Extracting "precompact"... DONE!
Tony Kavadias
Precompact, Microsoft's hard disk pre-compaction tool for Virtual PC
2004 does work... repeat... DOES WORK, on Virtual PC for the Mac!
And for those who have been tracking my movements about this issue,
the C/C++ tool I wrote in Visual Studio, while is faster than Eraser for
zeroing hard disk space, is nowhere near as fast as this tool! I think
I am going to shelve my code in favour of this tool because of its
speed, and because the binary is a mere 140K large (space is
everything!) compared to Eraser's 1.5 MB. And, unlike my shonky
code which has to run under Command Prompt, it's a Windows
application, complete with a GUI and all the bare-minimalist niceties
of Microsoft's Windows system tools!
-- How to get it...
It's so easy, you'll kick yourself! Here's how:
1) Go fetch the Virtual PC 2004 SP1 Trial package from Microsoft's
Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/downloads/sp1.mspx)
2) Start up a virtual machine that has an instance of Windows XP
installed (I have Professional, and I have not tried other OS versions;
if you're game to try it on XP Home or Windows 2000, please do so
and report back here! ALL OTHER OS VERSIONS MAY NOT WORK--
the same restrictions and conditions of support that apply to Virtual PC
2004 for PC also apply for the Virtual PC for Mac).
3) Extract the ZIP file's contents (in Windows).
4) Log in as administrator and install the product. Note where the product
does get installed... you'll want the location later.
5) After a successful installation, go to the installation directory and look
for the directory "Virtual Machine Additions". Look for an ISO image called
"Virtual Disk Precompactor.iso".
6) Create a Shared Folder drive using Virtual PC's "PC Settings..." command
and copy the ISO image to the drive... you'll want this image to reside on the
Mac.
7) Tell Virtual PC to "Capture CD Image" and give it the ISO image you just
saved to the Mac.
8) The Microsoft Pre-Compactor will automatically start and ask you if you want
to pre-compact all attached hard disks.
9) Compact-away!
Once the tool has finished its job, shut down the virtual PC and use the
Virtual Disk Assistant command in Virtual PC itself to compact your
virtual machine's attached disk image(s).
For all my hard work and risk-taking, anyone who uses my idea owes me
a Guinness! ;-)
And, by the way, for anyone wondering, Virtual PC for PC does not work
within a virtual machine in Virtual PC for Mac--Virtual PC 2004 refuses to
start within a virtual machine. So after you get the Precompact tool, you may
as well uninstall Virtual PC 2004 from your virtual system.
Cheers!
--
-- tonza.
Paul Power
ONE very tall Guinness for my friend!!!
It does work......and it's Soooooooooo easy to do.
Many thanks!!
Robert Moir
> Awlriiight!!!
>
> Precompact, Microsoft's hard disk pre-compaction tool for Virtual PC
> 2004 does work... repeat... DOES WORK, on Virtual PC for the Mac!
Mind if I add this to my VPC FAQ website, with, obviously, due credit (email
me if you want something other than the name you use here)
--
--
Rob Moir
Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
Kazaa - Software update services for your Viruses and Spyware.
Tony Kavadias
news:%23jV0AiJ...@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Tony Kavadias wrote:
>> Awlriiight!!!
>>
>> Precompact, Microsoft's hard disk pre-compaction tool for Virtual PC
>> 2004 does work... repeat... DOES WORK, on Virtual PC for the Mac!
>
> Mind if I add this to my VPC FAQ website, with, obviously, due credit
> (email me if you want something other than the name you use here)
>
Yes, please! Putting it in your FAQ would be ever-so-useful!
You can credit me as "tonza" if you like--it's my on-line handle... but my
full
name is just fine.
And, thanks!
Robert Moir
>
> Yes, please! Putting it in your FAQ would be ever-so-useful!
>
> You can credit me as "tonza" if you like--it's my on-line handle...
> but my full
> name is just fine.
>
> And, thanks!
Thank you! Next update, it'll be added :-)
Evanapp
"Robert Moir" wrote:
> What am I doing wrong? I couldn't get Virtual PC to recognize the ISO file as a disk image. The shared folder into which I had put it just came out empty when I tried to capture it. I am using VPC 6.1 with OS 9.2.2. Any idea what the problem is? Thanks.
Steve Jain
<Eva...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> What am I doing wrong? I couldn't get Virtual PC to recognize the ISO file as a disk image. The shared folder into which I had put it just came out empty when I tried to capture it. I am using VPC 6.1 with OS 9.2.2. Any idea what the problem is? Thanks.
You don't access an ISO image through shared folders, you mount it to
the cd-rom drive. Drag and drop the ISO image on the cd-rom icon in
the VPC taskbar.
--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
Website: http://www.essjae.com
"This posting is provided "AS IS" with
no warranties, and confers no rights.
You assume all risk for your use.
I am not am employee of Microsoft."
Evanapp
"Steve Jain" wrote:
Thanks for the comment, Steve, but now I really feel stupid. I don't see how
you can drag a disk image onto the CD-ROM icon in either the Windows or the
Mac environment. In the Windows environment it won't workat all; in the Mac
environment it won't work if I have the Finder active, and if I have VPC
active, I can't see the disk image. What I did was to follow Tonza's
instructions: copy the ISO image into a shared folder to make it available to
the Mac, and then use "Capture CD" to browse for it. It is then that the
folder in which it is sitting comes up empty. Am I missing something obvious?
Tony Kavadias
It's possible that Virtual PC 6 does not show files that do
not have a particular suffix. Try changing the suffix of the
file to ".iso".
Otherwise, (and I think this is overkill), open the File Exchange
control panel and enter the following filetype entry under the
"PC Exchange" tab:
Extension: iso
Map To: Disk Copy
File Type: dimg
Then, the Mac will re-type the ISO file to the above disk copy
type, which Virtual PC may see. According to Virtual PC's
Finder interface definitions, the ".iso" file extension (in the
file's name) is all Virtual PC looks for in determining a file
type to open, so you shouldn't have to go this far.
Hope this helps!
--
-- tonza.
"Evanapp" <Eva...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3EF8FCD6-F1E3-4578...@microsoft.com...
Evanapp
"Tony Kavadias" wrote:
> You're using Mac OS 9.2.2... eh?
>
> It's possible that Virtual PC 6 does not show files that do
> not have a particular suffix. Try changing the suffix of the
> file to ".iso".
>
> Otherwise, (and I think this is overkill), open the File Exchange
> control panel and enter the following filetype entry under the
> "PC Exchange" tab:
>
> Extension: iso
> Map To: Disk Copy
> File Type: dimg
>
> Then, the Mac will re-type the ISO file to the above disk copy
> type, which Virtual PC may see. According to Virtual PC's
> Finder interface definitions, the ".iso" file extension (in the
> file's name) is all Virtual PC looks for in determining a file
> type to open, so you shouldn't have to go this far.
>
> Hope this helps!
>
>
> --
> -- tonza.
No luck! The image already comes with the ".iso" suffix, and fiddling with
the file exchange settings doesn't help. VPC just doesn't seem to see the
image, or at least to recognize it as a disk image. Steve Jain wants me to
drag it onto VPC's CD-ROM icon, and the pop-up prompt that comes when you
mouse over the icon suggests that you should be able to do so, but I haven't
been able to figure out how to do it. I've even tried mounting the image on
the Mac, opening it, sharing the resulting "PRECOMACT" folder, and trying to
open the file "precompact.exe" in the Virtual Machine. But then I just get
the message "precompact.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close."
I hate to give up on your approach, 'cause it sounds kind of neat, and it
may be my last chance to avoid simply throwing away the virtual machine and
starting over. But I'm running out of things to do. Could the precompactor
simply be incompatible with VPC 6.1 and/or OS 9.2.2?. Though even then you'd
think you could at least capture the disk image. Any further ideas, or does
anyone else have a thought?
Evanapp
Steve Jain
<Eva...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>No luck! The image already comes with the ".iso" suffix, and fiddling with
>the file exchange settings doesn't help. VPC just doesn't seem to see the
>image, or at least to recognize it as a disk image. Steve Jain wants me to
>drag it onto VPC's CD-ROM icon, and the pop-up prompt that comes when you
>mouse over the icon suggests that you should be able to do so, but I haven't
>been able to figure out how to do it. I've even tried mounting the image on
>the Mac, opening it, sharing the resulting "PRECOMACT" folder, and trying to
>open the file "precompact.exe" in the Virtual Machine. But then I just get
>the message "precompact.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close."
>
>I hate to give up on your approach, 'cause it sounds kind of neat, and it
>may be my last chance to avoid simply throwing away the virtual machine and
>starting over. But I'm running out of things to do. Could the precompactor
>simply be incompatible with VPC 6.1 and/or OS 9.2.2?. Though even then you'd
>think you could at least capture the disk image. Any further ideas, or does
>anyone else have a thought?
>
>Evanapp
Drag the ISO image to the cd-rom icon on the VPC Toolbar, not inside
to Windows.
Look at the bottom of the VPC window, you'll see a bunch of different
icons.The 2nd one from the left is the cd-rom, it will be grayed out
if no cd is mounted. Drag the ISO image to that and release it. This
will mount it.
What OS are you running in VPC and trying to use precompactor on?
Tony Kavadias
expected type in an "Open..." dialogue box.
Steve, what possibilities are there for Virtual PC not recognising a
candidate file?
I have not had problems in this regard, so because I cannot see the
problem, it makes it that much more difficult to resolve. Maybe
knowing more about why Virtual PC would possibly exclude
ISO files from view would be a good insight.
Which dawns the question to Evanapp... are you sure the ISO got
copied over properly? Like, have you checked the file sizes between
the ISO image in the Virtual PC 2004 installation directory and the
copy you made in your Shared Folder?
Here's another overkill tactic... make a new hard disk image file
using Virtual PC's Disk Assistant, format it for FAT32, and
after rebooting Windows to accept the new disk drive, copy
the ISO image file to the new drive.
Then, shut down the virtual PC, and using the "PC Settings..."
command, select the new disk you made and copied the ISO
image to, and click "Mount". The disk should be visible as an
MS-DOS volume on the Macintosh desktop, and you should be
able to copy the ISO image from that filesystem to any place
you choose on the Macintosh filesystem using the Finder.
Then... continue to get Virtual PC to attach the ISO image file
as a CD-ROM disc when you next reboot your virtual PC and
take it from there.
--
-- tonza.
"Steve Jain" <essj...@Spam-hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hl2cb11nrinlasp27...@4ax.com...
Evanapp
"Steve Jain" wrote:
> Drag the ISO image to the cd-rom icon on the VPC Toolbar, not inside
> to Windows.
>
> Look at the bottom of the VPC window, you'll see a bunch of different
> icons.The 2nd one from the left is the cd-rom, it will be grayed out
> if no cd is mounted. Drag the ISO image to that and release it. This
> will mount it.
>
> What OS are you running in VPC and trying to use precompactor on?
>
The drag and drop works with a real disc, but not with thie ".iso" file. I
am running VPC 6.1 with OS 9.2.2. But see further my reply to Tonza below.
Evanapp
Evanapp
"Tony Kavadias" wrote:
SUCCESS!!!???
The copied ".iso" file appears identical to the original. And is your new
"overkill" tactic any different from what I did when I mounted the "iso" file
on the Mac and tried unsuccessfully to capture it in the Virtual Machine?
In the meanwhile, however, I have had success in an unexpected and puzzling
way. I reinstalled the Virtual PC 2004 SP1 Trial. It seemed to stall during
the installation, taking something like an hour to finish. I still could not
capture the iso file by your procedure, but I was able to run the compact.exe
file successfully, and the precompaction completed in fifteen minutes or so.
Shutdown, run the Disk Assistant utility, and EUREKA, the disk is compacted.
I can't say I know yet what is going on, or why things are behaving so
differently for me than for you. I guess I'll have to do some further
research.
Evanapp
Tony Kavadias
at the problem with Virtual PC not capturing an ISO
disk image as a CD.
Just a Q... have you captured other ISO images before
under Virtual PC 6? And what size files are/were they?
I don't have 6, so I can't figure out what the real problem is.
--
-- tonza.
"Evanapp" <Eva...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0A958740-2B74-446F...@microsoft.com...
Evanapp
"Tony Kavadias" wrote:
> Great! Sorry I couldn't help you there, but I was getting
> at the problem with Virtual PC not capturing an ISO
> disk image as a CD.
>
> Just a Q... have you captured other ISO images before
> under Virtual PC 6? And what size files are/were they?
>
> I don't have 6, so I can't figure out what the real problem is.
>
>
> --
> -- tonza.
Well, I'm not really out of the woods yet, though I did take care of my
immediate compaction problem. I have also resolved the disk capture issue. If
I use Disk Copy to mount the iso file as an image on the Mac, I can then drag
this image over the CD-ROM icon in Virtual PC. Nothing appears to happen, but
a shared folder with the name PRECOMPACT is created. Within this folder, I
can try to run the file labelled PRECOMPACT, which is actually
precompact.exe. The trouble is, it is very chancey whether or not it is
going to run. Most of the time it gives this wretched message "precompact.exe
has encountered a problem and needs to close." Only about one time in four
tries, with restarts in between, does it actually run. So things are not
really satisfactory yet in terms of having a routine compaction procedure
available. Any thoughts? Incidentally, when it does run, it resembles other
zeroing routines in that I get a lot of warnings that the disk is nearly
full. These I simply ignore.
In answer to your question, no, I don't think I have ever before had a need
to capture a disk image in Virtual PC, as opposed to an actual disk.
Anyhow, thanks for all your help. Without your persistent questions, I
wouldn't have gotten as far as I have.
Evanapp
Evanapp
> "Tony Kavadias" wrote:
>
> > Great! Sorry I couldn't help you there, but I was getting
> > at the problem with Virtual PC not capturing an ISO
> > disk image as a CD.
> >
> > Just a Q... have you captured other ISO images before
> > under Virtual PC 6? And what size files are/were they?
> >
> > I don't have 6, so I can't figure out what the real problem is.
> >
> >
> > --
> > -- tonza.
Just a thought. If you have an image like precompactor.iso that contains an
executable program and an autorun.inf file, shouldn't it be possible to mount
the image and run the program from within Windows or from the Command prompt?
Evanapp
Richard Cardona
Evanapp
"Richard Cardona" wrote:
> Yes. I've successfully run precompactor from VPC 2004 in VPC Mac.
How did you do it?
Evanapp
Paul Power
to follow the instructions to the letter. Any deviation will probably
result in failure.
Evanapp
Tonza takes the iso file into the Mac environment and then recaptures it
with VPC. This is a little roundabout, and sometimes leads to problems (see
my earlier posts). Since it is a self-contained disk image containing an
executable program (precompact.exe) and a file autorun.inf, it seems to me
that there ought to be some way to mount and run it directly within Windows,
without having to install VPC 2004 (which is not possible within a virtual
machine).
Evanapp
Steve Jain
You can directly mount an ISO image with Virtual PC. You simply drag
the ISO file and drop it on the cd-rom icon in the VPC toolbar.
The only reason you'd need to install the VPC trial is so you can
actually get the ISO file from the .EXE installer.
Evanapp
> the ISO file and drop it on the cd-rom icon in the VPC toolbar.
>
> The only reason you'd need to install the VPC trial is so you can
> actually get the ISO file from the .EXE installer.
With my system (VPC 6.1 and OS 9.2.2), drag and drop in VPC doesn't mount
the disk. Instead it creates a shared folder containing the contents of the
disk (precompact.exe, autorun.inf, and filler.txt). Running the exe file
gives erratic results; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. That's
why I'm looking for a way to mount the iso image and run the program FROM
WITHIN WINDOWS. I've been directed to a downloadable Microsoft "virtual cd
control panel," and I'm going to give it a try.
Evanapp
Evanapp
Here is hopefully the last word on PRECOMPACTOR with VPC 6.1 and OS 9.2.2.
If I copy the contents of the precompactor.iso image from the shared file to
the virtual C drive, precompactor.exe seems to run quite reliably from the C
drive, even though it is erratic when run from the shared drive.
Alternatively, I can use Toast's disk image mode to burn a physical disk from
precompactor.iso. This mounts and runs quite happily in the Windows
environment. Apparently the VPC 6.1.1/OS 9.2.2 combination just doesn't want
to capture a disk image that is not associated with a physical disk.
Evanapp
Paul Power
If you're looking for easier and simpler ways of doing things, upgrade
your Mac OS. What you're running is equivalent to running Windows 3.1
as compared to Windows XP. Mac OS 9.2.2 has had it's day and it's time
to retire it.