Some info about Virtual PC for Mac OS 9
I wrote down some information about Virtual PC that I have learned some years ago. Most of information is tested by me, but not all with my Macs or disks..so I don't have all files for recheck, so I hope I remember right (I start to write this, when I noticed that I have forget so much and hard remember anymore). It's funny that I have never liked old real PCs…they are noisy big ugly boxes with buggy software, and have to always upgrade. Virtual PC was easy tool show that buggy software side in not so noisy and not so big ugly boxes.
I wrote text for people who knows something about old PC:s and Macs…you might understand this better after you have used Virtual PC sometime.
Common for all Mac versions that works with Mac OS 9:
- If you use real floppy and want it keep "PC clean", then only use it without write protect when Virtual PC is on top (front).
- Virtual PC or Finder can hang if you have auto CD play in Mac or virtual machine when you put CD-ROM with Audio-tracks when Virtual PC running.
- Don't mix HD-images with different version of Virtual PC, except if you upgrade, downgrading is between hard work or impossible.
- Write text file what version HD-image is…after years you might need that info.
- Practical PC OS minimum is MS-DOS 5.00, but tested to work with 3.31 (mouse- and cd-driver works!)
- Practical GUI minimum Windows 3.1, but tested to work with 1.04 (mouse works and cd-driver works, CD looks like HD, because it's just any DOS-drive for Win1)
- Practical OS maximum depends what kind of PC Virtual PC version emulates, but you can try install newer OS that officially supported, but without additions.
- If OS is not officially supported, you can still transfer files floppy and CD-ROM and with second hard disk images that are formatted with FAT16 or FAT32. So feel free to test any OS and come here to tell what happens.
- I have installed BeOS 5 Pro successfully although Connectix said that you cannot, sadly I don't remember anymore what Virtual PC version it was and what problems there was, before I did it.
- If you don't have 3dfx Voodoo-card in your Mac then just use that DirectX version what is pre-installed, You can install newer DirectX, but normally that doesn't give more compatibility without Voodoo, this is normal even real PC with S3 Trio32-graphics.
- Installing DirectX 8 and 9, breaks game compatibility almost always (even with Voodoo1 in real PC), if you want try DirectX 8 and 9 games, try them with 3D-Analyze…and come here to tell good settings.
- Emulated graphics card is S3 Trio32/64 (check with S3ID.EXE in DOS exact version)
- Emulated mouse is like PS/2-mouse in PS/2-mouseport.
- If you use older DOS OS than DOS 7.0 then I recommend format HD-image first with FORMAT C: /S with that OS version what you going to use (boot from floppy).
- You might need OS CD-ROM that comes with Virtual PC version where HD-image is from (it is second CD-ROM in package) if you install something or upgrade Virtual PC. If you have lost it check exact version of Windows is it Win95 a/b/c or Win 98 (FE)/SE and find it somewhere.
- 256 colors has fasted video update, but only when use it in both virtual machine and Mac.
- You can try thousand colors, sometimes it is only 10% slower, but sometimes it slows badly.
- Use million colors only when really need (graphics apps)
- Read VPC Manuals and readme:s, they have good info, but some errors too.
- Remember that virtualizing different CPU+GPU normally needs 10x-20x more powerful machine, so be happy with that speed that you get..Connectix really did some magic-code or/and PowerPC-processor is really fast.
- And I still missing Connectix Virtual PC with Red Hat Linux CD-ROM..and files from
ftp://care.connectix.com/users/linuxadditions that was behind password and only for people who had bought VPC with Linux.
EDIT: fixed two typos..I am not english native..so there might be more typos.
