Automation : Use Virual PC from Command line

Virtual PC.exe is the Virtual PC command-line utility and can be used to perform a variety of Virtual PC and virtual machine tasks. By default, it is located in \Program Files\Microsoft Virtual PC.

Syntax

"Virtual PC.exe" [-singlepc] [-quiet] [-usehostdiskcache] [-pc virtual_machine_name [-disableclose] [-disableopt] [-s3bitclip] [-setbiosno bios_serial_number] [-setassettag asset_tag] [-launch] [-extnetworking] [{-fullscreen|-window}] [-geometry widthxheight{+|-}x offset{+|-}y offset] [{-minimize|-restore}] [{-pause|-resume}]] [-help] [-registervm filename.vmc] [-startvm filename.vmc]

Parameters

-singlepc

Starts the specified virtual machine without starting Virtual PC Console. This parameter can be useful for simplifying the Virtual PC interface in a corporate or lab environment, where users only want to access a virtual machine and do not need access to Virtual PC Console. This parameter can be used only when starting Virtual PC.

-quiet

Prevents the starting of any virtual machines that are configured to start automatically. This parameter can be used only when starting Virtual PC.

-usehostdiskcache

Turns on host-side disk caching, which can improve performance of virtual machines running operating systems other than Windows. This parameter can be useful for resolving poor performance problems with disk intensive tasks. This parameter can be used only when starting Virtual PC.

-pc virtual_machine_name

Specifies to perform operations on a specific virtual machine. The virtual_machine_name is the name that appears in Virtual PC Console and the virtual machine window for the virtual machine. The following table describes the options for this parameter.

Value	Description
-disableclose	Disables the Close button on the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.
-disableopt	Disables any direct mode execution within the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be useful for providing a temporary resolution for poor stability of applications on a guest operating system. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.
-s3bitclip	Clips accelerated S3 bit coordinates to 12 bits on the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.
-setbiosno bios_serial_number	Sets the BIOS serial number of the specified virtual machine to the value specified. This can be useful for tracking Virtual PCs when using hardware management software. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is not running.
-setassettag asset_tag	Sets the chassis asset tag of the specified virtual machine to the value specified. This can be useful for tracking Virtual PCs when using hardware management software or tracking other specific information. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is not running.
-launch	Starts the specified virtual machine. Specify this parameter after -pc and any other optional parameters shown before -launch in the syntax section.
-extnetworking	Specifies that all network connections on the specified virtual machine operate in external only mode. This limits the access of the virtual machine to only resources external to the physical computer. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.
-fullscreen	Switches a running virtual machine to full-screen mode. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.
-window	Switches a virtual machine running in full-screen mode to window mode. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.
-geometry widthxheight{+|-}x offset{+|-}y offset	Specifies the location and window size of the specified virtual machine. The offsets are relative to the upper left corner of the screen. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.
-minimize	Minimizes the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.
-restore	Brings the specified virtual machine to the foreground of the screen. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.
-pause	Pauses the specified virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.
-resume	Restores a paused virtual machine to an active state. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is running.

-help

Displays the online help topic, "Using the command line," when Virtual PC 2004 opens. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.

-registervm filename.vmc

Registers the specified .vmc file, which adds the corresponding virtual machine to the list of virtual machines. This parameter can be useful for using an automated deployment to register a .vmc without launching it. This parameter can be used only when the virtual machine is not running.

-startvm filename.vmc

Registers the specified .vmc file, which adds the corresponding virtual machine to the list of virtual machines, and starts the virtual machine. This parameter can be used only when starting the virtual machine.

Examples

The following examples show two ways to use Virtual PC.exe to start a virtual machine. In the examples, Contoso is the name of the virtual machine. The quotation marks are mandatory elements of the code.

• To start a virtual machine without opening Virtual PC Console:

  "Virtual PC.exe" –pc Contoso –singlepc –launch

• To start a virtual machine in full-screen mode with optimizations disabled:

  "Virtual PC.exe" –disableopt –pc Contoso –launch -fullscreen