ÿþ<HTML> <LINK REL=StyleSheet HREF="../../shrd/style.css" TYPE="text/css"> <HEAD> <TITLE>Running several guest PCs</TITLE> <X-CLARIS-WINDOW TOP=42 BOTTOM=949 LEFT=4 RIGHT=534><X-CLARIS-TAGVIEW MODE=minimal><META HTTP-EQUIV="content-type" CONTENT="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"><META NAME="DP" CONTENT="1.9/3.1.1"><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="simultaneous, multiple windows, VMs"> </HEAD> <P> <H1>Running several guest PCs</H1> <P>When running more than one <A HREF="../../shrd/pgs/hostguest.htm">guest</A> PC, there are several things you may want to consider: <UL> <LI CLASS=COMPACT><A HREF="#individual" >Individual PC Settings</A> <LI CLASS=COMPACT><A HREF="#global" >Global Preferences</A> <LI CLASS=COMPACT><A HREF="#drop" >Drag and Drop</A> <LI CLASS=COMPACT><A HREF="#video" >Video Settings</A> <LI CLASS=COMPACT><A HREF="#cycle" >Cycling Through Guest PCs</A> </UL> <H2>Individual PC Settings<A NAME="individual"></A></H2> <P>The settings for each guest PC determine how the guest PC will interact with other guest PCs running simultaneously. <UL> <LI><B>PC Name<BR> </B>When specifying a PC name, each PC name must be unique.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4Name.htm" >PC Name Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>PC Memory<BR> </B>When running more than one guest PC at a time, a significant amount of additional memory is required. For a more complete discussion, see <A HREF="../../shrd/pgs/shrdmem.htm">Memory Use in Virtual PC</A><B><BR> </B></P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4Memory.htm" >PC Memory Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>Hard Disk Images<BR> </B>Many guest PCs may share one hard disk image, but only one guest PC may use the image at a time. The first guest PC to startup and use the disk image retains control of the disk image until the guest PC is shut down.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4Drives.htm" >Hard Disk Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>CD/DVD-ROM<BR> </B>A CD/DVD may be captured by more than one PC at a time. When a CD/DVD is inserted into the drive, the frontmost PC will automatically capture the CD/DVD. Other PCs may manually capture the CD/DVD using the guest PC <A HREF="../../vpc01/pgs/vpc1Toolbar.htm">toolbar</A>.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4CD.htm" >CD/DVD-ROM Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>Floppy<BR> </B>A floppy disk (or floppy disk image) may be captured by only one PC at a time. The first guest PC to capture a floppy retains control of the floppy until that floppy is ejected or manually released using the <A HREF="../../vpc01/pgs/vpc1Toolbar.htm">toolbar</A>, or until the guest PC is shut down. If the guest PC is shut down, control of a floppy disk passes to the host PC. If the guest PC is shut down, floppy disk images are released; control of a floppy image does not pass to any other PC.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4Floppy.htm" >Floppy Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B><A NAME="folders"></A>Shared Folders<BR> </B>A folder may be shared by more than one guest PC at a time. Files within the folders may only be opened for writing by one guest PC at a time. Files may be opened for reading by more than one guest PC at a time.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4SharedFolders.htm" >Shared Folder Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>COM Ports<BR> </B>Any device attached to a COM port may be used by only one guest PC at a time. The device is not available to other guest PCs until the guest PC is shut down or releases the COM port.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4COM.htm" >COM Port Settings</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>LPT1<BR> </B>A device attached to the LPT1 port may be used by only one guest PC at a time. The device is not available to other any other PC, including the host PC, until the guest PC is shut down.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc04/pgs/vpc4LPT.htm" >LPT1 Settings</A><BR><BR> </UL> <H2>Global Preferences<A NAME="global"></A></H2> <P>Three of the global preference settings affect performance of the frontmost guest PC when other guest PCs are running in the background. <UL> <LI><B>Pause PCs When In Background<BR> </B>When running more than one guest PC at a time, selecting Pause PCs When In Background may increase the performance of the frontmost guest PC.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc03/pgs/vpc3PC.htm" >PC Settings Preferences</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>Share Time Between Multiple PCs<BR> </B>When running more then one guest PC at a time, you can choose to either give the front most guest PC the largest chunk of CPU time, or you can divide the CPU time equally among the active guest PCs. <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc03/pgs/vpc3Performance.htm" >Performance Preferences</A><BR><BR> <LI><B>Mute Sound in Background<BR> </B>When running more than one guest PC at a time, selecting Mute Sound In Background may improve the sound quality of the frontmost guest PC.</P> <P>See: <A HREF="../../vpc03/pgs/vpc3Sound.htm" >Sound Preferences</A><BR><BR> </UL> <H2>Drag and Drop<A NAME="drop"></A></H2> <P>Virtual PC supports drag and drop between the host PC and any guest PCs running within Virtual PC. It also supports drag and drop between two guest PCs. <H2>Video Settings<A NAME="video"></A></H2> <P>When a host PC monitor is set to display in full screen mode, and you cycle through the guest PCs whose windows are contained within that monitor, the monitor resolution will change to match the resolution of the frontmost guest PC.</P> <P>If the guest PCs are not all set to display in the same resolution, as you switch from one PC to the next, Virtual PC will require a moment to change the resolution of the host PC monitor.</P> <P>See also:<BR> <A HREF="vpc2Display.htm" >Changing the PC display mode</A><BR> <A HREF="../../shrd/pgs/shrdperf.htm">Performance</A> </P> <H2>Cycling Through Guest PCs<A NAME="cycle"></A></H2> <P>When running more than one PC, you may want to cycle through the PCs that are running. Virtual PC provides keyboard shortcuts which allow you to do this.<BR> </P> <CENTER><TABLE BORDER=1> <TR> <TD> <P><B>Shortcut</B> </TD><TD> <P><B>Action</B> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P>host key + right arrow </TD><TD> <P>Display previous PC </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <P>host key + left arrow </TD><TD> <P>Display next PC </TD> </TR> </P> </TABLE></CENTER> <P>See also:<BR> <A HREF="../../vpc03/pgs/vpc3Keyboard.htm">Specifying keyboard preferences</A><BR> <A HREF="vpc2Display.htm" >Changing the PC display mode</A><BR> </P> <CET_ADSENSEF> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-5291624188982543"; /* 728x90, A>740=> 04.02.08 */ google_ad_slot = "9704471239"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </CET_ADSENSEF> <CET_FOOTER> <table width="100%" border="0"> <tr> <td colspan="2" bgcolor="#0099FF"><div align="right" class="style1"> <div align="center"><font color="#FFFFFF">You are reading help file online using chmlib.com</font></div> </div></td> </tr> </table> <hr align="left" width="650"><BR> If you want your help file to be removed or added please send e-mail to chmlibcom@gmail.com </CET_FOOTER> </BODY> </HTML>