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Warning - Virtualisation (VMware, VirtualPC, XP Mode)

post #1 of 9
5/6/10 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
I received my new M17x-R2 yesterday and have just started installing all my apps. I hit an issue after installing VMWare Workstation. My 64-bit VMs won't load. I get an error that's related to the Host being VT capable but VT is restricted.

After a bit of diggin I've found that although Virtualisation support is enabled by default, the trusted execution is also enabled. Neither show options in the BIOS for changing this either.

After quite a while with support I finally got through to someone who understood the situation. Initially he was advised that there will NOT be support to change this on the R2 model.

However after pushing him to contact his internal technical support he has been advised by these peeps that this option WILL be accessible in the BIOS in a future (Next) release of the BIOS. He has been advised that this release will be in a couple of weeks.

So if you are relying on this frankly stunning machine to be able to run your 64-bit virtual machines, either with VMWare, VirtualPC, Hyper-V, etc, then you are out of luck at the present.

Strangely 32-bit VMs run fine.

Anyhoo, though I would pop a note to highlight this issue for any potential buyers.

Mike...
BTW If you have this issue and the technical people try and get you to install a hotfix, don't. The hotfix is directed at systems that don't have the VT support at all. These machines do. MS don't recommend you install the hotfix if your machine supports VT.
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post #2 of 9
5/8/10 at 4:58pm
VT support is based on the processor and yes the Core-i processors support it. The M17x does not because they "forgot about it" and didn't add it to the bios. I talked with one of the head AW engineers and he also said it would be in the next bios but the next bios was released, the A04 and it's still not there. The next next bios will have it.
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post #3 of 9
5/8/10 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
A04? I'm on the A02. Is the A04 for the original M17x? Mine is the newer R2.

Either way it's a crap situation. The support chap I spoke to didn't give me a lot of confidence that it was a situation they were rushing to solve. He did mention that it's been an ongoing issue since January tho.

Heres hoping in the coming weeks it'll all get fixed.

Mike...
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post #4 of 9
5/8/10 at 6:19pm
I received my R2 earlier in the week and the bios is A04 and VT is still not an option.
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post #5 of 9
5/9/10 at 8:53pm

Most Laptop computers requires Bios Update for virtualization

Most computers that claims support virtualization, requires BIOS update to enable its support.

One must be careful when selectinng or buying new computers. Some of them may not support it at all. Good Luck with yours.

Cheers.
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post #6 of 9
5/25/10 at 10:58am
A05 for the M17XR2 is out. Did you get to try it? I use VMWare too...4 32bit VMs but one 64bit VM. Still waiting on my R2 to be specced out and sent.
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post #7 of 9
5/25/10 at 3:36pm
I would not think that one would need a BIOS update since M$ has patched the OS to be able to support VT without BIOS update. It is all depending on the chipset and CPU at the moment as I understand.

cheers ...
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post #8 of 9
5/26/10 at 6:25am
Problem is what if you use ESX? Not that I would.....
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post #9 of 9
6/8/10 at 6:02pm
M17XR2 with A05 bios. Virtual option enabled.
I was able to start 32bit XP and 64bit Windows 7 VMs in VMWare Workstation 7.
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