Virtual PC 6.0 does not recognize airport card

Moorty · 16th April 2008

On my Apple G4 I have installed Virtual PC 6.0 setting up Win XP pro on it. I have put in yesterday a generic airport PCI card in the machine which is readily recognized by the Mac; I can go on the Internet and use it for home networking. But in the virtual machine PC 6.0 windows XP pro does not go on the Internet (I could use the dialup, but it's so slow). I tried the various combinations of virtual switch being on and of both on the VPC and on WinXP settings. The other option (of being part of the network) does include NAT, but none of that helps. The card does not come with any software or documentation. It just uses Macs airport extreme drivers. I understand that possibly the virtual pc 6.0 may not be compatible with the airport extreme card. I also read that the virtual switch cannot be used in dealing with the airport card.

I am wondering if there is any way I can make the XP recognize the airport card.

mflynn · 16th April 2008

Ok good to see you got XP instsalled.

How did you do it? By my suggestion to install and config on a Vista/Xp then copy the machine to the MAC?

We kinda like feedback here so why not help someone else that has a similar problem and post it here and on your other post.

I have 2 suggestions.

1. Not sure how it works on a MAC but on the MACs network card you need to add Virtural networking.

Look at the Windows Local Area connection properties that has VPC installed, you will see it there, now Mr. Mac add it to the MACs NIC.

2. Add Virtual machine additions to the MAC!

Mike

Moorty · 16th April 2008

Hello Mike:

Thanks for your reply.

I think I said before that I tried to install Win XP again twice or thrice but it didn't go through. So, the old XP with a couple of problems is still there (I still can't open, in other words, the Device Manager etc.).

1) I looked in Mac's networking properties; I couldn't find any place where I could add virtual networking.

2) I looked at XP Lan properties and I couldn't any place where I could add VPC.

I don't quite understand how you would add virtual machine additions to mac.

Now, I see why I don't volunteer to help. I don't know that much. (Actually, I did see a post about posting pictures on a web page in Front Page, and I posted a reply which should help. But that's one of those times when I run into something I can do or say or something about, I would do it. That's all.)

Moorty

mflynn · 16th April 2008

OK I don't Apple so perhaps there is no Virtual Machine Additions for it.

So that explains why I can't help you there.

I did not mean for you to check the NIC for Virtual Networking within a virtual machine itself.

I meant for you to look at the setting on a XP that has a VPC that does have network and internet within the VPC. There you will see what I am talking about.

The local area connection will have a Virtual network "Virtual machine Network services" along with other services and protocols.

Other words the machine that is running VPC is the Host and needs the Virtual machine Network services.

All you need to do is figure out how to get Apples equivalent of Virtual machine Network services installed on the Apple.

But within the Virt mach itself there will be no Virtual machine Network services entry and the NIC may not be the same NIC you physically have installed but a generic typically Intel NIC.

Hope this helps.

FINALLY! If you are using a corrupted VPC XP installation you without control panel and driver access you are not giving this a fair shot.

Before you say it don't work you really need all else to be running.

The files created by VPC *.vhd (virt HD) and *.vmc (the machine itself) are nothing but files.

I suggest you set up the VM on an XP machine and after all works copy theses files to the Apple. May or may not work but you have tried several times and can not get a complete install.

Mike

Moorty · 16th April 2008

Hi Mike:

1) I cannot install the VP 6 on an XP machine because it's a mac specific program.

2) That's right. I don't have a clean installation of XP Pro on the Mac VPC 6. So, nothing will probably work.

3) But I have found a KB article on Microsoft that might help, although there seems to be some confusion in it:

"Virtual PC Internet connection setup and troubleshooting" (KB825372)

I will keep trying.

Thanks again,
Moorty

Moorty · 22nd April 2008

I can report progress regarding this problem now. The problem was with the installation of Windows XP. It was done with errors. I bought and downloaded iemulator and tried twice (7 1/2 hours and 9 hours!) to put up WinXP pro through it. And it finally opened and I found it could access the wireless network, although at a much slower rate.

I took that as a clue and put up win98 second edition on VP 6 (it only took about an hour). Not only the installation was flawless, but it accessed airport without any hitch and at a much better speed than in the iemulator. Now I am trying to put up 98 on iemulator and compare the performance.

Anyway, the problem is solved. I can live with win 98 even if the win xp doesn't work.

Moorty

mflynn · 22nd April 2008

Hi Moorty

Great!

Issue resolved!

Now a couple of suggestions if you want to try. In new seperate machines of course.

Of course do not change anything on the 98 Machine but make a seperate copy of it.

1. To get closer to XP, create a new machine and try Win2k (most key features of XP) but much faster and requires less resources.

2. After copying the 98 to a new machine try upgrading it to 2K and if successful, then upgrade to XP. As the upgrade carries the existing working OS up it may get you a stable and faster XP install.

Good Luck

Mike