Important: If you run Microsoft Virtual PC on a laptop you need this hotfix. Get it now, don't wait even one more hour.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=889677
OK. Now that I've yelled at you let me tell you why you need this hotfix. Virtual PC freaks out when the host OS enters hibernation mode. It's nasty. There are numerous symptoms but let me list the ones I've encountered.
- Keyboard locks up
- Mouse freezes when entering Virtual PC window
- Switching to Full Screen (Right Alt-Enter) freezes Virtual PC window
- Prevents host OS from entering hibernation mode
The last one I find particularly annoying. My laptop is set to enter Hibernation mode when the screen is closed. At least it was until I started having trouble with VPC. When I close the lid, the drive stops spinning, the lights go out and it appears to be in hibernation mode. But no, it's really a zombie from 'Night of the Living Dead'. About ten minutes after putting it into my computer bag my laptop wakes. There it lurks, hidden in the black leather bag, fan spinning, it's battery juice draining uselessly away and doing a good imitation of a dorm room hotplate.
Wisps of steam rise from the keyboard when I open the lid several hours later. I gingerly type ctrl-alt-delete, skin blistering on my fingers from the smoldering keyboard only to be greeted by the message “Cannot Hibernate...”.
The other problems are well known to the VPC team and they've come up with a solution.
Solution that works
I heard about the hotfix at the Portland Code Camp. I was having trouble with my presentations running in VPC so I was asking some the speakers how they handle the mouse and keyboard freezing issues. Richard Hundhausen and Steven Borg were in the room and they told me about the hotfix. It works.
I've been using the hotfix for a little more than a week and have had ZERO problems. What a relief to have a normal laptop again.
Getting the Fix
Read the KB article to learn more about getting the fix. It's not publicly available for download, but you can get it from Product support. The call should be free since this is a known problem.
Hurry, get it now!