64 Bit Virtual PC 2007 or VMWare Server?

Y

Yaemish

Weaksauce
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
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I've had experience with both in 32 bit flavors. I would like the guest operating system to be 32-bit. Anyone have any experience with running them under Vista 64. Which one seems to function better?
 
If your intention is to run only Windows OSes (no Linux, no BSD, no UNIX, etc), then my suggestion remains VirtualPC 2007 or VirtualServer 2005 R2 SP1. VMWare is just too big, too bloated, and offers entirely too much for most people that wish to get some experience with virtualization under their belts. If you're only going to run guest versions of Windows on top of Windows hosts, VirtualPC/VirtualServer offer the smallest, least resource hogging ways of doing it.

If, however, you intend to use anything else besides Windows in a VM, then VMWare is a possible solution - and my recommendation then becomes VirtualBox. Again, it's smaller, leaner, faster in my own testing across multiple platform machines from Celeron D boxes up to Core 2 Duos, just make sure you have plenty of RAM.

VMWare is king, I'll admit that, but it's become fairly bloated over the years, it leaves multiple services running even when VMWare itself isn't in operation (VirtualPC/VirtualServer and VirtualBox don't do that), and a few other issues that I myself have with it.

I'm all for lean and mean instead of try to do everything for everyone as widely as you can, and that's what VMWare is and does now.

Just my $.02...

ps
And yes, VirtualBox has a 64 bit version as well.
 
I run VMWare Workstation in 64-bit Vista, it works great. There are no 64-bit binaries of VMWare Server/Player/Workstation at this time that I know of, but the programs should run just as well.

I don't have any experiences running VirtualPC or VirtualBox or any of those on Vista, but that's because I'm *cough*not supposed to use those*cough*
 
Did VMWare get their drivers signed? Last time I tried installing VMWare Server in Vista x64 it threw a fit that the drivers weren't signed. Was a huge pain in the neck.
 
VMWare doesn't have proper 64 bit binaries? Or signed drivers? That's quite interesting... I had no idea, weird.

VPC/VS or VirtualBox, not one issue. Very interesting.
 
I can't attest for Server, but Workstation 6 supports Vista properly, I didn't have any driver signing issues. As for 64-bit binaries, I am pretty sure the case is that there are no 64-bit binaries (but you can install 64-bit guest OSes provided you have a 64-bit CPU with VT), at least when I got my version of Workstation 6.02
 
there is no such thing as 64bit virtual pc 2007, but virtual server 2005 can be had in a 64bit version. virtual server totally sucked when i ran it on XP, but that was while back.

note that virtual pc will install on 64bit vista (and maybe probably XP too) but that it will only run a 32bit guest.n (even tho i know you said you already want your guests to be 32bit... this was something that caught me offguard when i installed virtual pc on my vista64).

*one other edit* and dont let hte download for 64bit virtual pc fool you... it still installed in a "program files 32bit" folder, and the binaries are actually the same as the 32bit installer (thus, the reason why you can only run 32bit guests).
 
Sharaz Jek said:
there is no such thing as 64bit virtual pc 2007, but virtual server 2005 can be had in a 64bit version. virtual server totally sucked when i ran it on XP, but that was while back.

note that virtual pc will install on 64bit vista (and maybe probably XP too) but that it will only run a 32bit guest.n (even tho i know you said you already want your guests to be 32bit... this was something that caught me offguard when i installed virtual pc on my vista64).

*one other edit* and dont let hte download for 64bit virtual pc fool you... it still installed in a "program files 32bit" folder, and the binaries are actually the same as the 32bit installer (thus, the reason why you can only run 32bit guests).
Click to expand...

The drivers however have to be 64 bit, for the whole thing to work. That's the difference.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
DeaconFrost said:
You could have verified that in 10 seconds before posting. There is, indeed, a 64 bit version as well. Scroll down to the downloads.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...02-3199-48A3-AFA2-2DC0B40A73B6&displaylang=en
Click to expand...
This is right and wrong. VPC2007 the app itself is in fact 32-bit. The 64-bit part are the drivers. Unlike other 32/64 apps where a user can choose one or the other, if you run a 64-bit host, you *must* use the VPC2007 "64-bit" version.

Coulda verified that in 10 seconds on google. 8P

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_gu...stall-to-the-program-files-x86-directory.aspx
 
It installs on an x64 platform, and lets you run x64 or x86 guests....so for a typical desktop environment, that's all that matters. Whether the "binaries" are x64 or not isn't going to make much of a difference on a desktop PC at this point in time, and is only served to split hairs.
 
DeaconFrost said:
It installs on an x64 platform, and lets you run x64 or x86 guests....so for a typical desktop environment, that's all that matters. Whether the "binaries" are x64 or not isn't going to make much of a difference on a desktop PC at this point in time, and is only served to split hairs.
Click to expand...

VPC 2007 64 Bit or Virtual Server 2005 64 bit only allows 32 bit guests.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
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