I'm running WinXP in Fusion 3.1.1 on a MBP dual processor with 4G RAM. I have 1 processor and 1G RAM allocated to the VM.
For the most part it works _very_ well, except...
When the daily snapshot runs, it bogs down the whole computer - keystroke/mouse response, even on the Mac side, runs to tens of seconds. I usually just walk away for 20mins until it's done.
Is there any way to speed it up, run in background, or keep it off the Mac side, or get a 10 minute warning?
Thanks for any help,
Donna
tip: disable the snapshot-timer mislabelled as "autoprotect" and create snapshots at a time when it makes sense
you probably have a very very large number of snapshots - this will slow down your VM
with too many snapshots you can cripple your VMs until they no longer run but crawl and die on day
Thanks, but I'm hoping to make the auto-backup work better.
Snapshots are not backups
AutoProtect is simply a snapshot-scheduler. It does not keep things 'safe' nor does it back things up.
If you're looking to back up and keep your data safe, the best advice is the following:
- Backup your Documents seperately from the VM itself (Either via shared/mirrored folders, or using a backup utility in Windows)
- Keep a copy of the VM on an external drive in case Windows goes bad
Performance-wise, the fewer Snapshots the better.
Snapshots are best used in 2 situations:
1) You need a state to roll back that is unique (See this post for an example: http://snook.ca/archives/other/vmware-fusion-snapshots)
2) You're about to install some software but want a 'roll back' point in case it goes wrong.
Mike - don't you think that the term "autoprotect" should be changed ?
Mike -
Thanks, I know it's not a backup as such. I keep all vital docs in shared and dropbox folders, and do a full TimeMachine backup daily. If my HD, TM, and DB all go down at once, I know snapshots won't help - I'll be under the table with a bottle of vodka.
I want the rollback mostly because <shamefaced> I haven't taken the time to do fix my OS - Windows Explorer decides to quit about once a month, and nothing seems to help but a rollback to the last snapshot.
Thanks to both of you for the extra advice but...
Returning to my original question: Does Snapshot have to make my whole computer useless while it runs?
D
How many snapshots do you have ?
If you have a very large number of snapshots then you have to expect slowdowns
note: autoprotect snapshots are usually hidden - make sure you display them
There are 2 autoprotect (per settings) and 9 I took while having problems earlier this year. I'll delete mine, but it's always done this.