6.5: Unity - Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit with Intel Quadcore and Nvidia 8800 GTS don't works?

[rolsch_vm]

Hi workstation fans

I've installed the new workstation 6.5 - 118166.

The host systems run on vista ultimate 64bit sp1, intel quadcore and nvidia 8800 gts (b-driver 177.92).

When i switched to unity-mode the console was minimized and i see the "unity-guest-button" by the start button on the host desktop.

Mow, i started - example - the paint programm, it was not shown on the host-desktop.

After unity off, i see the paint program in the console...?

regards

Roland

[char27]

I have a Quad core, Vista Ultimate x64 8GB RAM and an NVidia GTX280 and have this exact same issue - goes in and out of Unity mode just fine but no windows ever show up on the desktop or task bar. I also run dual monitors but have tried this with only one enabled.

I was sure looking forward to this feature and I hope its fixed soon.

[char27]

Not sure if this helps narrow it down but I tried this at work and it works just fine.

I have a dual core intel duo 6gb RAM, dual NVidia Quadro 1500FX cards and 3 monitors. I am running Win2008 X64 Enterprise. I run with the Aero interface on both machines.

So either this is an issue with Vista X64 SP1 (although if it works on Server x64 its unlikely since the core code base is basically the same) or an issue with 4 cores or an issue with specific NVidia cards (i have NVidia in both). Not sure what else it would be.

[sirkirby]

I have the nearly the exact configuration and the exact same problem as reported by everyone in this forum... any official word on what to do, or if this issue is being fixed??

My similar config is as follows:

Intel Q9550

NForce 780i MB wi/ 8 gigs of ram

Vista Ultimate SP1 x64

Nvidia 260 GTX & Nvidia 9500 GT driving 4 displays

Unity is the main reason i'm using VMWare 6.5, which i'm sure is the same for many of you... i truely hope there is a solution soon.

[mudtoe]

It would be nice to get some sort of acknowledgement from VMWare that they are aware of this problem and working on it. Has anyone submitted a formal tech support request for this? I already used my one "free" support request a year ago to report problems with the dual monitor support. It took them about six months to fix it, but the bug I reported was listed as fixed in a subsequent maintenance release, and indeed it was; so they will address problems if you report them through the regular support channel. I think the rule is that you get one free support request in the first 90 days after buying the product if you didn't purchase a maintenance contract, so if anyone in this thread fits that category maybe they can report this problem.

mudtoe

[jsa]

Private email via the regular support channel suggests to me that they are aware, but they specifically requested a formal bug report. I don't know ifI have any left.

It does not seem right that I would have to burn a support instance for a widely reported problem.

[mudtoe]

It ought to work like the challenge flag in the NFL. If you use one, but it turns out you are right that it is a legitimate bug, you don't get charged. One would think that they would want to know about legitimate bugs that affect the quality of their products rather than discourage people from reporting them. Also, the ones who take the time to research the conditions that cause the bug would be the best ones to work with in getting the information needed to find the problem. Their policy is very short sighted IMHO.

mudtoe

[rolsch_vm]

Hmmm,

now nvidia drivers 178.24 an no unity under Vista 64bit with quad core - bad thing...:_|

[khimaira]

This is not just an Nvidia issue.

I have an Intel Q6600, 4Gb memory, an ATI 4850, VM Workstation 6.5, Windows Vista Business x64, and I get the same problems with Unity. This is with both Windows XP SP2 guest and Ubuntu guest.

[rolsch_vm]

Hmm,

this points to the combi Vista x64 and Intel/AMD Quadcore...

- any new hints?

[mudtoe]

I tried the new version of workstation (6.5.1) yesterday, and it still doesn't work. I can get the start menu to show up in unity mode now, but no windows. I also tried the following with no effect:

1). I used the Vista boot options (Vista is the host) to only enable two processors, as this seems to only be an issue for the quad processor systems, but that didn't work.

2). I tried all the other boot settings I could change (e.g. DEP, PAE) and even deducted 1gb of memory in case it had issues with 4gb; none of which worked.

3). I played with a couple of other BIOS settings, like turning off the high precision timer and forcing it back to APIC, and still no go.

4). I also tried using task manager to force the VM and the host processes to use the same two processors (a variation of item #1), and that didn't work either.

I've tried everything I can think of. It's really unfair that you have to pay VMWare to look into an issue that's obviously their problem. I've already used up my one free tech support incident to report another problem that they eventually fixed in a later release, so I can't contact them again without paying. I posted this before, but if anyone else having this problem has the ability to report an issue without buying tech support time, please do so.

Thanks,

mudtoe

[jsa]

The other thing that does not work on this same hardware setup is running machines in the background when you exit Vmware.

Using a quadcore and Nvidia on Vista64, and setting VMs to continue running in the background when closing Vmware's main screen leaves those machines unreachable. They can't be accessed in any way other than by killing them in task manager.

I burned a paid support incident on this only to be told it is not supported on Vista, yet they continue to advertise this capability, and it worked PERFECTLY onder 6.0.5.

[nettet]

This cant be a problem with 4 Core Processors only. I still have a 2 Core Processor and it is not working.

Anyway, in the meantime I changed the Hardware from a Core2 Duo E6700 (on P35 Chipset) to a Core2 Duo E8500 (on a P45 Chipset) and still have the same Problem: Unitymode is not showing the application on host. I still have a Geforce 7300 GT installed and Vista64 Bit Ultimate as OS (which survived the change of the mainboard and the processor).

So I think the combination of nvidia, vista64 and core2 cpu (2 or 4 cores) may cause this problem.

Lets hope this problem will be fixed in the next minor release, because it is a very nice feature that I would like to use

[sirkirby]

I don't think the core's seem to matter either...so that makes sense. 64 bit vista & nvidia 7x chipset seem to be the killer combo here.

I was really hoping for a fix in the first minor release, but it looks like we'll have to keep waiting in the dark...

I know i sound like a broken record on this, but is anyone from vmware willing to respond or at least acknowledge the issue? Just throw us a bone, anything...

Unity is the main reason on I've been pushing the 6.5 upgrade in our organization, and unfortunately, i'm not the only one in my org with this very common configuration. If we're simply SOL here, than at least i would know not to recommend sinking any money in additional licenses/upgrades.

[ErwinHeute]

Neither Vista not NVidia seems to be the problem: I'm using XP Prof. 64bit w/ 8 GB RAM, Intel Quad Core QX6700 and an ATI Radeon 1950 pro with 512 MB memory and I'm having exactly the same problem (I've also reported that at another thread here).

What can we do to make VMware look into this problem?

Erwin

[sirkirby]

Thats interesting to hear that you are running XP, i believe you are the first one to report this issue on a host other than vista 64 bit...perhaps it is simply the 64 bit & quad core combo, or something else entirely.

As far as i can tell, there is really nothing you can do other than burn a support incident if you have one. Even then, i don't believe a solution will be provided...at least no one has confirmed that here.

There has never even been acknowlegement that the problem officially exists, so apparentlly there are so few of us that this issue doesn't need attention or we are colletively doing something wrong to cause the issue. Again though, neither has been confirmed...just speculation on my part.

For now, i've just written this feature off and recommended that my org hold off on all upgrades to 6.5...primarily due to this major issue and other minor ones we have encountered during our evaluation.

Chris

[rolsch_vm]

Hmm,

i use an german Vista Ultimate 64bit with quadcore intel an the latest nvidia drivers.

- an problem with the german ms os?

[ErwinHeute]

Don't think so: for XP Prof. 64bit, as far as I know, only an English version exists (at least I have an English version), although I have a German MUI installed on top of it.

Erwin

[dw2007]

Hi All,

Yet another user with the exact same problem here.

Specs are AMD Phenom x4 9550 with Vista X64 and a GeForce 7800GT. Also had the problem with my AMD Athlon X2 1800+

Glad to finally hear that others are having the same issues as me.

Log file attached

VMWare 6.5.1

Message was edited by: dw2007

[tryeth]

I was pulling my hair because of Unity not working on my system since it is the most important feature for me (at least for choosing vmware over alternatives). After some googling I've found this thread.

I am using VMWare 6.5.1 (build 126130) on Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 with Core i7 920, ATI 4879X2 (Catalyst 8.12 - latest version) and 12GB RAM.

As you can see I am running on 4 cores and 64bit host, too.

I've tried Ubuntu 7.04 and Win XP SP3 guests (both 32 bit). I installed them from scratch so their VMWare Tools' are the latest version. Their start menus do show up in unity mode like the other posters but applications only start in the guest (I see that when turning unity off just like the OP). I get no taskbar icons or windows or whatsoever on the host. I disabled my 2nd monitor too but that didn't help either.

It doesn't look like a video card or driver issue because people with both NVidia and ATI cards have this problem. Number of cores also seem not to matter. However Vista x64 SP1 is common as far as I can see. I was going to mention Intel CPUs too but the previous poster has AMD sothat goes out of the window.

[kevinlsw]

Another user here with the same problem.

VMWare 6.5.1 Build 126130 on Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 with Core2 Quad CPU Q6600@2.40GHz, ATI 4850HD and 8GB RAM.

Tried with WinXP SP2 guests. Start menus show up, but applications only start in the guest.