Only 16MB graphics memory (of 64MB real) seen in Virtual WinXP

[PaulFXH]

I'm running Windows XP Home as Guest OS on Ubuntu as host using VMware Player. Note that my Windows is a virtual version of my physical Windows.

I use a nVidia GeForce4 MX 420 graphics card with 64 MB of memory.

Yesterday, I installed Joost (internet TV) on the virtual Windows and it wouldn't work as it said I had less than the minimum required graphics card memory which is 48 MB. Joost apparently only saw 16 MB.

While I know that my .vmx file has reduced the available RAM memory from 1024 MB to 512 MB, I can see nothing indicating that I have deliberately reduced the graphics card memory.

Can somebody please help me explain this?

Thanks

Paul

[RDPetruska]

By default the VMware video card is a 16MB graphics card. You can increase the vram if you want - it's not going to do that much good in Player, however. svga.vramSize = "x" where x is in bytes I think. Refer to the Workstation docs on enabling the experimental 3D graphics for the calculation.

[PaulFXH]

Thanks for the reply.

Well, following what you said I inserted these two lines in my .vmx file:

mks.enable3d = "TRUE"

svga.vramSize = 67108864

(actually the first line was already there but was changed from FALSE to TRUE).

Now, at least Joost starts up without any error messages. However, it is still not watchable as it is so incredibly slow.

I'm surprised at this as of the 5 criteria that Joost lays down for a configuration consistent with Joost, the only one my virtual Windows XP had failed on was the graphics card memory. Additionally, our broadband connection is not the problem as we have Joost on another computer working perfectly off the same router.

Are there any more cards up the sleeve that I can use to encourage my VM WinXP to use Joost?

Thanks

Paul

[KevinG]

Hi Paul,

You can think of the virtual machine as a second PC with it's own set of hardware that is different than that of the host.

Unfortunately, there is only one type of virtual video card available for the virtual machine at this time.

[RDPetruska]

No, there is only one graphics adapter. And, according to what I've been told, Player does not support the experimental 3D graphics - so mks.enable3d = "TRUE" will do you no good.

[PaulFXH]

Player does not

support the experimental 3D graphics - so

mks.enable3d = "TRUE" will do you no good.

Thanks for the replies.

That I don't actually have 3D acceleration working would explain why Joost works only very slowly.

If I upgraded to VM Server, would that allow me to avail of the experimental 3D accelerator or do I have to go all the way to the Workstation?

Paul