Installing Virtual Server under Windows 7
Installing Virtual Server under Windows 7
To install Virtual Server under Windows 7 is straightforward, although it involved registry
To install Virtual Server under Windows 7 is straightforward, although it involved registry
To install Virtual Server under Windows 7 is straightforward, although it involved registry
editing (and is NOT supported). The steps are as follows:
editing (and is NOT supported).
1. Disable the application compatibility fixes. You first need to disable all the application
Disable the application compatibility fixes. You first need to disable all the application
compatibility fixes that would stop you from installing Virtual Server. In Windows 7,
compatibility fixes that would stop you from installing Virtual Server. In Windows 7,
compatibility fixes that would stop you from installing Virtual Server. In Windows 7,
bring up the local Group Policy editor and Computer Configuration
bring up the local Group Policy editor and omputer Configuration\Administrative
Templates\Windows Components and enable all of the
Windows Components\Application Compatibility\ and enable all of the
 Turn off entries. As here;
As here;
2. Then go to the Computer Configuration
Computer Configuration\Administrative
Templates\System\Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Application Compatibility
roubleshooting and Diagnostics\Application Compatibility
Diagnostics\ folder and disable all of the entries there. Like here:
folder and disable all of the entries there.
3. Reboot to ensure the settings take effect. You could, I suppose, just do a gpupdate
/force, but I prefer to reboot.
4. Install Virtual Server. Download the binaries from Microsoft .com and install it.
5. Install VS SP1  depending on what download you get, you may may need to install
SP1. NB: Installing SP1 is more difficult once you have completed this process, so why
not do it now?
6. Change Application File Name. To enable the next step to work properly, you need to
rename the Virtual Server application file name, by going to the Virtual Server
directory (typically C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\ ) and rename
Vssrvc.Exe  I used Vssrvc_Win7.exe.
7. Change the registry settings for this new file name. Run regedit, then find and
replace all occurrences of "vssrvc.exe" to vssrvc_Win7.exe. There are around 5 or 6
entries to fix.
8. Undo the group policy changes you made at step 1 above. This turns all those
application compatibility fixes back on (which is probably what you want!).
9. Reboot.
Once the reboot is completed, you should have (the renamed) Virtual Server running on
your Windows 7 box. If you want to just run VMs, off you go. you can create and use VS just
as you did on XP or Server 2003. Hoevere, if you want to install a MSL Lab onto the system,
you have just a bit more work (hacking) to do.