Workstation 2.x to Desktop 4.0 upgrade installation on Windows does not work properly

I get this window when I try to upgrade my software, which I received via an Email offer from Parallels.



When I click on the "Learn More" button, it takes me to a web page that says my CPU does not meet the requirements to run hardware virtualization. The page gives a list of CPUs that are compatible and do meet the requirements. I am attempting this upgrade install on a Toshiba A105-S4344 laptop which has a T5500 CPU. That CPU IS on the compatibility list!! Due to this error, the software will be limited to creating virtual machines only, but not running them. Obviously, I want to run them, too!

I tried to submit a Support Request to Parallels, but their support page only lists Mac computers as Computer Type choices, and various versions of OS X for host OS types. Thus, I cannot complete a support request!

Ideas anyone?

 

Hello,
Please try the following solution:
http://www.parallels.com/products/enablevt/
Hardware virtualization support may be just disabled in host computer's BIOS. You should enable it by using the tutorial above.
Let me know if it doesn't help.

 

I booted into the BIOS on my laptop, but I can find no setting for Virtualization Technology at all. It is mentioned in the BIOS release notes, but there is no mention of it being turned on by default and no mention of where to find it in the BIOS settings. Please advise.

 

It seems like this feature is implemented in your processor but was disabled and hidden in BIOS settings. Some notebooks manufacturers do such strange things. We know about Sony and Asus, and now Toshiba..
To resolve the problem I suggest you to ask Toshiba support about this problem. Likely BIOS update enabling VT is available on their website.

 

There may actually be a problem with the Parallels Desktop 4.0 upgrade installation program. As a test, I tried installing my older Parallels Workstation 2.x version on my Intel quad-core server. That older installation complained that Virtualization Technology (VT) was not enabled on my server. I aborted the install, went into the BIOS, turned it on, powered off and restarted the server. Tried the 2.x install again, and it did not complain about VT any more. When I run the older 2.x install on my A105-S4344 (the machine I'm having trouble with and the one this thread is about), it does not complain about VT not being turned on. So, I think I can assume that it is already on be default. Thus, this points to a problem with the Parallels Desktop 4.0 installation program. I have not tried installing 4.0 on my quad-core server yet. I won't be able to do that until I get home from work today (in about 7 hours). If the 4.0 install complains about VT not being turned on for my quad-core server (which I know for a fact that it is turned on), then it's definitely going to be a problem with the 4.0 upgrade installation program.

 

vt on or not

Intel has a tool that will tell you for sure if vt is enabled.

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/

 

OK, I downloaded that tool from Intel, and it says that VT on my laptop CPU is "No." That would be the reason for the installation problem, I suppose. Funny thing is that VT is mentioned in the A105-S4344 v5.60 BIOS release notes. So, how do I go about turning it on when there is no option for it in the BIOS??

One thing I am going to try in the meantime is downgrading the BIOS to some previous versions to see if I can get a VT option to show up.

Any other ideas anyone on how I can turn on VT on my laptop?

 

As I feared, when I tried to downgrade the BIOS in my laptop to try to get the VT option to show up, the BIOS update program says that it will not install a previous version. So, does anyone have any ideas how I can get it turned on??

 

(bump) Any ideas, anyone, on how I can get VT activated on my laptop? Or am I out of luck and need a new laptop?

 

Toshiba support forums suggest contacting Toshiba again. I suppose I can probably do that with the specific request of activating VT on this laptop. Anyone have any ideas in the meantime?

 

No ideas, anyone? Has anyone successfully hacked the BIOS of a Toshiba laptop? If yes, how?

 

So, I still have this issue, and it's still unresolved. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

I know this thread is old and you probably have figured it out by now, but most likely the CPU of your laptop does not have Intel VT. Only newer revisions of T5500 have VT, and it is possible that your laptop has an older release of T5500; but you haven't posted the actual model number of the CPU so I can't tell for sure. Somewhere in that Intel utility should tell you what that number is (something like SLxxx).