Virtual PC and Mac OS X 10.3 Disk Read Error

[Lisa Moskaluk]

I have just tried to start up virtual pc and as it boots up the terminal window, it stops with the message:
A disk read error occurred
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

I have tried to find an appropriate Del button on my mac keyboard but nothing seems to work!?

Any suggestions of where it is or how i can boot up virtual pc?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Use Virtual PC's menus

There is a command in the menu bar called 'Type CTRL-ALT-DEL'. Use that. If all else fails, you will need to rebuild your virtual disk (which I don't know how to do short of making a new one).

 

[Snowy_River]

You need to have a full extended keyboard to have the DEL key. What kind of Mac are you using? What kind of keyboard do you have? I use an extended keyboard with my G4 PB whenever I want to run WinNT because of the Control-Alt-Delete log-in method.

 

[Lisa Moskaluk]

it's not responding to that command. any other suggestions? no idea about rebuilding the virtual disk.
if i reinstall, how do i uninstall first? do i just reinstall the windows xp or do i have to reinstall the entire vpc and xp?
there must be another way...that's going to be my last resort.

 

[Lisa Moskaluk]

i have a powerbook g4. don't know what an extended keyboard is???

oh yeah, and the control method mentioned doesn't work either...baffled!

 

[Snowy_River]

Re: Use Virtual PC's menus

Originally posted by wrldwzrd89
There is a command in the menu bar called 'Type CTRL-ALT-DEL'. Use that. If all else fails, you will need to rebuild your virtual disk (which I don't know how to do short of making a new one).

That must be a feature of VPC6. I can see how that could really come in handy. Ah well, for the time being I'm stuck with 5...

 

[Lisa Moskaluk]

still doesn't help me though. it doesn't work when i use that command.

 

[Snowy_River]

Originally posted by Lisa Moskaluk
i have a powerbook g4. don't know what an extended keyboard is???

oh yeah, and the control method mentioned doesn't work either...baffled!

What you need is an external keyboard. Here's an image with the Delete key that Windows is asking for circled:

 

[Lisa Moskaluk]

i'll plug in my desktop keyboard, as i work on a laptop. however, the command in vpc for: type ctrl+alt+del still doesn't work.

thank you for your trouble though. how very nice of you.

 

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by Lisa Moskaluk
it's not responding to that command. any other suggestions? no idea about rebuilding the virtual disk.
if i reinstall, how do i uninstall first? do i just reinstall the windows xp or do i have to reinstall the entire vpc and xp?
there must be another way...that's going to be my last resort.

Your operating system is installed on a disk image. VPC is an application. You can upgrade the VPC application without having to change your disk image. And, you can create as many disk images as you like, usually with different OSes, without having to reinstall the VPC application.

 

[Lisa Moskaluk]

sorry for my stupidity, but do you know how i go about doing that?

 

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by Lisa Moskaluk
sorry for my stupidity, but do you know how i go about doing that?

How do you go about doing what? If I didn't know better, I would think that you don't have a copy of VPC. The application is too simple to use for you to have any serious problems setting it up.

 

[Lisa Moskaluk]

err, i do. i don't understand what a disk image is (see post before my last post). I have reinstalled my vpc anyway and it's back up and working. I still have trouble using a USB mic with the dang thing though.

any suggestions? that's a whole new topic right there!?!?!

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I suspect you don't know where the virtual disk is stored

The virtual disk (not a disk image as stated elsewhere) is stored in a Virtual PC folder (not sure of the exact name, but I know it has Virtual PC in it) in your documents folder in your user folder. You can get there using the Go menu from the finder or navigating to (hard disk):Usersyour short user name) from an Open or Save dialog box (only on the Mac side).

Edit: disabled smilies

 

[MisterMe]

Re: I suspect you don't know where the virtual disk is stored

Originally posted by wrldwzrd89
The virtual disk (not a disk image as stated elsewhere) is stored in a Virtual PC folder (not sure of the exact name, but I know it has Virtual PC in it) in your documents folder in your user folder. You can get there using the Go menu from the finder or navigating to (hard disk):Usersyour short user name) from an Open or Save dialog box (only on the Mac side).

Edit: disabled smilies

The "virtual disk" is in fact a disk image file. It is a file that the emulator recognizes as non-removeable storage. A full installation of VPC creates a single such file, but you can add as many as you like. Each image file may contain any Intel-compatible OS that you like. You may add image files exclusively for data.

Lisa should search her hard disk for "Virtual PC," or some iteration thereof. Hopefully, her "virtual disk" image file will show up.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

It may be a disk image, but it isn't...

...a standard Mac OS X disk image. It is in a different format (.vhd) instead of Mac OS X's format (.dmg). These files are part of a Mac OS X package that represents your PC's data and preferences.