How to start a guest PC automatically when you log on to the host PC (825259)

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Create a shortcut to the guest PC

To start a guest PC automatically when you log on to the host computer, create a shortcut to a guest PC in the Startup folder of the host computer. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Virtual PC.
2. Open Windows Explorer on the host computer. To do this, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
3. Drag the guest PC from the Virtual PC window to the following folder in Windows Explorer on the host computer:

   C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

4. Log off the host computer.
5. Log on to the host computer.

With this method, Windows appends the following parameters in the shortcut in the Startup folder of the host computer:

-pc "GuestPCName" -launch

Note GuestPCName is the name of the Guest PC in the Virtual PC list. The quotation marks appear if the name of Guest PC contains a space character.

Create a shortcut to the virtual machine

Additionally, you can create a shortcut that starts the virtual machine directly. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual PC folder in Windows Explorer.
2. Right-click Virtual PC.exe.
3. Click Create Shortcut.
4. Right-click Shortcut to Virtual PC.exe
5. Click Properties.
6. Click the Shortcut tab.
7. Put the insertion point at the end of the line of text in the Target box.
8. Type -pc "Virtual Machine Name" -singlepc -launch, and then click OK.
   
   Note The -pc parameter is case sensitive. Therefore, make sure you spell the virtual machine name exactly as it appears in the Virtual PC Console.
9. Click to select the Shortcut to Virtual PC.exe icon, and then on the Edit menu, click Cut.
10. Open the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder.
11. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

When you start the host computer, the virtual machine you specified will automatically start.