Error message when you install a Windows CE emulator, eMbedded Visual C++, Visual Studio 2003, or Windows CE Platform Builder on a computer that is running Windows XP: "Devices or applications disabled"

Consider the following scenario. You install a Microsoft Windows CE emulator, Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++, Microsoft Visual Studio 2003, or Windows CE Platform Builder on a computer that is running Windows XP or Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). The computer has Data Execution Prevention (DEP) hardware. You restart the computer. In this scenario, you receive the following error message: You may also receive the following error message when you try to start Windows CE 4.x Emulator:

This problem occurs in Windows XP and in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) because the Windows CE emulators do not work correctly if Physical Address Extension (PAE) mode is enabled. This problem occurs with Windows XP SP2 because Windows XP SP2 does not allow the Virtual PC/Windows CE Emulator driver (VPCAppSv.sys) to load when hardware-based DEP is enabled. This is part of the Windows XP SP2 Driver Protection feature.

Note PAE mode must be enabled for DEP to work. Windows XP automatically enables PAE mode to support hardware-based DEP. You do not have to make an entry in the Boot.ini file to enable PAE mode.

Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make the computer or the network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you decide to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect the system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.

To resolve this problem and to run Window CE 4.x Emulator, disable hardware-based DEP on the computer that is running Windows XP SP2. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
3. Under Start and Recovery, click Settings.
4. In the Startup and Recovery dialog box, click Edit.
5. Disable PAE mode by removing the /pae option if it exists.
6. If you are using Windows XP SP2, remove the /noexecute option if it exists, and then add the /execute option.
7. On the File menu, click Save.
8. To exit Notepad, click Exit on the File menu.
9. To close System Properties, click OK two times.
10. Restart your computer.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about PAE, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Hardware DEP was first available with Intel IA-64, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Athlon 64, and AMD Opteron processors. Hardware DEP has recently become available in Intel 32-bit IA-32 (x86) Pentium 4 CPUs.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information, see the "Launching the 4.x CE Emulators on 32-bit machine running in Physical Address Extensions (PAE) mode causes the machine to reboot" section in the Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 Service Pack 4 readme file: The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.