Windows 7 and backwards compatibility

[dnorth12]

I am have downloaded the trial version of Fusion and the Window 7 RC 32 bit and installed it per the YouTube video on my iMac 2.8 with 4GB memory for testing the following:

The testing is after hours at home where I don't have access to a PC with enough muscle to run Windows 7 RC, hence attempting to do this on the iMac.

We use Access 97 for business order entry system. Upgrading Access 97 is my last wish.

Access 97 works well with XP. Windows 7 shows that using VPC http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx will allow backwards compatability with XP programs.

According to the instructions for installing VPC you have to make some bios setting changes.

Is this a safe thing to do while using fusion/windows 7/vpc on a Mac? Could I potentially screw up my Mac by making those changes?

I have installed Access 97 without the VPC step and I either get an out of memory error when starting Access or the curtain of death when opening the Windows 7 RC machine, which means a restart and re-installing a new machine.

Assuming it is safe to do and I do it, the other potential problem is that Access 98 required updates SR1 and SR2 to function correctly in Windows 98 and XP. Will I need those updates and if so can I install under the veil of VPC withouth affecting Windows 7?

Appreciate any feedback.

[WoodyZ]

At the present time Windows 7 in any release is not supported by Apple on the Boot Camp partition nor is it supported in any manner under Fusion.

BTW This is not the VPC Support Forum.

If you are asking can you run a Virtualization Software within a Virtual Machine the answer is technically yes however it wold require manually editing the target Virtual Machines .vmx configuration file and you will not have use of VMware Tools within the target Virtual Machine and you will also take a performance hit both with both Virtual Machines as well as the Host itself. So while it's technically doable it not intended or recommended for production purposes and usually just done for testing purposes.

You can buy and inexpensive PC (a few hundred dollars) that will out preform what you have for use with your situation and not have to deal with Virtualization within Virtualization and certainly be much faster and less problematic.

And what is this "curtain of death when opening the Windows 7 RC machine"? are you talking about a BSOD? If you are getting a STOP Error or BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) then what is the STOP Error, is it a 0x0000007B? Are we talking about a normal file based Virtual Machine or running the Boot Camp partition as a Virtual Machine?

[dnorth12]

Woody,

Thanks for the response. First of all the curtain of death as I call it, is when I installed Access 97 and downloaded and tried to install the help module. The one that installs with Access 97 is not supported in windows/server/7 and there is a workaround for Windows server. There was translucent grey screen that waterfalled down the screen and I was forced to restart the iMac. There was no Windows error screen.

Being as Windows 7 is not supported, I will probably take your advice and purchase a windows PC. Trying to do to many things, essentially running three OS systems to get one program to work is just asking for it.

[admin]

I believe XP mode in Windows 7 requires VT-x. I don't remember if there are switches to enable VT-x in the guest in Fusion 2.0.4, but suspect the answer is no.

dnorth12: Is there a reason you need to run XP mode on top of Windows 7? Why not just create an XP virtual machine in Fusion?

[dnorth12]

etung,

I'm just trying to prepare for the future when my XP machine dies and I am forced to buy a Windows 7 machine that may not handle Access 97. Don't want that day to come and not have a clue about what I will do about it. If I know in advance it won't work, then I have to start converting to a level of Access that will work with Windows 7. It is just not something I wish to do if I can help it. Access 97 has been very stable for me.

[WoodyZ]

You also could consider going with a newer version of Access or even maybe a different Database product although it may still be cheaper for you to maintain what you have until you have no other choice but to upgrade you database product.