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Getting Started with VMware

Workstation
VMware Workstation 11

This document supports the version of each product listed and

supports all subsequent versions until the document is
replaced by a new edition. To check for more recent editions
of this document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

EN-001569-00

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
[email protected]

VMware, Inc.
3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com

VMware, Inc.

Contents

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

1 Introduction and System Requirements 7

Host System Requirements 7
Virtual Machine Features and Specifications

2 Installing and Using Workstation 15

Obtaining the Workstation Software and License Key 15

Installing Workstation with Other VMware Products 16
Reinstalling Workstation When Upgrading a Windows Host Operating System
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse and Visual Studio 17
Installing Workstation 17
Upgrading Workstation 23
Uninstalling Workstation 29
Start Workstation 30
Using the Workstation Window 31
Using the Workstation Online Help 35

3 Creating Virtual Machines 37

Understanding Virtual Machines 37

Features of a Typical Virtual Machine 38
Preparing to Create a Typical Virtual Machine 38
Create a Typical Virtual Machine 42
Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System
Install a Guest Operating System Manually 44
Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools 45
Install New Software in a Virtual Machine 53

4 Using Virtual Machines 55

Start a Virtual Machine 55

Shut Down a Virtual Machine 56
Pause and Unpause a Virtual Machine 57
Suspend and Resume a Virtual Machine 58
Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature 59
Using the Copy and Paste Feature 59
Add a Host Printer to a Virtual Machine 60
Use a Removable Device in a Virtual Machine 61
Changing the Virtual Machine Display 62
Using Folders to Manage Virtual Machines 67
Taking Snapshots of Virtual Machines 69
Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Index

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Getting Started with VMware Workstation describes how to install and upgrade VMware Workstation, create
a typical virtual machine, and perform common virtual machine operations.

Intended Audience
This information is intended for anyone who wants to install Workstation and create a typical virtual
machine. See Using VMware Workstation for complete information about Workstation, including how to use
advanced Workstation features.

Where to Find Additional Information

See the following documents for additional information about using Workstation. All of the documents are
available from the VMware Web site.
n

Using VMware Workstation contains complete information about Workstation, including how to use
advanced Workstation features.

Installing and Configuring VMware Tools contains complete information about using VMware Tools.

The VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide contains information about installing specific
guest operating systems.

The online VMware Compatibility Guide lists the supported host and guest operating systems for
Workstation.

The Workstation online help contains quick reference information about Workstation settings and common
tasks. It is available from the Workstation Help menu and when you click Help on a Workstation dialog
box.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

VMware, Inc.

Introduction and System

Requirements

Host computers that run Workstation must meet specific hardware and software requirements. Virtual
machines that run in Workstation support specific devices and provide certain features.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

Host System Requirements, on page 7

Virtual Machine Features and Specifications, on page 10

Host System Requirements

The physical computer on which you install Workstation is called the host system and its operating system
is called the host operating system. To run Workstation, the host system and the host operating system must
meet specific hardware and software requirements.

Processor Requirements for Host Systems

You must install Workstation on a host system that meets certain processor requirements.

Supported Processors
The host system must have a 64-bit x86 CPU that meets the following requirements.
n

LAHF/SAHF support in long mode

1.3GHz or faster core speed

Multiprocessor systems are supported.

When you install Workstation, the installer performs checks to make sure the host system has a supported
processor. You cannot install Workstation if the host system does not meet the processor requirements.

Processor Requirements for 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems

The operating system that runs inside a virtual machine is called the guest operating system. To run 64-bit
guest operating systems, the host system must have one of the following processors.
n

An AMD CPU that has segment-limit support in long mode

An Intel CPU that has 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.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

When you install a 64-bit operating system, Workstation 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.

Processor Requirements for Windows 7 Aero Graphics

To support Windows 7 Aero graphics, the host system should have either an Intel Dual Core 2.2GHz or later
CPU or an AMD Athlon 4200+ or later CPU.

Supported Host Operating Systems

You can install Workstation 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 1GB. 2GB and above is recommended.
To support Windows 7 Aero graphics in a virtual machine, at least 3GB of host system memory is required.
1GB of memory is allocated to the guest operating system and 256MB 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.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 1 Introduction and System Requirements

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 11. Disk Drive Requirements for Host Systems
Drive Type
Hard disk

Requirements
n
n

Optical CD-ROM and DVD

n
n
n

Floppy

IDE, SATA, and SCSI hard drives are supported.

At least 1GB 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.
For basic installation, 1.5GB free disk space is required on Windows and
Linux. Delete the installer after the installation is finished to reclaim disk
space.
IDE, SATA, and SCSI optical drives are supported.
CD-ROM and DVD drives are supported.
ISO disk image files are supported.

Virtual machines can connect to disk drives on the host computer. Floppy disk
image 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, or IDE).
n

On Windows 8, Ubuntu, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machines, all drive types can report their
virtual disks as SSD drives.

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.

On Mac virtual machines, only SATA virtual disks are reported as SSD. IDE and SCSI virtual disks are
reported as mechanical drives.

Use the virtual machine operating system to verify your virtual machine is using SSD as its virtual disk.

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 for Host Systems

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.

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.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

The sound device on the host system must not be muted.

The current user must have the appropriate permissions to use the sound device.

Help System Requirements

You must have a supported Web browser installed on the host system to use the Workstation Help system
The following Web browser versions are supported.
n

Internet Explorer 6 or later

Mozilla Firefox 1.x or later

Netscape 7.x or later

Safari 1.x or later

Opera 7.54u2 or later

Because Chrome does not support JavaScript on local systems, you cannot display the Workstation Help
system in Chrome.

Virtual Machine Features and Specifications

Workstation 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.
To see a list of the supported guest operating systems, search the online VMware Compatibility Guide on
the VMware Web site.
See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information on installing the most common
guest operating systems.

Virtual Machine Processor Support

Virtual machines support certain processor features.
n

The same as the processor on the host computer.

One virtual processor on a host system that has one or more logical processors.

Up to eight virtual processors (eight-way virtual symmetric multiprocessing, or Virtual SMP) on a host
system that has at least two logical processors.
NOTE Workstation considers multiprocessor hosts that have two or more physical CPUs, singleprocessor hosts that have a multicore CPU, and single-processor hosts that have hyperthreading
enabled, to have two logical processors.

Virtual Machine Chip Set and BIOS Support

Virtual machines support certain virtual machine chip set and BIOS features.

Intel 440BX-based motherboard

NS338 SIO chip set

82093AA I/O Advanced Programmable Controller (I/O APIC)

Phoenix BIOS 4.0 Release 6 with VESA BIOS

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 1 Introduction and System Requirements

Virtual Machine Memory Allocation

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.
On 64-bit hosts, the maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 64GB. On 32-bit hosts, the
maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 8GB. Workstation prevents powering on virtual
machines that are configured to use more than 8GB of memory on 32-bit hosts. Memory management
limitations on 32-bit operating systems cause virtual machine memory to overcommit, which severely
affects system performance.

Virtual Machine Graphics and Keyboard Support

Virtual machines support certain graphics features and keyboards.
n

VGA and SVGA are supported.

104-key Windows 95/98 enhanced keyboards are supported.

To use the GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc and GL_S3_s3tc Open Graphics Library (OpenGL)

extensions in a Windows XP or Windows 7 guest operating system, you must install Microsoft DirectX
End-User Runtime in the guest operating system. OpenGL is an application program interface 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.

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.

DVD drives can be used to read data DVD discs only.

DVD video is not supported.

Hard disks can be virtual disks or physical disks.

IDE virtual disks can be up to 8TB.

CD-ROM drives can be physical devices or ISO image files.

Virtual Machine SCSI Device Support

Virtual machines support certain SCSI devices and features.
n

Up to 60 devices are supported.

SCSI virtual disks can be up to 8TB.

Hard disks can be virtual disks or physical disks.

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.

The LSI Logic LSI53C10xx Ultra320 SCSI I/O controller is supported.

Virtual Machine Floppy Drive Support

Virtual machines can have floppy drives.
n

VMware, Inc.

Up to two 2.88MB floppy devices are supported.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Serial tablets are supported.

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.

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.

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.

Three switches are configured by default for bridged, host-only, and NAT networking.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 1 Introduction and System Requirements

Most Ethernet-based protocols are supported, including TCP/IP, NetBEUI, Microsoft Networking,
Samba, Novell NetWare, and Network File System (NFS).

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 provides a sound device that is compatible with the Sound Blaster AudioPCI and Intel HighDefinition Audio Specification. The Workstation sound device is enabled by default.
Workstation supports sound in Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP,
Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, 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.
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, and Windows NT 4.0 do not have drivers for the Sound Blaster
AudioPCI adapter. To use sound in these guest operating systems, you must download the driver from the
Creative Labs Web site and install it in the guest operating systems. Creative Labs has Web sites that serve
different regions of the world. The adapter name varies, depending on the region, but usually includes PCI
128.
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.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

VMware, Inc.

Installing and Using Workstation

You can install Workstation on a Linux or Windows host system. Installing or upgrading Workstation
typically involves running a standard GUI wizard.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

Obtaining the Workstation Software and License Key, on page 15

Installing Workstation with Other VMware Products, on page 16

Reinstalling Workstation When Upgrading a Windows Host Operating System, on page 16

Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse and Visual Studio, on page 17

Installing Workstation, on page 17

Upgrading Workstation, on page 23

Uninstalling Workstation, on page 29

Start Workstation, on page 30

Using the Workstation Window, on page 31

Using the Workstation Online Help, on page 35

Obtaining the Workstation Software and License Key

If you have the packaged distribution of Workstation, the installation software is on the installation media in
the package and the license key is on the registration card. If you have the electronic distribution, the
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. You need one license for each host
system.
If you do not enter the Workstation license key during installation, you can specify the license key later, in
Workstation, 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 prompts you to enter a license key each time you attempt
to power on a virtual machine.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Once you have installed Workstation, you can find your license key in the About VMware Workstation
window. Click Help > About VMware Workstation.
n

If you have an individual license for Workstation, the key is displayed in the License Information
section under Type. It is labeled Individual and followed by your license key.

If you have a version of Workstation licensed for multiple users, the Type field displays Volume and
your license key is not displayed.

If you did not enter a license for Workstation, the Type field displays Not applicable and a license key is
not displayed.

If you have an evaluation license key for Workstation, 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 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 license key.
You can also go to the Help menu and click Enter a license key.

Installing Workstation with Other VMware Products

The only VMware products that can share a host system with Workstation are VMware vSphere Client and
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. You cannot install Workstation 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.

Reinstalling Workstation 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.
The way Workstation is installed and configured depends partly on the version of Windows used. As a best
practice, to ensure that Workstation is properly configured for a new operating system, you must remove
the Workstation application before you perform the operating system upgrade. Uninstalling Workstation
guarantees that legacy components that apply only to older versions of Windows are not left behind .
For example, if you do not uninstall Workstation before upgrading the Windows operating system, some
virtual network adapters might not function properly after the operating system upgrade. Before you
uninstall Workstation, open the virtual network editor and note the settings used. You must configure these
settings again after you reinstall Workstation.
When you uninstall Workstation, you need only uninstall the VMware Workstation application, not the
virtual machines that you have created. When the operating system upgrade is complete, reinstall
Workstation or, if you are also upgrading Workstation, install the new version of Workstation.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse and Visual

Studio
If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Visual Studio or Eclipse, you should install it on the
host system before you install Workstation.
If you must install the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Visual Studio or Eclipse after you install
Workstation, run the Workstation installer again and select Modify/Change to install the associated
Workstation plug-ins.
See the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse Developers Guide and the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Visual
Studio Developers Guide for host system requirements and supported operating systems. Both guides are
available on the VMware Web site.

Installing Workstation
You can install Workstation 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 on several Windows hosts and do not want to respond to
wizard prompts. You install Workstation on a Linux host system by running the Workstation bundle
installer.
n

Install Workstation on a Windows Host on page 17

You run the Windows setup program and installation wizard to install Workstation on a Windows
host system.

Run an Unattended Workstation Installation on a Windows Host on page 19

You can use the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install
Workstation on several Windows host systems without having to respond to wizard prompts. This
feature is convenient in a large enterprise.

Install Workstation on a Linux Host on page 21

Install Workstation on a Windows Host

You run the Windows setup program and installation wizard to install Workstation on a Windows host
system.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you install Workstation. 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 can access remotely.
Shared virtual machines are stored in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware Workstation
Server (the VMware Workstation Server service) 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 select 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 is installed by
modifying the Shared VMs Workstation preference setting. See Using VMware Workstation for more
information.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Prerequisites
n

Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements, on
page 7.

Verify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.

Verify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation with Other VMware Products, on page 16.

Obtain the Workstation software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Software and License
Key, on page 15.

If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse or Visual Studio, install it on the host
system. See Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse and Visual Studio, on page 17.

Procedure
1

Log 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.

If you are installing Workstation from a CD, insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive on the host system.
If autorun is enabled, the installation program begins.

If autorun is not enabled, or if you downloaded the installation software, double-click the setup file.
Option

Description

If you are installing the software

from a CD

The setup file is called setup.exe.

If you downloaded the software

The setup filename is similar to VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxx.exe,

where xxxx-xxxx is the version and build numbers.

Select a setup option.

Option

Description

Typical

Installs typical Workstation features. If the Integrated Virtual Debugger for

Visual Studio or Eclipse is present on the host system, the associated
Workstation plug-ins are installed.

Custom

Lets you select which Workstation features to install and specify where to
install them. Select this option if you need to change the shared virtual
machines directory, modify the VMware Workstation Server port, or
install the enhanced virtual keyboard driver. The enhanced virtual
keyboard driver provides better handling of international keyboards and
keyboards that have extra keys.

Follow the prompts to finish the installation.

Depending on your configuration, you might need to restart the host system to finish the installation.

After Workstation is installed, the VMware Workstation Server service starts on the host system. The
VMware Workstation Server service starts whenever you restart the host system.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Run an Unattended Workstation Installation on a Windows Host

Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements, on
page 7.

Verify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation with Other VMware Products, on page 16.

Obtain the Workstation software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Software and License
Key, on page 15.

Verify that the host computer has version 2.0 or higher 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. See the Microsoft Web site for more information.

Familiarize yourself with the installation properties. See Installation Properties, on page 20.

Procedure
1

Log 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.

If you are installing Workstation from a CD, insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive on the host system.

Extract the administrative installation image from the setup file.

If you are installing Workstation from a CD, the setup file is called setup.exe. If you downloaded the
installation software, the setup filename is similar to VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxx.exe where xxxxxxxx is the version and build number.
For example: setup.exe /s /e install_temp_path

Type the installation command on one line.

Some examples are:
VMware-workstation-full-x.x.x-xxxxxx.exe /s /nsr /v "EULAS_AGREED=1
INSTALLDIR=""path_to_program_directory"" ADDLOCAL=ALL DISABLE_AUTORUN=0
QUICKLAUNCH_SHORTCUT=0 SERIALNUMBER=""xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx"" "
VMware-workstation-full-x.x.x-xxxxxx.exe /s /v EULAS_AGREED=1 SERIALNUMBER="xxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx"
VMware-workstation-full-x.x.x-xxxxxx.exe /s /nsr /v EULAS_AGREED=1 REMOVE=NAT
SERIALNUMBER="xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx"

You can use the optional /nsr command to prevent the target machine from rebooting silently.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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 use the optional REMOVE property to skip the installation of certain features.

REMOVE Property Values

When you perform an unattended installation of Workstation, you can skip the installation of certain
features by specifying the REMOVE property in the installation command.
To specify a REMOVE property value in the installation command, use the format REMOVE=value. To skip
multiple features, separate each value with a comma, for example, REMOVE=value,value.
Table 21. REMOVE Property Values
Value

Skipped Feature

Authd

The VMware authorization service, which is used to perform tasks when you are not running
Workstation as an Administrator user.

Network

Networking components, including the virtual bridge and the host adapters for host-only
networking and NAT networking. Do not remove this component if you want to use NAT or
DHCP.

DHCP

The virtual DHCP server.

NAT

The virtual NAT device.

Installation Properties
When you perform an unattended installation of Workstation, you can customize the installation by
specifying installation properties in the installation command.
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 22. Installation Properties

Property

Description

Default Value

AUTOSOFTWAREUPDATE

Enables automatic upgrades for VMware Workstation or

VMware Player when a new build becomes available.

DATACOLLECTION

Sends user experience information to VMware.

DESKTOP_SHORTCUT

Adds a shortcut on the desktop when Workstation is installed.

EULAS_AGREED

Allows you to silently accept the product EULAs. Set to 1 to

complete the installation or upgrade.

HOSTD_HTTPS_PORT

Specifies the HTTPS port for VMware Workstation Server.

443

INSTALLDIR

Install Workstation in directory that is different from the

default Workstation location.

C:\Program
Files\VMware\VMwa
re Workstation

QUICKLAUNCH_SHORTCUT

Adds a quick launch shortcut when Workstation is installed.

REMOVE_ACCOUNT_INFO

Removes account information when Workstation is

uninstalled.

REMOVE_LICENSE

Removes all stored licenses when Workstation is uninstalled.

REMOVE_SETTINGFILES

Removes settings files when Workstation is uninstalled.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Table 22. Installation Properties (Continued)

Property

Description

SERIALNUMBER

Lets you enter the license key when Workstation is installed.

Enter the license key with hyphens, for example, xxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx.

SIMPLIFIEDUI

Turn on or off certain UI features of VMware Player.

SOFTWAREUPDATEURL

Specifies a custom URL for managing software updates

(separate from vmware.com).

STARTMENU_SHORTCUT

Adds a Start menu item when Workstation is installed.

SUPPORTURL

Set a support URL or email alias specifically for your users to

contact with product issues through the Workstation or Player
Help menu.

Default Value

Install Workstation on a Linux Host

You run the Linux bundle installer to install Workstation 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 in a terminal window.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you install Workstation. 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 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 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 is installed by
modifying the Shared VMs Workstation preference setting. See Using VMware Workstation for more
information.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements, on
page 7.

Verify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation with Other VMware Products, on page 16.

Obtain the Workstation software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Software and License
Key, on page 15.

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 and Visual Studio, on page 17.

Compile the real-time clock function into the Linux kernel.

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.

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, on
page 22.

Verify that you have root access on the host system.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Procedure
1

Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.

If you are installing Workstation from the installation media, mount the Workstation installation media.

Change directories to the directory that contains the Workstation installer file.

Option

Description

If you are installing the software

from a CD

The installer file is in the Linux directory.

If you downloaded the software

The installer file is in the download directory.

Run the appropriate Workstation installer for the host system.

For example: sh VMware-Workstation-xxxx-xxxx.architecture.bundle [--option]
xxxx-xxxx is the version and build numbers, architecture is i386 or x86_64, and option is a command line
option.

Accept the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool license agreement.

If you are using the --console option or installing Workstation 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.

Follow the prompts to finish the installation.

After Workstation is installed, vmware-workstation-server starts on the host system. vmware-workstationserver starts whenever you restart the host system.

Linux Command Line Installation Options

You can use command line installation options to install Workstation 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 23. Linux Command Line Installation Options
Option

Description

--console

Enables you to use the terminal for installation.

--custom

Use this option to customize the following installation settings.

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 hard limit for the number of open file descriptors.
n The location of the shared virtual machines directory.
n The HTTPS port that VMware Workstation Server uses on the host system.

--eulas-agreed

Allows you to silently accept the product EULAs.

--gtk

Opens the GUI-based VMware installer, which is the default option.

--ignore-errors or -I

Allows the installation to continue even if there is an error in one of the installer
scripts. Because the section that has an error does not complete, the component
might not be properly configured

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Table 23. Linux Command Line Installation Options (Continued)

Option

Description

--regular

Shows installation questions that have not been answered before or are required.
This is the default option.

--required

Shows the license agreement only and then proceeds to install Workstation.

--set-setting vmware-installer
installShortcuts

Adds shortcuts when Workstation is installed. The default is yes .

--set-setting vmware-installer
libdir /opt

Creates:
n

/opt/vmware (Workstation or Player)

/opt/vmware-installer
n /opt/vmware-vix
The default is /usr/lib .

--set-setting vmware-installer
prefix /usr/local

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 .

--set-setting vmware-player
serialNumber

Lets you enter the license key when Player is installed. Enter the license key with
hyphens, for example, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx.

--set-setting vmware-player-app
simplifiedUI

Turn on or off certain UI features of Player. The default is no.

--set-setting vmware-player-app
softwareUpdateEnabled

Enables automatic upgrades for VMware Player when a new build becomes
available.

--set-setting vmware-player-app
softwareUpdateURL

Specifies a custom URL for managing software updates (separate from

vmware.com).

--set-setting vmware-player-app
supportURL

Set a support URL or email alias specifically for your users to contact with
product issues through the or Player Help menu.

--set-setting vmware-workstation
serialNumber

Lets you enter the license key when Workstation is installed. Enter the license
key with hyphens, for example, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx.

Upgrading Workstation
You can upgrade from Workstation 4, 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x to the current version of Workstation by running the
Workstation installation program.
When you upgrade Workstation, the installation program removes the previous version of Workstation
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.
n

Prepare for an Upgrade on page 24

You must perform certain steps before you upgrade Workstation.

Upgrade Workstation on a Windows Host on page 25

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Upgrade Workstation on a Linux Host on page 26

Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine on page 28

Prepare for an Upgrade

You must perform certain steps before you upgrade Workstation.
Procedure
n

Verify that all virtual machines are Workstation 4, 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x virtual machines.
Direct upgrades from Workstation 2 and 3 virtual machines are not supported.

Review the system requirements for the new version of Workstation.

If a virtual machine was created with a version of Workstation earlier than Workstation 5.5 and it has a
snapshot, delete the snapshot.

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.

Power off all running virtual machines in Workstation.

If any virtual machines are suspended, resume them and power them off in Workstation.

If any virtual machines are running in the background, start them in Workstation and power them off.

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 and the previous version of Workstation.

If you are upgrading Workstation 6.x on Windows XP to the current version of Workstation 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.

If you are upgrading Workstation 5.x on Windows Vista to the current version of Workstation on
Windows Vista, select Programs > Programs and Features > Uninstall a program in the Windows
control panel to manually uninstall Workstation 5.x.

If you are upgrading Workstation 5.x on Windows XP to the current version of Workstation on
Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Add or Remove Programs in the Windows control panel to
manually uninstall Workstation 5.x.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

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.

Upgrade Workstation on a Windows Host

You can upgrade from Workstation version 4, 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x to the current version of Workstation on a
Windows host system by running the Workstation setup program and installation wizard for Windows.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you upgrade Workstation.
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 can access remotely.
Shared virtual machines are stored in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware Workstation
Server (the VMware Workstation Server service) 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 select 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 is upgraded by
modifying the Shared VMs Workstation preference setting. See Using VMware Workstation for more
information.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements, on
page 7.

Verify that you have a license key.

Verify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.

Prepare for the upgrade. See Prepare for an Upgrade, on page 24.

Procedure
1

If you are upgrading Workstation from a CD, insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive on the host system.
If autorun is enabled, the installation program begins.

If autorun is not enabled, or if you downloaded the installation software, double-click the setup file.
Option

Description

If you are installing the software

from a CD

The setup file is called setup.exe.

If you downloaded the software

The setup filename is similar to VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxx.exe,

where xxxx-xxxx is the version and build numbers.

Click Uninstall to uninstall the previous version of Workstation.

After 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.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Select a setup option.

Option

Description

Typical

Installs typical Workstation features. If the Integrated Virtual Debugger for

Visual Studio or Eclipse is present on the host system, the associated
Workstation plug-ins are installed.

Custom

Follow the prompts to finish the upgrade.

Depending on your configuration, you might need to restart the host system to finish the installation.

After Workstation 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. See
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine, on page 28.
If you used bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters in the previous
version of Workstation, 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. See Using VMware Workstation for more
information.

Upgrade Workstation on a Linux Host

You can upgrade Workstation version 4, 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x to the current version of Workstation on a Linux host
system by running the Linux bundle installer for Workstation. 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 in a terminal window.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you upgrade Workstation.
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 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 is upgraded
by modifying the Shared VMs Workstation preference setting. See Using VMware Workstation for more
information.
Prerequisites

Verify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements, on
page 7.

Verify that you have a license key.

Prepare for the upgrade. See Prepare for an Upgrade, on page 24.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Verify that you have root access to the host system.

Procedure
1

Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.

If you are upgrading Workstation from the installation media, mount the Workstation installation
media.

Change directories to the directory that contains the Workstation installer file.

Option

Description

If you are installing the software

from a CD

The installer file is in the Linux directory.

If you downloaded the software

The installer file is in the download directory.

Run the appropriate Workstation installer for the host system.

For example: sh VMware-Workstation-xxxx-xxxx.architecture.bundle [--option]
xxxx-xxxx is the version and build numbers, architecture is i386 or x86_64, and option is a command line
option.

Accept the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool license agreement.

Follow the prompts to finish the installation.

After Workstation is upgraded, vmware-workstation-server starts on the host system. vmware-workstationserver 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. See
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine, on page 28.
If you used bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters in the previous
version of Workstation, 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. See Using VMware Workstation for more
information.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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 EFI, number of virtual slots, maximum number of CPUs, maximum memory configuration,
and other hardware characteristics.
When you upgrade Workstation, you must change the hardware compatibility of virtual machines that were
created in previous versions of Workstation so that they can use the new features in the new version of
Workstation. You can run older versions of virtual machines in the new version of Workstation, 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 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, on
page 29.
Procedure
1

Make backup copies of the virtual disk (.vmdk) files.

If you are upgrading from a Workstation 4 or 5.x virtual machine, or downgrading to a Workstation 4
or 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.

Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Change Hardware Compatibility.

Follow 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, you can change the hardware compatibility of a shared or remote virtual
machine. However, you cannot down grade a previously created virtual machine.

Power 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.

If 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.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

If the virtual machine does not have the latest version of VMware Tools installed, update VMware
Tools.
You should update VMware Tools to the version included with the latest version of Workstation, even
if you upgraded the virtual machine to an earlier version of Workstation. 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. For
Workstation 4 virtual machines, Workstation changes the original virtual machine.

If you upgrade a Workstation 4 or 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.

When you upgrade a Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 virtual
machine, the Microsoft product activation feature might require you to reactivate the guest operating
system.

Using Workstation 9 or earlier, you cannot change the hardware compatibility of a shared or remote
virtual machine.

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
You uninstall Workstation on a Windows host by using the Windows setup program. On a Linux host, you
uninstall Workstation by running the bundle installer.
IMPORTANT If you uninstall Workstation and do not save the configuration, then when you reinstall
Workstation, 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 from a Windows Host

You can run the Windows setup program to uninstall Workstation from a Windows host system.
Procedure
1

Log 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.

If you have a Workstation CD, insert the CD in the CD-ROM drive on the host system.
If autorun is enabled, the installation program begins.

If autorun is not enabled, or if you downloaded the installation software, double-click the setup file.
If you have a Workstation CD, the setup file is called setup.exe. If you downloaded the installation
software, the setup filename is similar to VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxx.exe, where xxxx-xxxx is the
version and build numbers.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Click Next on the Welcome screen and then click Remove.

(Optional) To save product license and Workstation configuration information, select the appropriate
check boxes.

Click Next to begin uninstalling Workstation.

Uninstall Workstation from a Linux Host

You must run a command to uninstall Workstation from a Linux host.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have root access to the host system.
Procedure
1

Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.

In a terminal window, type vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation.

Click Next to begin uninstalling Workstation.

Start Workstation
How you start Workstation depends on the host system platform and the options that you selected during
Workstation 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 from the command line. On some Linux distributions,
including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, you can also start Workstation from the System Tools menu under
Applications.
Procedure
n

To start Workstation on a Windows host system, select Start > Programs > VMware > VMware
Workstation.

To start Workstation on a Linux host system, type the vmware command in a terminal window.
Option

Command

/usr/bin is in your default path

vmware &

/usr/bin is not in your default path

/usr/bin/vmware &

The first time you start Workstation, Workstation prompts you to accept the End User License Agreement.
After you start Workstation, the Workstation window opens.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Using the Workstation Window

A virtual machine is like a separate computer that runs in a window on the host system. Workstation
displays more than the screen of another computer. From the Workstation 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 is to use it. The Workstation window is designed to be
intuitive and easy to use.
n

Use Virtual Machines in the Workstation Window on page 31

You interact with virtual machines through the Workstation window.

Use the Virtual Machine Library on page 32

Use the Thumbnail Bar on page 32

The thumbnail bar appears along the bottom of the Workstation window.

Use the Status Bar on page 33

The status bar appears at the bottom of the Workstation window. You can use the icons on the status
bar to see Workstation messages and perform actions on devices such as hard disks, CD/DVD drives,
floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by default.

Use Workstation Tabs on page 33

Workstation creates a tab in the right pane of the Workstation window when you select an item in the
library. Tabs appear by default.

Customize the Workstation Window on page 34

You can customize the appearance of the Workstation window by selecting items from the View
menu.

Default Hot-Key Combinations on page 34

You can use keyboard shortcuts to interact with Workstation and with virtual machines. Most of the
available keyboard shortcuts for Workstation are listed next to their associated commands in
Workstation menus.

Use Virtual Machines in the Workstation Window

You interact with virtual machines through the Workstation 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 help system.

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.

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.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Select a virtual machine in the library and use the VM menu on the menu bar at the top of the
Workstation 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.

Select a virtual machine in the library and use the buttons on the toolbar at the top of the Workstation
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.

When a virtual machine is powered on, use the icons on the status bar at the bottom of the Workstation
window to see Workstation 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.

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 window. You use the library to view
and select virtual machines, folders, and remote hosts in Workstation. 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.

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 of the virtual machines that have a Windows 7 guest operating system, type

Windows 7. You can also search for folders and remote hosts.
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.

Use the library drop-down menu to show only powered on virtual machines or favorite items.
By default, the library shows all items.

To remove an item from the library, right-click it and select Remove.

Use the Thumbnail Bar

The thumbnail bar appears along the bottom of the Workstation window.
For active virtual machines, Workstation 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.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Procedure
n

Click a thumbnail to show the summary or console view for a virtual machine.

Click thumbnails to quickly switch between virtual machines.

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.

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 window. You can use the icons on the status bar to
see Workstation 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.

Click or right-click on a removable device icon to connect or disconnect the device or edit its settings.

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 Tabs

Workstation creates a tab in the right pane of the Workstation 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
preferences, download software updates, and view the help system.

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.

Use the Shared VMs tab to see information about all of the shared virtual machines on the host system.

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.

Select File > Close Tab to close a tab.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Customize the Workstation Window

You can customize the appearance of the Workstation window by selecting items from the View menu.
Procedure
1

Select View > Customize and select a Workstation window view.

Option

Description

Library

The 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. The library appears by default.

Thumbnail Bar

A 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.

Toolbar

A 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.

Status Bar

A 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
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.

Tabs

Workstation creates a tab in the right pane when you select an item in the
library. Tabs appear by default.

To specify which virtual machines appear in the thumbnail bar, select View > Customize > Thumbnail
Bar Options.
Option

Description

Open Virtual Machines

The thumbnail bar shows thumbnails for all open virtual machines.

Folder View Virtual Machines

The thumbnail bar shows thumbnails for virtual machines in the selected
folder.

Default Hot-Key Combinations

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl+G

Grab input from the keyboard and mouse.

Ctrl+Alt

Release the mouse cursor.

Ctrl+Alt+Insert

Shut 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+Delete

Shut 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 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+Enter

Enter full screen mode.

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Chapter 2 Installing and Using Workstation

Table 24. Default Hot-Key Combinations (Continued)

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl+Alt+spacebar

Send any command to the virtual machine so that Workstation 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 arrow

In full screen mode, switch to the next powered-on virtual machine.

Ctrl+Alt+left arrow

In full screen mode, switch to the previous powered-on virtual machine.

Ctrl+Shift+U

In 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.

You can change the default hot-key combinations by modifying Workstation preference settings. If you
change the hot-key settings, substitute your new hot-key combination for Ctrl+Alt. For example, if you
change the hot-key combination for common virtual machine operations to Ctrl+Shift, you press Ctrl+Shift
instead of Ctrl+Alt to release control from the current virtual machine.
See Using VMware Workstation for information on changing the default hot-key combinations.

Using the Workstation Online Help

The Workstation online help contains information about Workstation settings and common tasks. Use the
online help when you need to quickly find information about Workstation 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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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

VMware, Inc.

Creating Virtual Machines

When you want to create a virtual machine in Workstation, you typically use the New Virtual Machine
wizard. You can create a virtual machine in a minimum number of steps by selecting the typical
configuration option in the New Virtual Machine wizard.
With Workstation, you can also clone virtual machines from existing virtual machines or virtual machine
templates, import Open Virtualization Format (OVF) and third-party virtual machines, create virtual
machines that remote Workstation users can use, and create virtual machines on remote hosts. See Using
VMware Workstation for information on these advanced features.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

Understanding Virtual Machines, on page 37

Features of a Typical Virtual Machine, on page 38

Preparing to Create a Typical Virtual Machine, on page 38

Create a Typical Virtual Machine, on page 42

Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System, on page 43

Install a Guest Operating System Manually, on page 44

Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools, on page 45

Install New Software in a Virtual Machine, on page 53

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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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Features of a Typical Virtual Machine

When you select the typical configuration option in the New Virtual Machine wizard, Workstation creates a
virtual machine that has specific hardware and software features. After the virtual machine is created, you
can change many of these features by modifying virtual machine settings.
Shared virtual machines and virtual machines that you create on remote hosts do not have the same features
as virtual machines that you create on the local host system. See Using VMware Workstation for information
on creating shared and remote virtual machines.

Hardware Features
A typical virtual machine has the following hardware features.
n

The hardware compatibility of the virtual machine is the same as the default hardware compatibility
setting configured in Workstation preferences. By default, the default hardware compatibility setting is
the installed Workstation version.

One processor and one processor per core. Workstation chooses the execution mode for the
virtualization engine based on the guest operating system and the host CPU.

One IDE CD/DVD drive, which is configured to connect at power on and autodetect a physical drive on
the host system.

One floppy drive, which is configured to connect at power on and autodetect a physical drive on the
host system.

One virtual network adapter, which is configured to connect at power on and use network address
translation (NAT). With NAT networking, the virtual machine shares the IP address of the host system.

One USB controller.

One sound card, which is configured to use the default sound card on the host system.

One display, which is configured to use the display settings on the host computer.

The options that you select when you create the virtual machine determine the amount of memory that is
allocated to the virtual machine, the size of the virtual disk, and whether the virtual disk is split into
multiple virtual disk files.

Software Features
A typical virtual machine has the following software features.
n

The drag-and-drop and cut and paste features are enabled.

Shared folders and remote access by VNC clients are disabled.

The virtual machine is not encrypted.

VMware Tools must be updated manually.

Preparing to Create a Typical Virtual Machine

When you select the typical configuration option in the New Virtual Machine wizard, you must specify or
accept defaults for a few basic virtual machine settings.

How to install the guest operating system

A name for the virtual machine and a location for the virtual machine files

The size of the virtual disk and whether to split the disk into multiple virtual disk files

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Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

Whether to customize hardware settings

After you create a typical virtual machine, you can add devices and set up custom network connections.
n

Selecting a Guest Operating System on page 39

Specifying the Virtual Machine Name and File Location on page 40

The New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you for a virtual machine name and a directory for the
virtual machine files.

Specifying Disk Capacity for a Virtual Machine on page 41

Customizing Virtual Machine Hardware on page 41

You can click Customize Hardware on the last page of the New Virtual Machine wizard to customize
the virtual machine hardware.

Worksheet for Creating a Typical Virtual Machine on page 41

You can print this worksheet and write the values to specify when you create a typical virtual
machine.

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 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.

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Table 31. Easy Install Information for Windows Guests

Easy Install Prompt

Description

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 install

For Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 guest operating
systems, select the operating system edition.

Full name

The 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.

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 32. Easy Install Information for Linux Guests
Prompt

Description

Full name

The name to use to register the guest operating system, if registration is

required. Workstation uses the first name to create the host name for the virtual
machine.

User name

Your 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.

Password

The password for the User name and the root user.

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 7 (32-bit).
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.
See Using VMware Workstation for descriptions of the virtual machine files.

Virtual Machines Directory

Workstation 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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Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

Table 33. Default Virtual Machines Directory

Host Operating System

Default Location

Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2008

C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Virtual

Machines
username is the name of the currently logged in user.

Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8

C:\Users\ username \Documents\Virtual Machines

username is the name of the currently logged in user.

Linux

homedir/vmware
homedir is the home directory of the currently logged in user.

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 0.001GB and 8TB 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 950GB, a series of 2GB virtual disk files are created. When
you split a virtual disk greater than 950GB, two virtual disk files are created. The maximum size of the first
virtual disk file is 1.9TB and the second virtual disk file stores the rest of the data.
After you create a virtual machine, you can edit virtual disk settings and add additional virtual disks.

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.
See Using VMware Workstation for information on customizing virtual machine hardware.

Worksheet for Creating a Typical Virtual Machine

You can print this worksheet and write the values to specify when you create a typical virtual machine.
Table 34. Worksheet: Typical Virtual Machine
Option

Write Your Value Here

Guest operating system source

Guest operating system type for manual installation

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Table 34. Worksheet: Typical Virtual Machine (Continued)

Option

Write Your Value Here

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
Full name
n User name
n Password

Virtual machine name

Virtual machine location
Disk capacity

Create a Typical Virtual Machine

When you select the typical configuration option in the New Virtual Machine wizard, you create a virtual
machine in a minimum number of steps.
You must select a custom configuration if you need to create a virtual machine that has a hardware
compatibility setting that is different from the default hardware compatibility setting, select the I/O
controller type for the SCSI controller, select the virtual disk type, configure a physical disk, or allocate all
virtual disk space rather than let disk space gradually increase. See Using VMware Workstation for
information about creating a custom configuration.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have the information the New Virtual Machine wizard requires to create a typical
virtual machine. See Preparing to Create a Typical Virtual Machine, on page 38.

Verify that the guest operating system you plan to install is supported. See the online VMware
Compatibility Guide, which is available on the VMware Web site.

See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information about the guest operating
system that you plan to install.

If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the installer disc in the CDROM drive in the host system.

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.

Procedure
1

Start the New Virtual Machine wizard.

Option

Description

Windows host

n
n

Linux host

If the host is not connected to a remote server, select File > New
Virtual Machine.
If the host is connected to a remote server, select File > New Virtual
Machine > On this Computer.

Select File > New Virtual Machine.

Select Typical to create a typical virtual machine.

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Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

Select the source of the guest operating system.

Option

Description

Use a physical disc

Select the physical drive where you inserted the installation disc.

Use an ISO image

Type or browse to the location of the ISO image file.

Install the guest operating system

later

Create a virtual machine that has a blank disk. You must install the guest
operating system manually after the virtual machine is created.

Specify information about the guest operating system.

Option

Description

If you are using Easy Install

Type the Easy Install information for the guest operating system.

If you are not using Easy Install

Select the guest operating system and version. If the guest operating
system is not listed, select Other for both the operating system and
version.

Type a virtual machine name and type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files.

Select the virtual disk size and specify whether to split the disk into multiple files.

(Optional) Click Customize Hardware to customize the hardware configuration.

You can also modify virtual hardware settings after you create the virtual machine.

(Optional) Select Power on this virtual machine after creation to power on the virtual machine after it
is created.
This option is not available if you are installing the guest operating system manually.

Click Finish to create the virtual machine.

If you are using Easy Install, the 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 the New Virtual Machine wizard
finished, power on the virtual machine to start the guest operating system installation. See Use Easy Install
to Install a Guest Operating System, on page 43.
If you did not use Easy Install, install the guest operating system manually. See Install a Guest Operating
System Manually, on page 44.

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, username, 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.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Procedure
n

If the installer prompts you for a product key, username, or password, click in the virtual machine
window and type the required information.
Mouse and keyboard input are captured by the virtual machine.

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.

If you are using multiple ISO image files and the installer prompts you for the next disk, select the next
ISO image file.
Option

Description

Windows host

Click Change Disk and browse to the next ISO image file.

Linux host

a
b
c

Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Settings and browse to
the next ISO image file.
Select Connected.
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 Virtual
Machine 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.

See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information on the guest operating system
that you are installing.

Procedure
1

If 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.
a

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

On the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive.

Select Connect at power on.

(Remote virtual machine only) Select the location of the CD-ROM or DVD drive.

Select Use physical drive and select a the drive.

Click OK to save your changes.

If 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.
a

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

On the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive.

Select Connect at power on.

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Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

(Remote virtual machine only) Select the location of the ISO image file.

Select Use ISO image file and browse to the location of the ISO image file.

Click OK to save your changes.

If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the disc in the CD-ROM or
DVD drive.

Power on the virtual machine.

Follow the installation instructions provided by the operating system vendor.

If 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.

If the operating system consists of multiple ISO image files, select the image file for the next CD.

Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Disconnect and disconnect from the current ISO
image file.

Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Settings and select the next ISO image file.

Select Connected and click OK.

Use the standard tools in the operating system to configure its settings.

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, on page 46.

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 that you are using. Other compatibility options are also available.
n

Installing VMware Tools on page 46

VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machines guest
operating system and improves management of the virtual machine.

Upgrading VMware Tools on page 46

You can upgrade VMware Tools manually, or you can configure virtual machines to check for and
install newer versions of VMware Tools.

Manually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools on page 47

You can manually install or upgrade VMware Tools on Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and
FreeBSD virtual machines.

Start the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a Session Manager on page 52
VMware Tools in Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems uses the VMware User process
executable file. This program implements the fit-guest-to-window feature and Unity mode, among
other features.

Uninstall VMware Tools on page 53

Occasionally, an upgrade of VMware Tools is incomplete. You can usually solve the problem by
uninstalling VMware Tools and then reinstalling.

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Installing VMware Tools

VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machines guest operating
system and improves management of the virtual machine.
Although the guest operating system can run without VMware Tools, many VMware features are not
available until you install VMware Tools. For example, if you do not have VMware Tools installed in your
virtual machine, you cannot use the shutdown or restart options from the toolbar. You can use only the
power options.
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 installers for VMware Tools are ISO image files. An ISO image file looks like a CD-ROM to your guest
operating system. Each type of guest operating system, including Windows, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, and
NetWare, has an ISO image file. When you select the command to install or upgrade VMware Tools, the
virtual machines first virtual CD-ROM disk drive temporarily connects to the VMware Tools ISO file for
your guest operating system.
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.
The installation procedure varies, depending on the operating system.

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 the virtual machine displays a message when a new version is available.
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.
IMPORTANT When you upgrade VMware Tools on Linux guest operating systems, new network modules
are available but are not used until you either restart the guest operating system or stop networking, unload
and reload the VMware networking kernel modules, and restart networking. This behavior means that even
if VMware Tools is set to automatically upgrade, you must restart or reload network modules to make new
features available.
This strategy avoids network interruptions and allows you to install VMware Tools over SSH.

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Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

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.

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 for more information.
n

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine on page 47

All supported Windows guest operating systems support VMware Tools.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine on page 48

For Linux virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine on page 50

For NetWare virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Solaris Virtual Machine on page 50

For Solaris virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a FreeBSD Virtual Machine on page 51

For FreeBSD virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine

All supported Windows guest operating systems support VMware Tools.
Before you upgrade VMware Tools, consider the environment that the virtual machine runs in and weigh
the benefits of different upgrade strategies. For example, you can install the latest version of VMware Tools
to enhance the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improve virtual machine
management, or you can continue using the existing version to provide more flexibility in your
environment.
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.

Verify that the guest operating system is running.

If you connected the virtual machines 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.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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 looks like a physical CD to
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 newer than these, you must log in as an administrator.

Procedure
1

On the host, from the Workstation menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.

If 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 in 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.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

If the New Hardware wizard appears, follow the prompts and accept the defaults.

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.

When prompted, reboot the virtual machine.

What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine

For Linux virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Before you upgrade VMware Tools, consider the environment that the virtual machine runs in and weigh
the benefits of different upgrade strategies. For example, you can install the latest version of VMware Tools
to enhance the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improve virtual machine
management, or you can continue using the existing version to provide more flexibility in your
environment.
Prerequisites
n

Power on the virtual machine.

Verify that the guest operating system is running.

Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.

Procedure
1

On the host, from the Workstation menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.

In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

Run 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 as something like
this:
/dev/cdrom on /mnt/cdrom type iso9660 (ro,nosuid,nodev)

If the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image is not mounted, mount the CD-ROM drive.
a

If 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.
b

Mount 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.
5

Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.

cd /tmp

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.

List the contents of the mount point directory and note the filename of the VMware Tools tar installer.
ls mount-point

Uncompress 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.
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.
9

If 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.

cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl

Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
11

Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.

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.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine

For NetWare virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Before you upgrade VMware Tools, consider the environment that the virtual machine runs in and weigh
the benefits of different upgrade strategies. For example, you can install the latest version of VMware Tools
to enhance the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improve virtual machine
management, or you can continue using the existing version to provide more flexibility in your
environment.
Prerequisites
n

Power on the virtual machine.

Verify that the guest operating system is running.

Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.

Procedure
1

On the host, from the Workstation menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.

Load the CD-ROM driver so that the virtual CD-ROM device mounts the ISO image as a volume.
Operating System

Command

NetWare 6.5

LOAD CDDVD

NetWare 6.0 or NetWare 5.1

LOAD CD9660.NSS

NetWare 4.2 (not available in

vSphere)

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.
3

If the VMware Tools virtual disc (netware.iso) is attached to the virtual machine, right-click the CDROM icon in the status bar of the console window and select Disconnect to disconnect it.

What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Solaris Virtual Machine

For Solaris virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Before you upgrade VMware Tools, consider the environment that the virtual machine runs in and weigh
the benefits of different upgrade strategies. For example, you can install the latest version of VMware Tools
to enhance the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improve virtual machine
management, or you can continue using the existing version to provide more flexibility in your
environment.
Prerequisites

Power on the virtual machine.

Verify that the guest operating system is running.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.

Procedure
1

On the host, from the Workstation menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.

In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.

If 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

Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.

cd /tmp

Extract VMware Tools.

gunzip -c /cdrom/vmwaretools/vmware-solaris-tools.tar.gz | tar xf -

Run 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.
7

Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.

Follow the instructions at the end of the script.

What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.

Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a FreeBSD Virtual Machine

For FreeBSD virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Before you upgrade VMware Tools, consider the environment that the virtual machine runs in and weigh
the benefits of different upgrade strategies. For example, you can install the latest version of VMware Tools
to enhance the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improve virtual machine
management, or you can continue using the existing version to provide more flexibility in your
environment.
Prerequisites
n

Power on the virtual machine.

Verify that the guest operating system is running.

Because the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Procedure
1

On the host, from the Workstation menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.

In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.

If the distribution does not automatically mount CD-ROMs, mount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM
image.
For example, type mount /cdrom.

Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.

cd /tmp

Untar the VMware Tools tar file.

tar zxpf /cdrom/vmware-freebsd-tools.tar.gz

If the distribution does not use automounting, unmount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image.
umount /cdrom

Run 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.
8

Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.

Follow the instructions at the end of the script.

What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.

Start 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
executable file. This program implements the fit-guest-to-window feature and Unity mode, among other
features.
Normally, this process starts after you configure VMware Tools, log out of the desktop environment, and
log back in. The vmware-user program is located in the directory in which you selected to install binary
programs, which defaults to /usr/bin. The startup script that you need to modify depends on your system.
You must start the process manually in the following environments:

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.

If you are using an older version of GNOME without gdm or xdm.

If you are using a session manager or environment that does not support the Desktop Application
Autostart Specification, available from http://standards.freedesktop.org.

If you upgrade VMware Tools.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 3 Creating Virtual Machines

Procedure
u

Start the VMware User process.

Option

Action

Start the VMware User process

when you start an X session.

Add vmware-user to the appropriate X startup script, such as

the .xsession or .xinitrc file.

Start the process after a VMware

Tools software upgrade, or if
certain features are not working.

Open a terminal window and type the vmware-user command.

Uninstall VMware Tools

Occasionally, an upgrade of VMware Tools is incomplete. You can usually solve the problem by
uninstalling VMware Tools and then reinstalling.
Prerequisites
n

Power on the virtual machine.

Log in to the guest operating system.

Procedure
u

Select a method to uninstall VMware Tools.

Operating System

Action

Windows 7, 8

In the guest operating system, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Windows Vista and Windows Server

2008

In the guest operating system, select Programs and Features > Uninstall a
program.

Windows XP and earlier

In the guest operating system, select Add/Remove Programs.

Linux

On a Linux guest operating system that has VMware Tools installed by

using an RPM installer, enter rpm -e VMwareTools in a terminal window.

Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetWare

Log in as root and enter vmware-uninstall-tools.pl in a terminal

window.

Mac OS X Server

Use the Uninstall VMware Tools application, found

in /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools.

What to do next
Reinstall VMware Tools.

Install New Software in a Virtual Machine

Installing new software in a virtual machine is similar to installing new software on a physical computer.
Only a few additional steps are required.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system. Installing VMware Tools before
installing the software minimizes the likelihood that you will have to reactivate the software if the
virtual machine configuration changes.

Verify that the virtual machine has access to the CD-ROM drive, ISO image file, or floppy drive where
the installation software is located.

Procedure
1

VMware, Inc.

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

On the Hardware tab, select Memory, set the final memory size for the virtual machine, and click OK.
Some applications use a product activation feature that creates a key based on the virtual hardware in
the virtual machine where it is installed. Changes in the configuration of the virtual machine might
require you to reactivate the software. Setting the memory size minimizes the number of significant
changes.

Install the new software according to the manufacturers instructions.

VMware, Inc.

Using Virtual Machines

When you use a virtual machine in Workstation, you can transfer files and text between the host system and
the virtual machine, print to host printers, connect removable devices, and change display settings.
You can also use folders to organize and manage virtual machines, and take snapshots to preserve virtual
machine states.
With more advanced Workstation features, you can map virtual disks, set up shared folders to share files
between virtual machines and between virtual machines and the host system, share virtual machines with
remote users, and use virtual machines on remote hosts. See Using VMware Workstation for complete
information on these and other advanced features.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

Start a Virtual Machine, on page 55

Shut Down a Virtual Machine, on page 56

Pause and Unpause a Virtual Machine, on page 57

Suspend and Resume a Virtual Machine, on page 58

Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature, on page 59

Using the Copy and Paste Feature, on page 59

Add a Host Printer to a Virtual Machine, on page 60

Use a Removable Device in a Virtual Machine, on page 61

Changing the Virtual Machine Display, on page 62

Using Folders to Manage Virtual Machines, on page 67

Taking Snapshots of Virtual Machines, on page 69

Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation, on page 74

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, on page 67.
When you use Workstation to connect to a remote server, you can start virtual machines on a remote host.
See Using VMware Workstation for information on using remote virtual machines.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Prerequisites
If the virtual machine does not appear in the library, select File > Open and browse to the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file.
Procedure
n

To select a power option when you start the virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select VM >
Power.
Option

Description

Power On

(Hard option) Workstation starts the virtual machine.

Start Up Guest

(Soft option) Workstation 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 BIOS

Workstation starts the virtual machine in BIOS setup mode.

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 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.

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. You can exit Workstation and leave the virtual machine running in the background. See
Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation, on page 74.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines, on page 67.
Procedure
n

To select a power option when you shut down the virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select
VM > Power.
Option

Description

Power Off

(Hard option) Workstation powers off the virtual machine abruptly with
no consideration for work in progress.

Shut Down Guest

(Soft option) Workstation 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 shutdown signal
from Workstation. If the guest operating system does not respond to the
signal, shut down from the guest operating system as you would a
physical machine.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

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 performs a hard or soft power off operation. The configured behavior appears in a tooltip
when you mouse over the button.

To shut down a virtual machine that is suspended, select the virtual machine and click VM > Power >
Power Off.

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, on page 57.
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.

To pause all of the powered-on virtual machines without interacting with the Workstation 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.

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.

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.

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.

If you initiate soft power operations when a virtual machine is paused, those operations do not take
effect until the virtual machine is unpaused.

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.

You cannot pause a remote virtual machine.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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 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, on page 67.
Procedure
n

To select a suspend option when you suspend a virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select
VM > Power.
Option

Description

Suspend

(Hard option) Workstation suspends the virtual machine and leaves it

connected to the network.

Suspend Guest

(Soft option) Workstation 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.

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 performs a hard or soft suspend operation. The configured behavior appears in a tooltip
when you mouse over the button.

To select a resume option when you resume a suspended virtual machine, select the virtual machine
and select VM > Power.
Option

Description

Resume

(Hard option) Workstation resumes the virtual machine from the

suspended state.

Resume Guest

(Soft option) Workstation resumes the virtual machine from the suspended
state and reconnects it to the network.

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 performs a hard or soft resume operation. The configured behavior appears in a tooltip
when you mouse over the button.

To power off a suspended virtual machine, select the virtual machine and click VM > Power > Power
Off.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

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. Dragging email attachments is
especially useful in Unity mode.
You can drag files or directories between the following locations.
n

File managers, such as Windows Explorer, on the host system and virtual machines.

A file manager to an application that supports drag-and-drop.

Applications, such as zip file managers, which support drag-and-drop extraction of individual files.

Different virtual machines.

When you drag a file or folder between the host and a virtual machine, Workstation 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dragging email attachments is restricted to images or files smaller than 4MB.

Dragging plain text and formatted text (including the formatting) is restricted to amounts less than
4MB.

Dragging text is restricted to text in languages that can be represented by Unicode characters.

Workstation uses the PNG format to encode images that are dragged. Dragging images is restricted to
images smaller than 4MB after conversion to PNG format.

On Windows 95 and Windows 98 guests, the drag-and-drop feature is supported only for files and
directories.

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.
Copying and pasting email attachments is especially useful in Unity mode. Use the normal hot keys or
menu choices to cut or copy and paste.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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.

The copy and paste feature works with Linux and Windows hosts and Linux, Windows, and Solaris 10
guests only.

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.

Copying and pasting email attachments is restricted to images or files smaller than 4MB.

Copying and pasting plain text and formatted text (including the formatting) is restricted to amounts
less than 4MB.

Copying and pasting text is restricted to text in languages that can be represented by Unicode
characters.

Workstation uses the PNG format to encode images that are copied and pasted. Copying and pasting
images is restricted to images smaller than 4MB after conversion to PNG format.

You cannot copy and paste files between virtual machines.

On Windows 95 and Windows 98 guests, copying and pasting is restricted to plain text in amounts less
than 64KB.

Add a Host Printer to a Virtual Machine

You can print from a virtual machine to any printer available to the host computer without having to install
additional drivers in the virtual machine.
The Workstation printer feature uses ThinPrint technology to replicate the host system printer mapping in
the virtual machine. When you enable the virtual machine printer, Workstation configures a virtual serial
port to communicate with the host printers.
NOTE You cannot add a printer to a shared or remote virtual machine.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

On the Hardware tab, select Add.

In the Add Hardware wizard, select Printer and Finish.

The default device setting is to connect the virtual machine printer when the virtual machine is
powered on.

What to do next
In a Print window, when you attempt to select a printer in Windows 7 virtual machines, you might see only
the default printer, even though other printers are available. To see the other printers, right-click the default
printer and point to Printer properties.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Use a Removable Device in a Virtual Machine

You can connect and disconnect removable devices in a virtual machine. You can also change the settings
for a removable device by modifying virtual machine settings.
Prerequisites
n

Power on the virtual machine.

If you are connecting or disconnecting a USB device, familiarize yourself with the way Workstation
handles USB devices. See Connecting USB Devices to Virtual Machines, on page 61.

If you are connecting or disconnecting a USB device on a Linux host and the USB device file system is
not located in /proc/bus/usb, mount the USB file system to that location. See Mount the USB File
System on a Linux Host, on page 62.

Procedure
n

To connect a removable device, select the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices, select the
device, and select Connect.
If the device is connected to the host system through a USB hub, the virtual machine sees only the USB
device, not the hub.
A check mark appears next to the name of the device when the device is connected to the virtual
machine and a device icon appears on the virtual machine taskbar.

To change the settings for a removable device, select VM > Removable Devices, select the device, and
select Settings.

To disconnect a removable device, select the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices, select
the device, and select Disconnect.
You can also disconnect the device by clicking or right-clicking the device icon on the virtual machine
taskbar. Using the taskbar icon is especially useful if you run the virtual machine in full screen mode.

Connecting USB Devices to Virtual Machines

When a virtual machine is running, its window is the active window. If you plug a USB device into the host
system, the device connects to the virtual machine instead of the host by default. If a USB device connected
to the host system does not connect to a virtual machine at power on, you must manually connect the device
to the virtual machine.
When you connect a USB device to a virtual machine, Workstation retains the connection to the affected port
on the host system. You can suspend or power off the virtual machine, or unplug the device. When you
plug in the device again or resume the virtual machine, Workstation reconnects the device. Workstation
retains the connection by writing an autoconnect entry to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
If Workstation cannot reconnect to the device, for example, because you disconnected the device, the device
is removed and Workstation displays a message to indicate that it cannot connect to the device. You can
connect to the device manually if it is still available.
Follow the device manufacturer's procedures for unplugging the device from the host computer when you
physically unplug the device, move the device from host system to a virtual machine, move the device
between virtual machines, or move the device from a virtual machine to the host computer. Following these
procedures is especially important for data storage devices, such as zip drives. If you move a data storage
device too soon after saving a file and the operating system did not actually write the data to the disk, you
can lose data.

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Mount the USB File System on a Linux Host

On Linux hosts, Workstation uses the USB device file system to connect to USB devices. If the USB device
file system is not located in /proc/bus/usb, you must mount the USB file system to that location.
IMPORTANT Do not attempt to add a USB drive device node directory, for example, /dev/sda, to the virtual
machine as a hard disk.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have root access to the host system.
Procedure
1

As root, mount the USB file system.

mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb

Connect the USB device to the host system.

Changing the Virtual Machine Display

You can change the way Workstation displays virtual machines and virtual machine applications. You can
use full screen mode to make the virtual machine display fill the screen and use multiple monitors, and you
can use Unity mode to display applications directly on the host system desktop.
n

Use Full Screen Mode on page 62

In full screen mode, the virtual machine display fills the screen and you cannot see the borders of the
Workstation window.

Use Exclusive Mode on page 63

Like full screen mode, exclusive mode causes the Workstation virtual machine display to fill the
screen. You might want to use exclusive mode to run graphics-intensive applications, such as games,
in full screen mode.

Use Unity Mode on page 64

You can switch virtual machines that have Linux or Windows 2000 or later guest operating systems to
Unity mode to display applications directly on the host system desktop.

Use Multiple Monitors for One Virtual Machine on page 65

If the host system has multiple monitors, you can configure a virtual machine to use multiple
monitors. You can use the multiple-monitor feature when the virtual machine is in full screen mode.

Use Multiple Monitors for Multiple Virtual Machines on page 66

If the host system has multiple monitors, you can run a different virtual machine on each monitor.

Use Full Screen Mode

In full screen mode, the virtual machine display fills the screen and you cannot see the borders of the
Workstation window.
You can configure the guest operating system to report battery information. This feature is useful when you
run a virtual machine in full screen mode on a laptop. See Report Battery Information in the Guest, on
page 63.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Verify that the guest operating system display mode is larger than the host system display mode. If the
guest operating system display mode is smaller than the host system display mode, you might not be
able to enter full screen mode. If you cannot enter full screen mode, add the line
mks.maxRefreshRate=1000 to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.

Power on the virtual machine.

If you have multiple monitors, move the Workstation window onto the monitor to use for full screen
mode.

Procedure
n

To enter full screen mode, select the virtual machine and select View > Full Screen.

Press Ctrl+Alt+right arrow to switch to the next powered-on virtual machine and Ctrl+Alt+left arrow to
switch to the previous powered-on virtual machine.

When in full screen mode, you can also use the tabs on the full screen toolbar to switch between
powered-on virtual machines.

To hide the full screen toolbar while you are using full screen mode, click the push pin icon on the full
screen toolbar and move the mouse pointer off of the toolbar.
The toolbar is unpinned and slides up to the top of the monitor and disappears.

To show the full screen toolbar after it has been hidden, point to the top of the screen until the toolbar
appears and click the push pin icon.

To exit full screen mode, on the full screen toolbar select View > Full Screen, and deselect Full Screen.

Report Battery Information in the Guest

If you run a virtual machine on a laptop in full screen mode, configure the option to report battery
information in the guest so that you can determine when the battery is running low.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

On the Options tab, select Power.

Select Report battery information to guest.

Click OK to save your changes.

Use Exclusive Mode

Like full screen mode, exclusive mode causes the Workstation virtual machine display to fill the screen. You
might want to use exclusive mode to run graphics-intensive applications, such as games, in full screen
mode.
Exclusive mode has certain advantages and limitations.
n

The full screen toolbar is not engaged when you move the mouse to the top of the screen. To configure
virtual machine settings, you must exit exclusive mode.

When input is grabbed by the virtual machine, only the ungrab shortcut is respected. You can change
the ungrab shortcut to reduce the chance of unintentionally pressing it.

On a Windows host, exclusive mode does not use multiple monitors.

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Prerequisites
n

Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.

Power on the virtual machine.

If you have multiple monitors, move the Workstation window onto the monitor to use for exclusive
mode.

Enter full screen mode. See Use Full Screen Mode, on page 62.

Procedure
1

Enter full screen mode.

Select View > Exclusive Mode from the full screen toolbar.

What to do next
To exit exclusive mode, press Ctrl+Alt.
On a Windows or Linux host, pressing Ctrl+Alt returns you to full screen mode.

Use Unity Mode

You can switch virtual machines that have Linux or Windows 2000 or later guest operating systems to Unity
mode to display applications directly on the host system desktop.
In Unity mode, virtual machine applications appear on the host system desktop, you can use the virtual
machine Start or Applications menu from the host system, and the virtual machine console view is hidden.
Items for open virtual machine applications appear on the host system taskbar in the same way as open host
applications.
On host system and virtual machine applications that are displayed in Unity mode, you can use keyboard
shortcuts to copy, cut, and paste images, plain text, formatted text, and email attachments between
applications. You can also drag and drop and copy and paste files between the host system and the guest
operating system.
If you save a file or attempt to open a file from an application in Unity mode, the file system you see is the
file system inside the virtual machine. You cannot open a file from the host operating system or save a file to
the host operating system.
For some guest operating systems, application windows in Unity mode can appear only on the monitor that
is set as the primary display when you have multiple monitors. If the host and guest operating systems are
Windows XP or later, the application windows can appear on additional monitors.
Unity mode is not available in full screen mode on Windows.
NOTE You cannot use Unity mode with a remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites

Verify that the virtual machine is a Workstation 6.x or later virtual machine.

Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.

Verify that the guest operating system is Linux or Windows 2000 or later.

For Linux guests and hosts, verify that a modern version of Metacity or KDE is installed. Performance
on Linux depends on a combination of variables such as the system, the applications that are running,
and the amount of RAM.

Power on the virtual machine.

If you are entering Unity mode, open applications in the virtual machine to use in Unity mode.

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Procedure
n

To enter Unity mode, select the virtual machine and select View > Unity.
The console view in the Workstation window is hidden, and open applications appear in application
windows on the host system desktop. A check mark appears next to Unity in the View menu.

To display the virtual machine Start menu on a Windows host system, point to the Start menu on a
Windows host system.

To display the virtual machine Applications menu on a Linux host system, point to the upper-left
corner of the primary monitor on the Linux host system.

To navigate between multiple Start or Applications menus when multiple virtual machines are in
Unity mode, press the arrow keys, Tab, or Shift+Tab to cycle through the virtual machine menus and
press Enter and the spacebar to select a virtual machine.

To exit Unity mode, select View > Unity and deselect Unity.

Use Multiple Monitors for One Virtual Machine

If the host system has multiple monitors, you can configure a virtual machine to use multiple monitors. You
can use the multiple-monitor feature when the virtual machine is in full screen mode.
NOTE You do not need to use the Windows display properties settings in a Windows guest operating
system to configure multiple monitors.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the virtual machine is a Workstation 6.x or later virtual machine.

Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.

Verify that the guest operating system is Windows XP or higher, or Linux.

Power off the virtual machine.

Procedure
1

Select Edit > Preferences.

Select Display, select Autofit guest, and click OK.

This setting causes the virtual machine display settings to match the application window when the
application window is resized.

If the virtual machine is set to be restored from a snapshot and background snapshots are enabled,
select Edit > Preferences > Priority. Deselect Take snapshots in the background when possible and
Restore snapshots in the background when possibleand click OK.
Displaying the virtual machine on two monitors might not work correctly if these setting are enabled.

Power on the virtual machine and select View > Full Screen.

On the full screen toolbar, click the Choose a Monitor Layout button.
If the host system has more than two monitors, the Choose a Monitor Layout button provides a dropdown menu of monitor layouts. The monitors that are part of each layout are marked with a
Workstation icon.

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The Choose a Monitor Layout button is available when the guest is Linux, or Windows Vista or later.
For other guests, or if the host has two monitors, use the Cycle Multiple Monitors button to change the
monitor layout.
On a Windows host, you can mouse over a button on the toolbar to see its name.
The guest operating system desktop extends to the additional monitor or monitors.
6

(Optional) If the virtual machine display does not resize correctly, select View > Autosize > Autofit
Guest.

Limitations for Mutiple Monitors

The use of more than two monitors with a virtual machine has certain limitations.
n

If you attempt to use more than two monitors with a virtual machine, your virtual machine must
support more than two monitors for this feature to function.

More than two monitors is supported on Windows and Linux host and guest operating systems.

Windows XP guests support more than three monitors. However, only three monitors can be in use by
a Windows XP guest at one time. If more than three monitors are connected to a Windows XP guest,
use the Cycle multiple monitors button to cycle through the monitors to the configuration you want to
use.

Use Multiple Monitors for Multiple Virtual Machines

If the host system has multiple monitors, you can run a different virtual machine on each monitor.
Prerequisites
Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
Procedure
1

Open a second Workstation window.

Option

Description

Open a new Workstation window

from Workstation

Select File > New Window. On Linux hosts, the windows operate in a
single Workstation process.

(Linux hosts only) Run a separate

Workstation process in a different X
server

Use the vmware command with the -W flag, for example, vmware -W &.

Start one or more virtual machines in each Workstation window.

Drag each Workstation window to the monitor on which you want to use it.
If a virtual machine is running in one Workstation window and you want to run that virtual machine in
another Workstation window, you must close the virtual machine in the first window before you
attempt to open it in the other window.

To switch mouse and keyboard input from the virtual machine on the first monitor to the virtual
machine on the second monitor, move the mouse pointer from one screen to the other screen and click
inside the second monitor.

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Using Folders to Manage Virtual Machines

You can use folders to organize and manage multiple virtual machines in the library. When virtual
machines are in a folder, you can manage them on the folder tab and perform batch power operations.
n

Add a Virtual Machine to a Folder on page 67

When you add a virtual machine to a folder, it remains an independent entity, but you can also
perform batch power operations. For example you can power on, suspend, and resume each virtual
machine in a folder separately, or you can power on, suspend, and resume all of the virtual machines
in a folder at the same time.

Remove a Virtual Machine from a Folder on page 68

You can remove a virtual machine from a folder or move it to a different folder or subfolder.

Manage Virtual Machines in a Folder on page 68

Change the Power On Delay on page 69

By default, when you power on several virtual machines in a folder, Workstation delays 10 seconds
before powering on the next virtual machine. The power on delay avoids overloading the CPU on the
host system when you power on multiple virtual machines. You can change the default power on
delay setting by modifying a Workstation preference.

Convert a Team on page 69

If you created a team in an earlier version of Workstation, you must convert the team before you can
use the virtual machines in the current version of Workstation.

Add a Virtual Machine to a Folder

When you add a virtual machine to a folder, it remains an independent entity, but you can also perform
batch power operations. For example you can power on, suspend, and resume each virtual machine in a
folder separately, or you can power on, suspend, and resume all of the virtual machines in a folder at the
same time.
Procedure
1

If the folder does not already exist, create it.

Option

Description

Create a folder at the top level of

the library

Right-click My Computer, select New Folder, and type a name for the
folder. The folder appears under My Computer in the library.

Create a subfolder

Right-click the folder, select New Folder, and type a name for the folder.
The new folder appears under the folder in the library.

You can create an unlimited number of folders or subfolders.

To add a virtual machine to a folder, select the virtual machine in the library and drag it to the folder.
The virtual machine appears under the folder in the library. You can add an unlimited number of
virtual machines to a folder.

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Remove a Virtual Machine from a Folder

You can remove a virtual machine from a folder or move it to a different folder or subfolder.
Procedure
n

To remove a virtual machine from a folder, select the virtual machine in the library and drag it to My
Computer.
The virtual machine appears under My Computer in the library.

To move a virtual machine to a different folder or subfolder, select the virtual machine in the library
and drag it to the folder or subfolder.
The virtual machine appears under the folder or subfolder in the library.

Manage Virtual Machines in a Folder

When virtual machines are in a folder, you can manage them as a unit. For example, you can select multiple
virtual machines on the folder tab and perform power operations on several virtual machines at the same
time.
When you power on several virtual machines at the same time, Workstation delays 10 seconds before
powering on the next virtual machine by default. Workstation performs power operations on virtual
machines in the order in which they appear on the folder tab.
You can change the default power on delay setting by modifying a Workstation preference. See Change the
Power On Delay, on page 69.
Procedure
n

To perform a power operation on several virtual machines at the same time, use Ctrl-Click to select the
virtual machines on the folder tab and select the power operation from the toolbar or from the VM
menu.
All of the virtual machines that you select must be in the same power state.

To perform a power operation on all of the virtual machines at the same time, select the folder in the
library and select the power operation from the toolbar or from the VM menu.
All of the virtual machines in the folder must be in the same power state.

To display thumbnails for virtual machines on the folder tab, select a thumbnail size from the dropdown menu on the folder tab.
When a virtual machine is powered on, Workstation updates the thumbnail in real time to show the
actual content of the virtual machine. When a virtual machine is suspended, the thumbnail shows a
screenshot of the virtual machine at the time that it was suspended.

To display virtual machine names on the folder tab, select Details from the drop-down menu on the
folder tab.

To open the tab for a virtual machine, double-click the virtual machine on the folder tab.

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Change the Power On Delay

By default, when you power on several virtual machines in a folder, Workstation delays 10 seconds before
powering on the next virtual machine. The power on delay avoids overloading the CPU on the host system
when you power on multiple virtual machines. You can change the default power on delay setting by
modifying a Workstation preference.
Procedure
1

Select Edit > Preferences and select Workspace.

Select the number of seconds for the delay from the Seconds between powering on multiple VMs
drop-down menu.

Click OK to save your changes.

Convert a Team
If you created a team in an earlier version of Workstation, you must convert the team before you can use the
virtual machines in the current version of Workstation.
Procedure
1

Open the team in Workstation or browse to the location of the virtual machine team configuration
(.vmtm) file and drag it to the library.
A dialog box appears that prompts you to convert the team.

Click Convert Team to convert the team.

After the team is converted, the .vmtm file is deleted and the virtual machines are added to a new folder in
the library.
After you convert a team, the virtual machines keep their packet loss and bandwidth settings. LAN segment
information appears in the network adapter settings for each virtual machine, where you can modify it.

Taking Snapshots of Virtual Machines

Taking a snapshot of a virtual machine saves its current state and enables you to return to the same state
repeatedly. When you take a snapshot, Workstation captures the entire state of the virtual machine. You can
use the snapshot manager to review and act on the snapshots for an active virtual machine.
n

Using Snapshots to Preserve Virtual Machine States on page 70

Using the Snapshot Manager on page 71

You can review all snapshots for a virtual machine and act on them directly in the snapshot manager.

Take a Snapshot of a Virtual Machine on page 71

Revert to a Snapshot on page 72

You can restore a virtual machine to a previous state by reverting to a snapshot.

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Take or Revert to a Snapshot at Power Off on page 72

You can configure a virtual machine to revert to a snapshot or take a new snapshot when you power
off the virtual machine. This feature is useful if you need to discard changes when a virtual machine is
powered off.

Enable AutoProtect Snapshots on page 73

Delete a Snapshot on page 74

When you delete a snapshot, you delete the state of the virtual machine that you preserved and you
can never return to that state again. Deleting a snapshot does not affect the current state of the virtual
machine.

Using Snapshots to Preserve Virtual Machine States

A snapshot includes the contents of the virtual machine memory, virtual machine settings, and the state of
all the virtual disks. When you revert to a snapshot, you return the memory, settings, and virtual disks of
the virtual machine to the state they were in when you took the snapshot.
You might want to take snapshots in a linear process if you plan to make changes in a virtual machine. For
example, you can take a snapshot, continue to use the virtual machine from that point, take another
snapshot at a later point, and so on. You can revert to the snapshot of a previous known working state of the
project if the changes do not work as expected.
For local virtual machines, you can take more than 100 snapshots for each linear process. For shared and
remote virtual machines, you can take a maximum of 31 snapshots for each linear process.
If you are testing software, you might want to save multiple snapshots as branches from a single baseline in
a process tree. For example, you can take a snapshot before installing different versions of an application to
make sure that each installation begins from an identical baseline.
Figure 41. Snapshots as Restoration Points in a Process Tree

Windows
operating
system

baseline

IE base

Firefox base

SP1

IE base1

You Are
Here

Firefox base1

SP2

IE base2

Firefox base2

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Multiple snapshots have a parent-child relationship. The parent snapshot of a virtual machine is the
snapshot on which the current state is based. After you take a snapshot, that stored state is the parent
snapshot of the virtual machine. If you revert to an earlier snapshot, the earlier snapshot becomes the parent
snapshot of the virtual machine.
In a linear process, each snapshot has one parent and one child, except for the last snapshot, which has no
children. In a process tree, each snapshot has one parent, one snapshot can have more than one child, and
many snapshots have no children.

Using the Snapshot Manager

You can review all snapshots for a virtual machine and act on them directly in the snapshot manager.
You must use the snapshot manager to perform the following tasks.
n

Show AutoProtect snapshots in the Snapshot menu.

Prevent an AutoProtect snapshot from being deleted.

Rename a snapshot or change its description.

Delete a snapshot.

All other snapshot actions are available as menu items in the Snapshot menu under the VM menu.
When you open the snapshot manager for a virtual machine, the snapshot tree appears. The snapshot tree
shows all of the snapshots for the virtual machine and the relationships between the snapshots.
The You Are Here icon in the snapshot tree shows the current state of the virtual machine. The other icons
that appear in the snapshot tree represent AutoProtect snapshots, snapshots of powered-on virtual
machines, snapshots of powered-off virtual machines, and snapshots that are used to create linked clones.
The snapshot manager is available as a menu item in the Snapshot menu under the VM menu.

Take a Snapshot of a Virtual Machine

When you take a snapshot, you preserve the state of a virtual machine at a specific moment in time and the
virtual machine continues to run. Taking a snapshot enables you to return to the same state repeatedly. You
can take a snapshot while a virtual machine is powered on, powered off, or suspended.
Avoid taking snapshots when applications in the virtual machine are communicating with other computers,
especially in production environments. For example, if you take a snapshot while the virtual machine is
downloading a file from a server on the network, the virtual machine continues downloading the file after
you take the snapshot. If you revert to the snapshot, communications between the virtual machine and the
server are confused and the file transfer fails.
NOTE Workstation 4 virtual machines do not support multiple snapshots. You must upgrade the virtual
machine to Workstation 7.x or later to take multiple snapshots.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the virtual is not configured to use a physical disk. You cannot take a snapshot of a virtual
machine that uses a physical disk.

To have the virtual machine revert to suspend, power on, or power off when you start it, be sure it is in
that state before you take the snapshot. When you revert to a snapshot, you return the memory,
settings, and virtual disks of the virtual machine to the state they were in when you took the snapshot.

Complete any suspend operations.

Verify that the virtual machine is not communicating with another computer.

For better performance, defragment the guest operating system drives.

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If the virtual machine has multiple disks in different disk modes, power off the virtual machine. For
example, if a configuration requires you to use an independent disk, you must power off the virtual
machine before you take a snapshot.

If the virtual machine was created with Workstation 4, delete any existing snapshots or upgrade the
virtual machine to Workstation 5.x or later.

Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Snapshot > Take Snapshot.

Type a unique name for the snapshot.

(Optional) Type a description for the snapshot.

The description is useful for recording notes about the virtual machine state captured in the snapshot.

Click OK to take the snapshot.

Revert to a Snapshot
You can restore a virtual machine to a previous state by reverting to a snapshot.
If you take a snapshot of a virtual machine and add any kind of disk, reverting to the snapshot removes the
disk from the virtual machine. If associated disk (.vmdk) files are not used by another snapshot, the disk files
are deleted.
IMPORTANT If you add an independent disk to a virtual machine and take a snapshot, reverting to the
snapshot does not affect the state of the independent disk.
Procedure
n

To revert to the parent snapshot, select the virtual machine and select VM > Snapshot > Revert to
Snapshot.

To revert to any snapshot, select the virtual machine, select VM > Snapshot, select the snapshot, and
click Go To.

Take or Revert to a Snapshot at Power Off

You can configure a virtual machine to revert to a snapshot or take a new snapshot when you power off the
virtual machine. This feature is useful if you need to discard changes when a virtual machine is powered off.
Procedure

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

On the Options tab, select Snapshots.

Select a power off option.

Option

Description

Just power off

Powers off the virtual machine without making any changes to snapshots.

Revert to snapshot

Reverts to the parent snapshot of the current state of the virtual machine.

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Option

Description

Take a new snapshot

Takes a snapshot of the virtual machine state after it is powered off. The
snapshot appears in the Snapshot Manager. The name of the snapshot is
the date and time that the virtual machine was powered off and the
description is Automatic snapshot created when powering off.
NOTE You cannot configure this option for a shared or remote virtual
machine.

Ask me

Prompts you to power off, revert, or take a snapshot when the virtual
machine is powered off.

Click OK to save your changes.

Enable AutoProtect Snapshots

The AutoProtect feature preserves the state of a virtual machine by taking snapshots at regular intervals that
you specify. This process is in addition to manual snapshots, which you can take at any time.
When AutoProtect snapshots are enabled for a virtual machine, Workstation shows an estimate of the
minimum amount of disk space taken by AutoProtect snapshots on the Virtual Machine Settings window.
This minimum is affected by the memory settings for the virtual machine. The more virtual machine
memory a virtual machine has, the more disk space is available for AutoProtect snapshots.
The AutoProtect feature has certain restrictions.
n

Because AutoProtect takes snapshots only while a virtual machine is powered on, AutoProtect
snapshots cannot be cloned. You can clone a virtual machine only if it is powered off.

AutoProtect snapshots are not taken in VMware Player, even if AutoProtect is enabled for the virtual
machine in Workstation.

You cannot configure the AutoProtect feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.

Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.

On the Options tab, select AutoProtect and select Enable AutoProtect.

Select the interval between snapshots.

Option

Description

Half-Hourly

Snapshots are taken every half hour.

Hourly

Snapshots are taken every hour.

Daily

Snapshots are taken daily.

The interval is measured only when the virtual machine is powered on. For example, if you set
AutoProtect to take snapshots hourly and then power off the virtual machine five minutes later, the
next AutoProtect snapshot takes place 55 minutes after you power on the virtual machine again,
regardless of the length of time the virtual machine was powered off.
Workstation saves only one snapshot per tier, even if a snapshot matches more than one tier.
4

Select the maximum number of AutoProtect snapshots to retain.

After the maximum number of AutoProtect snapshots is reached, Workstation deletes the oldest
AutoProtect snapshot each time a new AutoProtect snapshot is taken. This setting does not affect the
number of manual snapshots that you can take and keep.

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Select OK to save your changes.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

Delete a Snapshot
When you delete a snapshot, you delete the state of the virtual machine that you preserved and you can
never return to that state again. Deleting a snapshot does not affect the current state of the virtual machine.
If a snapshot is used to create a clone, the snapshot becomes locked. If you delete a locked snapshot, the
clones created from the snapshot no longer operate.
You cannot delete a snapshot if the associated virtual machine is designated as a template for cloning.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine and select VM > Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.

If you are deleting an AutoProtect snapshot, select Show AutoProtect snapshots.

Select the snapshot.

Select an option to delete the snapshot.

Option

Action

Delete a single snapshot

Click Delete.

Delete the snapshot and all of its

children

Right-click and select Delete Snapshot and Children.

Delete all snapshots

Right-click, select Select All, and click Delete.

Click Close to close the snapshot manager.

Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation

You can close a virtual machine that is running on the local host system without powering it off. By default,
Workstation prompts you to select an action when you close a powered-on virtual machine and when you
exit Workstation 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.
Table 41. Close and Exit Actions
Action

Description

Run in Background

Continue 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.

Suspend

Suspend the virtual machine and save its current state.

Power Off

Power off the virtual machine. By default, Workstation powers off the
virtual machine abruptly. The effect is the same as using the power
button on a physical machine.

You can configure Workstation 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.

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Chapter 4 Using Virtual Machines

Configure Virtual Machines to Always Run in the Background

You can configure Workstation 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
1

Select Edit > Preferences.

Select Workspace and select Keep VMs running after Workstation closes.

Click OK to save your changes.

Start a Virtual Machine That Is Running in the Background

You can start a virtual machine that is running in the background when Workstation is not started.
Prerequisites
Set the virtual machine to run in the background. See Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation,
on page 74.
Procedure
1

On 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.

Select a virtual machine from the list in the tooltip.

Workstation starts and displays the console view of the virtual machine.

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Getting Started with VMware Workstation

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Index

A
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture 9
audience information 5
AutoProtect snapshots, enabling 73

B
background settings, configuring 75
batch power operations 68
battery information 63
BIOS, virtual machine support 10

C
chip sets, virtual machine support 10
closing virtual machines 74
command line options, installing Workstation on
Linux 22
converting teams 69
copy and paste feature
restrictions 60
using 59
CPUs, host requirements 7
Creative Labs Sound Blaster 13

D
disk drives
host requirements 9
virtual machine support 11
displays
changing 62
host requirements 8
drag-and-drop feature
restrictions 59
using 59
drawing tablets, virtual machine support 12

E
Easy Install, responding to prompts 39, 43
Eclipse, installing 17
Ethernet cards, virtual machine support 12
exclusive mode 63

F
floppy drives, virtual machine support 11
folders
creating 67
managing virtual machines 67
removing virtual machines 68

VMware, Inc.

FreeBSD guest operating system, VMware Tools

installation or upgrade (tar installer) 51
full screen mode 62

G
graphics, virtual machine support 11
guest operating systems
installing manually 44
selecting 39
supported 10

H
hardware, customizing 41
hardware compatibility, changing 29
HD Audio 13
help system, host requirements 10
hot keys, default combinations 34

I
IDE drives
host requirements 9
virtual machine support 11
installation properties 20
installation restrictions 16
installing VMware Tools
FreeBSD (tar installer) 51
Linux (tar installer) 48
Microsoft Windows 47
NetWare (tar installer) 50
process overview 46
Solaris (tar installer) 50
installing Workstation
Linux host 21
unattended installation on Windows host 19
Windows host 17
Intel High-Definition Audio 13

K
keyboards, virtual machine support 11

L
license key, obtaining 15
Linux guest, VMware Tools installation or
upgrade (tar installer) 48
local area networking, host requirements 9

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

M
memory
host requirements 8
virtual machine allocation 11
Microsoft Windows guest operating system,
VMware Tools installation or
upgrade 47
monitors, using multiple 65, 66
mouse types, virtual machine support 12

N
NetWare guest operating system, VMware Tools
installation or upgrade (tar installer) 50
New Virtual Machine wizard 42

O
online help, using 35
operating systems
host supported 8
OS upgrades on Windows hosts 16
optical drives supported in host 9

P
parallel ports, virtual machine support 12
pause feature restrictions 57
pausing virtual machines 57
power on delay 69
powering off virtual machines 56
printers, using host printers in a virtual
machine 60
processors
host requirements 7
supported in virtual machines 10

R
RAM, host requirements 8
removable devices 61
REMOVE property values 20
repairing VMware Tools installations 52
resuming virtual machines 58

S
SATA drives 9
SCSI devices, virtual machine support 11
SCSI drives, host requirements 9
serial ports, virtual machine support 12
silent installation, Windows host 19
snapshot manager, using 71
snapshots
deleting 74
enabling AutoProtect 73
power-off options 72
reverting 72
taking 69, 71
using 70

Solaris guest operating system, VMware Tools

installation or upgrade (tar installer) 50
solid-state drives 9
sound, virtual machine support 13
SSD 9
starting background virtual machines 75
starting virtual machines 55
starting Workstation 30
status bar 33
suspending virtual machines 58
system requirements, host system 7

T
tar installer 48
teams 69
thumbnail bar 32
thumbnails
managing virtual machines 67
using 68
Trial version 16

U
unattended installation
installation properties 20
REMOVE property values 20
uninstalling VMware Tools 53
uninstalling Workstation
Linux host 30
process 29
Windows host 29
Unity mode features 64
upgrading VMware Tools
FreeBSD (tar installer) 51
Linux (tar installer) 48
Microsoft Windows 47
NetWare (tar installer) 50
process overview 46
Solaris (tar installer) 50
upgrading Workstation
Linux host 26
preparation tasks 23, 24
Windows host 16, 25
USB devices
connecting 61
mounting on a Linux host 62
USB ports, virtual machine support 12

V
virtual disks
allocating disk space 41
SSD 9
using in a new virtual machine 38
virtual disk, optimize behavior 9

VMware, Inc.

Index

virtual machine files, specifying in the New

Virtual Machine wizard 40
virtual machine library 32
virtual machines
changing hardware compatibility 28
creating 37
installing software 53
specifications 10
typical features 38
understanding 37
using 55
virtual machines directory 40
virtual networking, virtual machine support 12
Visual Studio, installing 17
VMware Tools
installing 47
using 45
VMware Tools installation
FreeBSD (tar installer) 51
Linux (tar installer) 48
Microsoft Windows 47
NetWare (tar installer) 50
process 46
Solaris (tar installer) 50
VMware Tools upgrade
FreeBSD (tar installer) 51
Linux (tar installer) 48
Microsoft Windows 47
NetWare (tar installer) 50
process 46
Solaris (tar installer) 50
vmware-user, starting manually 52

W
Windows operating system upgrades 16
worksheet, typical virtual machine 41
Workstation tabs 33
Workstation window
customizing the view 34
performing virtual machine operations 31
using 31

VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with VMware Workstation

VMware, Inc.

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