In the RC0 release of Hyper-V, you may recall, you had to use the same QFE to Windows Server 2008 host and guest machines to get the Integration Component versions matching.

In RTM, you simply need to choose the Insert Integration Services Setup Disk option from the Action menu in VMConnect, just like you do for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista.

However, after you get the ICs working and you connect up to Windows Update, the Hyper-V QFE for Windows Server 2008 (KB950050) is still listed.  That little logical paradox causes you to check which QFEs are actually installed on your system, and you find that KB950050 isn't in that list.

What sort of crazy voodoo magic is this?

Well, according to Occam's Razor, the simplest answer is typically the correct one.

The simplest answer in this case is that Windows isn't lying - KB950050 isn't installed.  For RTM (actually, this happened in RC1), we added another QFE to the mix so that the standard way of installing the ICs (the VMGuest.ISO, which is what gets inserted into the VM's DVD-ROM drive when you click Insert Integration Services Setup Disk) worked for Windows Server 2008.

Since the RTM update actually contains an updated VMGuest.ISO file, it would be impossible for us to put the RTM update in the ISO (it's a classic "chicken-and-egg" problem). 

So, we added another QFE that just contains the Integration Components and nothing else to make life easier for all of you.  You can still apply KB950050 if you want to.  In fact, you can just apply KB950050 if that's your thing.  Or, if you want to be totally up to date, you can apply both of them.

Ok, now I'm really going to the ship party.  Honest.

I arrived on this team a little over three years ago, and was brought in to work on automating test cases for Virtual Server.

While I was doing that, I heard rumblings and rumors about a little project code-named "Viridian".  A lot of the developers on the Virtualization team here in Redmond had already started working on various parts of the project, and I was looking forward to the day that I could start playing with it myself.  Over time, more of the team was gradually migrated to the "Viridian" project, including myself.  It was exciting to hear about all of the things that we were planning to do.  And over the years, the excitement never stopped.

I can still remember the day that we finally got DOS to boot (that was the first OS that Hyper-V ever booted, aside from a test microkernel that we'd developed).
I can still remember the day that Windows actually booted.
I can still remember the day that Windows x64 actually booted and joined the domain.
And I can still remember the day that setup - (well, the first incarnation of setup - you have no idea how many there have been) - actually worked, and produced a system that could boot VMs without me having to go in and change some registry keys.

Today, in our daily shiproom meeting, we signed off on the RTM build of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.  The RTM bits should be available around noon PST (which was about 45 minutes ago...) on the Microsoft Download Center, and will be available on Windows Update on July 8th.

Instead of posting links, I'll like to John Howard's blog, since he's got some tremendous information there about where to get the RTM bits, and some things to keep in mind while upgrading.

I'll be back next week with some updates to my "Hyper-V Installation Tricks" posts for RTM, and I'll even include videos of each of the steps.

And with that, I'm going to go to the ship party.

Playstation 3: Play Beyond

For most software that you install, there will be the ideal PC requirements provided so you can be assured of optimum performance for programs and games you will install on your PC. At times, varied differences as far as video specifications, memory and processor capacity will be stated. But while many would see the usual minimal requirements, you have to consider the fact on whether these will be sufficient to satisfy the level of performance you are expecting once these software programs are installed.

Based on experience, it would never hurt to be a step ahead. This entails making sure that you are installing the software on hardware that is a bit advanced. For example, if video card requirements are at least 128 MB, why not install a 256 MB video card if the difference is just a couple of bucks? Or perhaps if memory requires at least 256 RAM, why not go double like 512?

Some may call it overkill but they are really some form of making sure that you get best performance from these programs. Remember that if you go for minimal requirements, you will eventually find yourself wanting better performance and hence upgrading these concerned hardware peripherals in the end.

In summary, do not take the minimal system requirements as a measure of competent utilization of programs. They are placed there so that you know that the program will indeed run. But as far as great performance is concerned, do consider the fact that it is not stated anywhere in that part of the software box for you to ponder on as well.

Ever got this message while booting? NTLDR is Missing.
Some think the drive has crashed and formatting is the only way. Here is a way to deal with that problem.

Below are the full error messages that may be seen when the computer is booting.
NTLDR is MissingPress any key to restartBoot: Couldn't find NTLDRPlease insert another diskNTLDR is missing Press Ctrl Alt Del to Restart

Cause: Computer is booting from a non-bootable source. Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS. Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file. Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file. Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32. New hard disk drive being added. Corrupt boot sector / master boot record. Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable. Solutions:
Computer is booting from a non-bootable sourceMany times this error is caused when the computer is attempting to boot from a non-bootable floppy disk or CD-ROM. First verify that no floppy diskette is in the computer, unless you are attempting to boot from a diskette.
If you are attempting to boot from a floppy diskette and are receiving this error message it is likely that the diskette does not have all the necessary files and/or is corrupt.
If you are attempting to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 and are receiving this error message as the computer is booting verify that your computer BIOS has the proper boot settings. For example, if you are attempting to run the install from the CD-ROM make sure the CD-ROM is the first boot device, and not the hard disk drive.
Second, when the computer is booting you should receive the below prompt.
Press any key to boot from the CD
Important: When you see this message press any key such as the Enter key immediately, otherwise it will try booting from the hard drive and likely get the NTLDR error again.
Note: If you are not receiving the above message and your BIOS boot options are set properly it's also possible that your CD-ROM drive may not be booting from the CD-ROM properly. Verify the jumpers are set properly on the CD-ROM drive. Additional information about checking the CD-ROM drive connections can be found on document CH000213.
Additional information: This error has also been known to occur when a memory stick is in a card reader and the computer is attempting to boot from it. If you have any type of card reader or flash reader make sure that no memory stick is inside the computer.
Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS
Verify that your computer hard disk drive is properly setup in the BIOS / CMOS setup. Improper settings can cause this error. Additional information on how to enter the BIOS / CMOS setup can be found in document CH000192.

Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file
Windows 2000 users
If your computer is using Microsoft Windows 2000 and you are encountering the NTLDR error. Create the below boot.ini file on the floppy diskette drive.
[boot loader]timeout=30default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT[operating systems]multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
Copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files from another computer using the same Operating System. Both of these files are located in the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. For example, C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM should be the locations of these files on many computers.
Please keep in mind that these files are hidden system files, if you need additional help with viewing hidden files in Windows please see document CH000516. Once these files have been copied to a floppy diskette reboot the computer and copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files to the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. Below is an example of what commonly should be performed from the A:\> drive.
copy ntldr c:copy ntdetect.com c:
After the above two files have been copied, remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.
Windows XP users
Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer. When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key. Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the "R" key to repair Windows. Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter. You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password. Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter "E". This letter may be different on your computer.
copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\
Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot. Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file
Edit the boot.ini on the root directory of the hard disk drive and verify that it is pointing to the correct location of your Windows Operating System and that the partitions are properly defined. Additional information about the boot.ini can be found on document CH000492.
Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32
If you are getting this error message while you are attempting to upgrade to Windows 2000 or Windows XP from Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME running FAT32 please try the below recommendations.
Boot the computer with a Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME bootable diskette. At the A:\> prompt type:
sys c:
After pressing enter you should receive the "System Transferred" message. Once this has been completed remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer. New hard disk drive being added
If you are attempting to add a new hard disk drive to the computer make sure that drive is a blank drive. Adding a new hard disk drive to a computer that already has Windows installed on it may cause the NTLDR error to occur.
If you are unsure if the new drive is blank or not try booting from a bootable diskette and format the new hard disk drive.

Corrupt boot sector / master boot record
It's possible your computer's hard disk drive may have a corrupt boot sector and/or master boot record. These can be repaired through the Microsoft Windows Recovery console by running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.
Additional information and help in getting into the Microsoft Windows Recovery console can be found on document CH000627.
Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP
If you have tried each of the above recommendations that apply to your situation and you continue to experience this issue it is possible you may have a seriously corrupted version of Microsoft Windows. Therefore we would recommend you reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
If you are encountering this issue during your setup you may wish to completely erase your computer hard disk drive and all of its existing data and then install Microsoft Windows 2000 / Windows XP. Additional information about erasing the computer and starting over can be found on document CH000186.
Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable
This issue has been known to be caused by a loose or fault IDE/EIDE cable. If the above recommendation does not resolve your issue and your computer hard disk drive is using an IDE or EIDE interface. Verify the computer hard disk drive cable is firmly connected by disconnected and reconnecting the cable.
If the issue continues it is also a possibility that the computer has a faulty cable, try replacing the hard disk drive cable with another cable and/or a new cable.

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