Windows XP Mode Hardware install?

[Disturbed_One]

First off, I'm really not familiar with virtual machines, this is my first time even running Win XP mode under Win 7.

The reason for doing so though, is I have an old SCSI card that doesn't support 7 (or 64bit)
So I'm trying to see if I can install it under Win XP mode...but I'm not sure how or even if it can be done.

So basically that's my question. Can this be done, and how do I go about doing it?

Win 7 see's the SCSI card but doesn't support it.
The device manager in XP (mode) doesn't see it at all

 

[AMD_Gamer]

No windows XP mode will run windows XP in an emulated set of hardware and drivers. Somebody else here can explain it better but what you are trying to do will not work.

 

[PGHammer]

No windows XP mode will run windows XP in an emulated set of hardware and drivers. Somebody else here can explain it better but what you are trying to do will not work.

While most VM software will support physical hardware (such as drives) attached to the host, the host *must* support the hardware before passing the connection along to guests.

In short, unless the host supports the hardware, the guests *can't*.

That's why VT-d is becoming critical for virtualization servers, going forward - it creates (and allows for) virtualized/emulated I/O devices with feature sets that are normally precluded, such as GPUs and high-availability RAID controllers. However, even with VT-d, that still won't allow you to do what you are thinking about (passing along exclusive guest access to hardware unsupported by the host).

 

[Chilly]

While most VM software will support physical hardware (such as drives) attached to the host, the host *must* support the hardware before passing the connection along to guests.

In short, unless the host supports the hardware, the guests *can't*.

That's why VT-d is becoming critical for virtualization servers, going forward - it creates (and allows for) virtualized/emulated I/O devices with feature sets that are normally precluded, such as GPUs and high-availability RAID controllers. However, even with VT-d, that still won't allow you to do what you are thinking about (passing along exclusive guest access to hardware unsupported by the host).

Wait... Why not? VT-d doesn't emulate the I/O devices, it presents them exclusively and directly to the virtual machine by mapping the DMA and interrupt tables directly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOMMU

VT-d is exactly for that reason and would work PERFECTLY in the situation the OP wants it to. Well, except for the fact that no desktop virtualization product today supports VT-d.

 

[PGHammer]

Wait... Why not? VT-d doesn't emulate the I/O devices, it presents them exclusively and directly to the virtual machine by mapping the DMA and interrupt tables directly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOMMU

VT-d is exactly for that reason and would work PERFECTLY in the situation the OP wants it to. Well, except for the fact that no desktop virtualization product today supports VT-d.

That is why I said *servers*, not desktops.

It's a niche, even for servers.

For *desktops*, it's a hyperniche.

 

[Chilly]

That is why I said *servers*, not desktops.

It's a niche, even for servers.

For *desktops*, it's a hyperniche.

I don't disagree with that, but then again that's not what I was saying or correcting you about in my post.

it creates (and allows for) virtualized/emulated I/O devices with feature sets that are normally precluded, such as GPUs and high-availability RAID controllers.

First, your original quote is somewhat wrong. What VT-d does isn't emulation or virtualization of the underlying devices. What it does, is that it actually presents them directly by remapping DMA and interrupt tables. Its as if the VM was an actual machine which you were able to plug that device into(not a perfect explanation but good enough).

However, even with VT-d, that still won't allow you to do what you are thinking about (passing along exclusive guest access to hardware unsupported by the host).

Second, this is just plain wrong. When you pass-through a device via VT-d, it doesn't matter or care what the underlying hyper-visors support of the hardware was/is.

Assuming he had VT-d AND a software solution that could utilize it(virtualbox is currently working on it, but for now it doesn't exist outside a hypervisor OS level), then despite the fact that the underlying OS has no support for the hardware in question, he could still pass it to the virtual machine and use it. This is ofc assuming the virtual machine has support for the hardware, and even then ONLY the virtual machine would have access to said hardware device.

Currently you can utilize hardware pass-through in the VMware ESX(i) and Citirix Xen hypervisors. However support and use out in the field is as you say, somewhat niche due to limitations it imposes on the VM(no vmotion, etc).

Sorry if I seem a little forward and harsh, I don't mean to. I just don't like the spread of mistaken/erroneous information.

As far as the OP is concerned, no, he/she could not do it. Because the software to do it is not yet available.

 

[bigdogchris]

The best part about XP Mode is that after you install the VM, enter it and install applications, all of those applications appear to be native to Windows 7. You click to launch them from the start menu and they open up in a window, like they are running locally. You never even see the VM. Makes things really easy if you need to set it up for someone who just wants it to work and doesn't care about what's going on behind the scenes.