is my
workhorse. I do just about everything on it and am very satisfied with it.
I hope you have the same experience.

You can print to a usb printer attached to your Vista computer from an XP
virtual machine. As always, the computer the printer is attached to needs
to support the printer (have a driver).

The problem with installing XP on the newer laptops is that some of them
don't even have drivers for XP on the manufacturer's website. Just Vista.
In any case, use what you have for a while and I'm sure most of what you've
heard will prove not to be true.

>I have read a several responces to the USB issue; several of which just
> boggled my mind.
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> with
> VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers etc.?

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Bill Grant - 26 Feb 2008 23:21 GMT

My advice, Mike, is to just get used to runnig Vista. If you really want
XP as a fallback option, run it in VPC under Vista. It works really well.

> VPC runs on Vista Home Premium just fine. The confusion is because of the
> phrase "not supported". All that means is that MS Product Support
[quoted text clipped - 59 lines]
>> VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers
>> etc.?

Reply to this Message

MikeCox - 27 Feb 2008 19:38 GMT

Thanks Bill, and Colin;

I'm resigned, thanks to your good advice. I will run Vista and use VPC as a
fall back uption; and deal with whatever issue come up.

Thanks again (-: I really appreciate you help and support

Signature

Michael

XP SP2
and Trying to convert to Vista

> My advice, Mike, is to just get used to runnig Vista. If you really want
> XP as a fallback option, run it in VPC under Vista. It works really well.
[quoted text clipped - 62 lines]
> >> VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers
> >> etc.?

Reply to this Message

Colin Barnhorst - 27 Feb 2008 20:15 GMT

Enjoy!

> Thanks Bill, and Colin;
>
[quoted text clipped - 93 lines]
>> >> VPC. But will the Host OS allow for USB applications; like printers
>> >> etc.?

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