MS Virtual PC: Virtual Machine Network Services driver

My desktop is running Vista Ultimate x64 with SP1. I built a virtual machine using Microsoft Virtual PC x64 SP1 to host my SharePoint development environment. The VM is running Windows Server 2003 SP2 and SharePoint 2007 is installed as a single server farm. I've also installed Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, Visual Studio 2008 with SP1, and Visual Studio 2008 Extensions for WSS 3.0 (v1.2). Occasionally, after changing the configuration of my physical workstation (for example installing software or changing hardware), I receive the following error when starting the VM:



"Virtual PC could not open the Virtual Machine Network Services driver." This is not a big deal unless you want to access the farm from another host (such as your workstation) or need to connect to the internet to apply patches and install additional software. I've come across several references on the internet that recommend installing SP1 for Virtual PC in order to resolve this. I had already done this but the problem was still appearing. Next I tried uninstalling VPC, rebooting, and reinstalling. Same problem. Finally after a number of unsuccessful attempts, I determined that the following sequence of events will reliably fix the problem each time the message appears...

1. Disconnect the VM from the virtual network. In the VPC console select the VM image and click Settings. Select "Networking" from the list on the left. Select "Not Connected" from the drop-down list for Adapter 1 on the right. Click OK to save. You should be able to start your VM without any errors at this point, however you are no longer connected to your workstation or the network.
2. Disable the Virtual Machine Network Services service. Open the Network Connections window. In Vista, Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Shareing Center > Manage network connections. Right-click your local area network connection and select "Properties". Uncheck "Virtual Machine Network Services" and click OK.
3. Reboot your workstation.
4. Enable the Virtual Machine Network Services service. Open the Network Connections window. In Vista, Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Shareing Center > Manage network connections. Right-click your local area network connection and select "Properties". Check "Virtual Machine Network Services" to enable the service and click OK.
5. Reconnect the VM to the virtual network. In the VPC console select the VM image and click Settings. Select "Networking" from the list on the left. Select your network driver from the drop-down list for Adapter 1 on the right. Click OK to save.

The VM should start without any errors. If I determine exactly what the issue is I will update this post.