Floppy disk problem in 1.1 Beta

[skapplin]

Have installed the Fusion 1.1 beta successfully. I imported an existing vm disk from the previous version installed on a different system. Because the imported system was set up for SCSI I keep getting a startup dialog about installing the SCSI driver. So I downloaded the floppy disk image that has the required SCSI driver for Fusion with XP. I then configured my Windows vm for a floppy disk and assigned the image file to the floppy disk. Started Windows. Immediately I get this line in the terminal window:

NTLDR Missing

Press any key to restart

Of course no restart is possible because I get the same error message. I then edit the .vmx config file and remove the entries for the floppy disk and restart the vm. It now works fine. Therefore, there is something wrong. I need a clue as to what that may be and if it can be fixed without waiting for the next beta version (and to know if I need to file a bug report.)

[admin]

The floppy image only contains the driver, it doesn't contain a bootable version of Windows

If your VM is working correctly, you can ignore the informational message about needing a SCSI driver for Windows.

[Andreas_Masur]

And just in case, someone needs to use the SCSI driver for the installation...the issue here is that by default, the BIOS tries to boot from the floppy drive hence the missing NTLDR. What you need to do is:

-> Add a boot delay so that you can select the boot menu and then select CD/DVD

-> Boot into the BIOS and change the boot order there

From my own experience, adding a boot delay to the .vmx file (-> see A Power User's Guide to VMware Fusion[/url]) is the easiest way for this.

Ciao, Andreas

[skapplin]

etung,

Thanks for the information. I'm puzzled, however, as to why there

would need to be a bootable system on the floppy in order to install

the driver. Setting up a floppy disk would be the only way to install

a floppy based driver, and Windows doesn't require the floppy be

bootable. Setting up the floppy disk would be only way to have Fusion

mount a floppy disk image as a floppy. Or am I missing something

about the way Fusion uses disk images other than CD or DVD images of

Windows installers.

Also, why is the error dialog appearing if it isn't called for? This

occurs in the 1.0 release as well as the 1.1 beta. If the SCSI driver

is being installed via VM Tools, then the error dialog shouldn't be

required.

Regards,

---

Steven D. Kapplin, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor of Finance and Real Estate

University of South Florida

College of Business

Tampa, FL 33620pplin.com

[rcardona2k]

I'm puzzled, however, as to why there would need to be a bootable system on the floppy in order to install the driver.

I don't think anyone is saying the floppy image would need to be bootable, but rather if the VM is configured to connect the floppy image at startup, the default attempt by BIOS is boot from floppy (boot order). Since the floppy isn't bootable you get an error about NTDLR.

Also, why is the error dialog appearing if it isn't called for? This occurs in the 1.0 release as well as the 1.1 beta. If the SCSI driver is being installed via VM Tools, then the error dialog shouldn't be required.

As to what triggers the error, I'm not sure about that. I know the VMware Tools installer behaves differently when you choose Complete vs. Typical because it is installing a superset of all drivers into the virtual machine when not all of the associated virtual hardware may be present. I always choose Complete when installing VMware Tools so I can change the SCSI adapter type or network adapter type whenever I want to test with other virtual hardware.

[skapplin]

Ahhhh, that explains it. I thought the default boot order was CD, HD,

Floppy or HD, CD, Floppy. Didn't dawn on me that it might be Floppy

first.

Then this raises one question. What is the proper way to configure

Settings to allow a floppy image to mount? Should I leave the

'Connect' option unchecked until after Windows boots?

While I am fortunate enough to have your assistance I have another

question unrelated to the above. I was trying to install Windows XP

Pro from scratch to a VM configured to have a SCSI virtual drive. The

installer started up OK and began copying the initial files. When it

reached the point to configure the hard drive it popped up an error

message that no drive could be found. When I discarded the VM and

recreated it a second time using an IDE virtual drive then the Windows

installation went through without any problem. Apparently the

installer is unable to install to a SCSI virtual drive. However, your

general recommendation is to use SCSI rather than IDE. But if you

have to use IDE in order to install XP Pro (oh, it's Service Pak 2)

then it's a real pain in the ass to convert that to SCSI. Is this

simply a problem with XP Pro installers? Would I need to buy Vista to

circumvent the problem? Or am I stuck installing on IDE (which is

what I did)?

Steve

---

Steven D. Kapplin, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor of Finance and Real Estate

University of South Florida

College of Business

Tampa, FL 33620pplin.com

[admin]

What is the proper way to configure

Settings to allow a floppy image to mount? Should I leave the

'Connect' option unchecked until after Windows boots?

That's probably the easiest, though you could also configure the BIOS to boot from the hard drive before the floppy.

then it's a real pain in the ass to convert that to SCSI. Is this

simply a problem with XP Pro installers? Would I need to buy Vista to

circumvent the problem? Or am I stuck installing on IDE (which is

what I did)?

There's some point in the install process (before detecting hard drives) when the Windows installer lets you press a button to locate necessary drivers. This is when you'd attach the floppy image and point the installer at it. Fusion's Easy Install should do this for you.

[rcardona2k]

There's some point in the install process (before detecting hard drives) when the Windows installer lets you press a button to locate necessary drivers. This is when you'd attach the floppy image and point the installer at it. Fusion's Easy Install should do this for you.

Yes, Eric is right, you can press F6 to load additional drivers. Windows setup tells you this at the bottom of the install screen. Setup is horrible about providing feedback that you've hit F6 plus if the VM hasn't grabbed the keyboard input, you don't know about it. So, again as Eric suggested, the best way to install Windows is to use Easy Install.

Edit: Corrected F6 key

[skapplin]

Thanks for the helpful information.

---

Steven D. Kapplin, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor of Finance and Real Estate

University of South Florida

College of Business

Tampa, FL 33620pplin.com