Why Windows Aero feature is not working on MBP?

[full moon]

I've tried Windows Vista and 7 on SL using VMware Fusion, and both have told me that my score was 1.0 because of the graphic card.
Is there any way to trick the windows, or it is really the graphic card is not advanced enough on the MBP?

 

[kryptonianjorel]

Did you install vm tools yet?

Remember, windows isnt using your video card, its using a virtual video card. Virtual machines have NO direct connection to ANY hardware.

 

[rekhyt]

Of course the graphics card is advanced on the MacBook Pro. It has a nVidia 9400 or 9600. (9600 for the higher end ones.)

Did you install the drivers (Boot Camp drivers) from the Leopard/Snow Leopard installation disk yet/VM tools (As kryptonianjorel suggested)

 

[Ivan P]

Regardless of whether or not you have VMWare Tools installed, you won't be able to use Aero while using any sort of virtualisation software (ie: VMWare Fusion, Parallels, etc). The only way to really do it on a Mac is to install Windows via Boot Camp. However, even if you take the Boot Camp route, Aero will still be disabled if you try and start up the Boot Camp partition using Fusion - basically, it needs to be running natively, not virtually.

Of course the graphics card is advanced on the MacBook Pro. It has a nVidia 9400 or 9600. (9600 for the higher end ones.)

That doesn't really matter if it's VMWare Fusion though, it's still virtualisation software in the end. What I said above is from experience on a MacBook Pro with the 9400 and 9600 chips. Installing VMWare Tools will have no use at all, nor will installing the Boot Camp drivers (unless they plan to use Windows natively using Boot Camp, which is currently the only way to use Aero).

 

[full moon]

Hmm, thank you. I'll try both ways and let you know what happens.

 

[maflynn]

Just to reiterate what Ivan posted.
Because there's a lack of direct hardware access and lack of full direct-x implementation. Areo is not available under a virtual environment. Besides, the last time I used vista and win7 under vmware, it was slow, I cannot imagine how much slower it will be if aero was being used also

 

[maratus]

Regardless of whether or not you have VMWare Tools installed, you won't be able to use Aero while using any sort of virtualisation software (ie: VMWare Fusion, Parallels, etc). The only way to really do it on a Mac is to install Windows via Boot Camp. However, even if you take the Boot Camp route, Aero will still be disabled if you try and start up the Boot Camp partition using Fusion - basically, it needs to be running natively, not virtually.



That doesn't really matter if it's VMWare Fusion though, it's still virtualisation software in the end. What I said above is from experience on a MacBook Pro with the 9400 and 9600 chips. Installing VMWare Tools will have no use at all, nor will installing the Boot Camp drivers (unless they plan to use Windows natively using Boot Camp, which is currently the only way to use Aero).

Actually, Parallels 5.0 beta is advanced enough in this regard (it supports Shaders 3.0 and is much much more 3D-oriented than 4.0 version)
I was able to use Aero on Windows 7 Professional, but I still prefer 4.0 due to better mouse pointer/a little bit more stable operating.

I hope final build will be stable enough to make me switch completely and start to take advantage of better videocard virtualisation in Autocad 2009 and maybe Inventor


P.S.
And it was fast enough. I can't compare it to VMWare though, but for many task I barely can tell the difference between native Windows and Virtualized one.

 

[cluthz]

VMware only gives me 1.0 is score, but bootcamp gives me about 5.
I only use a small tinyXP installation for VMware and I have win7 bootcamp.

Win7 is just a bit slow while running macos when you have to use alot of applications and such.