I'm trying to deploy XP PRO on ESX 3.5 which installed on Dell Proliant dl360 with 2 Core2Duo CPU. When I'm starting the configuration wizard and go to step to provide number of CPU for that machine it shows me only 2 CPU instead 4 that I'm currently have. But when I'm trying to deploy WIN 2003 on the same host it give me an option to chose 4 CPU. What the reason for this?
Thanks in advance!
I think that only dual CPU's are allowed for XP guests.
Try installing it with Windows 2003 as the guest type. It isn't right, but it will probably allow you to do it.
As a side note, most people find more success using a single vCPU, rather than 2 or 4. The physical CPU's have to have a free instruction call on each one (to the amount of the vCPU's) before that instruction will be processed.
It is almost like a tag-a-long when you are trying to work... You can't do anything until your tag-a-long is ready too. It slows some down.
Keep in mind, there are times and places to use multiple vCPU's. And this might be one of them.
Jase McCarty
Co-Author of VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center
(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach
Thanks Jase for quick answer
I'm appreciate this .
I've tried to chose "Other" operating system but use existing virtual HD. But still got the same result ... - only 2 CPU.
Welcome to the forums
to answer your question it is a limitation of the Guest OS, Microsoft XP only supports 2 CPU's.
However that said it is not considered good practice to give a guest more vCPU that it needs, as this will cause scheduling issues on your ESX host, and can acutally drag down preformance of a guest.
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Tom Howarth
VMware Communities User Moderator
I think that only dual CPU's are allowed for XP guests.
That is correct, XP only supports 2 CPU
Try installing it with Windows 2003 as the guest type. It isn't right, but it will probably allow you to do it.
No it wont, it is a limitation of hte XP HAL it can only see 2 physical CPU (or in this case 2 vCPUs)
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Tom Howarth
VMware Communities User Moderator
I think that only dual CPU's are allowed for XP guests.
You mean that XP support only 2 CPU in Virtual environment ?
We have couple XP that installed on 2 Core 2 DUO CPU machines and you see in a task manager that XP show that he has 4 CPU
Thinking back to XP and multiple CPUs vs multiple core CPUs, I believe that Tom is correct.
XP is smart enough to leverage the additional cores, but is limited to 2 CPU sockets.
Jase McCarty
Co-Author of VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center
(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach
that is expected behaviour, two sockets and two cores, On a dual Quad core you will see eight Processor windows, however in the days of Hyperthreading you also saw four windows.
If you attempted to try to install on a Quad way host you would most likely only see two windows, it may not even install.
If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points
Tom Howarth
VMware Communities User Moderator
Hello,
Moved to VI: Virtual Machine and Guest OS forum.
Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
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