CPU VT Flag for 64 bit host on 64 bit VMWare

  If you want to run a 64 bit host in VMWare then your workstation must have a CPU that supports VT (Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)).

You will be surprised how few older and popular CPU's support this extension. The only option is to upgrade your CPU to one that does support VT and to do that you must know what motherboard you have  to make sure your new chip is supported.

If this was windows then you would be searching some cow websites or cnet and others to download an executable to hopefully tell you the model. The install will be easy but getting rid of it will prove impossible as Windows will always leave something behind.

If you are on Linux then you simply ask uncle Google and then you realize how cool Linux is. Simply type the following:

sudo dmidecode | more

 # dmidecode 2.9
SMBIOS 2.4 present.
36 structures occupying 1177 bytes.
Table at 0x000F0100.


Handle 0x0000, DMI type 0, 24 bytes
BIOS Information
Vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
Version: F2
Release Date: 10/12/2007
Address: 0xE0000
Runtime Size: 128 kB
ROM Size: 512 kB
Characteristics:
PCI is supported
PNP is supported
APM is supported
BIOS is upgradeable
BIOS shadowing is allowed
Boot from CD is supported
Selectable boot is supported
BIOS ROM is socketed
EDD is supported
5.25"/360 KB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
5.25"/1.2 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
3.5"/720 KB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
3.5"/2.88 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)
Print screen service is supported (int 5h)
8042 keyboard services are supported (int 9h)
Serial services are supported (int 14h)
Printer services are supported (int 17h)
CGA/mono video services are supported (int 10h)
ACPI is supported
USB legacy is supported
LS-120 boot is supported
ATAPI Zip drive boot is supported
BIOS boot specification is supported
Targeted content distribution is supported


Handle 0x0001, DMI type 1, 27 bytes
System Information
Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Product Name: GA-N650SLI-DS4L
Version:  
Serial Number:  
UUID: 30303144-3744-3030-3435-3239FFFFFFFF
Wake-up Type: Power Switch
SKU Number:  
Family:  


Handle 0x0002, DMI type 2, 8 bytes
Base Board Information
Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Product Name: GA-N650SLI-DS4L
Version: x.x
Serial Number: Sun Jan 06 05:30:33 2008.


Handle 0x0003, DMI type 3, 17 bytes
Chassis Information
Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Type: Desktop
Lock: Not Present
Version:

I have a Gigabyte GA-N650SLI motherboard that supports the following CPU's:

LGA775 - Support Intel® Core™ 2 Quad/Core™ 2 Duo/Pentium® D/Pentium® 4 Processor
1333/1066/800 MHz FSB

Here is a list from Intel with suitable older CPU's

	Product Name	Embedded	Max TDP	Cores / Threads	Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)	Intel® Turbo Boost Technology	Estimated 1k Unit Price	Status
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8600 (6M Cache, 3.33 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$266.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8500 (6M Cache, 3.16 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$183.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8400 (6M Cache, 3.00 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	Yes	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$163.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8300 (6M Cache, 2.83 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8200 (6M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8190 (6M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E7600 (3M Cache, 3.06 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$133.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E7500 (3M Cache, 2.93 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	See SPEC Details	No	$113.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E7400 (3M Cache, 2.80 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	Yes	65 Watts	2C / 2T	See SPEC Details	No	$113.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E7300 (3M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	$113.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E7200 (3M Cache, 2.53 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	$113.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6850 (4M Cache, 3.00 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$183.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6750 (4M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$183.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6700 (4M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6600 (4M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$224.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6550 (4M Cache, 2.33 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6540 (4M Cache, 2.33 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6420 (4M Cache, 2.13 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6400 (2M Cache, 2.13 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	Yes	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	$179.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6320 (4M Cache, 1.86 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6300 (2M Cache, 1.86 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	Yes	No	N/A	End of Life
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4700 (2M Cache, 2.60 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	N/A	End of Life
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4600 (2M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	$113.00	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4500 (2M Cache, 2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4400 (2M Cache, 2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)	No	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	N/A	Launched
	Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4300 (2M Cache, 1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)	Yes	65 Watts	2C / 2T	No	No	$115.00	Launched

I guess this is the one for me:

Intel® Pentium® Processor E5500  (2M Cache, 2.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)

At least VMWare converter has now copied my Windows 7 64 bit PC. Unfortunately there are still software that only runs on Windows with no option, yet, to run on Linux.