# Windows 7 Virtual PC - Can't create new virtual machines **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210 "2010-03-21T04:39:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/1 "2010-03-21T04:39:01Z")
Yesterday I downloaded and installed Virtual PC and XP Mode for my Windows 7 Professional PC. XP mode works just fine, so I know that virtual PC is working fine. In the future, I might want to create other virtual PCs\*. What I’m supposed to do is open up the folder that’s used to manage virtual machines, and there should be an option to create a new virtual machine. I don’t have that option. Googling for help only says that you can’t create a virtual machine if you have a roaming profile. I’m not using one, so that’s not it. I know that it’s kind of a long shot to ask for help about this, but what the heck. \*I also have and use Virtualbox, so if I can’t figure out how to make virtual machines for Windows Virtual PC I still have options. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/2 "2010-03-21T07:27:52Z")
What options do you have? Are you logged in as an Administrator? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/3 "2010-03-21T07:42:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > What options do you have? Are you logged in as an Administrator? I can edit properties of the XP mode guest, and I, security be damned :D, I always log in as Admin (Local Admin, I’m not part of a domain). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/4 "2010-03-21T08:02:06Z")
It sounds like you’re in the wrong screen. If you’ve installed Virtual PC, it should be a separate entry on the Start Menu. You need to click Start, All Programs, Windows Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC. Hmm… what is the CPU inside your PC? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/5 "2010-03-21T08:06:12Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It sounds like you’re in the wrong screen. If you’ve installed Virtual PC, it should be a separate entry on the Start Menu. You need to click Start, All Programs, Windows Virtual PC, Windows Virtual PC. > > Hmm… what is the CPU inside your PC? It doesn’t have Hardware Assisted Virtualization Technology but there’s a patch that let’s it run if your CPU doesn’t have it…actually, I think that question helped because looking at the support FAQ: Is hardware virtualization better? For Windows XP Mode the performance will be more than acceptable with or without hardware virtualization. For developers using Virtual PC with Windows Vista or Windows 7 virtual machines we recommend HAV as the non-HAV is only tuned for XP Mode. So it probably has to do with my CPU being sub-par. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/6 "2010-03-21T14:38:20Z")
Are you missing the button that says “Create new virtual machine” in this screenshot? [http://www.petri.co.il/creating-a-virtual-machine-in-virtual-pc-on-windows-7.htm](http://www.petri.co.il/creating-a-virtual-machine-in-virtual-pc-on-windows-7.htm) ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/7 "2010-03-21T14:39:50Z")
If its a hardware issue, you can use VirtualBox to do virtualization. Its doesnt require the built-in virtualization support. [http://www.virtualbox.org/](http://www.virtualbox.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-virtual-pc-cant-create-new-virtual-machines/533210/8 "2010-03-21T20:56:24Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > Are you missing the button that says “Create new virtual machine” in this screenshot? > > [http://www.petri.co.il/creating-a-virtual-machine-in-virtual-pc-on-windows-7.htm](http://www.petri.co.il/creating-a-virtual-machine-in-virtual-pc-on-windows-7.htm) Yes, I’m missing that button and I assume it’s because my CPU doesn’t support hardware virtualization. > [@HorseloverFat](#): > > If its a hardware issue, you can use VirtualBox to do virtualization. Its doesnt require the built-in virtualization support. > > [http://www.virtualbox.org/](http://www.virtualbox.org/) Psst…read the tiny print in the OP…🙂