How to Customize the Virtual PC User Interface

This step-by-step article describes how to customize several features of the Virtual PC user interface (UI). You can apply these features globally to all guest PCs, or to a specific guest PC.

The behavior of these settings may vary depending on how other settings have been configured. For example, the Shut down OS and keep changes option in the Shut Down menu may only be available if the Undo drives option is selected. Otherwise, the Shut down OS option appears instead of the Shut down OS and keep changes option.

Disable the Close Button

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
The close button is the "X" button that appears in the upper right corner of all windows. After you perform this procedure, you cannot click the close button to close the guest PC window. To disable the close button, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Main Window/
     
     Note If you do not have a key that is named Main Window, right-click the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/ key, point to New, and then click Key. Type Main Window to name the key.
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Main Window/
     
     Note If you do not have a key that is named Main Window, right-click the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/ key, point to New, and then click Key. Type Main Window to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Close for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Close, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to restore or to disable the close button:

Hide the Virtual PC Menus

To hide the Virtual PC menus, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Main Window/
     
     Note If you do not have a key that is named Main Window, right-click the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/ key, point to New, and then click Key. Type Main Window, and then press ENTER to name the key.
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Main Window/
     
     Note If you do not have a key that is named Main Window, right-click the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name key, point to New, and then click Key. Type Main Window, and then press ENTER to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Menus for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Menus, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the Virtual PC Menus: Note After you perform this procedure, keyboard commands still work. Only the menu bar is hidden. For example, when you press Host (Right Alt) + F4, you can still shut down the guest PC.

Hide the Virtual PC Status Bar

After you perform this procedure, the Status bar does not appear, and the icons for the hard disk, the floppy disk, and the CD-ROM drive do not appear. To hide the Virtual PC Status bar, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Main Window/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Main Window/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Main Window, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Main Window, and then press ENTER to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Status for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Status, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the Virtual PC Status Bar:

Hide the Save PC State and Keep Changes Option in the Shut Down Dialog Box

After you perform this procedure, you are not presented with the Save PC state and keep changes option in the Shut Down dialog box when you click Shut Down on the PC menu. To hide the Save PC state and keep changes option in the Shut Down dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Shutdown/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Shutdown/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Shutdown, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Shutdown, and then press ENTER to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Save for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Save, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the Save PC state and keep changes option:

Hide the Shut Down OS and Keep Changes Option in the Shut Down Dialog Box

After you perform this procedure, the Shut down OS and keep changes option is not available in the Shut Down dialog box.

Note This option may not be available for some operating systems, such as Microsoft DOS.

To hide the Shut down OS and keep changes option in the Shut Down dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Shutdown/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Shutdown/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Shutdown, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Shutdown to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Shut Down for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Shut Down, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the Shut down OS and keep changes option:

Hide the Turn Off PC and Keep Changes Option in the Shut Down Dialog Box

After you perform this procedure, the Turn off PC and keep changes option is not available in the Shut Down dialog box. To hide the Turn off PC and keep changes option in the Shut Down dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Shutdown/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Shutdown/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Shutdown, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Shutdown to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Turn Off for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Turn Off, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the Turn off PC and keep changes option:

Hide the Turn Off PC and Undo Changes Option in the Shut Down Dialog Box

After you perform this procedure, the Turn off PC and undo changes option is not available in the Shut Down dialog box. To hide the Turn off PC and keep changes option in the Shut Down dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Shutdown/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Shutdown/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Shutdown, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Shutdown to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable Undo for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable Undo, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the Turn off PC and undo changes option:

Hide the VNC Options in the Settings Dialog Box

If you are using Virtual Network Computing (VNC) you can hide the VNC options in the Settings dialog box for the guest PC. To hide the VNC options, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/VNC/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/VNC/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named VNC, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type VNC to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Disable for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Disable, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values to hide or to restore the VNC options:

Force a Specific Action Instead of Shut Down Dialog Box

When you click Shut Down on the PC menu, you are presented with the following four options:

• Save PC state and keep changes
• Shut down OS and keep changes
• Turn off PC and keep changes
• Turn off PC and undo changes

You can use the Force Action registry value to automatically force one of these options. When you do this, the Shut Down dialog box does not appear. To specify a forced action instead of the Shut Down dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Shutdown/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Shutdown/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Shutdown, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Shutdown to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Force Action for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Force Action, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type one of the following, and then click OK:
   
   Use the following values for the Force Action option:
   Value of 0= Force the Save PC state and keep changes action in the Shutdown dialog box
   Value of 1= Force the Shut down OS and keep changes action in the Shutdown dialog box.
   Value of 2= Force the Turn off PC and keep changes Action in the Shutdown dialog box.
   Value of 3= Force the Turn off PC and undo changes action in the Shutdown dialog box.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Note Do not use the value of 1 to force the Shut down OS and keep changes action in the Shutdown dialog box for an operating system that does not support this action (such as Microsoft DOS).

Specify the Number of Host COM Ports

You can use the Host Port Count registry value to make up to 255 host serial ports available to a guest PC. To specify the number of COM ports that are available in the Settings dialog box, follow these steps:

Note You cannot apply this option to a specific guest PC.
By default there are four COM ports available in the Settings dialog box.

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/COM Port/
   
   Note If you do not have a key that is named COM Port, right-click the Preferences/ key, point to New, and then click Key. Type COM Port to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Host Port Count for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Host Port Count, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type a value from 0 to 255, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Reverse the Default Behavior of Arbitrary Resolutions

You can set the guest PC to hide arbitrary resolutions and to clamp to the nearest standard screen sizes (such as 640x480 and 800x600.) To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click either of the following keys in the registry:
   • To apply the change to all guest PCs, click the following key:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Preferences/Main Window/
   • To apply the change to a specific guest PC, click the following key, where Guest PC Name is the name of the guest PC:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Connectix/Virtual PC/4.0/Configuration/Guest PC Name/Main Window/
   Note If you do not have a key that is named Main Window, right-click the Preferences/ key, (or the Guest PC Name/ key), point to New, and then click Key. Type Main Window to name the key.
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. Type Clamp Resize for the name of the DWORD value, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Clamp Resize, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.

Use the following values for the Clamp Resize key: Arbitrary resizing is the feature that permits you to drag the corner of the guest PC window to a new resolution. Clamp resizing is the feature that permits you to hold down the CTRL key while you drag the window to resize it to a standard Windows resolution, such as 640x480 or 1024x768.

By default, you can only use clamp resizing when the CTRL key is held down. After you make the relevant registry change, you can use clamp resizing without having to hold down the CTRL key, and you must hold down the CTRL key to use arbitrary resizing.