Windows 7 startup time

[flipdoubt]

Is it just me, or do other Fusion 2.0.5 users notice unusually slow startup times for a 32-bit Windows 7 RTM VM with 2GB RAM and 1 processor with VMware Tools 7.9.6 installed? My host is an MBP with 4GB RAM, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, running OS X 10.5.8. I am surprised because I had beta and RC VMs startup fast and smooth, but this VM seems to bring the host to its knees, freezing the Dock, making it painful to use Safari while Fusion makes it unusually slow way around the pie charts indicating its startup progress. My Vista VM still starts and runs flawlessly.

Anyone else notice this?

[WilliamReid]

Windows 7 is not supported under 2.0.5. and I don't know what's changed from RC to RTM releases.

Are you running more than one VM? It sounds like your host is being over taxed..

[bgertzfield]

Definitely sounds like your Mac is running low on memory. Two suggestions:

1) Reduce the memory for your Windows 7 VM to 1 GB. 2 GB is probably overkill.

2) In the menu VMware Fusion -> Preferences, select "Optimize for Mac OS application performance".

This ought to give you more breathing room.

[flipdoubt]

Nope, I'm only running one VM at a time.

Thanks for Windows 7 is not supported bleet. I know.

[flipdoubt]

The 2 GB of RAM and "Optimize for virtual machine disk performance" are the same settings used on my Vista VM, which runs fine. I think I need the 2 GB to run VS.NET 2008 and, soon, 2010.

[sobesoho]

I've been having similar problems with Windows 7. I've just trashed the VM for the 5th time and am sticking with XP for now. 7 does some very weird things, taxes the system a lot.

[flipdoubt]

It is good to hear I am not the only one, sobesoho.

My Win7 VM is configured as "Windows Vista". I wonder if it would make a difference if I configured it as "Windows Server 2008". I see that I can switch it now, but should I start from scratch saying it is "Windows Server 2008"? Or is that just a label more so than a configuration option?

[flipdoubt]

Configuring the VM as Server 2008 made the startup time much more quick and smooth after the second reboot.

Let's approach this from a different angle. Is a VM's startup time affected more by the VM's configuration or by the current version of VMware Fusion? I am wondering what will happen after VMware releases a version of Fusion that supports Windows 7 (the next one, I hope) if I activate this Windows 7 VM now. Will I not reap the benefits because the VM was created by a previous version of Fusion?

[bgertzfield]

Configuring the VM as Server 2008 made the startup time much more quick and smooth after the second reboot.

Glad to hear. (I didn't know about that, myself.)

Let's approach this from a different angle. Is a VM's startup time affected more by the VM's configuration or by the current version of VMware Fusion? I am wondering what will happen after VMware releases a version of Fusion that supports Windows 7 (the next one, I hope) if I activate this Windows 7 VM now. Will I not reap the benefits because the VM was created by a previous version of Fusion?

The VM's guest OS type enables or disables a number of low-level workarounds for various OS bugs. It's not inconceivable that some of the workarounds for Vista hamper Windows 7's boot performance.

We aren't allowed to talk about specifics of future versions of Fusion, but we work hard to make sure all your VMs run well when you upgrade to a newer version. Sorry I can't give a more satisfying answer, but I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with a hypothetical future version of Fusion that supports Windows 7.

[flipdoubt]

Thanks. I know you don't comment on future versions, but I do like to hear that backwards compatibility is a key focus.

[flipdoubt]

So I am marking my question as answered with the following suggestion: try setting your OS to Windows Server 2008.