Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks 295
Configuring CD-ROM and DVD Drive Settings 297
Configuring Floppy Drive Settings 299
Configuring Virtual Network Adapter Settings 299
Configuring USB Controller Settings 304
Configuring Sound Card Settings 305
Configuring Parallel Port Settings 305
Configuring Serial Port Settings 306
Configuring Generic SCSI Device Settings 306
Configuring Printer Settings 307
Configuring Display Settings 307
Installing a Guest Operating System on a Physical Disk or Unused Partition 308
Using the Virtual Network Editor310
13
Add a Bridged Virtual Network 310
Add a Host-Only Virtual Network 312
Rename a Virtual Network 313
Change Automatic Bridging Settings 313
Change NAT Settings 314
Change DHCP Settings on a Windows Host 316
Running the Support Script317
14
Register and Create a Support Request 317
Run the Support Script from Workstation Pro 318
Run the Support Script from a Windows Command Prompt 318
Run the Support Script from a Linux Terminal Window 319
Using the vmware Command320
15
Run the vmware Command 320
Incorporate Workstation Pro Startup Options in a Windows Shortcut 321
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Using VMware Workstation Pro
Using VMware Workstation Pro describes how to use VMware Workstation Pro™ to create, configure,
and manage virtual machines.
Intended Audience
This information is intended for anyone who wants to install, upgrade, or use Workstation Pro. The
information is written for experienced Windows or Linux system administrators who are familiar with
virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.
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Introduction and System
Requirements1
Host computers that run Workstation Pro must meet specific hardware and software requirements. Virtual
machines that run in Workstation Pro support specific devices and provide certain features.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
Host System Requirements for Workstation Pro
n
Virtual Machine Features and Specifications
Host System Requirements for Workstation Pro
The physical computer on which you install Workstation Pro is called the host system and its operating
system is called the host operating system. To run Workstation Pro, the host system and the host
operating system must meet specific hardware and software requirements.
Processor Requirements for Host Systems
You must install Workstation Pro on a host system that meets certain processor requirements.
Supported Processors
The following host systems are supported.
n
Systems using processors launched in 2011 or later except for systems using the following
processors.
n
Intel Atom processors based on the 2011 Bonnell micro-architecture. For example, Atom
Z670/Z650 and Atom N570.
n
Intel Atom processors based on the 2012 Saltwell micro-architecture. For example, Atom Atom
S1200, Atom D2700/D2500, and Atom N2800/N2600.
n
AMD processors based on the Llano and Bobcat micro-architectures.
n
Systems using the following processors.
n
Intel processors based on the 2010 Westmere micro-architecture. For example, Xeon 5600, Xeon
3600, Core i7-970, Core i7-980, and Core i7-990.
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Processor Requirements for 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems
For supported processors to run 64-bit guest operating systems, the host system must use one of the
following processors.
n
An AMD CPU with AMD-V support
n
An Intel CPU with VT-x support
If you have an Intel CPU that has VT-x support, you must verify that VT-x support is enabled in the host
system BIOS. The BIOS settings that must be enabled for VT-x support vary depending on the system
vendor. See the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003944 for information
about how to determine if VT-x support is enabled.
When you install a 64-bit operating system, Workstation Pro performs checks to make sure the host
system has a supported processor. You cannot install a 64-bit operating system if the host system does
not meet the processor requirements.
Supported Host Operating Systems
You can install Workstation Pro on Windows and Linux host operating systems.
To see a list of the supported host operating systems, search the online VMware Compatibility Guide on
the VMware Web site.
Memory Requirements for Host Systems
The host system must have enough memory to run the host operating system, the guest operating
systems that run inside the virtual machines on the host system, and the applications that run in the host
and guest operating systems.
The minimum memory required on the host system is 2 GB. 4 GB and above is recommended.
To support Windows 7 Aero graphics in a virtual machine, at least 3 GB of host system memory is
required. 1 GB of memory is allocated to the guest operating system and 256 MB is allocated to graphics
memory.
See your guest operating system and application documentation for more information on memory
requirements.
Display Requirements for Host Systems
The host system must have a 16-bit or 32-bit display adapter. Use the latest graphics driver
recommended for the host system.
To support Windows 7 Aero graphics, the host system should have either an NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT or
later or an ATI Radeon HD 2600 or later graphics processor.
Important 3D benchmarks, such as 3DMark '06, might not render correctly or at all when running
Windows Vista or Windows 7 virtual machines on some graphics hardware.
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Disk Drive Requirements for Host Systems
Host systems must meet certain disk drive requirements. Guest operating systems can reside on physical
disk partitions or in virtual disk files.
Table 1‑1. Disk Drive Requirements for Host Systems
Drive TypeRequirements
Hard disk
Optical CD-ROM and DVD
FloppyVirtual machines can connect to disk drives on the host computer. Floppy disk image
n
IDE, SATA, SCSI and NVMe hard drives are supported.
n
At least 1 GB free disk space is recommended for each guest operating system and
the application software used with it. If you use a default setup, the actual disk space
needs are approximately the same as those for installing and running the guest
operating system and applications on a physical computer.
n
For basic installation, 1.5 GB free disk space is required on Windows and Linux. You
can delete the installer after the installation is complete to reclaim disk space.
n
IDE, SATA, and SCSI optical drives are supported.
n
CD-ROM and DVD drives are supported.
n
ISO disk image files are supported.
files are also supported.
Solid-State Drives
If your host machine has a physical solid-state drive (SSD), the host informs guest operating systems
they are running on an SSD.
This allows the guest operating systems to optimize behavior. How the virtual machines recognize SSD
and use this information depends on the guest operating system and the disk type of the virtual disk
(SCSI, SATA, IDE, or NVMe).
n
On Windows 8, Windows 10, Ubuntu, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machines, all drive types
can report their virtual disks as SSD drives.
Note
n
NVMe virtual hard disks are natively supported for Windows 8.1 and later.
n
To create a new a virtual machine with a Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2 guest operating system
using NVMe as the virtual hard disk, apply the appropriate Windows hot fix. See
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2990941.
n
Several Linux operating systems support NVMe while others do not. Check with the operating
system vendor.
n
On Windows 7 virtual machines, only IDE and SATA virtual disks can report their virtual disks as SSD.
SCSI virtual disks only report as SSD when used as a system drive in a virtual machine, or as a
mechanical drive when used as a data drive inside a virtual machine.
Use the virtual machine operating system to verify your virtual machine is using SSD as its virtual disk.
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Local Area Networking Requirements for Host Systems
You can use any Ethernet controller that the host operating system supports.
Non-Ethernet networks are supported by using built-in network address translation (NAT) or by using a
combination of host-only networking and routing software on the host operating system.
ALSA Requirements
To use ALSA in a virtual machine, the host system must meet certain requirements.
n
The ALSA library version on the host system must be version 1.0.16 or later.
n
The sound card on the host system must support ALSA. The ALSA project Web site maintains a
current listing of sound cards and chipsets that support ALSA.
n
The sound device on the host system must not be muted.
n
The current user must have the appropriate permissions to use the sound device.
Virtual Machine Features and Specifications
Workstation Pro virtual machines support specific devices and provide certain features.
Supported Guest Operating Systems
A guest operating system can be Windows, Linux, and other commonly used operating systems.
For the most recent list of guest operating systems that VMware products support, see the VMware
Compatibility Guide site: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php.
For instructions about how to install the most common guest operating systems, see the VMware GuestOperating System Installation Guide: http://partnerweb.vmware.com/GOSIG/home.html.
Virtual Machine Processor Support
Virtual machines support certain processor features.
n
The same as the processor on the host computer.
n
One virtual processor on a host system that has one or more logical processors.
n
Up to 16 virtual processors (sixteen-way virtual symmetric multiprocessing, or Virtual SMP) on a host
system that has at least 2 logical processors.
Note Workstation Pro considers multiprocessor hosts that have 2 or more physical CPUs, single-
processor hosts that have a multicore CPU, and single-processor hosts that have hyperthreading
enabled, to have two logical processors.
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Virtual Machine Chip Set and BIOS Support
Virtual machines support certain virtual machine chip set and BIOS features.
The total amount of memory that you can assign to all virtual machines running on a single host system is
limited only by the amount of RAM on the host.
The maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 64GB.
Virtual Machine Graphics and Keyboard Support
Virtual machines support certain graphics features.
n
VGA and SVGA are supported.
n
104-key Windows 95/98 enhanced keyboards are supported.
n
To use the GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc and GL_S3_s3tc Open Graphics Library (OpenGL)
extensions in a Windows XP or Windows 7 or later guest operating system, you must install Microsoft
DirectX End-User Runtime in the guest operating system. OpenGL is an API that is used to define 2D
and 3D computer graphics. You can download Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime from the
Microsoft Download Center Web site.
The VMware guest operating system OpenGL driver for Windows and Linux supports the OpenGL
3.3 core profile only. The OpenGL3.3 compatibility profile is not supported.
Virtual Machine IDE Drive Support
Virtual machines support certain IDE drives and features.
n
Up to four devices, including disk, CD-ROM, and DVD drives, are supported.
n
DVD drives can be used to read data DVD discs only.
n
DVD video is not supported.
n
Hard disks can be virtual disks or physical disks.
n
IDE virtual disks can be up to 8TB.
n
CD-ROM drives can be physical devices or ISO image files.
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Virtual Machine SCSI Device Support
Virtual machines support certain SCSI devices and features.
n
Up to 60 devices are supported.
n
SCSI virtual disks can be up to 8TB.
n
Hard disks can be virtual disks or physical disks.
n
With Generic SCSI support, you can use devices in a virtual machine without installing drivers in the
host operating system. Generic SCSI support works with scanners, CD-ROM drives, DVD drives,
tape drives, and other SCSI devices.
n
The LSI Logic LSI53C10xx Ultra320 SCSI I/O controller is supported.
Virtual Machine Floppy Drive Support
Virtual machines can have floppy drives.
n
Up to two 2.88MB floppy devices are supported.
n
Floppy drives can be physical drives or floppy image files.
Virtual Machine Serial and Parallel Port Support
Virtual machines support serial (COM) and parallel (LPT) ports.
n
Up to four serial (COM) ports are supported. Output can be sent to serial ports, Windows or Linux
files, or named pipes.
n
Up to three bidirectional parallel (LPT) ports. Output can be sent to parallel ports or host operating
system files.
Virtual Machine USB Port Support
Virtual machines can have USB ports and can support certain USB devices.
n
USB 1.1 UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface) is supported for all virtual machine hardware
versions.
n
USB 2.0 EHCI (Enhanced Host Controller Interface) controllers are supported if the virtual machine
hardware is compatible with Workstation 6 and later virtual machines.
n
USB 3.0 xHCI (Extensible Host Controller Interface) support is available for Linux guests running
kernel version 2.6.35 or later and for Windows 8 guests. The virtual machine hardware must be
compatible with Workstation 8 and later virtual machines.
n
Support for USB 2.0 and 3.0 requires that you configure virtual machine settings to enable USB 2.0
and 3.0 support and that you have compatible guest operating systems and virtual machine hardware
versions.
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n
Most USB devices are supported, including USB printers, scanners, PDAs, hard disk drives, memory
card readers, and digital cameras. Streaming devices, such as webcams, speakers, and
microphones, are also supported.
Virtual Machine Mouse and Drawing Tablet Support
Virtual machines support certain types of mice and drawing tablets.
n
PS/2 and USB mouse types are supported.
n
Serial tablets are supported.
n
USB tablets are supported.
Virtual Machine Ethernet Card Support
Virtual machines support certain types of Ethernet cards.
n
Up to 10 virtual Ethernet cards are supported.
n
The AMD PCnet-PCI II Ethernet Adapter is supported. For 64-bit guests, the Intel Pro/1000 MT
Server Adapter is also supported.
Virtual Machine Networking Support
Virtual machines support certain Ethernet switches and networking protocols.
n
Up to 10 virtual Ethernet switches are supported on Windows host operating systems. Up to 255
virtual Ethernet switches are supported on Linux host operating systems.
n
Three switches are configured by default for bridged, host-only, and NAT networking.
n
Most Ethernet-based protocols are supported, including TCP/IP, NetBEUI, Microsoft Networking,
Samba, Novell NetWare, and Network File System (NFS).
n
Built-in NAT networking supports client software that uses TCP/IP, FTP, DNS, HTTP, and Telnet. VPN
is supported for PPTP over NAT.
Virtual Machine Sound Support
Workstation Pro provides a sound device that is compatible with the Sound Blaster AudioPCI and Intel
High-Definition Audio Specification. The Workstation Pro sound device is enabled by default.
Workstation Pro supports sound in all supported Windows and Linux guest operating systems.
Sound support includes pulse code modulation (PCM) output and input. You can play .wav files, MP3
audio, and Real Media audio. MIDI output from Windows guest operating systems is supported by the
Windows software synthesizer. MIDI input is not supported, and no MIDI support is available for Linux
guest operating systems.
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and most recent Linux distributions detect the sound device and
install appropriate drivers for it.
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For Workstation 7.x and earlier virtual machines, the vmaudio driver in VMware Tools is installed in 64-bit
Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 guest operating systems
and in 32-bit Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 guest operating systems.
For Workstation 8.x and later virtual machines, the High-Definition Audio (HD Audio) device is presented
by default for both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows Vista and Windows 7 guest operating systems and their
server counterparts. Windows provides a driver for HD Audio that is not part of VMware Tools.
On Linux host systems, Workstation 7.x and later supports Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA).
Earlier versions of Workstation use the Open Sound System (OSS) interface for sound playback and
recording in virtual machines running on Linux host systems. Unlike OSS, ALSA does not require
exclusive access to the sound device. The host system and multiple virtual machines can play sound at
the same time.
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Installing and Using
Workstation Pro2
You can install Workstation Pro on a Linux or Windows host system. Installing or upgrading
Workstation Pro typically involves running a standard GUI wizard.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software and License Key
n
Installing Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products
n
Reinstalling Workstation Pro When Upgrading a Windows Host Operating System
n
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse
n
Installing Workstation Pro
n
Upgrading Workstation Pro
n
Uninstalling Workstation Pro
n
Start Workstation Pro
n
Using the Workstation Pro Window
n
Using the Workstation Pro Online Help
Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software and License Key
The Workstation Pro installation software is in the file that you downloaded and the license key is sent to
you in email.
The installation files for both host platforms are included in the packaged distribution. You can use the
license key on both the Windows and Linux versions of Workstation Pro. You need one license for each
host system.
If you do not enter the Workstation Pro license key during installation, you can specify the license key
later, in Workstation Pro, select Help > Enter License Key and enter the license key on the Workstation
Activation dialog box. You can also purchase a license key and view the status of an evaluation license
from the Workstation Activation dialog box.
See the VMware Web site for information on obtaining an evaluation license.
Note If you have an invalid license, Workstation Pro prompts you to enter a license key each time you
attempt to power on a virtual machine.
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Once you have installed Workstation Pro, you can find your license key in the About VMwareWorkstation Pro window. Click Help > About VMware Workstation Pro.
n
If you have an individual license for Workstation Pro, the key is displayed in the License Information
section under Type. It is labeled Individual and followed by your license key.
n
If you have a version of Workstation Pro licensed for multiple users, the Type field displays Volume
and your license key is not displayed.
n
If you did not enter a license for Workstation Pro, the Type field displays Not applicable and a license
key is not displayed.
n
If you have an evaluation license key for Workstation Pro, the Type field displays Not applicable. The
date the evaluation license key expires is also displayed.
Trial Version Expiration Date Warnings
When you use the trial version of VMware Workstation Pro, a notice appears on the home page advising
you of the trial license expiration date.
To purchase a license key click, click Get a license key. If you have a license key, click Enter a licensekey. You can also go to the Help menu and click Enter a license key.
Installing Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products
The only VMware products that can share a host system with Workstation Pro are VMware vSphere
Client and VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. You cannot install Workstation Pro on a host system
that has any other VMware virtualization products installed.
If the host system has another VMware virtualization product installed, you must uninstall that product
before you install Workstation Pro.
Reinstalling Workstation Pro When Upgrading a Windows
Host Operating System
Before you upgrade the operating system on a Microsoft Windows host, VMware recommends that you
uninstall VMware Workstation Pro.
The way Workstation Pro is installed and configured depends partly on the version of Windows used. As
a best practice, to ensure that Workstation Pro is properly configured for a new operating system, you
must remove the Workstation Pro application before you perform the operating system upgrade.
Uninstalling Workstation Pro guarantees that legacy components that apply only to older versions of
Windows are not left behind .
For example, if you do not uninstall Workstation Pro before upgrading the Windows operating system,
some virtual network adapters might not function properly after the operating system upgrade. Before you
uninstall Workstation Pro, open the virtual network editor and note the settings used. You must configure
these settings again after you reinstall Workstation Pro.
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When you uninstall Workstation Pro, you need only uninstall the Workstation Pro application, not the
virtual machines that you have created. When the operating system upgrade is complete, reinstall
Workstation Pro or, if you are also upgrading Workstation Pro, install the new version of Workstation Pro.
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse
If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, you should install it on the host system
before you install Workstation Pro.
If you must install the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse after you install Workstation Pro, run the
Workstation Pro installer again and select Modify/Change to install the associated Workstation Pro plugins.
See the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse Developer’s Guide for host system requirements and
supported operating systems. This guide is available on the VMware Web site.
Installing Workstation Pro
You can install Workstation Pro on a Windows host system by running the installation wizard or by using
the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI). The MSI unattended
installation feature is useful if you are installing Workstation Pro on several Windows hosts and do not
want to respond to wizard prompts. You install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system by running the
Workstation Pro bundle installer.
n
Install Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You run the Windows setup program and installation wizard to install Workstation Pro on a Windows
host system.
n
Run an Unattended Workstation Pro Installation on a Windows Host
You can use the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install
Workstation Pro on Windows host systems without having to respond to wizard prompts. This
feature is convenient in a large enterprise.
n
Install Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You run the Linux bundle installer to install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system. On most Linux
distributions, the Linux bundle installer launches a GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions,
including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the bundle installer launches a command-line wizard instead
of a GUI wizard. You can run the installer with the --console option to install Workstation Pro in a
terminal window.
Install Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You run the Windows setup program and installation wizard to install Workstation Pro on a Windows host
system.
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Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you install
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
n
Verify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
n
Verify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products.
n
Obtain the Workstation Pro software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software
and License Key.
n
If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, install it on the host system. See
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse.
Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
Depending on your configuration, you might need to restart the host system to finish the installation.
After Workstation Pro is installed, the VMware Workstation Server service starts on the host system. The
VMware Workstation Server service starts whenever you restart the host system.
Run an Unattended Workstation Pro Installation on a Windows
Host
You can use the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install
Workstation Pro on Windows host systems without having to respond to wizard prompts. This feature is
convenient in a large enterprise.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
n
Verify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products.
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n
Obtain the Workstation Pro software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software
and License Key.
n
If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, install it on the host system. See
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse.
n
Verify that the host computer has version 2.0 or later of the MSI runtime engine. This version of the
installer is available in versions of Windows beginning with Windows XP and is available from
Microsoft. For more information, see the Microsoft Web site.
n
Familiarize yourself with the installation properties. See Installation Properties.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the local
Administrators group.
If you log in to the domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Extract the administrative installation image from the setup file.
The setup filename is similar to VMware=workstation-xxxx-xxxx.exe where xxxx-xxxx is the
version and build number.
For example, if you enter setup.exe/?, the flag displays a windows message box with the command
line usage for the installer.
You can use the optional INSTALLDIR property to specify a file path for the installation that is different
from the default location.
Note The double quotes around the file path are important. All the MSI arguments are passed with
the /v option. The outer quotes group the MSI arguments and the double quotes put a quote in that
argument.
You can also run an unattended uninstallation of Workstation Pro on a Windows host. The following
example uninstalls Workstation Pro and removes the license from the host.
When you perform an unattended installation of Workstation Pro, you can customize the installation by
specifying installation properties in the installation command.
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To specify an installation property in the installation command, use the format property="value". A value of
1 means true and a value of 0 means false.
Table 2‑1. Installation Properties
PropertyDescriptionDefault Value
AUTOSOFTWAREUPDATE
DATACOLLECTION
DESKTOP_SHORTCUT
ENABLE_VIRTUAL_PRINTING
EULAS_AGREED
INSTALLDIR
KEEP_LICENSE
KEEP_SETTINGFILES
SERIALNUMBER
SOFTWAREUPDATEURL
Enables automatic upgrades for Workstation Pro or Workstation
Player when a new build becomes available.
Sends user experience information to VMware.1
Adds a shortcut on the desktop when Workstation Pro is installed.1
Enables support for ThinPrint virtual printing on the Windows host
after installing.
Allows you to silently accept the product EULAs. Set to 1 to complete
the installation or upgrade.
Install Workstation Pro in a directory that is different from the default
Workstation Pro location.
Specifies whether to keep or remove license keys when
Workstation Pro is uninstalled.
Specifies whether to keep or remove settings files when
Workstation Prois uninstalled
Lets you enter the license key when Workstation Pro is installed.
Enter the license key with hyphens, for example, "xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx".
Specifies a custom URL for managing software updates (separate
from vmware.com).
1
0
0
C:\Program Files
(86)\VMware\VMware
Workstation
1
1
STARTMENU_SHORTCUT
SUPPORTURL
Adds a Start menu item when Workstation Pro is installed.1
Set a support URL or email alias specifically for your users to contact
with product issues through the Workstation Pro or Workstation Pro
Help menu.
Install Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You run the Linux bundle installer to install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system. On most Linux
distributions, the Linux bundle installer launches a GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions, including
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the bundle installer launches a command-line wizard instead of a GUI
wizard. You can run the installer with the --console option to install Workstation Pro in a terminal
window.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you install
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
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Shared virtual machines are stored in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware Workstation
Server (vmware-workstation-server) manages them. Remote users connect to VMware Workstation
Server through HTTPS port 443 on the host system.
To change the shared virtual machines directory or select a different port during the installation process,
you must specify the --custom option. You can also change the shared virtual machines directory, select
a different port, and disable remote connections and virtual machine sharing after Workstation Pro is
installed by modifying the Shared VMs Workstation Pro preference setting.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
n
Verify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products.
n
Obtain the Workstation Pro software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software
and License Key.
n
If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, install it on the host system. See
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse.
n
Compile the real-time clock function into the Linux kernel.
n
Verify that the parallel port PC-style hardware option (CONFIG_PARPORT_PC) is built and loaded as a
kernel module and that it is set to m when the kernel is compiled.
n
Familiarize yourself with the Linux command-line installation options. You must use the --custom
option to specify certain configuration settings. See Linux Command Line Installation Options.
n
Verify that you have root access on the host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system with the user name that you plan to use when you run Workstation Pro.
2Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.
3Change directories to the directory that contains the Workstation Pro installer file.
4Run the appropriate Workstation Pro installer for the host system.
For example: sh VMware-Workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.architecture.bundle [--option]
xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version and build numbers, architecture is x86_64, and option is a command-line
option.
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5Accept the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool license agreement.
If you are using the --console option or installing Workstation Pro on a host system that does not
support the GUI wizard, press Enter to scroll through and read the license agreement or type q to skip
to the [yes/no] prompt.
6Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
After Workstation Pro is installed, vmware-workstation-server starts on the host system. When
Workstation Pro starts, log in using your regular user name, not root. vmware-workstation-server
starts whenever you restart the host system.
Linux Command Line Installation Options
You can use command line installation options to install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system.
To use the installation options, you must be logged in as root. Exit from the root account after the
installation is finished.
Table 2‑2. Linux Command Line Installation Options
OptionDescription
--console
--custom
--gtk
--ignore-errors or -IAllows the installation to continue even if there is an error in one of the installer
--regular
--required
--set-setting vmware-installer
installShortcuts yes | no
--set-setting vmware-installer libdir
lib_path
--set-setting vmware-installer
prefix /usr/local
Enables you to use the terminal for installation.
Use this option to customize the following installation settings.
n
The locations of the installation directories.
n
The user who will initially connect to VMware Workstation Server. This user
can create and manage shared virtual machines.
n
The location of the shared virtual machines directory.
n
The HTTPS port that VMware Workstation Server uses on the host system.
Opens the GUI-based VMware installer, which is the default option.
scripts. Because the section that has an error does not complete, the component
might not be properly configured
Shows installation questions that have not been answered before or are required.
This is the default option.
Shows the license agreement only and then proceeds to install Workstation Pro.
Adds shortcuts when Workstation Pro is installed. The default is yes.
The libdir parameter instructs the installer where to place product-specific data
files, such as libraries and internal icons. The installer places product files in
$libdir/vmware and $libdirvmware-installer. The default is /usr/lib.
Installs executable files you run directly (ex: vmware, vmplayer, vmwarenetworks, etc.) here. Remainder of the product distributed under libdir-derived
paths. The default is /usr .
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Table 2‑2. Linux Command Line Installation Options (Continued)
OptionDescription
--set-setting vmware-workstation
serialNumber xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx
--set-setting vmware-player
serialNumber xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx
--set-setting vmware-player-app
simplifiedUI yes|no
--set-setting vmware-player-app
softwareUpdateEnabled yes|no
--set-setting vmware-player-app
softwareUpdateURL https://url/
--set-setting vmware-player-app
supportURL https://url/
Lets you enter the license key when Workstation Pro or Workstation Player is
installed. Enter the license key with hyphens, for example, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx.
Turn on or off certain UI features of Workstation Player. The default is no.
Enables automatic upgrades for Workstation Pro or Workstation Player when a
new build becomes available.
Specifies a custom URL for managing software updates (separate from
vmware.com).
Set a support URL or email alias specifically for your users to contact with
product issues through the Help menu.
Upgrading Workstation Pro
You can upgrade from a previous version of Workstation to the current version of Workstation Pro by
running the Workstation Pro installation program.
When you upgrade Workstation Pro, the installation program removes the previous version of
Workstation Pro before it installs the new version.
To use the latest features, virtual machines that were created in the previous versions of Workstation
must be upgraded to the current version of Workstation Pro.
n
Prepare for an Upgrade
You must perform certain steps before you upgrade Workstation Pro.
n
Upgrade Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Windows host system by running the
Workstation Pro setup program and installation wizard for Windows.
n
Upgrade Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Linux host system by running the
Linux bundle installer for Workstation Pro. On most Linux distributions, the Linux bundle installer
launches a GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the
bundle installer launches a command-line wizard instead of a GUI wizard. You can run the installer
with the --console option to upgrade Workstation Pro in a terminal window.
n
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
You can change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine. All virtual machines have a
hardware version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware features that the virtual
machine supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum number of CPUs,
maximum memory configuration, and other hardware characteristics.
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Prepare for an Upgrade
You must perform certain steps before you upgrade Workstation Pro.
Procedure
n
Verify that all virtual machines are Workstation 7.x, 8, 9, 10 or 11 virtual machines.
Direct upgrades from Workstation 2 and 3 virtual machines are not supported .
n
Review the system requirements for the new version of Workstation Pro.
n
If a virtual machine was created with a version of Workstation earlier than Workstation 5.5 and it has
a snapshot, delete the snapshot.
n
If you are upgrading from Workstation 4, 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x, and the previous version of Workstation used
bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters, record those settings.
You must recreate these mappings after you upgrade Workstation Pro.
n
Power off all running virtual machines in Workstation Pro.
n
If any virtual machines are suspended, resume them and power them off in Workstation Pro.
n
If any virtual machines are running in the background, start them in Workstation Pro and power them
off.
n
Back up all virtual machines by making backup copies of the files in the virtual machine directories
and storing them in different directories.
The files that you back up should include .vmdk or .dsk files, .vmx or .cfg files, and .nvram files.
Depending on the upgrade path, you might not be able to run virtual machines under both the current
version of Workstation Pro and the previous version.
n
If you are upgrading Workstation 6.x on Windows XP to the current version of Workstation Pro on
Windows Vista or Windows 7, verify that Service Pack 2 is installed and then upgrade the host
operating system to Windows Vista or Windows 7.
n
If you are upgrading Workstation 5.x on Windows Vista to the current version of Workstation Pro on
Windows Vista, select Programs > Programs and Features > Uninstall a program in the Windows
control panel to manually uninstall Workstation 5.x.
n
If you are upgrading Workstation 5.x on Windows XP to the current version of Workstation Pro on
Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Add or Remove Programs in the Windows control panel to
manually uninstall Workstation 5.x.
During an upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista or Windows 7, the location of virtual machines
might change. The Windows Vista and Windows 7 upgrade use the registry to map the virtual machines
to a new location. Before the upgrade, the default virtual machine location on Windows XP is
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Virtual Machines. After the upgrade,
the default virtual machine location on Windows Vista and Windows 7 is
C:\Users\username\Documents\Virtual Machines\guestOSname.
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Upgrade Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Windows host system by running the
Workstation Pro setup program and installation wizard for Windows.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you upgrade
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
n
Verify that you have a license key.
n
Verify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
n
Prepare for the upgrade. See Prepare for an Upgrade.
Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Click Uninstall to uninstall the previous version of Workstation Pro.
4After the host system restarts, log in as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
5Follow the prompts to finish the upgrade.
Depending on your configuration, you might need to restart the host system to finish the installation.
After Workstation Pro is upgraded and you restart the host system, the VMware Workstation Server
service starts. The VMware Workstation Server service starts whenever you restart the host system.
What to do next
To use the latest features, upgrade existing virtual machines to the new version of Workstation Pro. See
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
If you used bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters in the previous
version of Workstation Pro, recreate the mappings. If you created teams in the previous version of
Workstation, convert the teams to use them in the new version of Workstation Pro.
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Upgrade Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Linux host system by running the Linux
bundle installer for Workstation Pro. On most Linux distributions, the Linux bundle installer launches a
GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the bundle installer
launches a command-line wizard instead of a GUI wizard. You can run the installer with the --console
option to upgrade Workstation Pro in a terminal window.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you upgrade
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
Shared virtual machines are stored in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware Workstation
Server (vmware-workstation-server) manages them. Remote users connect to VMware Workstation
Server through HTTPS port 443 on the host system.
To change the shared virtual machines directory or select a different port during the upgrade process, you
must specify the --custom option. You can also change the shared virtual machines directory, select a
different port, and disable remote connections and virtual machine sharing after Workstation Pro is
upgraded by modifying the Shared VMs Workstation Pro preference setting.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
n
Verify that you have a license key.
n
Prepare for the upgrade. See Prepare for an Upgrade.
n
Familiarize yourself with the Linux command-line installation options. You must use the --custom
option to specify certain configuration settings. See Linux Command Line Installation Options.
n
Verify that you have root access to the host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system with the user name that you plan to use when you run Workstation Pro.
2Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.
3Change directories to the directory that contains the Workstation Pro installer file.
4Run the appropriate Workstation Pro installer for the host system.
For example: sh VMware-Workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.architecture.bundle [--option]
xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version and build numbers, architecture is x86_64, and option is a command-line
option.
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5Accept the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool license agreement.
If you are using the --console option or installing Workstation Pro on a host system that does not
support the GUI wizard, press Enter to scroll through and read the license agreement or type q to skip
to the [yes/no] prompt.
6Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
After Workstation Pro is upgraded, vmware-workstation-server starts on the host system. vmwareworkstation-server starts whenever you restart the host system.
What to do next
To use the latest features, upgrade existing virtual machines to the new version of Workstation Pro. See
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
If you used bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters in the previous
version of Workstation Pro, recreate the mappings. If you created teams in the previous version of
Workstation, convert the teams to use them in the new version of Workstation Pro.
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
You can change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine. All virtual machines have a hardware
version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware features that the virtual machine
supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum number of CPUs, maximum memory
configuration, and other hardware characteristics.
When you upgrade Workstation Pro, you must change the hardware compatibility of virtual machines that
were created in previous versions of Workstation Pro so that they can use the new features in the new
version of Workstation Pro. You can run older versions of virtual machines in the new version of
Workstation Pro, but you will not have the benefits of the new features.
If you want a virtual machine to remain compatible with other VMware products that you are using, you
might not want to change the hardware compatibility to the latest Workstation Pro version.
Note If you decide not to change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine, you should consider
upgrading to the latest version of VMware Tools to obtain the latest VMware Tools features.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the considerations and limitations of changing the hardware compatibility of a
virtual machine. See Considerations for Changing the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Make backup copies of the virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
2If you are upgrading from a Workstation 5.x virtual machine, or downgrading to a Workstation 5.x
virtual machine, make a note of the NIC settings in the guest operating system.
If you specified a static IP address for the virtual machine, that setting might be changed to automatic
assignment by DHCP after the upgrade.
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3Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
4Select the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Change Hardware Compatibility.
5Follow the prompts in the wizard to change the hardware compatibility of the virtual machine.
When you select a hardware compatibility setting, a list of the VMware products that are compatible
with that setting appears. For example, if you select Workstation 4, 5, or 6, a list of Workstation 6.5
and later features that are not supported for that Workstation version also appears.
Note Using Workstation 10 or later, you can change the hardware compatibility of a shared or
remote virtual machine. However, you cannot downgrade a previously created virtual machine.
6Power on the virtual machine.
If you upgrade a virtual machine that contains a Windows 98 operating system to a Workstation 6.5 or
later virtual machine, you must install a PCI-PCI bridge driver when you power on the virtual machine.
Note Because Workstation 6.5 and later versions have 32 more PCI-PCI bridges than Workstation
6, you might need to respond to the prompt 32 or 33 times.
7If the NIC settings in the guest operating system have changed, use the NIC settings that you
recorded to change them back to their original settings.
8If the virtual machine does not have the latest version of VMware Tools installed, update VMware
Tools.
Update VMware Tools to the version included with the latest version of Workstation Pro, even if you
upgraded the virtual machine to an earlier version of Workstation Pro. Do not remove the older
version of VMware Tools before installing the new version.
Note If you are upgrading a virtual machine that runs from a physical disk, you can safely ignore this
message: Unable to upgrade drive_name. One of the supplied parameters is invalid.
Considerations for Changing the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
Before you change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine, you should be aware of certain
considerations and limitations.
n
For Workstation 5.x, 6, 6.5, 7.x, and later virtual machines, you can change the version of the original
virtual machine or create a full clone so that the original virtual machine remains unaltered.
n
If you upgrade a Workstation 5.x virtual machine that is compatible with ESX Server to Workstation 6,
6.5, 7.x, or later, you cannot use the Change Hardware Compatibility wizard to later downgrade the
virtual machine to an ESX-compatible virtual machine.
n
When you upgrade a Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
virtual machine, the Microsoft product activation feature might require you to reactivate the guest
operating system.
n
Using Workstation 9 or earlier, you cannot change the hardware compatibility of a shared or remote
virtual machine.
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n
Using Workstation 10 and later, you can change the hardware compatibility of a shared or remote
virtual machine. However, you cannot down grade a previously created virtual machine.
Uninstalling Workstation Pro
You uninstall Workstation Pro on a Windows host by using the Windows setup program. On a Linux host,
you uninstall Workstation Pro by running the bundle installer.
Important If you uninstall Workstation Pro and do not save the configuration, then when you reinstall
Workstation Pro, shared virtual machines will no longer appear in the Shared VMs list in the virtual
machine library. To display virtual machines in the list again, you will need to share them again.
Uninstall Workstation Pro from a Windows Host
You can run the Windows setup program to uninstall Workstation Pro from a Windows host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to the domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Click Next on the Welcome screen and then click Remove.
4(Optional) To save product license and Workstation Pro configuration information, select the
appropriate check boxes.
5Click Next to begin uninstalling Workstation Pro.
Uninstall Workstation Pro from a Linux Host
You must run a command to uninstall Workstation Pro from a Linux host.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have root access to the host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the Linux host system with the user name that you use when you run Workstation Pro.
2Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.
3In a terminal window, type vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation
4Click Next to begin uninstalling Workstation Pro.
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Start Workstation Pro
How you start Workstation Pro depends on the host system platform and the options that you selected
during Workstation Pro installation.
On Windows host systems, you might have a desktop shortcut, a quick launch shortcut, or a combination
of these options in addition to a Start menu item.
On Linux host systems, you start Workstation Pro from the command line. On some Linux distributions,
including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, you can also start Workstation Pro from the System Tools menu
under Applications.
Procedure
n
To start Workstation Pro on a Windows host system, select Start > Programs > VMware > VMware
Workstation.
n
To start Workstation Pro on a Linux host system, type the vmware command in a terminal window.
OptionCommand
/usr/bin is in your default path
/usr/bin is not in your default path
vmware &
/usr/bin/vmware &
The first time you start Workstation Pro, Workstation Pro prompts you to accept the End User License
Agreement. After you start Workstation Pro, the Workstation Pro window opens.
Using the Workstation Pro Window
A virtual machine is like a separate computer that runs in a window on the host system. Workstation Pro
displays more than the screen of another computer. From the Workstation Pro window, you can interact
with and run virtual machines. You can also switch easily from one virtual machine to another.
The best way to learn how to use Workstation Pro is to use it. The Workstation Pro window is designed to
be intuitive and easy to use.
n
Use Virtual Machines in the Workstation Pro Window
You interact with virtual machines through the Workstation Pro window.
n
Use the Virtual Machine Library
The virtual machine library appears on the left side of the Workstation Pro window. You use the
library to view and select virtual machines, folders, and remote hosts in Workstation Pro. The library
appears by default.
n
Use the Thumbnail Bar
The thumbnail bar appears along the bottom of the Workstation Pro window.
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n
Use the Status Bar
The status bar appears at the bottom of the Workstation Pro window. You can use the icons on the
status bar to see Workstation Pro messages and perform actions on devices such as hard disks,
CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by default.
n
Use Workstation Pro Tabs
Workstation Pro creates a tab in the right pane of the Workstation Pro window when you select an
item in the library. Tabs appear by default.
n
Customize the Workstation Pro Window
You can customize the appearance of the Workstation Pro window by selecting items from the View
menu.
n
Default Hot-Key Combinations
You can use keyboard shortcuts to interact with Workstation Pro and with virtual machines. Most of
the available keyboard shortcuts for Workstation Pro are listed next to their associated commands in
Workstation Pro menus.
Use Virtual Machines in the Workstation Pro Window
You interact with virtual machines through the Workstation Pro window.
Procedure
n
Use the icons on the Home tab to create a new virtual machine, open an existing virtual machine,
connect to a remote server, or view the Workstation Pro help system.
n
Select a powered-off virtual machine in the library or click its tab to see the summary view for that
virtual machine.
The summary view shows a summary of configuration information and the virtual machine state. You
can power on the virtual machine and edit virtual machine settings from the summary view.
n
Select an active virtual machine in the library or click its tab to see the console view.
The console view is like the monitor display of a physical computer. You can click the console view
button on the toolbar to switch between the console and summary views.
n
Select a virtual machine in the library and use the VM menu on the menu bar at the top of the
Workstation Pro window to perform all virtual machine operations for the selected virtual machine.
You can use the VM menu when a virtual machine is powered on or off. If an operation is not
supported for the virtual machine in its current state, the menu item is not available.
n
Select a virtual machine in the library and use the buttons on the toolbar at the top of the
Workstation Pro window to perform common virtual machine operations and change the display for
the selected virtual machine.
You can use the buttons on the toolbar to take and manage snapshots, enter full screen and Unity
mode, cycle multiple monitors, and switch between the console and summary views.
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n
When a virtual machine is powered on, use the icons on the status bar at the bottom of the
Workstation Pro window to see Workstation Pro messages and perform actions on virtual devices
such as hard disks, CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, and network adapters.
You can click or right-click on a removable device icon to connect or disconnect the device or edit its
settings, and you can click the Message log icon to view the message log. Messages include
warning information about the virtual machine. If the icon is dimmed, all messages have already been
read.
n
Select items in the library or use tabs to quickly switch between virtual machines, folders, and remote
hosts.
Use the Virtual Machine Library
The virtual machine library appears on the left side of the Workstation Pro window. You use the library to
view and select virtual machines, folders, and remote hosts in Workstation Pro. The library appears by
default.
Prerequisites
If the library is not visible, select View > Customize > Library.
Procedure
n
Right-click a virtual machine, folder, or remote host in the library to view the item's context menu and
perform common operations.
n
To find a specific virtual machine in the library, type its name, part of its description, or the name of
the guest operating system in the search box.
For example, to find all the virtual machines that have a Windows 8 guest operating system, type
Windows 8. You can also search for folders and remote hosts.
n
To view information about a virtual machine, select the virtual machine name in the library and, if
powered on, click the Show or hide console view icon and View All.
OptionDescription
A Powered Off Virtual MachineThe virtual machine details appear at the bottom of the page.
A Powered On Virtual MachineIn the menu bar, select the Show or hide console view for the virtual machine
details to appear at the bottom of the page. Click View All to see network
connection information.
Virtual machines in either a powered off or powered on state provide information about the virtual
machine, such as the hardware compatibility information. The information provided for a powered on
virtual machine with VMware Tools installed is more detailed. For example, only a powered on virtual
machine with VMware Tools installed lists the primary IP address.
n
To mark a virtual machine or folder as a favorite in the library, right-click it and select Mark as
Favorite or click the star icon.
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n
Use the library drop-down menu to show only powered on virtual machines or favorite items.
By default, the library shows all items.
n
To remove an item from the library, right-click it and select Remove.
n
To remove non-existent virtual machines from the library, right-click My Computer and select
Remove Non-existent Virtual Machines.
Non-existent virtual machines are virtual machines that are no longer available from the library. For
example, virtual machines on a removable storage device that is no longer connected to your host
system.
Workstation Pro removes all non-existent virtual machines from the library.
Use the Thumbnail Bar
The thumbnail bar appears along the bottom of the Workstation Pro window.
For active virtual machines, Workstation Pro updates the thumbnail in real time to show the actual content
of the virtual machine. When a virtual machine is suspended, the thumbnail is a screenshot of the virtual
machine at the time that it was suspended.
Prerequisites
If the thumbnail bar is not visible, select View > Customize > Thumbnail Bar.
Procedure
n
Click a thumbnail to show the summary or console view for a virtual machine.
n
Click thumbnails to quickly switch between virtual machines.
n
To change the order of the thumbnails, change the order of the virtual machine tabs.
Thumbnails appear in the same order as the virtual machine tabs. To move a virtual machine tab,
drag and drop it to a new location.
n
To change the virtual machines that appear in the thumbnail bar, select Open Virtual Machines or
Folder View Virtual Machines from the thumbnail bar drop-down menu.
The drop-down menu is a down-arrow on the thumbnail bar.
Use the Status Bar
The status bar appears at the bottom of the Workstation Pro window. You can use the icons on the status
bar to see Workstation Pro messages and perform actions on devices such as hard disks, CD/DVD
drives, floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by default.
Procedure
n
Mouse over an icon on the status bar to see its name.
n
Click or right-click on a removable device icon to connect or disconnect the device or edit its settings.
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n
Click the message log icon to view the message log.
Messages include warning information about the virtual machine. If the icon is dimmed, all messages
have already been read.
Use Workstation Pro Tabs
Workstation Pro creates a tab in the right pane of the Workstation Pro window when you select an item in
the library. Tabs appear by default.
Procedure
n
Use the links on the Home tab to create a virtual machine, open a virtual machine, connect to a
remote server, virtualize a physical machine, use the virtual network editor, customize
Workstation Pro preferences, download software updates, and view the help system.
n
Use the virtual machine tabs to view virtual machine configuration information, modify virtual machine
hardware and option settings, and create or modify the virtual machine description.
n
Use the Shared VMs tab to see information about all of the shared virtual machines on the host
system.
n
Use the tab for a remote host to see information about the remote host, including CPU, memory, and
disk usage, and the virtual machines and virtual machine tasks running on the remote host.
n
Select File > Close Tab to close a tab.
Customize the Workstation Pro Window
You can customize the appearance of the Workstation Pro window by selecting items from the View
menu.
Procedure
1Select View > Customize and select a Workstation Pro window view.
OptionDescription
LibraryThe virtual machine library appears in the left side of the window. You can use the
library to view and select virtual machines, folders, and remote hosts in
Workstation Pro. The library appears by default.
Thumbnail BarA thumbnail bar appears at the bottom of the window. Depending on the
thumbnail bar option that is selected, the thumbnail bar shows all open virtual
machines or the virtual machines in the selected folder.
ToolbarA toolbar appears at the top of the window. You can use the icons on the toolbar
to start and stop virtual machines, take snapshots, change the display, and
perform other common tasks. The toolbar appears by default.
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OptionDescription
Status BarA status bar appears at the bottom of the window when a virtual machine is
selected. You can use the icons on the status bar to see Workstation Pro
messages and perform actions on virtual machine devices such as hard disks,
CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by
default.
TabsWorkstation Pro creates a tab in the right pane when you select an item in the
library. Tabs appear by default.
2To specify which virtual machines appear in the thumbnail bar, select View > Customize >
Thumbnail Bar Options.
OptionDescription
Open Virtual MachinesThe thumbnail bar shows thumbnails for all open virtual machines.
Folder View Virtual MachinesThe thumbnail bar shows thumbnails for virtual machines in the selected folder.
Default Hot-Key Combinations
You can use keyboard shortcuts to interact with Workstation Pro and with virtual machines. Most of the
available keyboard shortcuts for Workstation Pro are listed next to their associated commands in
Workstation Pro menus.
Table 2‑3. Default Hot-Key Combinations
ShortcutAction
Ctrl+GGrab input from the keyboard and mouse.
Ctrl+AltRelease the mouse cursor.
Ctrl+Alt+InsertShut down or, depending on the guest operating system, log out of the guest operating system. This
command is received solely by the virtual machine.
Ctrl+Alt+DeleteShut down or, depending on the operating system, log out of the guest operating system.
On a Windows host, if you do not use the enhanced virtual keyboard feature, both the host operating
system and the virtual machine receive this command, even when Workstation Pro has control of
input. Cancel the ending of the host operating system session and return to the virtual machine to log
out or shut down or perform administrative tasks.
Ctrl+Alt+EnterEnter full screen mode.
Ctrl+Alt+spacebarSend any command to the virtual machine so that Workstation Pro does not process it. Hold down
Ctrl+Alt as you press and release the spacebar, and continue to hold the Ctrl+Alt keys down as you
press the next key in the combination.
Ctrl+Tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab
(Windows hosts only) Switch among tabs.
Ctrl+Alt+right arrowIn full screen mode, switch to the next powered-on virtual machine.
Ctrl+Alt+left arrowIn full screen mode, switch to the previous powered-on virtual machine.
Ctrl+Shift+UIn Unity mode, give access to the virtual machine Start or Applications menu.
You can change the Unity hot-key combination by modifying Unity preference settings.
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You can change the default hot-key combinations by modifying Workstation Pro for common virtual
machine operations to Ctrl+Shift, you press Ctrl+Shift instead of Ctrl+Alt to release control from the
current virtual machine.
Using the Workstation Pro Online Help
The Workstation Pro online help contains information about Workstation Pro settings and common tasks.
Use the online help when you need to quickly find information about Workstation Pro preferences, virtual
hardware settings, and virtual machine options.
For example, if you are configuring a virtual machine and you need information about a specific hardware
setting, click Help on the dialog box that contains the setting. The Help window opens and a contextsensitive help topic appears in the right pane. To see the entire help system, select Help > Help Topics
(Windows host) or Help > Contents (Linux host).
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Creating Virtual Machines3
You can create a new virtual machine in Workstation Pro by using the New Virtual Machine wizard, clone
an existing Workstation Pro virtual machine or virtual machine template, import third-party and Open
Virtualization Format (OVF) virtual machines, and create a virtual machine from a physical machine.
You can also create shared virtual machines, which can be used by remote users, and virtual machines
that run on remote hosts. See Chapter 9 Using Remote Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
Understanding Virtual Machines
n
Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine
n
Create a New Virtual Machine on the Local Host
n
Cloning Virtual Machines
n
Virtualize a Physical Machine
n
Importing Virtual Machines
n
Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
n
Virtual Machine Files
Understanding Virtual Machines
A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical machine, runs an operating system and
applications. A virtual machine uses the physical resources of the physical machine on which it runs,
which is called the host system. Virtual machines have virtual devices that provide the same functionality
as physical hardware, but with the additional benefits of portability, manageability, and security.
A virtual machine has an operating system and virtual resources that you manage in much the same way
that you manage a physical computer. For example, you install an operating system in a virtual machine
in the same way that you install an operating system on a physical computer. You must have a CD-ROM,
DVD, or ISO image that contains the installation files from an operating system vendor.
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Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine
You use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual machine in Workstation Pro. The wizard
prompts you to make decisions about many aspects of the virtual machine. You should make these
decisions before you start the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Worksheet for Creating a Virtual Machine
You can print this worksheet and write down the values to specify when you run the New Virtual Machine
wizard.
Table 3‑1. Worksheet: Creating a Virtual Machine
OptionFill In Your Value Here
Hardware compatibility setting
Guest operating system source
Guest operating system type (for manual installation)
Easy Install information for Windows guests
n
Product key
n
Operating system version
n
Full name
n
Password
n
Credentials for automatic login
Easy Install information for Linux guests
n
Full name
n
User name
n
Password
Virtual machine name
Virtual machine location
Number of processors
Memory allocation
Network connection type
I/O controller type
Hard disk
Virtual hard disk type
Disk capacity
Virtual disk file name and location
Selecting a Virtual Machine Configuration
When you start the New Virtual Machine wizard, the wizard prompts you to select a typical or custom
configuration.
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Typical Configuration
If you select a typical configuration, you must specify or accept defaults for a few basic virtual machine
settings.
n
How you want to install the guest operating system.
n
A name for the virtual machine and a location for the virtual machine files.
n
The size of the virtual disk and whether to split the disk into multiple virtual disk files.
n
Whether to customize specific hardware settings, including memory allocation, number of virtual
processors, and network connection type.
Custom Configuration
You must select a custom configuration if you need to perform any of the following hardware
customizations.
n
Create a virtual machine that has a different Workstation Pro version than the default hardware
compatibility setting.
n
Select the I/O controller type for the SCSI controller.
n
Select the virtual disk device type.
n
Configure a physical disk or an existing virtual disk instead of create a new virtual disk.
n
Allocate all virtual disk space rather than let disk space gradually grow to the maximum disk size.
Selecting the Virtual Machine Hardware Compatibility Setting
All virtual machines have a hardware version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware
features that the virtual machine supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum
number of CPUs, maximum memory configuration, and other hardware characteristics. The virtual
machine hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features of the virtual machine.
If you select a typical configuration, the wizard uses the default hardware compatibility setting configured
in the Workstation Pro preferences. By default, the default hardware compatibility setting is the installed
Workstation Pro version.
If you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to select a hardware
compatibility setting for the virtual machine. When you select a hardware compatibility setting, a list of the
VMware products and versions that are compatible with your selection appears. Limitations and features
that are not available for your selection are also listed. If a feature compatibility check box is available for
your selection, you can select that check box to see a list of the additional limitations.
To deploy virtual machines to run on a different VMware product, you might need to select a hardware
compatibility setting that is compatible with that product.
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Selecting a Guest Operating System
The New Virtual Machine prompts you to select the source media for the operating system that will run
inside the virtual machine. You can specify an installer disc inserted in a physical drive, an ISO image file,
or you can instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a virtual machine that has a blank hard
disk.
If you select an installer disc or an ISO image file and the operating system supports Easy Install, the
guest operating system installation is automated and VMware Tools is installed. If the installer disc or ISO
image file contains a product key number and is already set up to perform an unattended installation, the
only benefit of using Easy Install is the automatic installation of VMware Tools.
Note For remote virtual machines, you must specify whether the physical drive or ISO image file is
located on the local host or remote host before you select the installer disc or ISO image file.
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a virtual machine that has a blank hard disk, the
wizard prompts you to specify an operating system and version and you must install the guest operating
system manually after the virtual machine is created. Workstation Pro uses this information to set the
appropriate default values, name files associated with the virtual machine, adjust performance settings,
and work around special behaviors and bugs in the guest operating system. If the operating system you
plan to install is not listed in the wizard, select Other for both the operating system and version.
If you are installing an operating system that supports Easy Install but you do not want to use Easy Install,
you can instruct the wizard to create a virtual machine that has a blank disk and install the guest
operating system manually.
Providing Easy Install Information
When the New Virtual Wizard detects an operating system that supports Easy Install, the wizard prompts
you for information about the guest operating system. After the virtual machine is created, the guest
operating system installation is automated and VMware Tools is installed.
For Windows guest operating systems, you must provide the following Easy Install information.
Table 3‑2. Easy Install Information for Windows Guests
Easy Install PromptDescription
Windows product key(Optional) Type a product key unless the installation media contains a volume license
product key. If you provide a product key here, you are not prompted to provide a
product key when you install the guest operating system.
Version of Windows to installSelect the Windows operating system edition to install.
Full nameThe name to use to register the guest operating system. Do not use the name
Administrator or Guest. If you use one of these names, you must enter a different name
when you install the guest operating system.
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Table 3‑2. Easy Install Information for Windows Guests (Continued)
Easy Install PromptDescription
Password(Optional) The password to use for an account with Administrator permissions on
Windows operating systems other than Windows 2000. On Windows 2000, this is the
password for the Administrator account. On Windows XP Home, an Administrator
account without a password is created and you are automatically logged in to the guest
operating system.
Log on automatically (requires a
password)
(Optional) Save your login credentials and bypass the login dialog box when you power
on the virtual machine. You must enter a name and password to use this feature.
For Linux guest operating systems, you must provide the following Easy Install information.
Table 3‑3. Easy Install Information for Linux Guests
PromptDescription
Full nameThe name to use to register the guest operating system, if registration is required.
Workstation Pro uses the first name to create the host name for the virtual machine.
User nameYour user name. You can use lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes, but avoid using
user names that begin with a dash. Do not use the name root. Some operating
systems set up sudo access for this user and other operating systems require this user
to use su to obtain root privileges.
PasswordThe password for the User name and the root user.
See Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System.
Specifying the Virtual Machine Name and File Location
The New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you for a virtual machine name and a directory for the virtual
machine files.
The name of the default directory for virtual machine files is derived from the name of the guest operating
system, for example, Microsoft Windows 10 x64.
For standard virtual machines, the default directory for virtual machine files is located in the virtual
machine directory. For best performance, do not place the virtual machines directory on a network drive. If
other users need to access the virtual machine, consider placing the virtual machine files in a location that
is accessible to those users.
For shared virtual machines, the default directory for virtual machine files is located in the shared virtual
machines directory. Shared virtual machine files must reside in the shared virtual machines directory.
Virtual Machines Directory
Workstation Pro stores standard virtual machines in the virtual machines directory.
The default location of the virtual machines directory depends on the host operating system.
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Table 3‑4. Default Virtual Machines Directory
Host Operating SystemDefault Location
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
Linuxhomedir/vmware
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My
Virtual Machines
username is the name of the currently logged-in user.
C:\Users\ username \Documents\Virtual Machines
username is the name of the currently logged in user.
homedir is the home directory of the currently logged in logged
in user.
Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Workstation Pro stores shared virtual machines in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware
Workstation Server manages them.
The default location of the shared virtual machines directory depends on the host operating system.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Shared Virtual
Machines
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
Linux
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Shared Virtual Machines
/var/lib/vmware/Shared VMs
Selecting the Firmware Type
Depending on the guest operating system, when you use a custom configuration, the New Virtual
Machine wizard prompts you to select the firmware type the virtual machine uses when it boots.
This option appears in the New Virtual Machine Wizard when the guest operating system is supported
with the UEFI firmware type. Otherwise, the BIOS firmware type is selected by default.
Table 3‑6. Firmware Type Options
OptionDescription
BIOSThe virtual machine firmware uses BIOS when booting.
UEFIThe virtual machine uses UEFI when booting.
If you select UEFI, depending on the guest operating system,
you might have the option of enabling UEFI Secure Boot.
See Configure a Firmware Type.
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Selecting the Number of Processors for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to specify the
number of processors for the virtual machine.
Specifying multiple virtual processors is supported only on host machines that have at least two logical
processors. Single-processor hosts that have hyperthreading enabled or dual-core CPUs are considered
to have two logical processors. Multiprocessor hosts that have two CPUs are considered to have at least
two logical processors, regardless of whether they are dual-core or have hyperthreading enabled.
For Windows virtual machines running mostly office and Internet productivity applications, using multiple
virtual processors is not beneficial, so the default single virtual processor is ideal. For server workloads
and data-intensive computing applications, adding extra virtual processors may provide an increase in
application performance.
ApplicationRecommended number of processors
Desktop applications1 processor
Server operating systems2 processors
Video encoding, modeling, and scientific 4 processors
In some circumstances, adding additional processors can decrease the overall performance of the virtual
machine and your computer. This can occur if the operating system or application is not using the
processors efficiently. In this case, reducing the number of processors is recommended.
Assigning all processors on your computer to the virtual machine results in extremely poor performance.
The host operating system must continue to perform background tasks even if no applications are
running. If you assign all processors to a virtual machine, this prevents important tasks from being
completed.
Allocating Memory for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to specify the
default settings for memory allocation.
Color-coded icons correspond to the maximum recommended memory, recommended memory, and
guest operating system recommended minimum memory values. To adjust the memory allocated to the
virtual machine, move the slider along the range of values. The high end of the range is determined by
the amount of memory allocated to all running virtual machines. If you allow virtual machine memory to be
swapped, this value changes to reflect the specified amount of swapping.
The maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 64GB.
The total amount of memory that you can assign to all virtual machines running on a single host machine
is limited only by the amount of RAM on the host machine.
You can change the amount of memory available to all virtual machines by modifying Workstation Pro
memory settings.
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Selecting the Network Connection Type for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to configure the
network connection type for the virtual machine.
If you are creating a remote virtual machine, you must select either a custom network or no network
connection.
Table 3‑7. Network Connection Settings
SettingDescription
Use bridged networkingConfigure a bridged network connection for the virtual machine. With bridged networking,
the virtual machine has direct access to an external Ethernet network. The virtual machine
must have its own IP address on the external network.
If your host system is on a network and you have a separate IP address for your virtual
machine (or can get an IP address from a DHCP server), select this setting. Other
computers on the network can then communicate directly with the virtual machine.
Use network address translation
(NAT)
Use host-only networkingConfigure a host-only network connection for the virtual machine. Host-only networking
Do not use a network connectionDo not configure a network connection for the virtual machine.
Custom (Windows host) or Named
Network (Linux host)
Configure a NAT connection for the virtual machine. With NAT, the virtual machine and the
host system share a single network identity that is not visible outside the network.
Select NAT if you do not have a separate IP address for the virtual machine, but you want
to be able to connect to the Internet.
provides a network connection between the virtual machine and the host system, using a
virtual network adapter that is visible to the host operating system.
With host-only networking, the virtual machine can communicate only with the host system
and other virtual machines in the host-only network. Select host-only networking to set up
an isolated virtual network.
(Remote virtual machine only) Select a specific virtual network.
See Chapter 8 Configuring Network Connections for information about virtual switches, virtual network
adapters, the virtual DHCP server, and the NAT device.
Selecting the I/O Controller Type for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to select the I/O
controller type for the virtual machine. Workstation Pro automatically configures your virtual machine with
the SCSI controller best suited for the guest operating system, but you can change the controller.
Workstation Pro installs an IDE controller and a SCSI controller in the virtual machine. SATA controllers
are supported for some guest operating systems. The IDE controller is always ATAPI. For the SCSI
controller, you can choose BusLogic, LSI Logic, or LSI Logic SAS. If you are creating a remote virtual
machine on an ESX host, you can also select a VMware Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) adapter.
BusLogic and LSI Logic adapters have parallel interfaces. The LSI Logic SAS adapter has a serial
interface. The LSI Logic adapter has improved performance and works better with generic SCSI devices.
The LSI Logic adapter is also supported by ESX Server 2.0 and later.
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PVSCSI adapters are high-performance storage adapters that can provide greater throughput and lower
CPU utilization. They are best suited for environments where hardware or applications drive a very high
amount of I/O throughput, such as SAN environments. PVSCSI adapters are not suited for DAS
environments.
Note The choice of SCSI controller does not affect whether the virtual disk can be an IDE, SCSI, or
SATA disk.
Some guest operating systems, such as Windows XP, do not include a driver for the LSI Logic or LSI
Logic SAS adapter. You must download the driver from the LSI Logic Web site. Drivers for a Mylex
(BusLogic) compatible host bus adapter are not obvious on the LSI Logic Web site. Search the support
area for the numeric string in the model number, for example, search for 958 for BT/KT-958 drivers.
See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for driver support information. For guest
operating system support information and known issues, as well as SATA support, see the online
Compatibility Guide on the VMware Web site.
Selecting a Hard Disk for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to configure a
hard disk for the virtual machine.
Virtual hard disks are the best choice for most virtual machines because they are easy to set up and can
be moved to new locations on the same host system or to different host systems. In a typical
configuration, Workstation Pro creates a new virtual hard disk for the virtual machine.
In some cases, you might want to select an existing virtual hard disk or give the virtual machine access to
a physical hard disk or unused partition on the host system.
n
Selecting the Virtual Hard Disk Type for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom
configuration, the wizard prompts you to select the virtual hard disk type for the virtual machine.
n
Selecting the Disk Mode
When you select a custom configuration on a Linux host, you can use the New Virtual Machine
wizard to configure normal or independent mode for a disk.
n
Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition
You must perform certain tasks before you configure a virtual machine to use a physical disk or
unused partition on the host system.
n
Specifying Disk Capacity for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom
configuration, the wizard prompts you to set the size of the virtual disk and specify whether to split
the disk into multiple virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
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n
Specifying the Name and Location of Virtual Disk Files
During a custom configuration, if you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new
virtual disk, use an existing virtual disk, or use a physical disk, the wizard prompts you for the name
and location of a virtual disk (.vmdk) file.
Selecting the Virtual Hard Disk Type for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom configuration,
the wizard prompts you to select the virtual hard disk type for the virtual machine.
You can set up a virtual disk as an IDE disk for any guest operating system. You can set up a virtual disk
as a SCSI disk for any guest operating system that has a driver for the LSI Logic or BusLogic SCSI
controller available in the virtual machine. You can set up a virtual disk as a SATA disk for some guest
operating systems. You can set up a virtual disk as an NVMe disk for guest operating systems that
support the NVMe disk type.
You can change virtual disk node and mode settings after a virtual machine is created.
Selecting the Disk Mode
When you select a custom configuration on a Linux host, you can use the New Virtual Machine wizard to
configure normal or independent mode for a disk.
In normal mode, disks are included in snapshots that you take of the virtual machine. If you do not want
data on the disk to be recorded when you take a snapshot of the virtual machine, configure the disk to be
independent.
If you configure a disk to be independent, you can further specify whether changes you make to the disk
are to persist or be discarded when you power off the virtual machine or restore a snapshot.
You can also exclude virtual disks from snapshots by modifying virtual machine settings.
Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition
You must perform certain tasks before you configure a virtual machine to use a physical disk or unused
partition on the host system.
You must perform these tasks before you run the New Virtual Machine wizard to add a physical disk to a
new virtual machine, and before you add a physical disk to an existing virtual machine.
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Procedure
1If a partition is mounted by the host or in use by another virtual machine, unmount it.
The virtual machine and guest operating system access a physical disk partition while the host
continues to run its operating system. Corruption is possible if you allow the virtual machine to modify
a partition that is simultaneously mounted on the host operating system.
OptionDescription
The partition is mapped to a Windows
Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server
2012 R2 host
The partition is mapped to a Windows
7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 host
a Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools >
Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management.
b Select a partition and select Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and
Paths.
c Click Remove.
a Select Start > Control Panel.
b In the menu bar, click the arrow next to Control Panel.
c From the drop-down menu, select All Control Panel Items > Administrative
Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management (Local).
d Right-click a partition and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
e Click Remove and OK.
2Check the guest operating system documentation regarding the type of partition on which the guest
operating system can be installed.
On Windows 7 hosts, you cannot use the system partition, or the physical disk that contains it, in a
virtual machine. Other operating systems, such as Linux, can be installed on a primary or an
extended partition on any part of the drive.
3If the physical partition or disk contains data that you need in the future, back up the data.
4If you use a Windows host IDE disk in a physical disk configuration, verify that it is not configured as
the slave on the secondary IDE channel if the master on that channel is a CD-ROM drive.
5On a Linux host, set the device group membership or device ownership appropriately.
aVerify that the master physical disk device or devices are readable and writable by the user who
runs Workstation Pro.
Physical devices, such as /dev/hda (IDE physical disk) and /dev/sdb (SCSI physical disk),
belong to group-id disk on most distributions. If this is the case, you can add Workstation Pro
users to the disk group. Another option is to change the owner of the device. Consider all the
security issues involved in this option.
bGrant Workstation Pro users access to all /dev/hd[abcd] physical devices that contain
operating systems or boot managers.
When permissions are set correctly, the physical disk configuration files in Workstation Pro
control access. This reliability provides boot managers access to configuration files and other files
they might need to boot operating systems. For example, LILO needs to read /boot on a Linux
partition to boot a non-Linux operating system that might be on another drive.
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Specifying Disk Capacity for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom configuration,
the wizard prompts you to set the size of the virtual disk and specify whether to split the disk into multiple
virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
A virtual disk is made up of one or more virtual disk files. Virtual disk files store the contents of the virtual
machine hard disk drive. Almost all of the file content is virtual machine data. A small portion of the file is
allotted to virtual machine overhead. If the virtual machine is connected directly to a physical disk, the
virtual disk file stores information about the partitions that the virtual machine is allowed to access.
You can set a size between 0.001 GB and 8 TB for a virtual disk file. You can also select whether to store
a virtual disk as a single file or split it into multiple files.
Select Split virtual disk into multiple files if the virtual disk is stored on a file system that has a file size
limitation. When you split a virtual disk less than 950 GB, a series of 2-GB virtual disk files are created.
When you split a virtual disk greater than 950 GB, two virtual disk files are created. The maximum size of
the first virtual disk file is 1.9 TB and the second virtual disk file stores the rest of the data.
For custom configurations, you can select Allocate all disk space now to allocate all disk space
immediately rather than allow the disk space to gradually grow to the maximum amount. Allocating all the
disk space immediately might provide better performance, but it is a time-consuming operation that
requires as much physical disk space as you specify for the virtual disk. If you allocate all the disk space
immediately, you cannot use the shrink disk feature.
After you create a virtual machine, you can edit virtual disk settings and add additional virtual disks.
Disk Size Compatibility
The size of a virtual disk is limited to 8 TB. However, your hardware version, bus type, and controller type
also impact the size of your virtual disks.
Workstation Hardware Version Bus Type Controller Type Maximum Disk Size
10, 11, 12, 14IDEATAPI8192 GB (8TB)
10, 11, 12, 14SCSIBusLogic2040 GB (2TB)
10, 11, 12, 14SCSILSI Logic8192 GB (8TB)
10, 11, 12, 14SCSILSI Logic SAS8192 GB (8TB)
10, 11, 12, 14SATAAHCI8192 GB (8TB)
14NVMeNVMe8192 GB (8TB)
9, 8, 7, 6.5AllAll2040 GB (2TB)
6.0, 5AllAll950 GB
To discover your SCSI controller type, open the virtual machine .vmx file. The value of the setting
scsi0.virtualDev determines your SCSI controller type.
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ValueSCSI Controller Type
Blank or not present BusLogic
lsilogicLSI Logic
lsisas1068LSI Logic SAS
Specifying the Name and Location of Virtual Disk Files
During a custom configuration, if you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual
disk, use an existing virtual disk, or use a physical disk, the wizard prompts you for the name and location
of a virtual disk (.vmdk) file.
Table 3‑8. Required Information for Each Disk Type
Type of DiskDescription
New virtual diskIf you specified that all disk space should be stored in a single
file, Workstation Pro uses the filename that you provide to create
one 40GB disk file. If you specified that disk space should be
stored in multiple files, Workstation Pro generates subsequent
filenames by using the filename that you provide. If you
specified that files can increase in size, subsequent filenames
include an s in the file number, for example, Windows 7-s001.vmdk. If you specified that all disk space should be
allocated when the virtual disk is created, subsequent filenames
include an f in the file number, for example, Windows 7-f001.vmdk.
Existing virtual diskYou select the name and location of an existing virtual disk file.
Physical diskAfter the wizard prompts you to select a physical device and
specify whether to use the entire disk or individual partitions, you
must specify a virtual disk file. Workstation Pro uses this virtual
disk file to store partition access configuration information for the
physical disk.
Note Earlier VMware products use the .dsk extension for virtual disk files.
Customizing Virtual Machine Hardware
You can click Customize Hardware on the last page of the New Virtual Machine wizard to customize
the virtual machine hardware.
You can change the default hardware settings, including memory allocation, number of virtual CPUs,
CD/DVD and floppy drive settings, and the network connection type.
Create a New Virtual Machine on the Local Host
You create a new virtual machine on the local host system by running the New Virtual Machine wizard.
You can also use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create shared virtual machines, which can be used
by remote users, and remote virtual machines, which run on remote hosts. See Chapter 9 Using Remote
Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines.
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Prerequisites
n
Verify that you have the information the New Virtual Machine wizard requires to create a virtual
machine. See Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine.
n
Verify that the guest operating system you plan to install is supported. See the online VMware
Compatibility Guide on the VMware Web site.
n
See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information about the guest operating
system that you plan to install.
n
If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the installer disc in the
CD-ROM drive in the host system.
n
If you are installing the guest operating system from an ISO image file, verify that the ISO image file is
in a directory that is accessible to the host system.
n
If the virtual machine will use a physical disk or unused partition on the host system, perform the
appropriate preparation tasks. See Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition.
Procedure
1Start the New Virtual Machine wizard.
OptionDescription
Windows host
Linux hostSelect File > New Virtual Machine.
n
If the host is not connected to a remote server, select File > New Virtual
Machine.
n
If the host is connected to a remote server, select File > New Virtual
Machine > On this Computer.
2Select the configuration type.
OptionDescription
TypicalThe wizard prompts you to specify or accept defaults for basic virtual machine
settings. The typical configuration type is appropriate in most instances.
CustomYou must select the custom configuration type to make a different virtual machine
version than the default hardware compatibility setting, specify the I/O adapter
type for SCSI adapters, specify whether to create an IDE, SCSI, SATA, or NVMe
virtual disk, use a physical disk instead of a virtual disk, use an existing virtual
disk, or allocate all virtual disk space rather than let disk space gradually grow to
the maximum disk size.
3If you selected the Custom option, select a hardware compatibility setting.
The hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features of the virtual machine.
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4Select the source of the guest operating system.
OptionDescription
Use a physical discSelect the physical drive where you inserted the installation disc.
Use an ISO imageType or browse to the location of the ISO image file for the guest operating
system.
Install the guest operating system laterCreate a virtual machine that has a blank disk. You must install the guest
operating system manually after you create the virtual machine.
5Specify information about the guest operating system.
OptionDescription
You are using Easy InstallType the Easy Install information for the guest operating system.
You are not using Easy InstallSelect the guest operating system type and version. If the guest operating system
is not listed, select Other.
6Type a virtual machine name and type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files.
7Follow the prompts to configure the virtual machine.
If you selected a typical configuration, the wizard prompts you to configure the virtual disk size and
specify whether the disk should be split into multiple files. If you selected a custom configuration, the
wizard prompts you to configure the firmware type, virtual machine processors, memory allocation,
networking configuration, I/O controller types, virtual disk type and mode, and virtual disk.
Note For the firmware type, if you select UEFI and if the guest operating system supports UEFI
Secure Boot, you can select the option to enable UEFI Secure Boot.
8(Optional) Click Customize Hardware to customize the hardware configuration.
You can also modify virtual hardware settings after you create the virtual machine.
9(Optional) Select Power on this virtual machine after creation to power on the virtual machine after
you create it.
This option is not available if you are installing the guest operating system manually.
10 Click Finish to create the virtual machine.
If you are using Easy Install, guest operating system installation begins when the virtual machine powers
on. The guest operating system installation is automated and typically runs without requiring any input
from you. After the guest operating system is installed, Easy Install installs VMware Tools.
If you are not using Easy Install, the virtual machine appears in the library.
What to do next
If you used Easy Install and the virtual machine did not power on when you finished the New Virtual
Machine wizard, power on the virtual machine to start the guest operating system installation. See Use
Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System.
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If you did not use Easy Install, install the guest operating system manually. See Install a Guest Operating
System Manually.
Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System
When you use Easy Install, you usually do not need to provide information during guest operating system
installation.
If you did not provide all of the Easy Install information in the New Virtual Machine wizard, you might be
prompted for a product key, user name, or password.
Also, if the guest operating system installation consists of multiple discs or ISO image files, the installer
might prompt you for the next disk.
Procedure
n
If the installer prompts you for a product key, user name, or password, click in the virtual machine
window and type the required information.
Mouse and keyboard input are captured by the virtual machine.
n
If you are using physical discs and the installer prompts you for the next disk, use the CD-ROM or
DVD drive on the host system.
n
If you are using multiple ISO image files and the installer prompts you for the next disk, select the
next ISO image file.
OptionDescription
Windows hostClick Change Disk and browse to the next ISO image file.
Linux hosta Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Settings and browse to the
next ISO image file.
b Select Connected.
c Click Save.
Install a Guest Operating System Manually
Installing a guest operating system in a virtual machine is similar to installing an operating system on a
physical computer. If you do not use Easy Install when you create a virtual machine in the New VirtualMachine wizard, you must install the guest operating system manually.
You can install a guest operating system from an installer disc or ISO image file. You can also use a PXE
server to install the guest operating system over a network connection. If the host configuration does not
permit the virtual machine to boot from an installer disc, you can create an ISO image file from the
installer disc.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the operating system is supported. See the online VMware Compatibility Guide on the
VMware Web site.
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n
See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information on the guest operating
system that you are installing.
Procedure
1If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, configure the virtual machine to
use a physical CD-ROM or DVD drive and configure the drive to connect at power on.
aSelect the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
bOn the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive.
cSelect Connect at power on.
d(Remote virtual machine only) Select the location of the CD-ROM or DVD drive.
eSelect Use physical drive and select a the drive.
fClick OK to save your changes.
2If you are installing the guest operating system from an ISO image file, configure the CD/DVD drive in
the virtual machine to point to the ISO image file and configure the drive to connect at power on.
aSelect the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
bOn the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive.
cSelect Connect at power on.
d(Remote virtual machine only) Select the location of the ISO image file.
eSelect Use ISO image file and browse to the location of the ISO image file.
fClick OK to save your changes.
3If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the disc in the CD-ROM
or DVD drive.
4Power on the virtual machine.
5Follow the installation instructions provided by the operating system vendor.
6If the operating system consists of multiple installer discs and you are prompted to insert the next
disc, insert the next disc in the physical drive.
7If the operating system consists of multiple ISO image files, select the image file for the next CD.
aSelect VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Disconnect and disconnect from the current ISO
image file.
bSelect VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Settings and select the next ISO image file.
cSelect Connected and click OK.
8Use the standard tools in the operating system to configure its settings.
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What to do next
Install VMware Tools. You should install VMware Tools before you activate the license for the operating
system. See Installing VMware Tools.
Installing a Guest Operating System on a Physical Disk or Unused
Partition
You can install a guest operating system directly on a physical disk or unused partition on the host
system.
A physical disk directly accesses an existing local disk or partition. You can use physical disks to run one
or more guest operating systems from existing disk partitions.
Workstation Pro supports physical disks up to 2 TB capacity. Booting from an operating system already
set up on an existing SCSI disk or partition is not supported.
Running an operating system natively on the host system and switching to running it inside a virtual
machine is similar to pulling the hard drive out of one computer and installing it in a second computer that
has a different motherboard and hardware. The steps you take depend on the guest operating system in
the virtual machine. In most cases, a guest operating system that is installed on a physical disk or unused
partition cannot boot outside of the virtual machine, even though the data is available to the host system.
See the Dual-Boot Computers and Virtual Machines technical note on the VMware Web site for
information about using an operating system that can also boot outside of a virtual machine.
After you configure a virtual machine to use one or more partitions on a physical disk, do not modify the
partition tables by running fdisk or a similar utility in the guest operating system. If you use fdisk or a
similar utility on the host operating system to modify the partition table of the physical disk, you must
recreate the virtual machine physical disk. All files that were on the physical disk are lost when you modify
the partition table.
Important You cannot use a physical disk to share files between the host system and a guest operating
system. Making the same partition visible to both the host system and a guest operating system can
cause data corruption. Instead, use shared folder to share files between the host system and a guest
operating system.
Create a Virtual Machine Shortcut
You can use a shortcut to select a virtual machine from your desktop.
Prerequisites
A virtual machine must be present in the Workstation Pro Virtual Machine Library.
This feature is available on Windows host systems only.
Procedure
1Select a virtual machine from the virtual machine library.
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2Drag the virtual machine to the host desktop or to a folder.
A shortcut is created for the virtual machine.
You can select the virtual machine by double-clicking the shortcut.
Cloning Virtual Machines
Installing a guest operating system and applications can be time consuming. With clones, you can make
many copies of a virtual machine from a single installation and configuration process. Cloning a virtual
machine is faster and easier than copying it.
Clones are useful when you must deploy many identical virtual machines to a group. For example, an
MIS department can clone a virtual machine that has a suite of preconfigured office applications for each
employee. You can also configure a virtual machine that has a complete development environment and
then clone it repeatedly as a baseline configuration for software testing.
The existing virtual machine is called the parent virtual machine. When the cloning operation is complete,
the clone becomes a separate virtual machine.
Changes made to a clone do not affect the parent virtual machine, and changes made to the parent
virtual machine do not appear in a clone. The MAC address and UUID for a clone are different from the
parent virtual machine.
n
Using Linked Clones
A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine
in an ongoing manner.
n
Using Full Clones
A full clone is a complete and independent copy of a virtual machine. It shares nothing with the
parent virtual machine after the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is entirely
separate from the parent virtual machine.
n
Enable Template Mode for a Parent Virtual Machine of Linked Clones
To prevent the parent virtual machine for a linked clone from being deleted, you can designate the
parent as a template. When template mode is enabled, the virtual machine, and snapshots of the
virtual machine, cannot be deleted.
n
Clone a Virtual Machine
The Clone Virtual Machine wizard guides you through the process of cloning a virtual machine. You
do not need to locate and manually copy the parent virtual machine files.
Using Linked Clones
A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine in an
ongoing manner.
Because a linked clone is made from a snapshot of the parent, disk space is conserved and multiple
virtual machines can use the same software installation. All files available on the parent at the moment
you take the snapshot continue to remain available to the linked clone.
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Ongoing changes to the virtual disk of the parent do not affect the linked clone, and changes to the disk of
the linked clone do not affect the parent. A linked clone must have access to the parent. Without access
to the parent, you cannot use a linked clone.
Because linked clones are created swiftly, you can create a unique virtual machine for each task. You can
also share a virtual machine with other users by storing the virtual machine on your local network where
other users can quickly make a linked clone. For example, a support team can reproduce a bug in a
virtual machine, and an engineer can quickly make a linked clone of that virtual machine to work on the
bug.
You can make a linked clone from a linked clone, but the performance of the linked clone degrades. If you
make a full clone from a linked clone, the full clone is an independent virtual machine that does not
require access to the linked clone or its parent. You should make a linked clone of the parent virtual
machine, if possible.
Important You cannot delete a linked clone snapshot without destroying the linked clone. You can safely
delete the snapshot only if you also delete the clone that depends on it.
Using Full Clones
A full clone is a complete and independent copy of a virtual machine. It shares nothing with the parent
virtual machine after the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is entirely separate from the
parent virtual machine.
Because a full clone does not share virtual disks with the parent virtual machine, full clones generally
perform better than linked clones. Full clones take longer to create than linked clones. Creating a full
clone can take several minutes if the files involved are large.
Because a full clone duplicates only the state of the virtual machine at the instant of the cloning operation,
it does not have access to snapshots of the parent virtual machine.
Enable Template Mode for a Parent Virtual Machine of Linked
Clones
To prevent the parent virtual machine for a linked clone from being deleted, you can designate the parent
as a template. When template mode is enabled, the virtual machine, and snapshots of the virtual
machine, cannot be deleted.
Note You cannot enable template mode for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
If the parent does not have at least one snapshot, create a snapshot. See Taking Snapshots of Virtual
Machines.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine to use as a parent of the linked clone and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Advanced.
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3Select Enable Template mode (to be used for cloning) and click OK.
Clone a Virtual Machine
The Clone Virtual Machine wizard guides you through the process of cloning a virtual machine. You do
not need to locate and manually copy the parent virtual machine files.
Prerequisites
n
Familiarize yourself with the different types of clones. See Using Full Clones and Using Linked
Clones.
n
Run a defragmentation utility in the guest operating system to defragment the drives on the parent
virtual machine.
n
If the parent virtual machine is a Workstation 4.x and Workstation 4.x-compatible virtual machine,
upgrade it to Workstation 5.x or later.
n
If you are creating a linked clone, enable template mode for the parent virtual machine. See Enable
Template Mode for a Parent Virtual Machine of Linked Clones.
n
Power off the parent virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the parent virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Clone.
2Select the state of the parent from which you want to create a clone.
You can create a clone from the current state of the parent virtual machine or from an existing
snapshot. If you select the current state, Workstation Pro creates a snapshot of the parent virtual
machine before cloning it.
Note You cannot clone from the current state if template mode is enabled for the parent virtual
machine.
3Specify whether to create a linked clone or a full clone.
4Type a name and a location for the cloned virtual machine.
5Click Finish to create the clone and Close to exit the wizard.
A full clone can take several minutes to create, depending on the size of the virtual disk that is being
duplicated.
6If the parent virtual machine uses a static IP address, change the static IP address of the clone before
the clone connects to the network to prevent IP address conflicts.
Although the wizard creates a new MAC address and UUID for the clone, other configuration
information, such as the virtual machine name and static IP address configuration, is identical to that
of the parent virtual machine.
The summary view for a linked clone shows the path to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file of the
parent virtual machine.
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Virtualize a Physical Machine
You can create a virtual machine from a Windows physical machine in Workstation Pro. When you
virtualize a physical machine, you capture all of the applications, documents, and settings on the physical
machine in a new virtual machine. Workstation Pro must be running on a Windows host system to use
this feature.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the physical machine that you want to virtualize is running Windows. You cannot create a
virtual machine from a non-Windows physical machine in Workstation Pro.
Note You can create a virtual machine from a Linux physical machine using vCenter Converter
Standalone. For more information, see the vCenter Converter Standalone documentation.
n
Verify that you have administrative access on the physical machine that you want to virtualize and on
the Workstation Pro host system.
n
Verify that the Workstation Pro host system has network access to the physical machine that you
want to virtualize.
n
Verify that on the Workstation Pro host system you have disabled User Account Control (UAC). For
instructions, see Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for Virtualization.
n
Turn off firewall applications running on the physical machine that you want to virtualize.
n
Prepare the physical machine for virtualization. See Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for
Virtualization.
Procedure
1Power on the physical machine that you want to virtualize.
2On the Windows host system, in Workstation Pro, select File > Virtualize a Physical Machine.
If you have never virtualized a physical machine or imported a third-party virtual machine in
Workstation Pro, you need to download and install VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. After the
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone installation is finished, you must restart the virtualization
wizard.
3Type the hostname or IP address, user name, and password for the physical machine that you want
to virtualize.
You must use the Administrator account or a user account that is a member of the local
Administrators group.
4Type a name for the new virtual machine and specify a location on the host system in which to store
the virtual machine files.
5Type the user name and password for your user account on the host system.
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6Click Finish to create a virtual machine from the physical machine.
The amount of time required to create the virtual machine depends on the size of the hard disk on the
physical machine.
VMware Tools installation begins the first time you power on the new virtual machine.
Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for Virtualization
To avoid problems related to permissions and network access, you must perform certain steps to prepare
a Windows physical machine before you run the Virtualize a Physical Machine wizard.
Procedure
u
Disable User Account Control (UAC) on the Windows physical machine.
n
On Windows Vista, open the User Accounts control panel, select Turn User Account Control
On or Off, and deselect Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer.
n
On Windows 7 or later, open the Change User Account Control Settings control panel and
drag the slider to Never notify.
Troubleshoot Windows Authentication Problems During Physical
Machine Virtualization
User authentication fails when the Virtualize a Physical Machine wizard attempts to connect a Windows
physical machine.
Problem
After you provide user credentials for the physical machine, the Virtualize a Physical Machine wizard
reports that your user credentials are incorrect or you have insufficient permissions to connect to the
physical machine.
Cause
Simple file sharing or User Account Control (UAC) is enabled on the physical machine.
Solution
Perform the steps in Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for Virtualization and rerun the Virtualize a
Physical Machine wizard.
Troubleshoot Windows Activation Problems
A virtual machine that you create from a physical machine prompts you to activate Windows when you
use it in Workstation Pro.
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Problem
After you create a virtual machine from a Windows Vista or Windows 7 physical machine, or from a
physical PC that came with Windows preinstalled, you were required to reactivate Windows in the virtual
machine.
Cause
When you create a virtual machine from a Windows Vista or Windows 7 physical machine, the operating
system detects that the computer hardware has changed. When you make a significant hardware
change, Microsoft requires you to activate Windows again.
The OEM versions of Windows that are preinstalled on some new computers are customized for those
computers. OEM licenses of Windows are not transferrable.
Solution
Any virtual machine that was created from a physical machine that had its Windows license key
successfully activated needs to be reactivated when you run it in Workstation Pro.
The activation process in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is different from the Windows XP activation
process. In Windows 7, retail activation keys are good for only one use. If you enter the same activation
key in Workstation Pro that you used previously, you cannot successfully activate the virtual machine.
The activation wizard tells you that the activation key was already used and prompts you to call the
Microsoft activation hotline to get a second key. If you did not previously call the hotline for the same
license key, you should receive a new activation key. Your call is not transferred to an operator unless you
call repeatedly for the same key.
See the Microsoft Web site for more information about why reactivation is necessary.
Importing Virtual Machines
You can import virtual machines in other formats into Workstation Pro.
Import a Windows XP Mode Virtual Machine
You can import a Windows XP Mode virtual machine and run it in Workstation Pro. When you import a
Windows XP Mode virtual machine, Workstation Pro creates a new virtual machine in VMware runtime
(.vmx) format.
You can power on only one Windows XP Mode virtual machine at a time in Workstation Pro. If you move
a Windows XP Mode virtual machine to another host system, it becomes a new virtual machine and you
must activate it.
Note Changes made to the original Windows XP Mode virtual machine through Virtual PC do not affect
the virtual machine imported in Workstation Pro.
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Prerequisites
n
Verify that the Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition operating system is running on
the host system. Importing Windows XP Mode virtual machines is not supported on Linux host
systems or on host systems that are running other versions of Windows.
n
Download and install the Windows XP Mode virtual machine on the host system.
Procedure
1Select File > Open and browse to the virtual machine configuration (.vmc) file.
If you have never virtualized a physical machine or imported a third-party virtual machine in
Workstation Pro, you need to download and install VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. After the
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone installation is finished, you must restart the import.
2Type a name for the new virtual machine, type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files,
and click Import.
Workstation Pro begins importing the Windows XP Mode virtual machine.
After Workstation Pro successfully imports the Windows XP Mode virtual machine, a new virtual machine
appears in the virtual machine library.
Import an Open Virtualization Format Virtual Machine
You can import an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) virtual machine and run it in Workstation Pro.
Workstation Pro converts the virtual machine from OVF format to VMware runtime (.vmx) format. You can
import both .ovf and .ova files.
OVF is a platform-independent, efficient, extensible, and open packaging and distribution format for virtual
machines. For example, you can import OVF virtual machines exported from VMware Fusion™ or Oracle
VM VirtualBox into Workstation Pro. You can import OVF 1.x files only.
You can also use the standalone OVF Tool to convert an OVF virtual machine to VMware runtime format.
The standalone version of the OVF Tool is installed in the Workstation Pro installation directory under
OVFTool. See the OVF Tool User Guide on the VMware Web site for information on using the OVF Tool.
Procedure
1In Workstation Pro, select File > Open.
2Browse to the .ovf or .ova file and click Open.
3Type a name for the virtual machine, type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files, and
click Import.
Workstation Pro performs OVF specification conformance and virtual hardware compliance checks. A
status bar indicates the progress of the import process.
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4If the import fails, click Retry to try again, or click Cancel to cancel the import.
If you retry the import, Workstation Pro relaxes the OVF specification conformance and virtual
hardware compliance checks and you might not be able to use the virtual machine in
Workstation Pro.
After Workstation Pro successfully imports the OVF virtual machine, the virtual machine appears in the
virtual machine library.
Import a VMware vCenter Server Appliance
You can import a VMware vCenter® Server Appliance™ and run it in Workstation Pro. You can import
both .ovf and .ova files.
Procedure
1In Workstation Pro, select File > Open.
2Browse to the vCenter Server Appliance .ovf or .ova file and click Open.
3Select the license agreement check box and click Next.
4Continue through the wizard, responding to prompts and clicking through to the next dialog box.
5If the import fails, click Retry to try again, or click Cancel to cancel the import.
If you retry the import, Workstation Pro relaxes the OVF specification conformance and virtual
hardware compliance checks and you might not be able to use the virtual machine in
Workstation Pro.
After Workstation Pro successfully imports the vCenter Server Appliance as a virtual machine, the virtual
machine appears in the virtual machine library. Workstation Pro then powers on the virtual machine and
applies the vCenter Server Appliance configuration.
Import a Windows Virtual PC Virtual Machine
You can import a Windows Virtual PC virtual machine and run it in Workstation Pro. Workstation Pro
converts the virtual machine from Virtual PC (.vmc) format to VMware runtime (.vmx) format. This feature
is supported only on Windows host systems.
Prerequisites
Download and install the Virtual PC virtual machine on the Windows host system.
Procedure
1In Workstation Pro, select File > Open.
If you have never imported a third-party virtual machine or virtualized a physical machine in
Workstation Pro, Workstation Pro installs VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. After the
installation is finished, you must restart the import.
2Browse to the .vmc file and click Open.
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3Type a name for the virtual machine, type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files, and
click Import.
After Workstation Pro successfully imports the Virtual PC virtual machine, the virtual machine appears in
the virtual machine library.
Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
Installing VMware Tools is part of the process of creating a new virtual machine. Upgrading VMware Tools
is part of the process of keeping virtual machines up to current standards.
For the best performance and latest updates, install or upgrade VMware Tools to match the version of
Workstation Pro that you are using. Other compatibility options are also available.
For more information about using VMware Tools, see Installing and Configuring VMware Tools at
Installing VMware Tools is part of the process of creating a new virtual machine, and upgrading
VMware Tools is part of the process of keeping your virtual machine up to current standards.
Although your guest operating systems can run without VMware Tools, many VMware features are
not available until you install VMware Tools. When you install VMware Tools, the utilities in the suite
enhance the performance of the guest operating system in your virtual machine and improve the
management of your virtual machines.
n
Upgrading VMware Tools
You can upgrade VMware Tools manually, or you can configure virtual machines to check for and
install newer versions of VMware Tools.
n
Configure Automatic Software Updates
You can configure Workstation Pro to automatically download software updates, including new
versions of VMware Tools. When automatic software updates are enabled, Workstation Pro always
includes the latest support for guest operating systems and virtual machines always have the latest
version of VMware Tools.
n
Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine
You can configure virtual machines that have Windows or Linux guest operating systems to update
VMware Tools automatically. For other guest operating systems, you must manually update VMware
Tools.
n
Manually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
You can manually install or upgrade VMware Tools on Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and
FreeBSD virtual machines.
n
Starting the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a Session Manager
VMware Tools in Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems uses the VMware user
process. This program implements the fit-guest-to-window and other features.
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n
Uninstalling VMware Tools
If the upgrade process of VMware Tools is incomplete, you can uninstall and then reinstall the
VMware Tools.
Installing VMware Tools
Installing VMware Tools is part of the process of creating a new virtual machine, and upgrading VMware
Tools is part of the process of keeping your virtual machine up to current standards. Although your guest
operating systems can run without VMware Tools, many VMware features are not available until you
install VMware Tools. When you install VMware Tools, the utilities in the suite enhance the performance of
the guest operating system in your virtual machine and improve the management of your virtual
machines.
For information about creating virtual machines, see the documentation for the applicable VMware
product.
The installers for VMware Tools are ISO image files. The CD-ROM in your guest operating system detects
the ISO image file. Each type of guest operating system, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, has
an ISO image file. When you select the command to install or upgrade VMware Tools, the virtual
machine’s first virtual CD-ROM disk drive temporarily connects to the VMware Tools ISO file for your
guest operating system.
You can use the Windows Easy Install or Linux Easy Install feature to install VMware Tools as soon as the
operating system is finished installing.
The most recent versions of the ISO files are stored on a VMware Web site. When you select the
command to install or upgrade VMware Tools, the VMware product determines whether it has
downloaded the most recent version of the ISO file for the specific operating system. If the latest version
has not been downloaded or if no VMware Tools ISO file for that operating system has ever been
downloaded, you are prompted to download the file.
n
VMware Tools installer from windows.iso automatically detects the windows version. It does not
proceed with the installation on guest operating systems earlier than Windows Vista.
n
VMware Tools installer from winPreVista.iso does not proceed with the installation on Windows
Vista and later.
n
VMware Tools installer from linux.iso does not proceed with installation on Linux guest operating
system versions earlier than RHEL5, SLES 11, Ubuntu 10.04, and other Linux distributions with
glibc version earlier than 2.5.
n
VMware Tools installer from darwinPre15.iso does not proceed with installation on MAC OS X
guest operating systems versions 10.11 or later.
n
VMware Tools installer from darwin.iso does not proceed with installation on MAC OS X guest
operating systems versions earlier than 10.11.
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The installation procedure varies, depending on the operating system. For information about installing or
upgrading VMware Tools on your guest operating systems, see the topic about upgrading virtual
machines in the Virtual Machine Administration Guide. For general instructions about installing VMware
Tools, see the VMware Knowledge base article http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1014294.
Upgrading VMware Tools
You can upgrade VMware Tools manually, or you can configure virtual machines to check for and install
newer versions of VMware Tools.
The guest operating system checks the version of VMware Tools when you power on a virtual machine.
The status bar of your virtual machine displays a message when a new version is available.
For vSphere virtual machines,
A newer version of Tools is available for this VM
is displayed when the installed version of VMware Tools is out of date.
In Windows virtual machines, you can set VMware Tools to notify you when an upgrade is available. If this
notification option is enabled, the VMware Tools icon in the Windows taskbar includes a yellow caution
icon when a VMware Tools upgrade is available.
To install a VMware Tools upgrade, you can use the same procedure that you used for installing VMware
Tools the first time. Upgrading VMware Tools means installing a new version.
For Windows and Linux guest operating systems, you can configure the virtual machine to automatically
upgrade VMware Tools. Although the version check is performed when you power on the virtual machine,
on Windows guest operating systems, the automatic upgrade occurs when you power off or restart the
virtual machine. The status bar displays the message Installing VMware Tools ... when an
upgrade is in progress. The procedure is mentioned below.
Note Upgrading VMware Tools on Windows guest operation systems automatically installs the WDDM
graphics drivers. The WDDM graphics driver allows the sleep mode available in guest OS power settings
to adjust the sleep options. For example, you can use the sleep mode setting Change when thecomputer sleeps to configure your guest OS to automatically go to sleep mode after a certain time or
prevent your guest OS from automatically switching to sleep mode after being idle for some time.
Some features in a particular release of a VMware product might depend on installing or upgrading to the
version of VMware Tools included in that release. Upgrading to the latest version of VMware Tools is not
always necessary. Newer versions of VMware Tools are compatible with several host versions. To avoid
unnecessary upgrades, evaluate whether the added features and capabilities are necessary for your
environment.
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Configure Automatic Software Updates
You can configure Workstation Pro to automatically download software updates, including new versions of
VMware Tools. When automatic software updates are enabled, Workstation Pro always includes the latest
support for guest operating systems and virtual machines always have the latest version of VMware
Tools.
Prerequisites
n
On a Linux host, become root. On Linux systems, non-root users are not allowed to modify the
preference setting for VMware Tools updates.
n
Verify that the host system is connected to the Internet.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences and select Updates.
2Select a software update download option.
If you deselect all of the software update options, automatic software updates are disabled.
OptionDescription
Check for product updates on startupWhen Workstation Pro starts, it checks for new versions of the application and
installed software components.
Check for software components as
needed
Download All Components NowClick this button to download all software updates immediately. This option is
When a software component is needed, for example, when you install or upgrade
VMware Tools on a virtual machine, Workstation Pro checks for a new version of
the component.
useful if you are planning to use a virtual machine at a later time when you do not
have access to the Internet.
3If you use a proxy server to connect to the Internet, click Connection Settings and select a proxy
setting.
OptionDescription
No proxySelect this option if you do not use a proxy server. This is the default setting.
Windows proxy settings(Windows hosts only) Workstation Pro uses the host proxy settings from the
Connections tab in the Internet Options control panel to access the VMware
Update Server. Click Internet Options to set the guest connection options. Type
a user name and password to use for proxy server authentication. If you leave
either the Username or Password text box blank, Workstation Pro does not use
either value.
Manual proxy settingsSelect an HTTP or SOCKS proxy, specify the proxy server address and designate
a port number to access the VMware Update Server. Type a user name and
password to use for proxy server authentication. If you leave either the Username
or Password text box blank, Workstation Pro does not use either value (Windows
hosts) or it uses the user name and password set in the gnome settings (Linux
hosts).
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4To update VMware Tools when you power on a virtual machine or shut down the guest operating
system, select Automatically update VMware Tools on a virtual machine.
You can override this setting for a specific virtual machine by modifying virtual machine settings.
When you power on a virtual machine, you are prompted to download VMware Tools if a new version
is available.
5Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
To override the VMware Tools update setting for a specific virtual machine, edit the virtual machine
settings. See Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine.
Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine
You can configure virtual machines that have Windows or Linux guest operating systems to update
VMware Tools automatically. For other guest operating systems, you must manually update VMware
Tools.
Automatic VMware Tools updates are supported for versions of VMware Tools included in Workstation 5.5
and later virtual machines only. Automatic updates are not supported for versions of VMware Tools
included in virtual machines created with VMware Server 1.x.
Important If you update VMware Tools in a Windows virtual machine that was created with Workstation
4 or 5.x, some new components are not installed. To install the new components, you must uninstall the
old version of VMware Tools and install the new version of VMware Tools.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select VMware Tools.
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3Select a VMware Tools update setting.
OptionDescription
Update manually (do nothing)You must update VMware Tools manually. The virtual machine status bar
indicates when a new version of VMware Tools is available.
Update automaticallyVMware Tools is updated automatically. The virtual machine status bar indicates
when an update is in progress. If you are logged in to a Windows guest, a restart
prompt appears after the update is complete. If you are not logged in, the
operating system restarts without prompting. An auto-update check is performed
as part of the boot sequence when you power on the virtual machine. If the virtual
machine was suspended and you resume it or restore it to a snapshot during the
boot sequence before this check, the automatic update occurs as planned. If you
resume the virtual machine or restore it to a snapshot after the check, the
automatic update does not occur.
Use application default (currently
update manually)
Use the default VMware Tools update behavior. The default behavior is set in
Workstation Pro preferences.
Note You cannot configure this option for a shared or remote virtual machine.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Manually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
You can manually install or upgrade VMware Tools on Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and FreeBSD
virtual machines.
If you are installing VMware Tools in a number of Windows virtual machines, you can automate its
installation by using the VMware Tools setup.exe at a command prompt in the guest operating system.
See Installing and Configuring VMware Tools at
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware-tools-installation-configuration.pdf for more information.
n
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Windows Virtual Machine
Guest operating system Windows 2000 and earlier, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows
Vista, and later support VMware Tools.
n
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Linux Virtual Machine
For Linux virtual machines, you manually install VMware Tools from the command line. For later
Linux distributions, use the integrated open-vm-tools version.
n
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a NetWare Virtual Machine
For NetWare virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.
n
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Solaris Virtual Machine
For Solaris virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.
n
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a FreeBSD Virtual Machine
For FreeBSD virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the
command line.
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Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Windows Virtual Machine
Guest operating system Windows 2000 and earlier, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista,
and later support VMware Tools.
For Windows 2000 and later, VMware Tools installs a virtual machine upgrade helper tool. This tool
restores the network configuration if you upgrade the virtual machine compatibility from ESX/ESXi 3.5 to
ESX/ESXi 4.0 and later or from Workstation 5.5 to Workstation 6.0 and later.
Prerequisites
n
Power on the virtual machine.
n
Verify that the guest operating system is running.
n
If you connected the virtual machine’s virtual CD/DVD drive to an ISO image file when you installed
the operating system, change the setting so that the virtual CD/DVD drive is configured to autodetect
a physical drive.
The autodetect setting enables the virtual machine's first virtual CD/DVD drive to detect and connect
to the VMware Tools ISO file for a VMware Tools installation. This ISO file is detected as a physical
CD by your guest operating system. Use the virtual machine settings editor to set the CD/DVD drive
to autodetect a physical drive.
n
Log in as an administrator unless you are using an older Windows operating system. Any user can
install VMware Tools in a Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME guest operating system. For
operating systems later than these, you must log in as an administrator.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2If you are installing VMware Tools for the first time, click OK on the Install VMware Tools information
page.
If autorun is enabled for the CD-ROM drive on the guest operating system, the VMware Tools
installation wizard starts.
If autorun is not enabled, to manually launch the wizard, click Start > Run and enter D:\setup.exe,
where D: is your first virtual CD-ROM drive. Use D:\setup64.exe for 64-bit Windows guest
operating system.
3Follow the on-screen prompts.
4If the New Hardware wizard appears, follow the prompts and accept the defaults.
Note If you are installing a beta or RC version of VMware Tools and you see a warning that a
package or driver is not signed, click Install Anyway to complete the installation.
5When prompted, reboot the virtual machine.
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What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Linux Virtual Machine
For Linux virtual machines, you manually install VMware Tools from the command line. For later Linux
distributions, use the integrated open-vm-tools version.
Prerequisites
For more information on OS compatibility for open-vm-tools, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at
Verify that the guest operating system is running.
n
Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2In the virtual machine, open a terminal window.
3Run the mount command with no arguments to determine whether your Linux distribution
automatically mounted the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image.
If the CD-ROM device is mounted, the CD-ROM device and its mount point are listed in a manner
similar to the following output:
/dev/cdrom on /mnt/cdrom type iso9660 (ro,nosuid,nodev)
4If the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image is not mounted, mount the CD-ROM drive.
aIf a mount point directory does not already exist, create it.
mkdir /mnt/cdrom
Some Linux distributions use different mount point names. For example, on some distributions
the mount point is /media/VMware Tools rather than /mnt/cdrom. Modify the command to
reflect the conventions that your distribution uses.
bMount the CD-ROM drive.
mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
Some Linux distributions use different device names or organize the /dev directory differently. If
your CD-ROM drive is not /dev/cdrom or if the mount point for a CD-ROM is not /mnt/cdrom,
modify the command to reflect the conventions that your distribution uses.
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5Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.
cd /tmp
6(Optional) Delete any previous vmware-tools-distrib directory before you install VMware Tools.
The location of this directory depends on where you placed it during the previous installation. Often
this directory is placed in /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib.
7List the contents of the mount point directory and note the file name of the VMware Tools tar installer.
ls mount-point
8Uncompress the installer.
tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-x.x.x-yyyy.tar.gz
The value x.x.x is the product version number, and yyyy is the build number of the product release.
9If necessary, unmount the CD-ROM image.
umount /dev/cdrom
If your Linux distribution automatically mounted the CD-ROM, you do not need to unmount the image.
10 Run the installer and configure VMware Tools as a root user
cd vmware-tools-distrib
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
If you attempt to install a tar installation over an RPM installation, or the reverse, the installer detects
the previous installation and must convert the installer database format before continuing.
Note For newer Linux distributions, users are prompted to choose the integrated open-vm-tools.
11 Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.
12 Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a NetWare Virtual Machine
For NetWare virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
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Prerequisites
n
Power on the virtual machine.
n
Verify that the guest operating system is running.
n
Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Note VMware Tools 10.1.0 does not support the NetWare operating system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2Load the CD-ROM driver so that the virtual CD-ROM device mounts the ISO image as a volume.
Operating SystemCommand
NetWare 6.5
NetWare 6.0 or NetWare 5.1
NetWare 4.2 (not available in vSphere)
LOAD CDDVD
LOAD CD9660.NSS
load cdrom
When the installation finishes, the message VMware Tools for NetWare are now running
appears in the Logger Screen for NetWare 6.5 and NetWare 6.0 guest operating systems and in the
Console Screen for NetWare 4.2 and 5.1 operating systems.
3If the VMware Tools virtual disc (netware.iso) is attached to the virtual machine, right-click the CD-
ROM icon in the status bar of the console window and select Disconnect.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Solaris Virtual Machine
For Solaris virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Prerequisites
n
Power on the virtual machine.
n
Verify that the guest operating system is running.
n
Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.
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3If the Solaris volume manager does not mount the CD-ROM under /cdrom/vmwaretools, restart the
volume manager.
/etc/init.d/volmgt stop
/etc/init.d/volmgt start
4Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.
cd /tmp
5Extract VMware Tools.
gunzip -c /cdrom/vmwaretools/vmware-solaris-tools.tar.gz | tar xf -
6Run the installer and configure VMware Tools.
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
7Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.
8Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a FreeBSD Virtual Machine
For FreeBSD virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Prerequisites
n
Power on the virtual machine.
n
Verify that the guest operating system is running.
n
Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.
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3If the distribution does not automatically mount CD-ROMs, mount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM
image.
For example, type mount /cdrom.
4Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.
cd /tmp
5Untar the VMware Tools .tar.gz file.
tar zxpf /cdrom/vmware-freebsd-tools.tar.gz
6If the distribution does not use automounting, unmount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image.
umount /cdrom
7Run the installer and configure VMware Tools.
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
8Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.
9Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Starting the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a
Session Manager
VMware Tools in Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems uses the VMware user process.
This program implements the fit-guest-to-window and other features.
Normally, this process starts after you configure VMware Tools, log out of the desktop environment, and
log back in. You can invoke the VMware user process by running the vmtoolsd -n vmusr command.
The startup script that you need to modify depends on your system. You must start the process manually
in the following environments:
n
If you run an X session without a session manager. For example, if you use startx to start a desktop
session and do not use xdm, kdm, or gdm.
n
If you are using an older version of GNOME without gdm or xdm.
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n
If you are using a session manager or environment that does not support the Desktop Application
Autostart Specification, available from http://standards.freedesktop.org.
n
If you upgrade VMware Tools.
Procedure
u
Start the VMware User process.
OptionAction
Start the VMware User process when
you start an X session.
Start the process after a VMware Tools
software upgrade, or if certain features
are not working.
Add vmtoolsd -n vmusr to the appropriate X startup script, such as
the .xsession or .xinitrc file.
Open a terminal window and type the vmtoolsd -n vmusr command.
Uninstalling VMware Tools
If the upgrade process of VMware Tools is incomplete, you can uninstall and then reinstall the VMware
Tools.
Prerequisites
n
Power on the virtual machine.
n
Log in to the guest operating system.
Procedure
u
Select a method to uninstall VMware Tools.
Operating SystemAction
Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or Windows 10In the guest operating system, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Windows Vista and Windows Server
2008
Windows XP and earlierIn the guest operating system, select Add/Remove Programs.
LinuxLog in as root and enter vmware-uninstall-tools.pl in a terminal window.
Mac OS X, OS X, or macOSUse the Uninstall VMware Tools application, found in /Library/Application
In the guest operating system, select Programs and Features > Uninstall a
program.
Support/VMware Tools.
What to do next
Reinstall VMware Tools.
Virtual Machine Files
When you create a virtual machine, Workstation Pro creates a set of files for that specific virtual machine.
Virtual machine files are stored in either the virtual machines directory or the working directory. Both
directories are typically on the host system.
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Table 3‑9. Virtual Machine Files
ExtensionFile NameDescription
.vmxvmname.vmx
.logvmname.log
or
vmware.log
.nvramvmname.nvram
or
nvram
.vmdkvmname.vmdk
The primary configuration file, which stores virtual machine settings. If you
created the virtual machine with an earlier version of Workstation Pro on a
Linux host, this file might have a .cfg extension.
The main log file. If you need to troubleshoot a problem, refer to this file.
This file is stored in the same directory as the .vmx file.
The NVRAM file, which stores the state of the virtual machine BIOS. This
file is stored in the same directory as the .vmx file.
Virtual disk files, which store the contents of the virtual machine hard disk
drive. These files are stored in the same directory as the .vmx file.
A virtual disk is made up of one or more virtual disk files. The virtual
machine settings show the name of the first file in the set. This file
contains pointers to the other files in the set.
If you specify that all disk space should be allocated when the virtual disk
is created, these files start at the maximum size and do not grow. Almost
all of the file content is virtual machine data. A small portion of the file is
allotted to virtual machine overhead.
If the virtual machine is connected directly to a physical disk, the virtual
disk file stores information about the partitions that the virtual machine is
allowed to access.
vmname-s###.vmdk
vmname-f###.vmdk
vmname-disk-###.vmdk
.vmem
.vmsdvmname.vmsd
uuid.vmem
snapshot_name_number.vmem
Note Earlier VMware products use the .dsk extension for virtual disk
files.
If you specified that the files can increase, filenames include an s in the file
number, for example, Windows 7-s001.vmdk.
If you specified that the virtual disk is divided into 2GB sections, the
number of files depends on the size of the virtual disk. As data is added to
a virtual disk, the files increase to a maximum of 2GB each.
If all disk space was allocated when the disk was created, filenames
include an f, for example, Windows 7-f001.vmdk.
If the virtual machine has one or more snapshots, some files are redo log
files. These files store changes made to a virtual disk while the virtual
machine is running. The ### indicates a unique suffix that Workstation Pro
adds to avoid duplicate file names.
The virtual machine paging file, which backs up the guest main memory on
the host file system. This file exists only when the virtual machine is
running or if the virtual machine fails. It is stored in the working directory.
Each snapshot of a virtual machine that is powered on has an
associated .vmem file, which contains the guest operating system main
memory, saved as part of the snapshot.
A centralized file for storing information and metadata about snapshots. It
is stored in the working directory.
.vmsnvmname.Snapshot.vmsn
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The snapshot state file, which stores the running state of a virtual machine
at the time you take that snapshot. It is stored in the working directory.
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Table 3‑9. Virtual Machine Files (Continued)
ExtensionFile NameDescription
vmname.Snapshot###.vmsn
.vmssvmname.vmss
The file that stores the state of a snapshot.
The suspended state file, which stores the state of a suspended virtual
machine. It is stored in the working directory.
Some earlier VMware products used the .std extension for suspended
state files.
Other files, such as lock files, might also be present in the virtual machines directory. Some files are
present only while a virtual machine is running.
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When you use virtual machines in Workstation Pro, you can transfer files and text between virtual
machines and the host system, print to host printers, connect removable devices, and change display
settings. You can use folders to manage multiple virtual machines, take snapshots to preserve virtual
machine states, and create screenshots and movies of virtual machines.
You can also use Workstation Pro to interact with remote virtual machines. See Chapter 9 Using Remote
Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines for more information.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
Scan for Virtual Machines to Add to the Virtual Machine Library
n
Starting Virtual Machines
n
Stopping Virtual Machines
n
Transferring Files and Text
n
Add a Host Printer to a Virtual Machine
n
Using Removable Devices in Virtual Machines
n
Changing the Virtual Machine Display
n
Using Folders to Manage Virtual Machines
n
Taking Snapshots of Virtual Machines
n
Install New Software in a Virtual Machine
n
Take a Screenshot of a Virtual Machine
n
Delete a Virtual Machine
Scan for Virtual Machines to Add to the Virtual Machine
Library
You can quickly add multiple virtual machines to the virtual machine library by initiating a scan.
You can manually select and add virtual machines to the virtual machine library. Alternatively, you can
initiate a scan that locates virtual machines in a folder, removable storage device, or hard disk of your
choice. In the context of a scan, files with the .vmx extension are considered virtual machines.
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Procedure
1Select File > Scan for Virtual Machines.
2In the Select a location to scan text box, enter or browse for a location, such as a folder, removable
storage device, or hard disk.
3Click Next.
4(Optional) If Workstation Pro is scanning the location for virtual machines, but the scan is taking too
long, click Stop Scan.
5Select the virtual machines to add and the library node in which to add them.
aSelect the virtual machines.
OptionDescription
To select individual virtual machinesClick Unselect All and select the check boxes next to the virtual machines
that you want to add to the library.
To select all virtual machinesIf not selected, click Select All.
b(Optional) To use the same folder hierarchy in the library, click Match the file system folder
hierarchy in the library.
cTo continue, click the appropriate option, depending on which option is available.
OptionDescription
FinishIf the scan location is on the local machine, the Finish option is available.
NextIf the scan location is on a remote server or removable storage device, the
Next option is available.
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dIf the location of the virtual machines you are adding to the library is on a remote server or a
removable storage device, select the options in the Copy to local disk options dialog box that
meet your needs and click Finish.
OptionDescription
Copy all selected virtual machines toSelect this option to copy the selected virtual machines to your local machine.
If you do not select this option, the virtual machines remain on the remote
server or removable storage device.
BrowseIf you select the copy virtual machine option and you do not want to accept the
default virtual machine location, you can browse to a location in which to copy
the virtual machines.
Keep the hierarchy of the folder in
target location
If you select the copy virtual machine option, you can select this option to use
the same folder hierarchy used in the remote server or removable storage
device in the target location on your local machine.
eReview the progress and results of the operation on the Result dialog box and click the
appropriate options.
OptionDescription
StopIf the process is taking too long, click Stop to cancel the operation.
CloseClick Close to close the Result dialog box.
Starting Virtual Machines
When you start a virtual machine, the guest operating system starts and you can interact with the virtual
machine. You can use Workstation Pro to start virtual machines on the host system and on remote
servers.
To start a virtual machine from the command line, use the vmware command. See Chapter 15 Using the
vmware Command.
n
Start a Virtual Machine
You can start a virtual machine from the VM menu or from the toolbar. When you use the VM menu,
you can select a soft or hard power option or start the virtual machine in BIOS setup mode.
n
Start a Virtual Machine That Is Running in the Background
You can start a virtual machine that is running in the background when Workstation Pro is not
started.
n
Enable Autologon in a Windows Virtual Machine
With Autologon, you can save your login credentials and bypass the login dialog box when you
power on a Windows virtual machine. The guest operating system securely stores the password.
n
Configure a Firmware Type
You can select the firmware type for a virtual machine.
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Start a Virtual Machine
You can start a virtual machine from the VM menu or from the toolbar. When you use the VM menu, you
can select a soft or hard power option or start the virtual machine in BIOS setup mode.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines.
You can use the AutoStart feature to configure shared and remote virtual machines to start when the host
system starts. See Manage Virtual Machine Power Actions on Shared and Remote Hosts.
Prerequisites
n
If the virtual machine is on the local host, select File > Open and browse to the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file.
n
If the virtual machine is on a remote host, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote
Server.
Procedure
n
To select a power option when you start the virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select VM
> Power.
OptionDescription
Power On(Hard option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine.
Start Up Guest(Soft option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine and VMware Tools runs a
script in the guest operating system. On Windows guests, if the virtual machine is
configured to use DHCP, the script renews the IP address of the virtual machine.
On a Linux, FreeBSD, or Solaris guest, the script starts networking for the virtual
machine.
Power On to firmwareWorkstation Pro starts the virtual machine in BIOS setup mode.
n
To start the virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the start button.
The start power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft power on operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
What to do next
Click anywhere inside the virtual machine console to give the virtual machine control of the mouse and
keyboard on the host system.
Start a Virtual Machine That Is Running in the Background
You can start a virtual machine that is running in the background when Workstation Pro is not started.
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Prerequisites
Set the virtual machine to run in the background. See Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation
Pro.
Procedure
1On the host system, click the virtual machine status icon that is located in the notification area of the
taskbar.
A list of the virtual machines that are running in the background appears in a tooltip. The list contains
the virtual machines that belong to the currently logged in user.
2Select a virtual machine from the list in the tooltip.
Workstation Pro starts and displays the console view of the virtual machine.
Enable Autologon in a Windows Virtual Machine
With Autologon, you can save your login credentials and bypass the login dialog box when you power on
a Windows virtual machine. The guest operating system securely stores the password.
Use the Autologon feature if you restart the guest operating system frequently and want to avoid entering
your login credentials. You can also use the Autologon feature to grant users access to the guest
operating system without sharing your password.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the guest operating system is Windows 2000 or later.
n
Verify that you have an existing user account to enable Autologon. The account must be a local
machine account, not a domain account.
n
Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is running in the guest operating system.
n
Power on the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine, select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Autologon.
3Click Enable, type your login credentials, and click OK.
If you type an incorrect or expired password, you must type your login credentials when you power on
the virtual machine.
4Click OK to save your changes.
When you enable Autologon or change your login credentials, the Autologon settings are saved
immediately. Clicking Cancel in the Virtual Machine Settings dialog box does not affect the changes
applied to the Autologon settings.
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Configure a Firmware Type
You can select the firmware type for a virtual machine.
You can change your firmware type of a virtual machine after you create the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n
To change the firmware type of an existing virtual machine, the guest operating system is powered
off.
n
The software to boot the system is installed.
n
If you want to select Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) as the firmware type, verify that the
following conditions are met:
n
The guest operating system to be installed on the virtual machine supports UEFI firmware.
n
The virtual machine does not have virtualization-based security (VBS) enabled.
n
The virtual machine uses hardware version 8 or later.
n
The virtual machine has a Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 2012, or Windows 2016 guest
operating system.
n
If you want to select UEFI Secure Boot, verify that the following conditions are met.
n
The virtual machine uses the UEFI firmware type.
n
The virtual machine uses hardware version 14 or later.
Procedure
1In the Workstation Pro interface, select VM > Settings.
2Click the Options tab and click Advanced.
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3In the Firmware type section, make your firmware selections.
If the guest operating system is supported and the prerequisites are met, the following firmware types
are selectable.
OptionDescription
UEFIUEFI is an interface between the operating system and the platform firmware.
UEFI has architectural advantages over Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
firmware.
Legacy BIOSStandard BIOS firmware.
Note
n
Once a guest operating system is installed, changing the firmware type might cause the virtual
machine boot process to fail.
n
If you select UEFI, depending on the guest operating system, you might have the option of
enabling UEFI Secure Boot. UEFI Secure Boot secures the boot process by preventing the
loading of drivers and operating system loaders that are not signed with an acceptable digital
signature.
n
If VBS is enabled, the firmware type is set to UEFI and the UEFI Secure Boot option is selected.
n
You cannot edit the firmware type or the UEFI Secure Boot setting when VBS is enabled.
4Click OK.
When you start the virtual machine, it boots with the selected firmware configuration.
Stopping Virtual Machines
You can use Workstation Pro to stop virtual machines on the host system and on remote servers. You can
shut down, pause, and suspend virtual machines. You can also close virtual machines and continue
running them in the background.
n
Shut Down a Virtual Machine
You can shut down a virtual machine from the VM menu or from the toolbar. When you use the VM
menu, you can select a hard or soft power option.
n
Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation Pro
You can close a virtual machine that is running on the local host system without powering it off. By
default, Workstation Pro prompts you to select an action when you close a powered-on virtual
machine and when you exit Workstation Pro while virtual machines are running on the local host
system.
n
Pause and Unpause a Virtual Machine
You can pause a virtual machine multiple times for a few seconds, or up to several minutes. The
pause feature is useful when a virtual machine is engaged in an lengthy, processor-intensive activity
that prevents you from using the host system to do a more immediate task.
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n
Suspend and Resume a Virtual Machine
Use the suspend and resume feature to save the current state of a virtual machine. When you
resume the virtual machine, the applications that were running before the suspension will resume
their running state with their content unchanged.
Shut Down a Virtual Machine
You can shut down a virtual machine from the VM menu or from the toolbar. When you use the VM menu,
you can select a hard or soft power option.
You are not required to power off a virtual machine that is running on the local host system before you exit
Workstation Pro. You can exit Workstation Pro and leave the virtual machine running in the background.
See Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation Pro.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines.
Procedure
n
To select a power option when you shut down the virtual machine, select the virtual machine and
select VM > Power.
OptionDescription
Power Off(Hard option) Workstation Pro powers off the virtual machine abruptly with no
consideration for work in progress.
Shut Down Guest(Soft option) Workstation Pro sends a shut-down signal to the guest operating
system. An operating system that recognizes the signal shuts down gracefully.
Not all guest operating systems respond to a shut-down signal from
Workstation Pro. If the guest operating system does not respond to the signal,
shut down from the guest operating system as you would a physical machine.
n
To shut down the virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the stop button.
The stop power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft power off operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
n
To shut down a virtual machine that is suspended, select the virtual machine and click VM > Power >
Power Off.
Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation Pro
You can close a virtual machine that is running on the local host system without powering it off. By
default, Workstation Pro prompts you to select an action when you close a powered-on virtual machine
and when you exit Workstation Pro while virtual machines are running on the local host system.
Note When you close a remote virtual machine, the virtual machine tab closes. If the virtual machine is
powered on, it continues to run on the remote host.
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Table 4‑1. Close and Exit Actions
ActionDescription
Run in BackgroundContinue to run the virtual machine in the background. You can interact with
the virtual machine through VNC or some other service.
By default, a virtual machine status icon appears in the notification area of the
taskbar on the host system. When you mouse over this icon, a tooltip shows
the number of virtual machines running in the background that belong to the
currently logged in user.
SuspendSuspend the virtual machine and save its current state.
Power OffPower off the virtual machine. By default, Workstation Pro powers off the
virtual machine abruptly. The effect is the same as using the power button on a
physical machine.
You can configure Workstation Pro preference settings so that virtual machines always run in the
background and you are not prompted to select an action. You can also configure virtual machine option
settings to control power off behavior.
Configure Virtual Machines to Always Run in the Background
You can configure Workstation Pro preference settings so that virtual machines always run in the
background and you are not prompted to select an action when you close powered-on virtual machines.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences.
2Select Workspace and select Keep VMs running after Workstation closes.
3Click OK to save your changes.
Pause and Unpause a Virtual Machine
You can pause a virtual machine multiple times for a few seconds, or up to several minutes. The pause
feature is useful when a virtual machine is engaged in an lengthy, processor-intensive activity that
prevents you from using the host system to do a more immediate task.
Note You cannot pause a remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the restrictions and limitations of the pause feature. See Pause Feature
Restrictions and Limitations.
Procedure
n
To pause a virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select VM > Pause.
The virtual machine display dims and a play button appears over the display. Paused virtual
machines that are configured to display on more than one monitor have a play button on each
monitor.
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n
To pause all of the powered-on virtual machines without interacting with the Workstation Pro user
interface, right-click the virtual machine status icon located in the notification area on the task bar of
the host computer and select Pause All Virtual Machines.
n
To unpause a virtual machine, click the play button on the virtual machine display or deselect VM >
Pause.
Pause Feature Restrictions and Limitations
The pause feature has certain restrictions and limitations.
n
You cannot switch to Unity mode when a virtual machine is paused.
n
When paused, a virtual machine does not send or receive network packets. If a virtual machine is
paused for more than a few minutes, some network connections might be interrupted.
n
If you take a snapshot when the virtual machine is paused, the virtual machine is not paused when
you restore that snapshot. Similarly, if you suspend a virtual machine while it is paused, it is not
paused when you resume the virtual machine.
n
If you initiate soft power operations when a virtual machine is paused, those operations do not take
effect until the virtual machine is unpaused.
n
While a virtual machine is paused, LEDs and devices remain enabled, but device connection changes
do not take effect until the virtual machine is unpaused.
n
You cannot pause a remote virtual machine.
Suspend and Resume a Virtual Machine
Use the suspend and resume feature to save the current state of a virtual machine. When you resume the
virtual machine, the applications that were running before the suspension will resume their running state
with their content unchanged.
How quickly the suspend operation performs depends on the how much data changed after you started
the virtual machine. The first suspend operation usually takes longer than subsequent suspend
operations. When you suspend a virtual machine, Workstation Pro creates a virtual machine suspended
state (.vmss or .vmem) file set in the working directory. How quickly the resume operation performs
depends on how active the virtual machine is. The more active the virtual machine is, the longer it will
take to resume. It also depends on whether the virtual machine suspended state (.vmss or .vmem) file set
is already in the physical memory of the host system. If it is, the virtual machine will resume much faster.
After you resume a virtual machine and do more work, you cannot return to the state that the virtual
machine was in when you suspended it. To return to the same state repeatedly, you must take a
snapshot.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines.
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Procedure
n
To select a suspend option when you suspend a virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select
VM > Power.
OptionDescription
Suspend(Hard option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and leaves it
connected to the network.
Suspend Guest(Soft option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and disconnects it
from the network. VMware Tools runs a script in the guest operating system. On
Windows guests, if the virtual machine is configured to use DHCP, the script
releases the IP address of the virtual machine. On Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris
guests, the script stops networking for the virtual machine.
n
To suspend a virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the suspend
button.
The suspend power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft suspend operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
n
To select a resume option when you resume a suspended virtual machine, select the virtual machine
and select VM > Power.
OptionDescription
Resume(Hard option) Workstation Pro resumes the virtual machine from the suspended
state.
Resume Guest(Soft option) Workstation Pro resumes the virtual machine from the suspended
state and reconnects it to the network.
n
To resume a virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the resume button.
The suspend power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft resume operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
n
To power off a suspended virtual machine, select the virtual machine and click VM > Power > Power
Off.
Using the Guest ACPI S1 Sleep Feature on Windows Hosts
On Windows hosts, Workstation Pro provides experimental support for guest operating system ACPI S1
sleep. Not all guest operating systems support this feature. Common guest operating system interfaces
for entering standby mode are supported.
By default, ACPI S1 sleep is implemented in Workstation Pro as suspend. You can use the
Workstation Pro Resume button to wake the guest operating system.
You can implement ACPI S1 sleep as power-on suspend. The guest operating system is not fully
powered down. This feature can be useful for test and development scenarios. You can wake the virtual
machine through keyboard input, mouse input, or by programming the CMOS external timer.
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Transferring Files and Text
You can use the drag-and-drop feature, the copy and paste feature, shared folders, and mapped drives to
transfer files and text between the host system and virtual machines and between virtual machines.
n
Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature
You can use the drag-and-drop feature to move files and directories, email attachments, plain text,
formatted text, and images between the host system and virtual machines.
n
Using the Copy and Paste Feature
You can cut, copy, and paste text between virtual machines and between applications running in
virtual machines.
n
Using Shared Folders
You can use shared folders to share files among virtual machines and between virtual machines and
the host system. The directories that you add as shared folders can be on the host system, or they
can be network directories that are accessible from the host computer.
n
Mapping a Virtual Disk to the Host System
Instead of using shared folders or copying data between a virtual machine and the host system, you
can map a virtual disk to the host system. In this case, you map a virtual disk in the host file system
as a separate mapped drive. Using a mapped drive lets you connect to the virtual disk without going
into a virtual machine.
Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature
You can use the drag-and-drop feature to move files and directories, email attachments, plain text,
formatted text, and images between the host system and virtual machines.
You can drag files or directories between the following locations.
n
File managers, such as Windows Explorer, on the host system and virtual machines.
n
A file manager to an application that supports drag-and-drop.
n
Applications, such as zip file managers, which support drag-and-drop extraction of individual files.
n
Different virtual machines.
When you drag a file or folder between the host and a virtual machine, Workstation Pro copies the file or
folder to the location where you drop it. For example, if you drop a file on the desktop icon of a word
processor, the word processor opens a copy of the original file. The original file does not include changes
that you make to the copy.
Initially, the application opens a copy of the file that is stored in the temp directory. On Windows, the temp
directory is specified in the %TEMP% environment variable. On Linux and Solaris, the temp directory
is /tmp/VMwareDnD. Save the file in a different directory to protect changes that you make.
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Drag-and-Drop Requirements and Restrictions
The drag-and-drop feature has certain requirements and restrictions.
n
You must install VMware Tools in a virtual machine to use the drag-and-drop feature.
n
The drag-and-drop feature requires Linux hosts and guests to run X Windows and Solaris 10 guests
to run an Xorg X server and JDS/Gnome.
n
You can drag images between applications on Windows hosts and applications on Windows guests
only. Dragging images is not supported for Linux hosts or guests.
n
You can drag files and directories, email attachments, plain text, and formatted text between Linux
and Windows hosts and Linux, Windows, and Solaris 10 guests only.
n
Dragging email attachments is restricted to images or files smaller than 4 MB.
n
Dragging plain text and formatted text (including the formatting) is restricted to amounts less than 4
MB.
n
Dragging text is restricted to text in languages that can be represented by Unicode characters.
n
Workstation Pro uses the PNG format to encode images that are dragged. Dragging images is
restricted to images smaller than 4 MB after conversion to PNG format.
Disable the Drag-and-Drop Feature
The drag-and-drop feature is enabled by default when you create a virtual machine in Workstation Pro. To
prevent dragging and dropping between a virtual machine and the host system, disable the drag-and-drop
feature.
Note You cannot enable or disable the drag-and-drop feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Guest Isolation.
3Deselect Enable drag and drop.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Using the Copy and Paste Feature
You can cut, copy, and paste text between virtual machines and between applications running in virtual
machines.
You can also cut, copy, and paste images, plain text, formatted text, and email attachments between
applications running on the host system and applications running in virtual machines.
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Copy and Paste Requirements and Restrictions
The copy and paste feature has certain requirements and restrictions.
n
You must install VMware Tools in a virtual machine to use the copy and paste feature.
n
The copy and paste feature works with Linux and Windows hosts and Linux, Windows, and Solaris 10
guests only.
n
The copy and paste feature requires Linux hosts and guests to run X Windows and Solaris 10 guests
to run an Xorg X server and JDS/Gnome.
n
Copying and pasting email attachments is restricted to images or files smaller than 4 MB.
n
Copying and pasting plain text and formatted text (including the formatting) is restricted to amounts
less than 4MB.
n
Copying and pasting text is restricted to text in languages that can be represented by Unicode
characters.
n
Workstation Pro uses the PNG format to encode images that are copied and pasted. Copying and
pasting images is restricted to images smaller than 4 MB after conversion to PNG format.
n
You cannot copy and paste files between virtual machines.
Disable the Copy and Paste Feature
The copy and paste feature is enabled by default when you create a virtual machine in Workstation Pro.
To prevent copying and pasting between a virtual machine and the host system, disable the copy and
paste feature.
Note You cannot enable or disable the copy and paste feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Guest Isolation.
3Deselect Enable copy and paste.
4Click OK to save your changes.
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Using Shared Folders
You can use shared folders to share files among virtual machines and between virtual machines and the
host system. The directories that you add as shared folders can be on the host system, or they can be
network directories that are accessible from the host computer.
Important You cannot open a file in a shared folder from more than one application at a time. For
example, do not open the same file in an application on the host operating system and in another
application in the guest operating system. If one of the applications writes to the file, data might be
corrupted.
n
Guest Operating Systems That Support Shared Folders
To use shared folders, a virtual machine must have a supported guest operating system.
n
Enable a Shared Folder for a Virtual Machine
You can enable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine. To set up a folder for sharing between
virtual machines, you must configure each virtual machine to use the same directory on the host
system or network share.
n
Enable Shared Folders for Virtual Machines Created By Other Users
If a shared folder is not created by the user who powers on the virtual machine, it is disabled by
default. This is a security precaution.
n
View Shared Folders in a Windows Guest
In a Windows guest operating system, you can view shared folders by using desktop icons.
n
Mounting Shared Folders in a Linux Guest
After you enable a shared folder, you can mount one or more directories or subdirectories in the
shared folder to any location in the file system in addition to the default location of /mnt/hgfs.
n
Change Shared Folder Properties
After you create a shared folder, you can change the folder name, the host path, and other
attributes.
n
Change the Folders That a Virtual Machine Can Share
You can change the folders that a specific virtual machine is allowed to share.
n
Disable Folder Sharing for a Virtual Machine
You can disable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine.
Guest Operating Systems That Support Shared Folders
To use shared folders, a virtual machine must have a supported guest operating system.
The following guest operating systems support shared folders.
n
Windows Server 2003 R2
n
Windows Server 2008 R2
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n
Windows Server 2012 R2
n
Windows Server 2016
n
Windows Vista
n
Windows 7
n
Windows 8
n
Windows 10
n
Linux with a kernel version of 2.6 or later
n
Solaris x86 10
n
Solaris x86 10 Update 1 and later
Enable a Shared Folder for a Virtual Machine
You can enable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine. To set up a folder for sharing between virtual
machines, you must configure each virtual machine to use the same directory on the host system or
network share.
Note You cannot enable a shared folder for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the virtual machines use a guest operating system that supports shared folders. See Guest
Operating Systems That Support Shared Folders.
n
Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
n
Verify that permission settings on the host system allow access to files in the shared folders. For
example, if you are running Workstation Pro as a user named User, the virtual machine can read and
write files in the shared folder only if User has permission to read and write them.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3Select a folder sharing option.
OptionDescription
Always enabledKeep folder sharing enabled, even when the virtual machine is shut down,
suspended, or powered off.
Enabled until next power off or
suspend
Enable folder sharing temporarily, until you power off, suspend, or shut down the
virtual machine. If you restart the virtual machine, shared folders remain enabled.
This setting is available only when the virtual machine is powered on.
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4(Optional) To map a drive to the Shared Folders directory, select Map as a network drive in
Windows guests.
This directory contains all of the shared folders that you enable. Workstation Pro selects the drive
letter.
5Click Add to add a shared folder.
On Windows hosts, the Add Shared Folder wizard starts. On Linux hosts, the Shared Folder
Properties dialog box opens.
6Type the path on the host system to the directory to share.
If you specify a directory on a network share, such as D:\share, Workstation Pro always attempts to
use that path. If the directory is later connected to the host on a different drive letter, Workstation Pro
cannot locate the shared folder.
7Specify the name of the shared folder as it should appear inside the virtual machine.
Characters that the guest operating system considers illegal in a share name appear differently when
viewed inside the guest. For example, if you use an asterisk in a share name, you see %002A instead
of * in the share name on the guest. Illegal characters are converted to their ASCII hexadecimal
value.
8Select shared folder attributes.
OptionDescription
Enable this shareEnable the shared folder. Deselect this option to disable a shared folder without
deleting it from the virtual machine configuration.
Read-onlyMake the shared folder read-only. When this property is selected, the virtual
machine can view and copy files from the shared folder, but it cannot add,
change, or remove files. Access to files in the shared folder is also governed by
permission settings on the host computer.
9Click Finish to add the shared folder.
The shared folder appears in the Folders list. The check box next to folder name indicates that the
folder is being shared. You can deselect this check box to disable sharing for the folder.
10 Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
View the shared folder. On Linux guests, shared folders appear under /mnt/hgfs. On Solaris guests,
shared folders appear under /hgfs. To view shared folders on a Windows guest, see View Shared
Folders in a Windows Guest.
Enable Shared Folders for Virtual Machines Created By Other Users
If a shared folder is not created by the user who powers on the virtual machine, it is disabled by default.
This is a security precaution.
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Folder sharing is also disabled by default for Workstation 5.x virtual machines, regardless of who creates
the folder.
Important Enabling shared folders on all virtual machines can pose a security risk because a shared
folder might enable existing programs inside the virtual machine to access the host file system without
your knowledge.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences.
2Select Workspace and select Enable all shared folders by default.
This setting applies to shared folders on all virtual machines that are created by other users.
View Shared Folders in a Windows Guest
In a Windows guest operating system, you can view shared folders by using desktop icons.
Note If the guest operating system has VMware Tools from Workstation 4.0, shared folders appear as
folders on a designated drive letter.
Procedure
n
Depending on the Windows operating system version, look for VMware Shared Folders in My
Network Places, Network Neighborhood, or Network.
n
If you mapped the shared folder as a network drive, open My Computer and look for Shared
Folders on 'vmware-host' under Network Drives.
n
To view a specific shared folder, go directly to the folder by using the UNC path \\vmwarehost\Shared Folders\shared_folder_name.
Mounting Shared Folders in a Linux Guest
After you enable a shared folder, you can mount one or more directories or subdirectories in the shared
folder to any location in the file system in addition to the default location of /mnt/hgfs.
Depending on the kernel version of the Linux guest operating system, VMware Tools uses different
components to provide shared-folder functionality. In Linux kernels prior to version 4.0, the VMware Tools
services script loads a driver that performs the mount. Linux kernels 4.0 and later use a FUSE file system
component.
You can use different mount commands to mount all shares, one share, or a subdirectory within a share
to any location in the file system. The commands also vary depending on the Linux-kernel version of the
guest.
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Table 4‑2. Mount Command Syntax
Linux Kernel Prior to 4.0Linux Kernel 4.0 and LaterDescription
mount -t
vmhgfs .host:/ /home/user1/shares
mount -t vmhgfs .host:/foo /tmp/foo/usr/bin/vmhgfs-
mount -t
vmhgfs .host:/foo/bar /var/lib/bar
/usr/bin/vmhgfs-
fuse .host:/ /home/user1/shares -o
subtype=vmhgfs-fuse,allow_other
fuse .host:/foo /tmp/foo -o
subtype=vmhgfs-fuse,allow_other
/usr/bin/vmhgfs-
fuse .host:/foo/bar /var/lib/bar -o
subtype=vmhgfs-fuse,allow_other
Mounts all shares
to /home/user1/shares
Mounts the share named foo
to /tmp/foo
Mounts the subdirectory bar within
the share foo to /var/lib/bar
For Linux kernel prior to version 4.0, you can use VMware-specific options in addition to the standard
mount syntax. Enter the command /sbin/mount.vmhgfs -h to list the options.
For Linux kernel version 4.0 or later, enter the command /usr/bin/vmhgfs-fuse -h to list the available
options.
Note The mount can fail if shared folders are disabled or if the share does not exist. You are not
prompted to run the VMware Tools vmware-config-tools.pl configuration program again.
Optimizing Read and Write Access to Shared Files on Linux
Host-guest file sharing is integrated with the guest page cache. Files in shared folders are cached for
reading and can be written to asynchronously.
Files that are being actively written to from the guest do not experience read caching benefits. To improve
performance, you can use the mount command time-to-live (ttl) option to specify the interval that the
host-guest file system (hgfs) driver uses for validating file attributes.
For example, to validate attributes every 3 seconds instead of every 1 second, which is the default, use
the following command.
mount -o ttl=3 -t vmhgfs .host:/sharemountpoint
Note Lengthening the interval involves some risk. If a process in the host modifies file attributes, the
guest operating system might not get the modifications as quickly and the file can become corrupted.
Using Permissions to Restrict Access to Shared Files in a Linux Guest
You can use permissions to restrict access to the files in a shared folder on a Linux guest operating
system.
On a Linux host, if you create files that you want to share with a Linux guest operating system, the file
permissions shown on the guest operating system are the same as the permissions on the host system.
You can use the fmask and dmask commands to mask permissions bits for files and directories.
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If you create files on a Windows host system that you want to share with a Linux guest operating system,
read-only files are displayed as having read and execute permission for everyone and other files are
shown as fully writable by everyone.
If you use a Linux guest operating system to create files for which you want to restrict permissions, use
the mount program with the following options in the guest operating system.
n
uid
n
gid
n
fmask
n
dmask
n
ro (read only)
n
rw (read-write)
rw is the default.
If you are using a virtual machine that was created with the Windows version of Workstation Pro, or a
previous release of the Linux version of Workstation Pro, you can change the owner permissions only.
Change Shared Folder Properties
After you create a shared folder, you can change the folder name, the host path, and other attributes.
Prerequisites
Create a shared folder. See Enable a Shared Folder for a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3Select the shared folder in the folders list and click Properties.
4To change the name of the shared folder as it appears inside the virtual machine, type the new name
in the Name text box.
Characters that the guest operating system considers illegal in a share name appear differently when
viewed inside the guest. For example, if you use an asterisk in a share name, you see %002A instead
of * in the share name on the guest. Illegal characters are converted to their ASCII hexadecimal
value.
5To change the host path for the shared folder, browse to or type the new path in the Host path text
box.
If you specify a directory on a network share, such as D:\share, Workstation Pro always attempts to
use that path. If the directory is later connected to the host on a different drive letter, Workstation Pro
cannot locate the shared folder.
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6To change an attribute for the shared folder, select or deselect the attribute.
OptionDescription
EnabledEnable the shared folder. Deselect this option to disable a shared folder without
deleting it from the virtual machine configuration.
Read-onlyMake the shared folder read-only. When this property is selected, the virtual
machine can view and copy files from the shared folder, but it cannot add,
change, or remove files. Access to files in the shared folder is also governed by
permission settings on the host computer.
7Click OK to save your changes.
Change the Folders That a Virtual Machine Can Share
You can change the folders that a specific virtual machine is allowed to share.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3In the folders list, select the check boxes next to the folders to share and deselect the check boxes
next to the folders to disable.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Disable Folder Sharing for a Virtual Machine
You can disable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3Select Disabled to disable folder sharing.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Mapping a Virtual Disk to the Host System
Instead of using shared folders or copying data between a virtual machine and the host system, you can
map a virtual disk to the host system. In this case, you map a virtual disk in the host file system as a
separate mapped drive. Using a mapped drive lets you connect to the virtual disk without going into a
virtual machine.
Map or Mount a Virtual Disk to a Drive on the Host System
When you map a virtual disk and its associated volume to a drive on the host system, you can connect to
the virtual disk without opening a virtual machine.
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After you map the virtual disk to a drive on the host system, you cannot power on any virtual machine that
uses the disk until you disconnect the disk from the host system.
Note You cannot map a virtual hard disk for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Important If you mount a virtual disk that has a snapshot and then write to the disk, you can irreparably
damage a snapshot or linked clone created from the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n
Power off all virtual machines that use the virtual disk.
n
Verify that the virtual disk (.vmdk) files on the virtual disk are not compressed and do not have readonly permissions.
n
Verify that the virtual disk is unencrypted. You cannot map or mount encrypted disks.
Procedure
1Mount the virtual disk to a drive on the host system.
OptionDescription
Windows hostSelect File > Map Virtual Disks.
Linux hostSelect File > Mount Virtual Disks.
2Map or mount the virtual disk.
OptionDescription
Windows hostIn the Map or Disconnect Virtual Disks dialog box, click Map.
Linux hostIn the Mount or Unmount Virtual Disks dialog box, click Mount Disk.
3(Optional) You can also map a virtual disk from Windows Explorer.
aOpen Explorer and browse to the .vmdk file you want to map.
bRight-click the .vmdk file and select Map Virtual Disk.
The menu also allows you to map the first volume of the .vmdk file to a drive immediately. If you
select that option, no further configurations are needed.
4Browse to a virtual disk (.vmdk) file, select it, and click Open.
5Select the volume to map or mount and select an unused drive letter on the host system.
6Click OK or Mount.
The drive appears on the host system. You can read from or write to files on the mapped virtual disk
on the host system.
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