Reading some blurbs about Windows 7 and the virtual XP feature requiring
hardware virtualization got me curious so I checked the one notebook I have
with an Intel processor. According to all the info I can find, the
Core-duo chip I have does in fact support hardware virtualization but it is
disabled and the BIOS has no provision for turning it on. Is there anyway
to enable that feature outside the BIOS?
–
Will Honea
Will Honea adjusted his/her AFB on Saturday 09 May 2009 23:20 to write:
> Reading some blurbs about Windows 7 and the virtual XP feature requiring
> hardware virtualization got me curious so I checked the one notebook I
> have
> with an Intel processor. According to all the info I can find, the
> Core-duo chip I have does in fact support hardware virtualization but it
> is
> disabled and the BIOS has no provision for turning it on. Is there anyway
> to enable that feature outside the BIOS?
>
Which lappy?
–
Mark
Nullus in verba
Nil illigitimi carborundum
baskitcaise wrote:
> Will Honea adjusted his/her AFB on Saturday 09 May 2009 23:20 to write:
>
>> Reading some blurbs about Windows 7 and the virtual XP feature requiring
>> hardware virtualization got me curious so I checked the one notebook I
>> have
>> with an Intel processor. According to all the info I can find, the
>> Core-duo chip I have does in fact support hardware virtualization but it
>> is
>> disabled and the BIOS has no provision for turning it on. Is there
>> anyway to enable that feature outside the BIOS?
>>
>
>
> Which lappy?
Damn! You would make me go look! It’s a Toshiba Satellite M115. They don’t
specify the stepping of the processor but Intel’s CPU-ID utility says it
supports VT-x and the numbers check out against the Intel list so that I
have it is an accident rather than intentional - we used to get a lot of
strange chips on an OEM order where the only important part to us was that
it met the specs of the chip we ordered as a minimum, so I’m not too
surprised. BTW, no-go on a Toshiba BIOS update to open it up ;( Just
hoping this was one where I eat the bear - if I can enable te feature
post-POST.
–
Will Honea
Will Honea adjusted his/her AFB on Sunday 10 May 2009 05:28 to write:
> Damn! You would make me go look! It’s a Toshiba Satellite M115. They
> don’t specify the stepping of the processor but Intel’s CPU-ID utility
> says it supports VT-x and the numbers check out against the Intel list so
> that I have it is an accident rather than intentional - we used to get a
> lot of strange chips on an OEM order where the only important part to us
> was that it met the specs of the chip we ordered as a minimum, so I’m not
> too
> surprised. BTW, no-go on a Toshiba BIOS update to open it up ;( Just
> hoping this was one where I eat the bear - if I can enable te feature
> post-POST.
>
Well through blurry eyes and a quick google i cannot find anything about
enabling it in hardware but there do seem to be people "Virt`ing"™ on
that lappy and I cannot see anyone complaining that it is only using
software and not hardware support YMMV.
Why not just install Virtualbox and see if there is a big performance hit,
bit of a newb myself with virtual stuff so I don`t even know if maybe the
host software does some magic and enables that part of the chip during
start…???
I only use AMD so am no way an expert on Intel CPU`s.
Ps. if you are going to give Virtualbox a go then get the rpm from the
virtualbox website and not from the SuSE repo`s apparently the USB support
is better, not tested here only had time to install XP and do the updates no
chance a playing yet.
HTH
–
Mark
Nullus in verba
Nil illigitimi carborundum
baskitcaise wrote:
> I only use AMD so am no way an expert on Intel CPU`s.
Ps. if you are going to give Virtualbox a go then get the rpm from the
virtualbox website and not from the SuSE repo`s apparently the USB support
> is better, not tested here only had time to install XP and do the updates
> no chance a playing yet.
I’m with you on the AMD - that laptop is the only Intel processor I have
outside of some Dells I support.
I do have VB 2.2 on the machine and it does not allow me to enable the
hardware virtualization. For it’s use, software virtualization is more
than adequate but I’m always annoyed when I can’t play with all the toys 
–
Will Honea
Will Honea adjusted his/her AFDB on Sunday 10 May 2009 23:34 to write:
> I’m with you on the AMD - that laptop is the only Intel processor I have
> outside of some Dells I support.
Ah no that brings to mind a thought, could your lappy be like a lot of OEM
hardware ( dell is a good example ) maybe the chip can but the capabilities
of the board do not allow it?
I think most people know about suppliers ummm… techniques in building
machines with non standard hardware, like advertising that there machines
contain… say a creative sound-blaster and when investigated why it does
not work with standard drivers it ti revealed that in fact it is a custom (
read limited ) non standard board… power supplies now don`t get me
started on them, I will have to go and sit down in a darkened room now
before I start a RANT !!!11!!! 
Nurse! more brandy.
I do have VB 2.2 on the machine and it does not allow me to enable the
hardware virtualization. For it’s use, software virtualization is more
than adequate but I’m always annoyed when I can’t play with all the toys
Big ACK! on that one.
Never bought an off the shelf machine yet never will except for my laptop
and there ain`t much I can do about that.
–
Mark
Nullus in verba
Nil illigitimi carborundum
Will Honea schrieb:
> Reading some blurbs about Windows 7 and the virtual XP feature requiring
> hardware virtualization got me curious so I checked the one notebook I have
> with an Intel processor. According to all the info I can find, the
> Core-duo chip I have does in fact support hardware virtualization but it is
> disabled and the BIOS has no provision for turning it on. Is there anyway
> to enable that feature outside the BIOS?
No. In order to use VT-x you need both processor and BIOS supporting it.
Your only chance is a BIOS update that would add the missing functionality.
It might be worth checking the notebook maker’s download pages for that.
HTH
T.
Tilman Schmidt wrote:
> No. In order to use VT-x you need both processor and BIOS supporting it.
> Your only chance is a BIOS update that would add the missing
> functionality. It might be worth checking the notebook maker’s download
> pages for that.
Thanks. Not the answer I wanted but it’s the first definitive one.
–
Will Honea