Using: monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "TRUE"

[mcdirt]

Hi, I have a Win7 program I'd like to run in a VMWare Fusion6 VM. The creators say to use Bootcamp or Parallels to run it on a MAC which I don't want to do.

I can install into a Fusion6 Win7 VM OK but when I try to run it, it won't run, saying it doesn't run in a Virtual Machine. I can get it to run using monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "TRUE"  in the vmx file but then VMWare Tools crashes on the VM. Is there any way to get around this so I can have the program and VMWare Tools running together?

Thanks for any help.

rgds mcdirt

[WoodyZ]

If the program is testing specifically for a VMware Virtual Machine and not Parallels (assuming since you were told you could use it) I'd say the answer was no.

Just curious what is the name of the program and who is the manufacture?

[mcdirt]

It is a Stock charting program called MetaStock and using the restrict_backdoor instruction in the vmx file does make it run ok, the problem is that the change also makes Fusion think that the guest is not a virtual machine so it disables the VM Tools, I would have thought that Fusion wouldn't fall for that trick itself! I'm just wondering if there is another command etc that can fool MetaStock into thinking it's running on a real PC but Fusion itself knows that it is Virtual and so allows the tools to run as well as MetaStock.

[admin · Accepted solution]

Since VMware Tools accesses the backdoor port from ring 3, this setting (which only allows the backdoor port to be accessed from ring 0) effectively disables VMware Tools.