Looks like Sony will add the option to enable VT to some of it's crippled laptops. We are missing some major Windows 7 functionaility not having VT. Please update the Ideapad firmware Lenovo.

UPDATE (2009-08-11 @ 20:02:00 CET):

Sony has announced that they will enable VT on select VAIO notebook models. Do not expect it immediately though, this will most likely coincide with Windows 7 general availability.

Wish I had come across this thread before I purchased my Y730. Purchased it for development and I use VMs every day so this is a major problem for me. I see Mark_Lenovo stated in another thread that the official position is that VT is not supported in IdeaPads.

Surely now that competitors (eg Sony) are adding this support and Windows 7 XP mode requires it Lenovo needs to reconsider it's stance?

By the way I see that despite the fact that many customers have complained and reported that the documentation is not  clear on this issue (it does not specifical state that VT is NOT supported by the Bios), I see no changes have been made to made to ensure that this is communicated clearly to potential customers. My only conclusion is that Lenovo is intentionaly misleading it's customers.

If this issue is not resolved let me assure you Lenovo that neither I , nor my business will ever purchase your products again.

Wow, it has been over a month now.  have since bought a Macbook Pro and I am still waiting for ideapads to change their stance. Well, I am ready to now purchase a thin and light with Windows 7. I have been extremely patient but it seems I am now going to go with HP or Sony. This will probably be my last post. I have given up on Lenovo. I will say, I did pay $30.00 to Lenovo for an order that I canceled. So I did loose something (not as big a loss as the many who have spoken out on this site). I was though, lucky enough to get my mac pro for $50.00 less which sort of makes up for the loss, but I would have loved to get the U330. Good luck to you all. 

The problem with XP mde is that Microsoft is implementing virtualization into the OS. Lenovo is leaving us high and dry with hardware the is 'dated' lets say as soon as it leaves the door. Dual core laptops have been around for a long time now. And that is all that we have with no VT. Old school MP machines. Win 7 != Lenovo ready for the Ideapad line.

I'm waiting to see how they handle this upon the release of  Windows 7 and Sony's implementation of VT in the BIOS. We still need to keep the pressure on Lenovo.

christopherlang - Any update on returning your laptop?

Hi, No no updates yet. Did get an email asking how support did though. Frankly I am still amazed by the shortsightedness of this by these laptop makers. Used to be we also had decent recovery options then they stopped shipping media, now we have hardware that supports functionality that is disabled for no technical reason. Amazing.

Greetings all,

Just today I had to return my Y550, because like a few others here, I fell into the alluring trap of the P8600's VT support advertised by Intel's website.

I wouldn't have cared a single bit, as I bought a comparable Thinkpad for only $20 more. The thing that set me livid and the reason I'm here now is the restocking fee that was heaped onto it.

I explained to the low-man on the totem pole who told me it wasn't his thing to waive the fee, I spoke to the supervisor (Sahid) who said,

"This is not Lenovo error, therefore I cannot remove the restocking fee."

Except that this was so bogusly advertised it's mind blowing. I tried to push the points listed here, that the processor is perfectly capable, but there is no one-way-or-the-other about it listed. The documentation doesn't say that it does or it doesn't. As stated multiple times, Intel's website says it definitely does.

"If it is not stated in the technical specifications, it is not supported." he said.

Well guess what, it isn't in the Thinkpad T500's either, but it sure is there!

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_A3o0EjLYCNg/SpwGfvr1tfI/AAAAAAAAC64/gynZ6-lycFY/Windows%207%20T500%20Intel%20Virtualization%20001_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800

I bought that laptop, needing it for network simulation routines for a class I have, it would have been wonderful had it not been massively crippled for absolutely no reason (other than money, forcing an upgrade to the Thinkpads I presume).

So now, I must arm myself to the tee, as a poster here was able to get a full refund on the exact same principle. The "buyer beware" attitude is absolutely unacceptable, if a well-broadcasted feature like VT support is NOT implemented by default and cannot be adjusted, it should be explicitly mentioned next to the processor listing. It will be costing them a lot of unhappy customers, such as myself who would seek to other brands who don't limit their hardware for profit and support modern processor features.

I would have gone with something else, if it weren't for the fact I hate every other manufacturers' laptop designs.

My IBM Thinkpad T60 is a wonderful machine that I'm typing this out on. This is indeed bait-and-switch and more corporate greed business practice.

I'll put in a support ticket, and take the run around until that 15% comes back to me.

Just for reference:

Only Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate/Enterprize will work with XP mode. Starter/basic/Hom premium will not thus helping to understand that by default ALL Ideapads will not be involved into XP Mode as they come with either basic or home premium versions. Most of Thinkpads will come with Professional I believe and those for sure will have VT enabled as well as XP mode will work there.

However Russian Lenovo support as being bombarded by negative reports about VT not enabled finally made an answer that stated that Lenovo will look into turning on VT for laptops coming with Win7. Hope it will be at least so.

I understand that XP mode is not only purpose of VT but it will be for sure soon.

IMHO best way to show Lenovo that VT in Ideapads shouldn't be turned off on capable systems is not jsut sitting on this forum but calling to Lenovo, telling this to them and asking for any kind of surveys you can fill in with negative reports.

I have contacted support from Turkey. And they couldn't come up with a solution yet. So i decided to warn Turkish community  before purchasing a Lenovo product.

If you are one of the victims please add your comments to my article.
Bad Virtualization Experience with Lenovo

No new updates but was reading of a softmod workaround. I currently do not have a VT capable CPU in my Y530 so I am unable to try the mod but here are the details. It would be nice if people would let everyone know if modding the MSR works. The only other options are an update from Lenovo or a reverse engineering effort like has been done for the Sony's to enable VT. You can google for this.

I am copying these instructions (sorry do not have the original link). NB This may not work with the chipsets in these ideapads (I think this persons motherboard is an MSI one). I do not have the link handy but I also read of one person modding an Ideapad BIOS for VT using some of the same tools as for modding the aptio bios on the Vaio laptops.

Hi!

You can't change the NVRAM registers, but you can change the MSR while running windows. Fortunately GX600PX doesn't lock the registers, so you can change it while windows is running. After changes however I found that both Windows Virtual PC (in Windows 7) and Sun's VirtualBox works even after restart (seems that WVPC "magically" enables the appropriate MSR flags, but only if they have been enabled at least once).

To enable the MSR register use http://go.notebookreview.com/?id=525X832&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcrystalmark.info%2Fsoftware%2FCrystalCPUID%2Findex-e.html (works with Xp/Vista/Win7x64 too) and change the MSR 0x3a to 0x0/0xd. Don't forget to change it for all of the cores you are using (you can select the appropriate processor core on the main screen of this utiility). After this MicrosoftVirtualPc/WindowsVirtualPC/WMVare/VirtualBox/etc should tell you that VT is enabled and working (if not, double check that you have changed MSR register 0x3a to 0x0/0xd (or 0x0/0x5) on BOTH cores)

This register will change back to 0x0/0x0 after restart, but Win7 seems to actually turns it on after it had been used by WVPC/XP mode at least once.