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lawrencegoodman
Contributor
Contributor

Run windows 7 in tablet mode on Windows 10 PC

I have a Windows 10 laptop/tablet and want to use the pen and stylus features in Windows 7 on a virtual machine.

Just to be clear, I am not saying I want to be able to use my stylus in Windows 7. I can already do that, but it's through Windows 10.

I want to use the handwriting input panel that runs in Windows 7. The problem is that the VM Windows 7 doesn't think the computer I am using is touch screen with stylus.

Any suggestions? You can do this is virtualbox, but I like VMware better. Thanks.

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bluefirestorm
Champion
Champion

Power off the Windows 7 VM and add the following lines to the vmx configuration file of the VM

touchscreen.vusb.present = "TRUE"

touchscreen.vusb.usePen = "TRUE"

The touchscreen.vusb.present line might already be there if you created the VM on the touchscreen capable host machine (Workstation/Player 12.x/14.x seems to do so).

To check whether if it has any effect, you can look at Windows 7 Control Panel - System whether "Pen and Touch" capability changes as a result.

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lawrencegoodman
Contributor
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This is definitely a step forward. It says there is a stylus present. But there is no input panel for handwriting and spelling. There is no way to activate or configure it.

Any remedy for this? Thanks.

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lawrencegoodman
Contributor
Contributor

if this matters, the monitor it has selected, generic non-pnp, says no pen or touch input is available.

in services, tabletinputservice is running.

but in turn windows features on and off, there's no option for tablet input.

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wila
Immortal
Immortal

Is the virtual hardware version set to version 14?

IIRC then the virtual hardware needs to be set to 12 or newer.

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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lawrencegoodman
Contributor
Contributor

.encoding = "windows-1252"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "14"

mks.enable3d = "TRUE"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

usb.vbluetooth.startConnected = "TRUE"

displayName = "Windows 7 x64"

guestOS = "windows7-64"

nvram = "Windows 7 x64.nvram"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

gui.exitOnCLIHLT = "TRUE"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.powerOn = "soft"

powerType.suspend = "soft"

powerType.reset = "soft"

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

sound.autoDetect = "TRUE"

sound.virtualDev = "hdaudio"

sound.fileName = "-1"

sound.present = "TRUE"

memsize = "2048"

mem.hotadd = "TRUE"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

sata0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.fileName = "Windows 7 x64.vmdk"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

sata0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

sata0:1.fileName = "auto detect"

sata0:1.present = "TRUE"

usb.present = "TRUE"

ehci.present = "TRUE"

svga.graphicsMemoryKB = "1048576"

ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"

serial0.fileType = "thinprint"

serial0.fileName = "thinprint"

floppy0.fileType = "device"

floppy0.fileName = ""

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

serial0.present = "TRUE"

extendedConfigFile = "Windows 7 x64.vmxf"

floppy0.clientDevice = "FALSE"

numa.autosize.cookie = "10001"

numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "1"

uuid.bios = "56 4d e8 fa 94 e1 39 c1-25 d4 ac e7 8d 7a 1c 00"

uuid.location = "56 4d e8 fa 94 e1 39 c1-25 d4 ac e7 8d 7a 1c 00"

migrate.hostlog = ".\Windows 7 x64-8166ed3b.hlog"

scsi0:0.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"

usb.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "33"

sound.pciSlotNumber = "34"

ehci.pciSlotNumber = "35"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "36"

sata0.pciSlotNumber = "37"

scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 6a 94 e1 39 c0"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:7a:1c:00"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

vmci0.id = "-1921377280"

monitor.phys_bits_used = "43"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "8388608"

vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "134217728"

cleanShutdown = "TRUE"

softPowerOff = "TRUE"

usb:1.speed = "2"

usb:1.present = "TRUE"

usb:1.deviceType = "hub"

usb:1.port = "1"

usb:1.parent = "-1"

floppy0.autodetect = "TRUE"

sata0:1.autodetect = "TRUE"

tools.remindInstall = "FALSE"

toolsInstallManager.updateCounter = "1"

toolsInstallManager.lastInstallError = "0"

svga.guestBackedPrimaryAware = "TRUE"

touchscreen.vusb.present = "TRUE"

touchscreen.vusb.usePen = "TRUE"

gui.lastPoweredViewMode = "unity"

tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal"

floppy0.present = "FALSE"

usb:0.present = "TRUE"

usb:0.deviceType = "hid"

usb:0.port = "0"

usb:0.parent = "-1"

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bluefirestorm
Champion
Champion

I don't think the Display panel properties matter.

What does the Control Panel - System show in the Pen and Touch after adding the lines in the vmx file?

If you had never had touch enabled before on this VM, it might take a while for Windows 7 to install all the necessary services. I don't think it prompts for any disk or gives out any messages that it is doing so.

Another visual cue is one side effect of enabling touch is the menus start appear to the left instead of the right (for example: File menu from any application).

What if you set the

touchscreen.vusb.usePen = "FALSE"

does the Control Panel - System - Pen and Touch show touch capabilities?

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lawrencegoodman
Contributor
Contributor

Never got this to work.

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