MetaStock won't run in Vista: "This product will not work..."

[vicb2]

Just installed ver. 1.1 of VMware Fusion, and as with the previous version any attempt to run MetaStock (ver. 10.1; for Vista) gets this message: "This product will not work in a VMWare environment." Any work-around? Is it because it relies on .NET Framework? Will it be runnable in a later version of VMware Fusion?

VMware Fusion: version 1.1b1 (57919)

MacPro

Guest: Windows Vista

VMware Tools: Installed (Version 7.6.0, build-57919)

Not a Boot Camp virtual machine

Guest created in Fusion

Application: MetaStock (ver. 10.1; Vista-compatible), from Equis International

Error message displays (consistently, always) as soon as app attempts to run ("This product will not work in a VMWare environment."), then app fails to run.

Thanks

[rcardona2k]

... as with the previous version any attempt to run MetaStock (ver. 10.1; for Vista) gets this message: "This product will not work in a VMWare environment." Any work-around? Is it because it relies on .NET Framework? Will it be runnable in a later version of VMware Fusion?

The message is quite clear. The developers of this program, for whatever reasons, don't want it running in VMware. Fusion is such an environment. You can try to circumvent this, provided you know "how" they're detecting VMware. At last count there are over dozen "giveaway" characteristics.

As a licensed owner of MetaStock, you need to contact the manufacturer and explain your situation, including any frustration you have with this limitation. They may inkind "explain" the reasoning behind their action. Make no mistake, this message is NOT accidental.

I'm not a MetaStock expert but they may have support forums or there may be other places whether people support each other on this software. There you may find circumvention methods but its really your responsibilty to resolve this with the publisher/distributor directy.

[DerekS]

I agree, your beef is not with VMWare. This will most likely never be "fixed" by VMWare, because it's not a VMWare fault.

This is something that Metastock (whatever that is) is deliberately doing. Your complaint lies with them.

I would guess their reason has to do with licensing. They probably lock an installation down to a particular computer, and if that "computer" were a VM it could be pirated easily.

It's a good thing I don't need to use that program, because I don't own any physical PCs at all any more...only Macs.

[walterwatts · Accepted solution]

Check this out vicb2:

http://forum.equis.com/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=vmware&s=3035

Walter

[vicb2]

Thanks! This is a terrific community! Within two hours I had two helpful responses. The next morning I had a third response (walterwatts) that was extremely helpful, with a relevant and specific URL. I plan to contact Equis about this. Thanks to rcardona2k, DerekS, and walterwatts!

[vicb2]

I wrote Equis, pointing out the restriction and asking the following:

"1. Responses to my queries in the VMware community suggest that this restriction comes not from VMware but from MetaStock itself. Is this correct?

2. Is there a reason for prohibiting MetaStock to run in a virtual machine?

3. Can I use my earlier version of MetaStock successfully instead?

4. Do you plan to release a VMware-compatible version?"

...and received the following from Equis:

"Thank you for your email. This is correct. Metastock is a Windows based product and has not been tested on VM software. It is not made

for a Mac and therefore not tested on VM.

I apologize for any inconvenience; however, Metastock up to this far has always been made for Windows."

I don't plan to reply. I don't have the energy to point out that when I try to run MetaStock under VMware I am in fact running it under Windows.

[dp_fusion]

The virtual machine world has created some interesting problems for some software vendors. I have a very expensive CAD package I'm evaluating. It runs perfectly in Fusion and Windows and the application allows me to save a certain number of files after which the demo period runs out. With virtual machines there is no reason for it to ever run out because I can restore from a snapshot or archived virtual machine and keep going. One way to prevent this abuse is to disallow the software to run in a virtual machine. In my case I will allow the meter to run out and end my evaluation, and I've advised the vendor of this discovery, but not everyone is going to be reasonable about it so more vendors may shut out virtual hosts. I hope not, or if they do they limit it only during evaluation.

[bgertzfield]

The virtual machine world has created some interesting problems for some software vendors. I have a very expensive CAD package I'm evaluating. It runs perfectly in Fusion and Windows and the application allows me to save a certain number of files after which the demo period runs out. With virtual machines there is no reason for it to ever run out ...

Of course, you can do the same with a physical machine by restoring it from a backup!

[bgertzfield]

"Thank you for your email. This is correct. Metastock is a Windows based product and has not been tested on VM software. It is not made

for a Mac and therefore not tested on VM.

I apologize for any inconvenience; however, Metastock up to this far has always been made for Windows."

I don't plan to reply. I don't have the energy to point out that when I try to run MetaStock under VMware I am in fact running it under Windows.

This is pretty rough. I wish we had somewhere to send these folks so they could understand that it will work fine in a virtual environment—they just have to remove their restriction!

[rcardona2k]

It's better to bend the truth and say you're running this in VMware Workstation 6 on Windows as not to confuse the L1 support people. If anything try to escalate to someone who Jedi mind tricks do not work on.

[DaveP]

You could use the tricks we used to run ESX inside Workstation/Fusion. It removes many of the detection mechanisms used at the expense of the VMware tools not working inside the guest. Try it and see what happens. If it works we could create 2 guests one for normal operations and one for Metastock, using the same virtual disks. Go to the folder with the guest, use finder to show Package content of the guest and open the vmx file. Make sure Fusion isn't running. Using a text editor, e.g. TextWrangler add the following line to the VMX file:

monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = TRUE

Save the file, and then try it by powering up the guest.

[dp_fusion]

Of course, you can do the same with a physical machine by restoring it from a backup!

Quite so, but not in 10 minutes or less

[BobFillmore]

I am having the same problem on a new Mac Pro running Fusion+Vista. However, before installing Fusion I created a Boot Camp environment, and then created a Fusion virtual machine from it. I was then able to install, activate, and run MetaStock while in Boot Camp, but when I switch back to Fusion it refuses to run MetaStock, proving that it's MetaStock that is causing the problem. It seems silly that I can't run the same installation of MetaStock in Fusion that runs fine under Boot Camp, so I sent a complaint to Equis support almost a week ago, with no answer so far.... maybe they are rethinking their position? (we can always hope!)