virtualbox.org

Hi Guys,

I just wanted to see if anyone has any experience with the Microsoft Academy Labs through VirtualBox? I'm currently using a Macbook PRO Retina, and running VirtualBox to run windows 8.1 as the labs require IE to run. But ever since I tried starting the labs over a month ago I've always had the same problem where when a lab finally does start instead of the counter starting at 1 hour where its suppose to, the timer starts at 0 and restarts the lab on you. I've tried contacting the IT academy support team but they just keep sweeping it under the rug saying you can't use virtual software to run them, you MUST run them on a windows machine. But everyone else I speak to, including my lecturer, the genius bar folks at the apple stores, everyone i speak to says it should work. But no ones able to prove anything, so I just wanted to reach out here and see if anyone has had any experience with this and put a final 100% yes it will work and proof, or no it won't and proof. Because all I have now is allot of guestemation and hearsay without any real proof to back it up.
Really screwed me up my lecturer I asked them 1000 times before I started the course and before I purchased my mac can you do this course on mac? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, no problem it will work. And now here I am giving me the same answer, but still 1 month after I started the course, and 1 month after first reporting the issues, I've still made zero progress!

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

There are programs that will not run in a virtual environment. I don't know about your particular problem but perhaps you could ask any of the people who got it to work or said that it worked, how to get it to work. The other option is install Windows 8.1 in BootCamp and add the tools Apple provides. I read somewhere a BootCamp install may not support DirectX 11 but I am not sure.

loukingjr wrote:There are programs that will not run in a virtual environment. I don't know about your particular problem but perhaps you could ask any of the people who got it to work or said that it worked, how to get it to work. The other option is install Windows 8.1 in BootCamp and add the tools Apple provides. I read somewhere a BootCamp install may not support DirectX 11 but I am not sure.

Thanks for the info. I was going to try bootcamp but I used my last windows license on the VB install so I can't now. As for asking how they got it working, they didn't there just saying yes it should work but with never using it themselves. My lecturer for instance has never touched a mac in his life!
Oh well I guess this is my punishment for being so gullible, they were probably just saying yes to get my money and now I'm up the creek without a paddle.

AJ847.63 wrote:

loukingjr wrote:There are programs that will not run in a virtual environment. I don't know about your particular problem but perhaps you could ask any of the people who got it to work or said that it worked, how to get it to work. The other option is install Windows 8.1 in BootCamp and add the tools Apple provides. I read somewhere a BootCamp install may not support DirectX 11 but I am not sure.

Thanks for the info. I was going to try bootcamp but I used my last windows license on the VB install so I can't now. As for asking how they got it working, they didn't there just saying yes it should work but with never using it themselves. My lecturer for instance has never touched a mac in his life!
Oh well I guess this is my punishment for being so gullible, they were probably just saying yes to get my money and now I'm up the creek without a paddle.

I would ask Microsoft support if you can install Windows on your Mac with your current license and explain you installed it in a virtual machine and are trying to take advantage of their IT Lab. The worst that can happen is they say no. Tell them you were told it should work.

loukingjr wrote:

AJ847.63 wrote:

loukingjr wrote:There are programs that will not run in a virtual environment. I don't know about your particular problem but perhaps you could ask any of the people who got it to work or said that it worked, how to get it to work. The other option is install Windows 8.1 in BootCamp and add the tools Apple provides. I read somewhere a BootCamp install may not support DirectX 11 but I am not sure.

Thanks for the info. I was going to try bootcamp but I used my last windows license on the VB install so I can't now. As for asking how they got it working, they didn't there just saying yes it should work but with never using it themselves. My lecturer for instance has never touched a mac in his life!
Oh well I guess this is my punishment for being so gullible, they were probably just saying yes to get my money and now I'm up the creek without a paddle.

I would ask Microsoft support if you can install Windows on your Mac with your current license and explain you installed it in a virtual machine and are trying to take advantage of their IT Lab. The worst that can happen is they say no. Tell them you were told it should work.

I asked them that the other day they said I can't extend it because its a OEM copy that came with my gaming desktop so they can't adjust it.
I got a surprising call yesterday from my lecturer he said they're going to lend me a windows laptop so I can do the labs which was nice of them.

AJ847.63 wrote: I got a surprising call yesterday from my lecturer he said they're going to lend me a windows laptop so I can do the labs which was nice of them.

very nice of your lecturer. good luck.

loukingjr wrote:

AJ847.63 wrote: I got a surprising call yesterday from my lecturer he said they're going to lend me a windows laptop so I can do the labs which was nice of them.

very nice of your lecturer. good luck.

Thanks, and thanks again for all the advice!