Is the program you are trying to use a part of Win10, or is it 3rd party?
If part of W10, then it may have a bug since the last patch set.
If it is a 3rd party program, it may have incompatibilities with W10 since the last patch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reece
...
I installed XP in a virtual desktop in Win 10 but too many problems trying to get drivers to work, I gave up.  |
I see this statement a lot, so I'll try to be brief in this statement, as it is a bit off-topic.
If by "virtual desktop" you mean a "Virtual Machine", then this applies. Otherwise I'm mis-reading your statement and you can ignore this post.
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A "VIRTUAL MACHINE" is just that, 'virtual' hardware,
Software faking hardware.
A "Host" OS, uses a VM program to allow you to install a "Guest" OS.
The Guest only gets to "see" what the Host wants it too.
For example, on an older version Fedora (the "Host"), I had a virtual "Guest" of Ubuntu.
I have an 8-core processor, 32GB RAM, and a 4 drive RAID-10.
(Yes, it's a
bit overkill.)
But Ubuntu, was only allowed to "see" a 4-core processor, and 8GB RAM.
And Ubuntu's "hard drive" was a 20GB FILE in my /home directory.
None of it was "REAL".
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Now, keep that in mind with Video & Sound Cards.
Think about the first boot (on a fresh install) of Win98/WinXP on physical hardware...
The desktops colors on both were probably "washed out".
This is because it lacked drivers, and Windows was defaulting to a basic SOFTWARE PCI video card driver (if memory serves: 98=16 color, XP=256 color).
At this point _as far as *Windows* is concerned_ it is using a "Video
Card", not a "Video
Accelerator" (one with a GPU).
Which means all of the video work is being performed by the CPU, not the $$$ GPU that you purchased.
(Card/accelerator are both older terms, not really used much now, most video 'cards' now have a GPU.)
Installing the drivers allows access to/boots-up/wakes-up the 'higher' Video functions, and you get things like 3D rendering and 32bit color.
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Now jumping back to the VM...
The VM Host is software saying to the Guest is "Yes, you have a video card, a -basic- software PCI video card".
What it
really means is "You have a video output/buffer that *I*, as the Host, will draw on the screen in the box that the user assigned to you".
So as far as the Guest is concerned, the *physical* GPU doesn't exist.
So you get drivers that won't install, and slow performance with things like games, because the CPU is doing all of the video work.
And since a CPU is NOT a GPU, it really doesn't work all that well (if at all) for 3D video.
So before you ask "is there anyway I can use my GPU on a Guest OS in a VM"?
(You already asked it.... didn't you...
)
Yes there is, BUT there are a few limitations on this.
(Of course there is! Why can't anything be simple!
)
First, if you only have 1 video card, and your Host is using it, then the Guest can't use it.
If you 'give' it to the Guest OS, then the Host has none, and is referred to as "headless" Host.
Second, if you have 2 video cards you can use a "GPU pass-through". However this is hardware dependent (bios settings, etc).
On Linux this requires some boot parameters to be set, allowing the cards to "pass-through" the VM to the Guest.
(You will also need a 2nd Keyboard and Mouse...)
Some VM software/OS's have trouble if *both* video cards are the same (like mine did at the time).
Some will refuse to 'take' a card, others will take both, etc.
At the very least different "models" of card would be needed, i.e. both of my R9s don't work, but an R9 and a R7 do...
Other VM software/OS's might not have any trouble at all.
There are a few projects that are WIP to work around this, but I haven't checked on them in a while...
So on a laptop this wouldn't work because most don't have 2 video cards.
I've seen some that have an igpu (like intel) for low power 2d work, with a Nvidia GPU for 3d work.
OR, if you got a laptop with an AMD APU (CPU & GPU on the CPU "chip"), and a "discrete" GPU, then you could also make that work as well.
Assuming, the UEFI/BIOS supports doing a GPU passthrough.
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It is possible, but it's usually not 'simple'...
It's not always explained, and anyone new to virtual machines might not "know" that a "virtual machine" is software, since there are "hardware" requirements.
If you want me to clarify anything let me know...
Barracuda