Slow Fusion 1.1.1 after upgrading IE and downloading software

[h-gard]

I use Fusion 1.1.1 + Mac OS X 10.4.11 + Windows XP Home (SP2) and everything was running smoothly until a few days ago when I was pompted to upgrade IE 6 to 7 which I did using the auto update options. I then moved some Windows software from my Mac desktop to the Windows desktop. I opened the folder to install the software an immediately got an alert from AVG saying it had detected a trojan horse. It removed a file from the open folder and everything appeared okay but the software would not decompress or load in any way - I binned it and emptied the bin. Since then although the VM opens as previously but applications are extremely slow to open - minutes not seconds; no file will transfer from Mac to Windows desktop, they just spring back to where they came from and after login to Windows I get a message that says the Local Area Connection Network is limited. I open the utility in the dock and run repair which identifies the network and router settngs. Access to the internet is then possible but not before this little routine each time I log into VM.

Please, what might be going on? Please keep it simple. Thanks.

[h-gard]

Is this a Fusion or a Windows problem? Anyone ideas please - thanks

Peter

[h-gard]

I have a copy of the VM on an external drive which pre-dates the problems highlighted above, is there any way to log into that rather than the one which is causing difficulties?

Thanks

[Uncle_Art]

Do you have another Virtual Machine you can test, to "make darn sure" it ISN'T a problem within Fusion, and that it's as I suspect, related to the Virtual Machine, or Windows fracture? Maybe you have enough space to make one, to test?

It sure sounds as though that Virus wasn't intercepted fast enough, and Windows is now Infected/Broken. That is MUCH more likely than the Fusion Application breaking.

ESPECIALLY since you report AVG found a virus, and "everything was working fine" before you attempted the install. (Personally, I would have thrown the entire mess out if I was told it was infected. I would NOT install an "allegedly now clean, but was just infected" anything, nor open an archive that I was TOLD had a virus in it...)

Have you looked in the Windows Task Manager for rogue processes eating up buckets of CPU cycles? Have you rescanned for Viri/Malware, since everything blew up?

I'd suggest, if you have one, reverting to an Earlier snapshot, discarding changes since it was taken... you will lose any data since the snapshot was made, but toss the code that's newly-hosed. Again... you will lose data created/changed since the snapshot was taken. But you'll likely lose the broken code, too. I'm referring to the Fusion Snapshot feature... not anything within Windows. (This isn't an option if we're talking about a Virtual Machine that's also a BootCamp Partition)

Otherwise, it's back to head-banging, hair pulling Windows Virus Removal Tactics... like booting in Windows' Safe Mode, and scanning with a billion different anti-viral, anti-spyware, anti-malware programs. You likely will NEED to do that in Safe Mode, and IIRC, with that Windows-Auto-Recovery-Snapshot feature OFF...as once the Virus is launched, you're not getting it all out, and it'll be back after the next restart, plus, it's already in everything Windows has done, i.e. Recovery backups.

Good Luck.

-art

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[h-gard]

Thanks Art, I threw the downloaded files away immediately after the virus was found but, as you say, it might already have infected the system. I do have the backed up VM on another drive which is a clone of my internal drive. I have not updated that clone since this problem arose; can I use that?

I have run AVG since and it reported nothing sinister.

Where do I find Windows Task Manager?

My last snapshot was taken early February and too much data has changed since - my main application on the VM is payroll and I cannot contemplate going back to February. Therefore, I think I'm hoping the backed up VM will save the day? If that is possible can you point me towards a fools guide?

Thanks again

[h-gard]

Art, I have just run an unregistered version of RegistryFix 7.0 and it found over 400 errors which it suggested would slow the system down. This seems bad - is there any way back please?

[Uncle_Art]

OUCH! Of course, the Windows Registry can be a mess for a billion

reasons... but anyway...

Yes. Your copy of the VM (if it is a complete copy of the Bundled

Package) should work fine, as a Virtual Machine is just a collection

of files.

HOWEVER, before I say "just rename it, and drag and drop it over"...

I want someone around here who knows better to chime in. I know there

are a few oddities w/regards to moving VM files, exactly where to put

them, and how to get Fusion to "see" them. I don't know the exact

details, and I don't want to misinform...

But yes, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Maybe search around for "Moving VM's" "VM File Locations", etc, and

see if there's a guide here... I haven't needed to use it yet.

[h-gard]

Thanks again, Art. I'll check out the boards here for relevant info. I'll get back here with the outcome!

[Uncle_Art]

Unfortunately, I've been on the road with my old G4, and haven't had a Fusion - compatible machine in front of me for days. When I get back this afternoon, I'm going to copy off a "working/good" VM to an external drive, change its' name, and see what I gotta do to get Fusion to see/run it. I might even dig into the documentation first.

I too, will update this thread with my findings.

Unfortunately, I do not have a "Time Machine" backed up copy... but I believe a "Finder Made" copy should work the same way.

-art

[h-gard]

Art, any news yet please?

Is there any value in creating a new VM and copying the essential Payroll files from the old VM to the new one?

Thanks, Peter

[Uncle_Art]

OK...good news.

My previous reply never made it up here (sent from a different machine via e-mail) BUT...

I wanted to explain that I decided to emulate your situation as closely as possible, so I Initiated Time Machine on my MacBookPro... and let it back up the whole machine.

(I made sure Fusion was not running, and that the VM had been shut down.)

I then launched Fusion and the VM, and deliberately "Broke" the VM by removing some apps and folders from within it.

I shut down the VM, and Fusion.

So...now I have a "Broken" VM, and a Time Machine coy of it...just like you!

OK... for the Restore:

All I actually did was drag the Virtual Machine file off of the Time Machine drive, and drop it into my Virtual Machines folder. Finder complained that an existing file had the same name (I never moved the VM after I broke it) and I said "Just overwrite/Replace it"

And wouldn't you know.... Fusion launched it just fine, and as expected, the Time Machine copy contained the files I deleted from the "Broken" copy. I played around with it a bit, and it seemed "just like the one I broke" before I broke it.... Didn't run any of my odd apps, but it APPEARS to be intact and working.

SO... to answer the Magic Question we started with Last Week:

YES, I was able to Restore an "altered" Virtual Machine, simply by replacing it with a Time Machine backup of it, made earlier.

Notes on Test Setup: Fusion 1.1.2, OSX 10.5.2, Guest: Win XPPro SP2, No Snapshots in place, VM Created via Easy Install.

You may want to make a copy of the Original (Broken) VM before you Overwrite it, J.I.C., so you can try something ELSE, should this not work on your setup for whatever reason.

BUT...it worked here, and I (so far) see no ill effects!

-art

[Uncle_Art]

Wow...I just re-read the whole thread...and realized I probably didn't need to invoke Time Machine at all!

HOWEVER... I reattempted the steps I described above, using a Clone of my HD made via CarbonCopyCloner...

And the results were THE SAME.

As such, I'd stick with what I found out already:

If you have managed to Break the Windows Installation within your Virtual Machine, and wish to "Get Back" to a Working Windows Install, a current copy of your Virtual Machine File can be used to replace the Broken Virtual Machine file, via a simple drag-and drop operation. Obviously you'll lose any changes within the VM since the copy was made, but that's what we're TRYING to do... revert to a known good VM state.

This SEEMS to work with either a Finder Copy of the VM, or a TimeMachine Generated copy of the VM

VMMV

-art

[h-gard]

Art, you are a star! Going to all that trouble just to help me. I have copied your instructions for safe keeping.

I have run RegCure and fixed the 400+ problems it found; this speeded everything and rectified the file copying and internet connection problems. I am hoping sanity has been restored to my VM but if not I will use your solution.

Thanks again,

Peter