Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

BartDeHeerser

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 2, 2010
7
0
Hi guys

I'm looking to buy a new macbook pro for school but I have some questions before I can buy one. For some of my school work I still have to use windows. I'll need windows for SPSS for windows and for MS Office, Access to be more specific.

I already own a 21.5 inch iMac on which I run Windows 7 Ultimate and I have installed MS Office in Windows 7. The problem is that I noticed some difference in using the keys on your keyboard while working in excel or access.

For example: on my windows laptop in excel, i have to hold control and then click on the fields i want to select. I noticed that on my iMac i needed to hold the right alt key on my mac keyboard and then i got to click the fields I want to select. So this is just a slight difference and it doesn't matter at all if I have to use some different keys for this type of actions. As long as I know how to do them offcourse. This may be silly for some of you but in order to get some good grades I really need to know this. Note that I only need to use Access not excel. But I just gave Excel as an example so you guys know where I'm coming from.

So my question is, does anyone have any experience with this? Are there other key changes I have to know? Or important notes on this subject?

I also have another question. As I already explained above I am running Windows 7 ultimate via Vmware Fusion and I have installed MS Office in this virtual machine. Can I just copy the virtual machine file from my iMac to my macbook pro? So I will have the same settings on my MBP?

Thanks
 

Grannyville7989

macrumors 6502a
Aug 2, 2010
549
0
With regards to your question about moving the virtual machine file between different computers, it should work. I haven't used VMWare Fusion, but I use Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 in which I have Windows 3.1 and Windows 98 in virtual machines and I occasionally move the VMs between my Windows desktop and my MacBook Pro running Windows 7 and no problems. So I can only believe that you'll get the same result with your VM client.
 

willieva

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2010
274
0
It's not a problem moving vm's between computers. When you open it up for the first time on the new machine you will be asked whether you copied or moved the vm. I haven't done this with windoze 7, but with xp moved was the better answer. I believe when answering copy registering the copy of windoze was required.

Not sure about your key combo question. When the vm has mouse focus it behaves like a reqular windoze box. Don't know why you're seeing something different.
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,826
6,880
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hi. Before you simply copy the vm, which is a bundled folder really, you'll need to expose it fully apply full permissions to it's existing files for the username on the other machine, then repackage it ad a file then copy it over.

VMWare has a crazy easy step by step guide to get this working. Also, have you installed vmware tools yet?!! This may alleviate the ctrl/alt key requirement that is nagging you.
 

BartDeHeerser

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 2, 2010
7
0
Thanks for the info prom1! And no, I haven't installed the VMware tools yet!
Going to take a look at those now!

Thanks for the reply's !!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.