VMware 6.5-7.x Compabitility Problems

[sausisse]

When I want to start a Longhorn machine (pre-reset), I need so set into 6.5-7.x memory for desktop. But when I start the machine, this error appear :

"Guest physical memory exceeds the maximum supported on this platform.

Module 'PhysMem' power on failed.

Failed to start the virtual machine."

Even with 4 MB of memory, it show that error. This is weird cuz when I select 9.x compatility and 15.x, no errors appears.

Can someone know how to fix it?

PS: I use 16.0.0 version and my 4GB memory stick is DDR3.

[sausisse]

The evening before this reply, I updated the version to 16.1.2 and the error is still here.

Here as sample of a virtual machine on image on 6.5-7.x compability.

[sausisse]

And for the 15.x compabitility.

[sausisse]

It's magic when you upgradeto a newer version, somthing crucial doesn't work.

I didn't have this problem in VMware 15, however.

[wila]

Hi,

Your screenshots are fairly unreadable -at least for me- and don't contain sufficient information to be able to help. Please attach a vmware.log file from one of the VMs with the problem and I will take a look.

Also don't understand "VMware 6.5-7x compatibility problems".. and then "I need so set into 6.5-7.x memory for desktop"
What's that? VMware Workstation 6.5 or VMware vSphere 6.5 or virtual hardware version or something else even, are you talking about 6.5-7x GB or RAM?
Please be specific when asking questions.

Please note that:
- vSphere 6.5 compatibility equals to virtual hardware version 12 and up.
- Only 64 bit guest OS's can address more than 4GB or RAM.

--
Wil

[sausisse]

Hi Wil,

First, I'm apoligise for be too vague. I post this origial post at 10 PM at Western Europe Time.

Second, the compability that I selected is not about vSphere 6.5 because I don't have vSphere. I select VMware Workstation 6.5 because I want to emulate Windows Longhorn for a personal project.

Third, I siad later that I have 4 GB of RAM, and one time, I tired to boot with 6GB, but that reveals faily.

Fourth, the version I want to emulate is a 32 bit version. And generally, I put 512 MB fow Windows XP, and 1 GB for higher.

Final, I forget to attach the vmware.log file. I will attach here with the VM files.

Again, sorry for be too vague.

Sausisse.

[wila]

Hi,

No problem.. I'm in your time zone too.. looks like I answered around 3am 😄

re. your VM. First off I don't think you have to change it to such an old virtual hardware version in order to run a Microsoft Vista / Longhorn guest OS. I'm running it on recent virtual hardware down here and it works.

Then I took your config file and put it into a vmware workstation host. It boots up just fine for me.

If your host only has 4GB of RAM then you can't assign 6GB to your guest, it always has to be less than what is in your host and you have to leave something for the host too.

You probably should not enable 3D with only 4GB at the host

FWIW, I ran the test with nested VMs.. with VMware Workstation running in a VMware Fusion Windows 10 VM. My Windows 10 VM only has 3GB of RAM, so even less than your host and it still boots.

Not sure why it isn't working for you.

--
Wil

[sausisse]

Hi Wil,

Thanks for your responce;

Since the beggining, I use VMware 16 and it won't boot. But, with older versions of VMware (I used VMware 12, 14 and 15), there are no problem to boot like you said.

After a quick look, I remember that early builds of Windows Longhorn, espefically Milestone 3 to Milestone 5 need to be into VMware 6.5-7.x compability mode for the early DCE. (according to BetaWiki)

That's why I asked for help because it not boot into this compaility mode on VMware 16.

After, NEVER I will put 6GB of RAM into a VM. It's will be more laggier that if I put 1GB.

Also, I never touch 3D acclereating for the reason of never touching display adapters.

For me, it's just an annoying bug in my version and I don't know why.

Sausisse.

[wila]

Hi,

Does it boot if you change the virtual hardware to a recent version?

I'm wondering if it has something to do with your processor. It's an old processor AMD E300 isn't anything I've seen. But the error is not pointing in that direction, it is very specific about the "RAM on your host platform".
I mentioned the 3D option (which seems to be enabled in your VM) because the 3D option can take a lot of host RAM. With such an old virtual hardware version however that should not be a problem.

You're not even getting to the point of installing Longhorn, so I would try anything to get to that point.
Can you run other VM's?

--
Wil

[sausisse]

Hi Wil,

Sorry, I didn't have free time enough these time.

So, yes, it boots at VMware 9.x up to 16.x.

This is very weird.

I disabled 3D accleration and this isn't work.

2 days ago, I booted a VM of Windows 7 with 15.x compability to wipe a buggy NTFS partition (for personnal reasons) and it booted fine.

And yes, my hardware is very old (9 years) and it's listed. It's a Toshiba Satellite C670D-12N.

Here the full specs : https://fr.dynabook.com/discontinued-products/satellite-c670-12n/

I don't know why the compability do that.

-----------

Sausisse

[sausisse]

P.S. : I replace the hard drive to at 160 GB HDD to at 1 TB SSD hard drive

[wila]

Hi Saussise,

Sorry I can't help any further as I cannot reproduce the issue nor does the log file have anything for me to go on.

The main suggestion I have is to try to install Long Horn with a newer virtual hardware version that is actually capable of booting.

The alternative solution would be to try and use an older version of VMware Workstation itself.

But as your host OS is running Windows 10 (Build 18363.1556 a.k.a version 1909), you probably can't go back too far with VMware Workstation versions. I would expect version 15 to still work, version 14 maybe and not sure about earlier versions like Workstation 12.

Workstation 12 is the last version that supported older processors which also included binary translation for virtualization. Later versions require more advanced support from the processor.

Hope this helps,
--
Wil

[sausisse]

Hello Wil,

I understand why you can't help me anymore.

I've tried to install Longhorn on a newer compability, but as I said earlier, DCE will not launch.

The alternative solution that I've have is VMware 15. I've tried to get back on 14 back in 2019, but the compability didn't work. Plus, I've have a VMware 16 Player VM, so I can't do that either.

We're are at a dead end, unless a employee see the ENTIRE problem, and be capable to reproduce it, and release a patch.

Thank you and I say thanks to whe way out.

--------------

Sausisse.

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

---

@sausisse wrote:

I've tried to install Longhorn on a newer compability, but as I said earlier, DCE will not launch.

---

DCE.. I had to look that up. Desktop Composition Engine..

https://betawiki.net/wiki/Desktop_Window_Manager

Did you have 3D enabled on that VM?
Have you tried without 3D?

edit: The link above says that DCE wasn't working properly until milestone 6.

--
Wil

[sausisse]

Hello Wil,

I've been busy these times, so sorry for the delay.

The last time I've used Longhorn has 2 years ago, and my knowlege wasn't enough. And I've have 3D acclerelation.

So, I disabled and I updated the compability to 8.x.

And I selected a Milestone 6 this whole time.

So I switch to Windows Longhorn build 4020, which is a M5 build.

And you're right.

So, thanks.

And to prove that, I have a screenshot of  the VM.

Thank you again.

----------------

Sausisse.

[wila]

Glad to be of help.

To be frank, you did most of the work, I just suggested a few things 🙂

Nice screenshot (haven't seen that in a long long time)

PS: No need to say sorry for the delay, we all have so much on our minds these days.

--
Wil