Using VMware Workstation Pro 15.0 15 User Guide

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Using VMware
Workstation Pro
24 SEP 2018
VMware Workstation Pro 15.0
Using VMware Workstation Pro
VMware, Inc. 2
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Contents
Using VMware Workstation Pro 7
1Introduction and System Requirements 8
Host System Requirements for Workstation Pro 8
Virtual Machine Features and Specifications 11
2Installing and Using Workstation Pro 16
Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software and License Key 16
Installing Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products 17
Reinstalling Workstation Pro When Upgrading a Windows Host Operating System 17
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse 18
Installing Workstation Pro 18
Upgrading Workstation Pro 24
Uninstalling Workstation Pro 30
Start Workstation Pro 31
Using the Workstation Pro Window 31
Using the Workstation Pro Online Help 37
3Creating Virtual Machines 38
Understanding Virtual Machines 38
Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine 39
Create a New Virtual Machine on the Local Host 50
Cloning Virtual Machines 56
Virtualize a Physical Machine 59
Importing Virtual Machines 61
Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools 62
Virtual Machine Files 75
4Using Virtual Machines 77
Scan for Virtual Machines to Add to the Virtual Machine Library 77
Starting Virtual Machines 79
Stopping Virtual Machines 83
Transferring Files and Text 88
Enabling a Virtual Machine to Print to Host Printers 99
Using Removable Devices in Virtual Machines 102
Changing the Virtual Machine Display 112
Using Folders to Manage Virtual Machines 119
Taking Snapshots of Virtual Machines 122
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Install New Software in a Virtual Machine 130
Take a Screenshot of a Virtual Machine 131
Delete a Virtual Machine 132
5Configuring and Managing Virtual Machines 133
Configure Power Options and Power Control Settings 133
Configure SSH Login on a Linux Virtual Machine 135
Set Workstation Pro Display Preferences 137
Configure Display Settings for a Virtual Machine 138
Set Preferences for Unity Mode 141
Setting Screen Color Depth 142
Using Advanced Linux Sound Architecture 143
Encrypting and Restricting Virtual Machines 145
Moving Virtual Machines 150
Configure a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server 155
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine 159
Clean Up a Virtual Hard Disk on Windows Hosts 160
Export a Virtual Machine to OVF Format 161
Writing and Debugging Applications That Run In Virtual Machines 162
6VMware Workstation Server Log Files 165
7Configuring and Managing Devices 166
Configuring DVD, CD-ROM, and Floppy Drives 166
Configuring a USB Controller 168
Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks 171
Adding a Physical Disk to a Virtual Machine 179
Configuring Virtual Ports 181
Configuring Generic SCSI Devices 187
Configuring Virtual Trusted Platform Module Devices 189
Configuring Sixteen-Way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing 191
Configuring Keyboard Features 192
Modify Hardware Settings for a Virtual Machine 202
8Configuring Network Connections 203
Understanding Virtual Networking Components 203
Understanding Common Networking Configurations 204
Changing the Default Networking Configuration 205
Configuring Bridged Networking 210
Configuring Network Address Translation 214
Configuring Host-Only Networking 225
Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only Networks and NAT Configurations 232
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Configuring LAN Segments 236
Configuring Samba for Workstation Pro 238
Using Virtual Network Adapters in Promiscuous Mode on Linux Hosts 239
Maintaining and Changing MAC Addresses for Virtual Machines 240
Sample Custom Networking Configuration 241
9Using Remote Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines 244
Understanding VMware Workstation Server 244
Connect to a Remote Server 247
Disconnect from a Remote Server 250
Creating and Managing Shared Virtual Machines 250
Uploading Virtual Machines to Remote Servers 254
Download a Virtual Machine from a Remote Server 255
Create a Virtual Machine on a Remote Host 256
Manage Virtual Machine Power Actions on Shared and Remote Hosts 258
Using Roles to Assign Privileges 259
Using Permissions to Restrict Users 263
10 Changing Workstation Pro Preference Settings 267
Configuring Workspace Preference Settings 267
Configuring Input Preference Settings 271
Changing Hot-Key Combinations 273
Configuring Workstation Pro Display Preference Settings 273
Configuring USB Device Connection Behavior 275
Configuring Software Update Preference Settings 276
Join or Leave the Customer Experience Improvement Program 278
Changing Shared Virtual Machine Preference Settings 278
Configuring Workstation Pro Memory Preference Settings 279
Configuring Workstation Pro Priority Preference Settings 280
Configuring Device Settings for Windows Hosts 281
11 Configuring Virtual Machine Option Settings 283
Configuring General Option Settings for a Virtual Machine 283
Configuring Power Settings for a Virtual Machine 285
Configuring Snapshot Options for a Virtual Machine 287
Configuring AutoProtect Options for a Virtual Machine 288
Configuring Guest Isolation Options for a Virtual Machine 289
Configuring Tablet Sensor Input Options for a Virtual Machine 290
Configuring VMware Tools Options for a Virtual Machine 291
Configuring a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server 291
Configuring Unity Mode for a Virtual Machine 292
Configuring Appliance Details for a Virtual Machine 293
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Configuring Autologin for a Virtual Machine 293
Configuring Advanced Options for a Virtual Machine 294
12 Configuring Virtual Machine Hardware Settings 299
Adding Hardware to a Virtual Machine 299
Removing Hardware from a Virtual Machine 301
Adjusting Virtual Machine Memory 301
Configuring Virtual Machine Processor Settings 302
Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks 303
Configuring CD-ROM and DVD Drive Settings 305
Configuring Floppy Drive Settings 307
Configuring Virtual Network Adapter Settings 308
Configuring USB Controller Settings 312
Configuring Sound Card Settings 313
Configuring Parallel Port Settings 313
Configuring Serial Port Settings 314
Configuring Generic SCSI Device Settings 315
Configuring Printer Settings 315
Configuring Display Settings 315
Installing a Guest Operating System on a Physical Disk or Unused Partition 317
13 Using the Virtual Network Editor 318
Add a Bridged Virtual Network 318
Add a Host-Only Virtual Network 320
Rename a Virtual Network 321
Change Automatic Bridging Settings 321
Change NAT Settings 322
Change DHCP Settings on a Windows Host 324
14 Running the Support Script 325
Register and Create a Support Request 325
Run the Support Script from Workstation Pro 326
Run the Support Script from a Windows Command Prompt 326
Run the Support Script from a Linux Terminal Window 327
15 Using the vmware Command 328
Run the vmware Command 328
Incorporate Workstation Pro Startup Options in a Windows Shortcut 329
16 Using VMware Workstation Pro REST API 330
Use the VMware Workstation Pro REST API Service 330
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Using VMware Workstation Pro
Using VMware Workstation Pro describes how to use VMware Workstation Pro™ to create, configure,
and manage virtual machines.
Intended Audience
This information is intended for anyone who wants to install, upgrade, or use Workstation Pro. The
information is written for experienced Windows or Linux system administrators who are familiar with
virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.
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Introduction and System
Requirements 1
Host computers that run Workstation Pro must meet specific hardware and software requirements. Virtual
machines that run in Workstation Pro support specific devices and provide certain features.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nHost System Requirements for Workstation Pro
nVirtual Machine Features and Specifications
Host System Requirements for Workstation Pro
The physical computer on which you install Workstation Pro is called the host system and its operating
system is called the host operating system. To run Workstation Pro, the host system and the host
operating system must meet specific hardware and software requirements.
Processor Requirements for Host Systems
You must install Workstation Pro on a host system that meets certain processor requirements.
Supported Processors
The following host systems are supported.
nSystems using processors launched in 2011 or later except for systems using the following
processors.
nIntel Atom processors based on the 2011 Bonnell micro-architecture. For example, Atom
Z670/Z650 and Atom N570.
nIntel Atom processors based on the 2012 Saltwell micro-architecture. For example, Atom S1200,
Atom D2700/D2500, and Atom N2800/N2600.
nAMD processors based on the Llano and Bobcat micro-architectures.
nSystems using the following processors.
nIntel processors based on the 2010 Westmere micro-architecture. For example, Xeon 5600, Xeon
3600, Core i7-970, Core i7-980, and Core i7-990.
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Processor Requirements for 64-Bit Guest Operating Systems
For supported processors to run 64-bit guest operating systems, the host system must use one of the
following processors.
nAn AMD CPU with AMD-V support
nAn Intel CPU with VT-x support
If you have an Intel CPU that has VT-x support, you must verify that VT-x support is enabled in the host
system BIOS. The BIOS settings that must be enabled for VT-x support vary depending on the system
vendor. See the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003944 for information
about how to determine if VT-x support is enabled.
When you install a 64-bit operating system, Workstation Pro performs checks to make sure the host
system has a supported processor. You cannot install a 64-bit operating system if the host system does
not meet the processor requirements.
Supported Host Operating Systems
You can install Workstation Pro on Windows and Linux host operating systems.
To see a list of the supported host operating systems, search the online VMware Compatibility Guide on
the VMware Web site.
Memory Requirements for Host Systems
The host system must have enough memory to run the host operating system, the guest operating
systems that run inside the virtual machines on the host system, and the applications that run in the host
and guest operating systems.
The minimum memory required on the host system is 2 GB. 4 GB and above is recommended.
To support Windows 7 Aero graphics in a virtual machine, at least 3 GB of host system memory is
required. 1 GB of memory is allocated to the guest operating system and 256 MB is allocated to graphics
memory.
See your guest operating system and application documentation for more information on memory
requirements.
Display Requirements for Host Systems
The host system must have a 16-bit or 32-bit display adapter. Use the latest graphics driver
recommended for the host system.
To support Windows 7 Aero graphics, the host system should have either an NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT or
later or an ATI Radeon HD 2600 or later graphics processor.
Important 3D benchmarks, such as 3DMark '06, might not render correctly or at all when running
Windows Vista or Windows 7 virtual machines on some graphics hardware.
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Disk Drive Requirements for Host Systems
Host systems must meet certain disk drive requirements. Guest operating systems can reside on physical
disk partitions or in virtual disk files.
Table 1‑1. Disk Drive Requirements for Host Systems
Drive Type Requirements
Hard disk nIDE, SATA, SCSI and NVMe hard drives are supported.
nAt least 1 GB free disk space is recommended for each guest operating system
and the application software used with it. If you use a default setup, the actual disk
space needs are approximately the same as those for installing and running the
guest operating system and applications on a physical computer.
nFor basic installation, 1.5 GB free disk space is required on Windows and Linux.
You can delete the installer after the installation is complete to reclaim disk space.
Optical CD-ROM and DVD nIDE, SATA, and SCSI optical drives are supported.
nCD-ROM and DVD drives are supported.
nISO disk image files are supported.
Floppy 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, IDE, or NVMe).
nOn Windows 8, Windows 10, Ubuntu, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux virtual machines, all drive types
can report their virtual disks as SSD drives.
Note
nNVMe virtual hard disks are natively supported for Windows 8.1 and later.
nTo create a new a virtual machine with a Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2 guest operating system
using NVMe as the virtual hard disk, apply the appropriate Windows hot fix. See
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2990941.
nSeveral Linux operating systems support NVMe while others do not. Check with the operating
system vendor.
nOn Windows 7 virtual machines, only IDE and SATA virtual disks can report their virtual disks as SSD.
SCSI virtual disks only report as SSD when used as a system drive in a virtual machine, or as a
mechanical drive when used as a data drive inside a virtual machine.
Use the virtual machine operating system to verify your virtual machine is using SSD as its virtual disk.
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Local Area Networking Requirements for Host Systems
You can use any Ethernet controller that the host operating system supports.
Non-Ethernet networks are supported by using built-in network address translation (NAT) or by using a
combination of host-only networking and routing software on the host operating system.
ALSA Requirements
To use ALSA in a virtual machine, the host system must meet certain requirements.
nThe ALSA library version on the host system must be version 1.0.16 or later.
nThe 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.
nThe sound device on the host system must not be muted.
nThe current user must have the appropriate permissions to use the sound device.
Virtual Machine Features and Specifications
Workstation Pro virtual machines support specific devices and provide certain features.
Supported Guest Operating Systems
A guest operating system can be Windows, Linux, and other commonly used operating systems.
For the most recent list of guest operating systems that VMware products support, see the VMware
Compatibility Guide site: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php.
For instructions about how to install the most common guest operating systems, see the VMware Guest
Operating System Installation Guide: http://partnerweb.vmware.com/GOSIG/home.html.
Virtual Machine Processor Support
Virtual machines support certain processor features.
nThe same as the processor on the host computer.
nOne virtual processor on a host system that has one or more logical processors.
nUp to 16 virtual processors (sixteen-way virtual symmetric multiprocessing, or Virtual SMP) on a host
system that has at least 2 logical processors.
Note Workstation Pro considers multiprocessor hosts that have 2 or more physical CPUs, single-
processor hosts that have a multicore CPU, and single-processor hosts that have hyperthreading
enabled, to have two logical processors.
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Virtual Machine Chipset and BIOS Support
Virtual machines support certain virtual machine chipsets and BIOS features.
nIntel 440BX-based motherboard
nNS338 SIO chipset
n82093AA I/O Advanced Programmable Controller (I/O APIC)
nPhoenix BIOS 4.0 Release 6 with VESA BIOS
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.
The maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 64GB.
Virtual Machine Graphics and Keyboard Support
Virtual machines support certain graphics features.
nVGA and SVGA are supported.
n104-key Windows 95/98 enhanced keyboards are supported.
nTo use the GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc and GL_S3_s3tc Open Graphics Library (OpenGL)
extensions in a Windows XP or Windows 7 or later guest operating system, you must install Microsoft
DirectX End-User Runtime in the guest operating system. OpenGL is an API that is used to define 2D
and 3D computer graphics. You can download Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime from the
Microsoft Download Center Web site.
The VMware guest operating system OpenGL driver for Windows and Linux supports the OpenGL
3.3 core profile only. The OpenGL3.3 compatibility profile is not supported.
Virtual Machine IDE Drive Support
Virtual machines support certain IDE drives and features.
nUp to four devices, including disk, CD-ROM, and DVD drives, are supported.
nDVD drives can be used to read data DVD discs only.
nDVD video is not supported.
nHard disks can be virtual disks or physical disks.
nIDE virtual disks can be up to 8TB.
nCD-ROM drives can be physical devices or ISO image files.
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Virtual Machine SCSI Device Support
Virtual machines support certain SCSI devices and features.
nUp to 60 devices are supported.
nSCSI virtual disks can be up to 8TB.
nHard disks can be virtual disks or physical disks.
nWith 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.
nThe LSI Logic LSI53C10xx Ultra320 SCSI I/O controller is supported.
Virtual Machine Floppy Drive Support
Virtual machines can have floppy drives.
nUp to two 2.88MB floppy devices are supported.
nFloppy 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.
nUp to four serial (COM) ports are supported. Output can be sent to serial ports, Windows or Linux
files, or named pipes.
nUp 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.
nUSB 1.1 UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface) is supported for all virtual machine hardware
versions.
nUSB 2.0 EHCI (Enhanced Host Controller Interface) controllers are supported if the virtual machine
hardware is compatible with Workstation 6 and later virtual machines.
nUSB 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.
nSupport for USB 2.0 and 3.0 requires that you configure virtual machine settings to enable USB 2.0
and 3.0 support and that you have compatible guest operating systems and virtual machine hardware
versions.
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nMost 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.
nPS/2 and USB mouse types are supported.
nSerial tablets are supported.
nUSB tablets are supported.
Virtual Machine Ethernet Card Support
Virtual machines support certain types of Ethernet cards.
nUp to 10 virtual Ethernet cards are supported.
nThe 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.
nUp 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.
nThree switches are configured by default for bridged, host-only, and NAT networking.
nMost Ethernet-based protocols are supported, including TCP/IP, NetBEUI, Microsoft Networking,
Samba, Novell NetWare, and Network File System (NFS).
nBuilt-in NAT networking supports client software that uses TCP/IP, FTP, DNS, HTTP, and Telnet. VPN
is supported for PPTP over NAT.
Virtual Machine Sound Support
Workstation Pro provides a sound device that is compatible with the Sound Blaster AudioPCI and Intel
High-Definition Audio Specification. The Workstation Pro sound device is enabled by default.
Workstation Pro supports sound in all supported Windows and Linux guest operating systems.
Sound support includes pulse code modulation (PCM) output and input. You can play .wav files, MP3
audio, and Real Media audio. MIDI output from Windows guest operating systems is supported by the
Windows software synthesizer. MIDI input is not supported, and no MIDI support is available for Linux
guest operating systems.
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and most recent Linux distributions detect the sound device and
install appropriate drivers for it.
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For Workstation 7.x and earlier virtual machines, the vmaudio driver in VMware Tools is installed in 64-bit
Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 guest operating systems
and in 32-bit Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7 guest operating systems.
For Workstation 8.x and later virtual machines, the High-Definition Audio (HD Audio) device is presented
by default for both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows Vista and Windows 7 guest operating systems and their
server counterparts. Windows provides a driver for HD Audio that is not part of VMware Tools.
On Linux host systems, Workstation 7.x and later supports Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA).
Earlier versions of Workstation use the Open Sound System (OSS) interface for sound playback and
recording in virtual machines running on Linux host systems. Unlike OSS, ALSA does not require
exclusive access to the sound device. The host system and multiple virtual machines can play sound at
the same time.
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Installing and Using
Workstation Pro 2
You can install Workstation Pro on a Linux or Windows host system. Installing or upgrading
Workstation Pro typically involves running a standard GUI wizard.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nObtaining the Workstation Pro Software and License Key
nInstalling Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products
nReinstalling Workstation Pro When Upgrading a Windows Host Operating System
nInstalling the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse
nInstalling Workstation Pro
nUpgrading Workstation Pro
nUninstalling Workstation Pro
nStart Workstation Pro
nUsing the Workstation Pro Window
nUsing the Workstation Pro Online Help
Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software and License Key
The Workstation Pro installation software is in the file that you downloaded and the license key is sent to
you in email.
The installation files for both host platforms are included in the packaged distribution. You can use the
license key on both the Windows and Linux versions of Workstation Pro. You need one license for each
host system.
If you do not enter the Workstation Pro license key during installation, you can specify the license key
later, in Workstation Pro, select Help > Enter License Key and enter the license key on the Workstation
Activation dialog box. You can also purchase a license key and view the status of an evaluation license
from the Workstation Activation dialog box.
See the VMware Web site for information on obtaining an evaluation license.
Note If you have an invalid license, Workstation Pro prompts you to enter a license key each time you
attempt to power on a virtual machine.
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Once you have installed Workstation Pro, you can find your license key in the About VMware
Workstation Pro window. Click Help > About VMware Workstation Pro.
nIf you have an individual license for Workstation Pro, the key is displayed in the License Information
section under Type. It is labeled Individual and followed by your license key.
nIf you have a version of Workstation Pro licensed for multiple users, the Type field displays Volume
and your license key is not displayed.
nIf you did not enter a license for Workstation Pro, the Type field displays Not applicable and a license
key is not displayed.
nIf you have an evaluation license key for Workstation Pro, the Type field displays Not applicable. The
date the evaluation license key expires is also displayed.
Trial Version Expiration Date Warnings
When you use the trial version of VMware Workstation Pro, a notice appears on the home page advising
you of the trial license expiration date.
To purchase a license key click, click Get a license key. If you have a license key, click Enter a license
key. You can also go to the Help menu and click Enter a license key.
Installing Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products
The only VMware products that can share a host system with Workstation Pro are VMware vSphere
Client and VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. You cannot install Workstation Pro on a host system
that has any other VMware virtualization products installed.
If the host system has another VMware virtualization product installed, you must uninstall that product
before you install Workstation Pro.
Reinstalling Workstation Pro When Upgrading a Windows
Host Operating System
Before you upgrade the operating system on a Microsoft Windows host, VMware recommends that you
uninstall VMware Workstation Pro.
The way Workstation Pro is installed and configured depends partly on the version of Windows used. As
a best practice, to ensure that Workstation Pro is properly configured for a new operating system, you
must remove the Workstation Pro application before you perform the operating system upgrade.
Uninstalling Workstation Pro guarantees that legacy components that apply only to older versions of
Windows are not left behind .
For example, if you do not uninstall Workstation Pro before upgrading the Windows operating system,
some virtual network adapters might not function properly after the operating system upgrade. Before you
uninstall Workstation Pro, open the virtual network editor and note the settings used. You must configure
these settings again after you reinstall Workstation Pro.
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When you uninstall Workstation Pro, you need only uninstall the Workstation Pro application, not the
virtual machines that you have created. When the operating system upgrade is complete, reinstall
Workstation Pro or, if you are also upgrading Workstation Pro, install the new version of Workstation Pro.
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse
If you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, you should install it on the host system
before you install Workstation Pro.
If you must install the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse after you install Workstation Pro, run the
Workstation Pro installer again and select Modify/Change to install the associated Workstation Pro plug-
ins.
See the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse Developer’s Guide for host system requirements and
supported operating systems. This guide is available on the VMware Web site.
Installing Workstation Pro
You can install Workstation Pro on a Windows host system by running the installation wizard or by using
the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI). The MSI unattended
installation feature is useful if you are installing Workstation Pro on several Windows hosts and do not
want to respond to wizard prompts. You install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system by running the
Workstation Pro bundle installer.
nInstall Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You run the Windows setup program and installation wizard to install Workstation Pro on a Windows
host system.
nRun an Unattended Workstation Pro Installation on a Windows Host
You can use the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install
Workstation Pro on Windows host systems without having to respond to wizard prompts. This
feature is convenient in a large enterprise.
nInstall Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You run the Linux bundle installer to install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system. On most Linux
distributions, the Linux bundle installer launches a GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions,
including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the bundle installer launches a command-line wizard instead
of a GUI wizard. You can run the installer with the --console option to install Workstation Pro in a
terminal window.
Install Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You run the Windows setup program and installation wizard to install Workstation Pro on a Windows host
system.
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Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you install
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
nVerify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
nVerify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products.
nObtain the Workstation Pro software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software
and License Key.
nIf you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, install it on the host system. See
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse.
Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
Depending on your configuration, you might need to restart the host system to finish the installation.
After Workstation Pro is installed, the VMware Workstation Server service starts on the host system. The
VMware Workstation Server service starts whenever you restart the host system.
Run an Unattended Workstation Pro Installation on a Windows
Host
You can use the unattended installation feature of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) to install
Workstation Pro on Windows host systems without having to respond to wizard prompts. This feature is
convenient in a large enterprise.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
nVerify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products.
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nObtain the Workstation Pro software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software
and License Key.
nIf you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, install it on the host system. See
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse.
nVerify that the host computer has version 2.0 or later of the MSI runtime engine. This version of the
installer is available in versions of Windows beginning with Windows XP and is available from
Microsoft. For more information, see the Microsoft Web site.
nFamiliarize yourself with the installation properties. See Installation Properties.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the local
Administrators group.
If you log in to the domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Extract the administrative installation image from the setup file.
The setup filename is similar to VMware=workstation-xxxx-xxxx.exe where xxxx-xxxx is the
version and build number.
For example, if you enter setup.exe/?, the flag displays a windows message box with the command
line usage for the installer.
3Enter the installation command on one line.
The following example installs Workstation Pro:
VMware-workstation-full-x.x.x-xxxxxx.exe /s /v/qn EULAS_AGREED=1 SERIALNUMBER="xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx-xxxxx" AUTOSOFTWAREUPDATE=1
You can use the optional INSTALLDIR property to specify a file path for the installation that is different
from the default location.
Note The double quotes around the file path are important. All the MSI arguments are passed with
the /v option. The outer quotes group the MSI arguments and the double quotes put a quote in that
argument.
You can also run an unattended uninstallation of Workstation Pro on a Windows host. The following
example uninstalls Workstation Pro and removes the license from the host.
VMware-workstation-full-x.x.x-xxxxxx.exe /s /v"/qn REMOVE=ALL"
Installation Properties
When you perform an unattended installation of Workstation Pro, you can customize the installation by
specifying installation properties in the installation command.
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To specify an installation property in the installation command, use the format property="value". A value of
1 means true and a value of 0 means false.
Table 2‑1. Installation Properties
Property Description Default Value
AUTOSOFTWAREUPDATE Enables automatic upgrades for Workstation Pro when a new build
becomes available.
1
DATACOLLECTION Sends user experience information to VMware. 1
DESKTOP_SHORTCUT Adds a shortcut on the desktop when Workstation Pro is installed. 1
ENABLE_VIRTUAL_PRINTING Enables support for ThinPrint virtual printing on the Windows host
after installing.
0
EULAS_AGREED Allows you to silently accept the product EULAs. Set to 1 to complete
the installation or upgrade.
0
INSTALLDIR Install Workstation Pro in a directory that is different from the default
Workstation Pro location.
C:\Program Files
(86)\VMware\VMwar
e Workstation
KEEP_LICENSE Specifies whether to keep or remove license keys when
Workstation Pro is uninstalled.
1
KEEP_SETTINGFILES Specifies whether to keep or remove settings files when
Workstation Prois uninstalled
1
SERIALNUMBER Lets you enter the license key when Workstation Pro is installed.
Enter the license key with hyphens, for example, "xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx-xxxxx".
SOFTWAREUPDATEURL Specifies a custom URL for managing software updates (separate
from vmware.com).
STARTMENU_SHORTCUT Adds a Start menu item when Workstation Pro is installed. 1
SUPPORTURL Set a support URL or email alias specifically for your users to contact
with product issues through the Workstation Pro Help menu.
Install Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You run the Linux bundle installer to install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system. On most Linux
distributions, the Linux bundle installer launches a GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions, including
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the bundle installer launches a command-line wizard instead of a GUI
wizard. You can run the installer with the --console option to install Workstation Pro in a terminal
window.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you install
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
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.
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To change the shared virtual machines directory or select a different port during the installation process,
you must specify the --custom option. You can also change the shared virtual machines directory, select
a different port, and disable remote connections and virtual machine sharing after Workstation Pro is
installed by modifying the Shared VMs Workstation Pro preference setting.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
nVerify that no incompatible VMware products are installed on the host system. See Installing
Workstation Pro with Other VMware Products.
nObtain the Workstation Pro software and license key. See Obtaining the Workstation Pro Software
and License Key.
nIf you plan to use the Integrated Virtual Debugger for Eclipse, install it on the host system. See
Installing the Integrated Virtual Debuggers for Eclipse.
nCompile the real-time clock function into the Linux kernel.
nVerify 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.
nFamiliarize 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.
nVerify that you have root access on the host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system with the user name that you plan to use when you run Workstation Pro.
2Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.
3Change directories to the directory that contains the Workstation Pro installer file.
4Run the appropriate Workstation Pro installer for the host system.
For example: sh VMware-Workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.architecture.bundle [--option]
xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version and build numbers, architecture is x86_64, and option is a command-line
option.
5Accept the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool license agreement.
If you are using the --console option or installing Workstation Pro on a host system that does not
support the GUI wizard, press Enter to scroll through and read the license agreement or type q to skip
to the [yes/no] prompt.
6Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
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After Workstation Pro is installed, vmware-workstation-server starts on the host system. When
Workstation Pro starts, log in using your regular user name, not root. vmware-workstation-server
starts whenever you restart the host system.
Linux Command Line Installation Options
You can use command line installation options to install Workstation Pro on a Linux host system.
To use the installation options, you must be logged in as root. Exit from the root account after the
installation is finished.
Table 2‑2. Linux Command Line Installation Options
Option Description
--console Enables you to use the terminal for installation.
--custom Use this option to customize the following installation settings.
nThe locations of the installation directories.
nThe user who will initially connect to VMware Workstation Server. This user
can create and manage shared virtual machines.
nThe location of the shared virtual machines directory.
nThe HTTPS port that VMware Workstation Server uses on the host system.
--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
--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 Pro.
--set-setting vmware-installer
installShortcuts yes | no
Adds shortcuts when Workstation Pro is installed. The default is yes.
--set-setting vmware-installer libdir
lib_path
The libdir parameter instructs the installer where to place product-specific
data files, such as libraries and internal icons. The installer places product files
in $libdir/vmware and $libdirvmware-installer. The default is /usr/lib.
--set-setting vmware-installer
prefix /usr/local
Installs executable files you run directly (ex: vmware, vmplayer, vmware-
networks, etc.) here. Remainder of the product distributed under libdir-
derived paths. The default is /usr .
--set-setting vmware-workstation
serialNumber xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx
--set-setting vmware-player
serialNumber xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx
Lets you enter the license key when Workstation Pro or Workstation Player is
installed. Enter the license key with hyphens, for example, xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-
xxxxx-xxxxx.
--set-setting vmware-player-app
simplifiedUI yes|no
Turn on or off certain UI features of Workstation Player. The default is no.
--set-setting vmware-player-app
softwareUpdateEnabled yes|no
Enables automatic upgrades for Workstation Pro or Workstation Player when a
new build becomes available.
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Table 2‑2. Linux Command Line Installation Options (Continued)
Option Description
--set-setting vmware-player-app
softwareUpdateURL https://url/
Specifies a custom URL for managing software updates (separate from
vmware.com).
--set-setting vmware-player-app
supportURL https://url/
Set a support URL or email alias specifically for your users to contact with
product issues through the Help menu.
Upgrading Workstation Pro
You can upgrade from a previous version of Workstation to the current version of Workstation Pro by
running the Workstation Pro installation program.
When you upgrade Workstation Pro, the installation program removes the previous version of
Workstation Pro before it installs the new version.
To use the latest features, virtual machines that were created in the previous versions of Workstation
must be upgraded to the current version of Workstation Pro.
nPrepare for an Upgrade
You must perform certain steps before you upgrade Workstation Pro.
nUpgrade Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Windows host system by running the
Workstation Pro setup program and installation wizard for Windows.
nUpgrade Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Linux host system by running the
Linux bundle installer for Workstation Pro. On most Linux distributions, the Linux bundle installer
launches a GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the
bundle installer launches a command-line wizard instead of a GUI wizard. You can run the installer
with the --console option to upgrade Workstation Pro in a terminal window.
nChange the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
You can change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine. All virtual machines have a
hardware version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware features that the virtual
machine supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum number of CPUs,
maximum memory configuration, and other hardware characteristics.
Prepare for an Upgrade
You must perform certain steps before you upgrade Workstation Pro.
Procedure
nVerify that all virtual machines are Workstation 7.x, 8, 9, 10 or 11 virtual machines.
Direct upgrades from Workstation 2 and 3 virtual machines are not supported .
nReview the system requirements for the new version of Workstation Pro.
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nIf a virtual machine was created with a version of Workstation earlier than Workstation 5.5 and it has
a snapshot, delete the snapshot.
nIf you are upgrading from Workstation 4, 5.x, 6.x, or 7.x, and the previous version of Workstation used
bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters, record those settings.
You must recreate these mappings after you upgrade Workstation Pro.
nPower off all running virtual machines in Workstation Pro.
nIf any virtual machines are suspended, resume them and power them off in Workstation Pro.
nIf any virtual machines are running in the background, start them in Workstation Pro and power them
off.
nBack up all virtual machines by making backup copies of the files in the virtual machine directories
and storing them in different directories.
The files that you back up should include .vmdk or .dsk files, .vmx or .cfg files, and .nvram files.
Depending on the upgrade path, you might not be able to run virtual machines under both the current
version of Workstation Pro and the previous version.
nIf you are upgrading Workstation 6.x on Windows XP to the current version of Workstation Pro on
Windows Vista or Windows 7, verify that Service Pack 2 is installed and then upgrade the host
operating system to Windows Vista or Windows 7.
nIf you are upgrading Workstation 5.x on Windows Vista to the current version of Workstation Pro on
Windows Vista, select Programs > Programs and Features > Uninstall a program in the Windows
control panel to manually uninstall Workstation 5.x.
nIf you are upgrading Workstation 5.x on Windows XP to the current version of Workstation Pro on
Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Add or Remove Programs in the Windows control panel to
manually uninstall Workstation 5.x.
During an upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista or Windows 7, the location of virtual machines
might change. The Windows Vista and Windows 7 upgrade use the registry to map the virtual machines
to a new location. Before the upgrade, the default virtual machine location on Windows XP is
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Virtual Machines. After the upgrade,
the default virtual machine location on Windows Vista and Windows 7 is
C:\Users\username\Documents\Virtual Machines\guestOSname.
Upgrade Workstation Pro on a Windows Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Windows host system by running the
Workstation Pro setup program and installation wizard for Windows.
Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you upgrade
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
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Prerequisites
nVerify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
nVerify that you have a license key.
nVerify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
nPrepare for the upgrade. See Prepare for an Upgrade.
Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Click Uninstall to uninstall the previous version of Workstation Pro.
4After the host system restarts, log in as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
5Follow the prompts to finish the upgrade.
Depending on your configuration, you might need to restart the host system to finish the installation.
After Workstation Pro is upgraded and you restart the host system, the VMware Workstation Server
service starts. The VMware Workstation Server service starts whenever you restart the host system.
What to do next
To use the latest features, upgrade existing virtual machines to the new version of Workstation Pro. See
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
If you used bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters in the previous
version of Workstation Pro, recreate the mappings. If you created teams in the previous version of
Workstation, convert the teams to use them in the new version of Workstation Pro.
Upgrade Workstation Pro on a Linux Host
You can upgrade to the current version of Workstation Pro on a Linux host system by running the Linux
bundle installer for Workstation Pro. On most Linux distributions, the Linux bundle installer launches a
GUI wizard. On some Linux distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, the bundle installer
launches a command-line wizard instead of a GUI wizard. You can run the installer with the --console
option to upgrade Workstation Pro in a terminal window.
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Remote connections and virtual machine sharing are enabled by default when you upgrade
Workstation Pro. With remote connections, you can connect to remote hosts and run remote virtual
machines. With virtual machine sharing, you can create virtual machines that other instances of
Workstation Pro can access remotely.
Shared virtual machines are stored in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware Workstation
Server (vmware-workstation-server) manages them. Remote users connect to VMware Workstation
Server through HTTPS port 443 on the host system.
To change the shared virtual machines directory or select a different port during the upgrade process, you
must specify the --custom option. You can also change the shared virtual machines directory, select a
different port, and disable remote connections and virtual machine sharing after Workstation Pro is
upgraded by modifying the Shared VMs Workstation Pro preference setting.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the host system meets the host system requirements. See Host System Requirements for
Workstation Pro.
nVerify that you have a license key.
nPrepare for the upgrade. See Prepare for an Upgrade.
nFamiliarize 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.
nVerify that you have root access to the host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system with the user name that you plan to use when you run Workstation Pro.
2Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.
3Change directories to the directory that contains the Workstation Pro installer file.
4Run the appropriate Workstation Pro installer for the host system.
For example: sh VMware-Workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.architecture.bundle [--option]
xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version and build numbers, architecture is x86_64, and option is a command-line
option.
5Accept the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool license agreement.
If you are using the --console option or installing Workstation Pro on a host system that does not
support the GUI wizard, press Enter to scroll through and read the license agreement or type q to skip
to the [yes/no] prompt.
6Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
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After Workstation Pro is upgraded, vmware-workstation-server starts on the host system. vmware-
workstation-server starts whenever you restart the host system.
What to do next
To use the latest features, upgrade existing virtual machines to the new version of Workstation Pro. See
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
If you used bridged settings to map virtual networks to specific physical or virtual adapters in the previous
version of Workstation Pro, recreate the mappings. If you created teams in the previous version of
Workstation, convert the teams to use them in the new version of Workstation Pro.
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
You can change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine. All virtual machines have a hardware
version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware features that the virtual machine
supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum number of CPUs, maximum memory
configuration, and other hardware characteristics.
When you upgrade Workstation Pro, you must change the hardware compatibility of virtual machines that
were created in previous versions of Workstation Pro so that they can use the new features in the new
version of Workstation Pro. You can run older versions of virtual machines in the new version of
Workstation Pro, but you will not have the benefits of the new features.
If you want a virtual machine to remain compatible with other VMware products that you are using, you
might not want to change the hardware compatibility to the latest Workstation Pro version.
Note If you decide not to change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine, you should consider
upgrading to the latest version of VMware Tools to obtain the latest VMware Tools features.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the considerations and limitations of changing the hardware compatibility of a
virtual machine. See Considerations for Changing the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Make backup copies of the virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
2If you are upgrading from a Workstation 5.x virtual machine, or downgrading to a Workstation 5.x
virtual machine, make a note of the NIC settings in the guest operating system.
If you specified a static IP address for the virtual machine, that setting might be changed to automatic
assignment by DHCP after the upgrade.
3Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
4Select the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Change Hardware Compatibility.
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5Follow the prompts in the wizard to change the hardware compatibility of the virtual machine.
When you select a hardware compatibility setting, a list of the VMware products that are compatible
with that setting appears. For example, if you select Workstation 4, 5, or 6, a list of Workstation 6.5
and later features that are not supported for that Workstation version also appears.
Note Using Workstation 10 or later, you can change the hardware compatibility of a shared or
remote virtual machine. However, you cannot downgrade a previously created virtual machine.
6Power on the virtual machine.
If you upgrade a virtual machine that contains a Windows 98 operating system to a Workstation 6.5 or
later virtual machine, you must install a PCI-PCI bridge driver when you power on the virtual machine.
Note Because Workstation 6.5 and later versions have 32 more PCI-PCI bridges than Workstation
6, you might need to respond to the prompt 32 or 33 times.
7If the NIC settings in the guest operating system have changed, use the NIC settings that you
recorded to change them back to their original settings.
8If the virtual machine does not have the latest version of VMware Tools installed, update VMware
Tools.
Update VMware Tools to the version included with the latest version of Workstation Pro, even if you
upgraded the virtual machine to an earlier version of Workstation Pro. Do not remove the older
version of VMware Tools before installing the new version.
Note If you are upgrading a virtual machine that runs from a physical disk, you can safely ignore this
message: Unable to upgrade drive_name. One of the supplied parameters is invalid.
Considerations for Changing the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
Before you change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine, you should be aware of certain
considerations and limitations.
nFor 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.
nIf you upgrade a Workstation 5.x virtual machine that is compatible with ESX Server to Workstation 6,
6.5, 7.x, or later, you cannot use the Change Hardware Compatibility wizard to later downgrade the
virtual machine to an ESX-compatible virtual machine.
nWhen you upgrade a Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
virtual machine, the Microsoft product activation feature might require you to reactivate the guest
operating system.
nUsing Workstation 9 or earlier, you cannot change the hardware compatibility of a shared or remote
virtual machine.
nUsing 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.
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Uninstalling Workstation Pro
You uninstall Workstation Pro on a Windows host by using the Windows setup program. On a Linux host,
you uninstall Workstation Pro by running the bundle installer.
Important If you uninstall Workstation Pro and do not save the configuration, then when you reinstall
Workstation Pro, shared virtual machines will no longer appear in the Shared VMs list in the virtual
machine library. To display virtual machines in the list again, you will need to share them again.
Uninstall Workstation Pro from a Windows Host
You can run the Windows setup program to uninstall Workstation Pro from a Windows host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to the domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Click Next on the Welcome screen and then click Remove.
4(Optional) To save product license and Workstation Pro configuration information, select the
appropriate check boxes.
5Click Next to begin uninstalling Workstation Pro.
Uninstall Workstation Pro from a Linux Host
You must run a command to uninstall Workstation Pro from a Linux host.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have root access to the host system.
Procedure
1Log in to the Linux host system with the user name that you use when you run Workstation Pro.
2Become root.
For example: su root
The command that you use depends on your Linux distribution and configuration.
3In a terminal window, type vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation
4Click Next to begin uninstalling Workstation Pro.
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Start Workstation Pro
How you start Workstation Pro depends on the host system platform and the options that you selected
during Workstation Pro installation.
On Windows host systems, you might have a desktop shortcut, a quick launch shortcut, or a combination
of these options in addition to a Start menu item.
On Linux host systems, you start Workstation Pro from the command line. On some Linux distributions,
including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.1, you can also start Workstation Pro from the System Tools menu
under Applications.
Procedure
nTo start Workstation Pro on a Windows host system, select Start > Programs > VMware > VMware
Workstation.
nTo start Workstation Pro 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 Pro, Workstation Pro prompts you to accept the End User License
Agreement. After you start Workstation Pro, the Workstation Pro window opens.
Using the Workstation Pro Window
A virtual machine is like a separate computer that runs in a window on the host system. Workstation Pro
displays more than the screen of another computer. From the Workstation Pro window, you can interact
with and run virtual machines. You can also switch easily from one virtual machine to another.
The best way to learn how to use Workstation Pro is to use it. The Workstation Pro window is designed to
be intuitive and easy to use.
nUse Virtual Machines in the Workstation Pro Window
You interact with virtual machines through the Workstation Pro window.
nUse the Virtual Machine Library
The virtual machine library appears on the left side of the Workstation Pro window. You use the
library to view and select virtual machines, folders, and remote hosts in Workstation Pro. The library
appears by default.
nUse the Thumbnail Bar
The thumbnail bar appears along the bottom of the Workstation Pro window.
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nUse the Status Bar
The status bar appears at the bottom of the Workstation Pro window. You can use the icons on the
status bar to see Workstation Pro messages and perform actions on devices such as hard disks,
CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by default.
nUse Workstation Pro Tabs
Workstation Pro creates a tab in the right pane of the Workstation Pro window when you select an
item in the library. Tabs appear by default.
nCustomize the Workstation Pro Window
You can customize the appearance of the Workstation Pro window by selecting items from the View
menu.
nDefault Hot-Key Combinations
You can use keyboard shortcuts to interact with Workstation Pro and with virtual machines. Most of
the available keyboard shortcuts for Workstation Pro are listed next to their associated commands in
Workstation Pro menus.
Use Virtual Machines in the Workstation Pro Window
You interact with virtual machines through the Workstation Pro window.
Procedure
nUse the icons on the Home tab to create a new virtual machine, open an existing virtual machine,
connect to a remote server, or view the Workstation Pro help system.
nSelect 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.
nSelect 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.
nSelect a virtual machine in the library and use the VM menu on the menu bar at the top of the
Workstation Pro window to perform all virtual machine operations for the selected virtual machine.
You can use the VM menu when a virtual machine is powered on or off. If an operation is not
supported for the virtual machine in its current state, the menu item is not available.
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nSelect a virtual machine in the library and use the buttons on the toolbar at the top of the
Workstation Pro window to perform common virtual machine operations and change the display for
the selected virtual machine.
You can use the buttons on the toolbar to take and manage snapshots, enter full screen and Unity
mode, cycle multiple monitors, switch between the console and summary views, and, for virtual
machines with a Linux guest operating system or a Windows guest operating system earlier than
Windows 7, set the stretch ratio of the virtual machine.
nWhen a virtual machine is powered on, use the icons on the status bar at the bottom of the
Workstation Pro window to see Workstation Pro messages and perform actions on virtual devices
such as hard disks, CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, and network adapters.
You can click or right-click on a removable device icon to connect or disconnect the device or edit its
settings, and you can click the Message log icon to view the message log. Messages include
warning information about the virtual machine. If the icon is dimmed, all messages have already been
read.
nSelect items in the library or use tabs to quickly switch between virtual machines, folders, and remote
hosts.
Use the Virtual Machine Library
The virtual machine library appears on the left side of the Workstation Pro window. You use the library to
view and select virtual machines, folders, and remote hosts in Workstation Pro. The library appears by
default.
Prerequisites
If the library is not visible, select View > Customize > Library.
Procedure
nRight-click a virtual machine, folder, or remote host in the library to view the item's context menu and
perform common operations.
nTo find a specific virtual machine in the library, type its name, part of its description, or the name of
the guest operating system in the search box.
For example, to find all the virtual machines that have a Windows 8 guest operating system, type
Windows 8. You can also search for folders and remote hosts.
nTo view information about a virtual machine, select the virtual machine name in the library and, if
powered on, click the Show or hide console view icon and View All.
Option Description
A Powered Off Virtual Machine The virtual machine details appear at the bottom of the page.
A Powered On Virtual Machine In the menu bar, select the Show or hide console view for the virtual machine
details to appear at the bottom of the page. Click View All to see network
connection information.
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Virtual machines in either a powered off or powered on state provide information about the virtual
machine, such as the hardware compatibility information. The information provided for a powered on
virtual machine with VMware Tools installed is more detailed. For example, only a powered on virtual
machine with VMware Tools installed lists the primary IP address.
nTo 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.
nUse the library drop-down menu to show only powered on virtual machines or favorite items.
By default, the library shows all items.
nTo remove an item from the library, right-click it and select Remove.
nTo remove non-existent virtual machines from the library, right-click My Computer and select
Remove Non-existent Virtual Machines.
Non-existent virtual machines are virtual machines that are no longer available from the library. For
example, virtual machines on a removable storage device that is no longer connected to your host
system.
Workstation Pro removes all non-existent virtual machines from the library.
Use the Thumbnail Bar
The thumbnail bar appears along the bottom of the Workstation Pro window.
For active virtual machines, Workstation Pro updates the thumbnail in real time to show the actual content
of the virtual machine. When a virtual machine is suspended, the thumbnail is a screenshot of the virtual
machine at the time that it was suspended.
Prerequisites
If the thumbnail bar is not visible, select View > Customize > Thumbnail Bar.
Procedure
nClick a thumbnail to show the summary or console view for a virtual machine.
nClick thumbnails to quickly switch between virtual machines.
nTo 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.
nTo 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.
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Use the Status Bar
The status bar appears at the bottom of the Workstation Pro window. You can use the icons on the status
bar to see Workstation Pro messages and perform actions on devices such as hard disks, CD/DVD
drives, floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by default.
Procedure
nMouse over an icon on the status bar to see its name.
nClick or right-click on a removable device icon to connect or disconnect the device or edit its settings.
nClick the message log icon to view the message log.
Messages include warning information about the virtual machine. If the icon is dimmed, all messages
have already been read.
Use Workstation Pro Tabs
Workstation Pro creates a tab in the right pane of the Workstation Pro window when you select an item in
the library. Tabs appear by default.
Procedure
nUse the links on the Home tab to create a virtual machine, open a virtual machine, connect to a
remote server, virtualize a physical machine, use the virtual network editor, customize
Workstation Pro preferences, download software updates, and view the help system.
nUse 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.
nUse the Shared VMs tab to see information about all of the shared virtual machines on the host
system.
nUse the tab for a remote host to browse information about the remote host, including CPU, memory,
and disk usage, and the virtual machines, and virtual machine tasks running on the remote host.
If you are using Workstation Pro on a Windows host and the remote server is running vCenter Server,
other objects can appear in the library. In this situation, when vCenter Server appears in the library,
you can toggle between the Hosts and Clusters view and the VMs view. The Hosts and Clusters view
displays datacenters, clusters, ESXi hosts, resource pools, vApps, and virtual machines.
nSelect File > Close Tab to close a tab.
Customize the Workstation Pro Window
You can customize the appearance of the Workstation Pro window by selecting items from the View
menu.
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Procedure
1Select View > Customize and select a Workstation Pro 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 Pro. 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 Pro
messages and perform actions on virtual machine devices such as hard disks,
CD/DVD drives, floppy drives, and network adapters. The status bar appears by
default.
Tabs Workstation Pro creates a tab in the right pane when you select an item in the
library. Tabs appear by default.
2To specify which virtual machines appear in the thumbnail bar, select View > Customize >
Thumbnail Bar Options.
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
You can use keyboard shortcuts to interact with Workstation Pro and with virtual machines. Most of the
available keyboard shortcuts for Workstation Pro are listed next to their associated commands in
Workstation Pro menus.
Table 2‑3. Default Hot-Key Combinations
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 Pro has
control of input. Cancel the ending of the host operating system session and return to the virtual
machine to log out or shut down or perform administrative tasks.
Ctrl+Alt+Enter Enter full screen mode.
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Table 2‑3. Default Hot-Key Combinations (Continued)
Shortcut Action
Ctrl+Alt+spacebar Send any command to the virtual machine so that Workstation Pro does not process it. Hold down
Ctrl+Alt as you press and release the spacebar, and continue to hold the Ctrl+Alt keys down as you
press the next key in the combination.
Ctrl+Tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab
(Windows hosts only) Switch among tabs.
Ctrl+Alt+right 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 Pro for common virtual
machine operations to Ctrl+Shift, you press Ctrl+Shift instead of Ctrl+Alt to release control from the
current virtual machine.
Using the Workstation Pro Online Help
The Workstation Pro online help contains information about Workstation Pro settings and common tasks.
Use the online help when you need to quickly find information about Workstation Pro preferences, virtual
hardware settings, and virtual machine options.
For example, if you are configuring a virtual machine and you need information about a specific hardware
setting, click Help on the dialog box that contains the setting. The Help window opens and a context-
sensitive help topic appears in the right pane. To see the entire help system, select Help > Help Topics
(Windows host) or Help > Contents (Linux host).
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Creating Virtual Machines 3
You can create a new virtual machine in Workstation Pro by using the New Virtual Machine wizard, clone
an existing Workstation Pro virtual machine or virtual machine template, import third-party and Open
Virtualization Format (OVF) virtual machines, and create a virtual machine from a physical machine.
You can also create shared virtual machines, which can be used by remote users, and virtual machines
that run on remote hosts. See Chapter 9 Using Remote Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nUnderstanding Virtual Machines
nPreparing to Create a New Virtual Machine
nCreate a New Virtual Machine on the Local Host
nCloning Virtual Machines
nVirtualize a Physical Machine
nImporting Virtual Machines
nInstalling and Upgrading VMware Tools
nVirtual Machine Files
Understanding Virtual Machines
A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical machine, runs an operating system and
applications. A virtual machine uses the physical resources of the physical machine on which it runs,
which is called the host system. Virtual machines have virtual devices that provide the same functionality
as physical hardware, but with the additional benefits of portability, manageability, and security.
A virtual machine has an operating system and virtual resources that you manage in much the same way
that you manage a physical computer. For example, you install an operating system in a virtual machine
in the same way that you install an operating system on a physical computer. You must have a CD-ROM,
DVD, or ISO image that contains the installation files from an operating system vendor.
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Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine
You use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual machine in Workstation Pro. The wizard
prompts you to make decisions about many aspects of the virtual machine. You should make these
decisions before you start the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Worksheet for Creating a Virtual Machine
You can print this worksheet and write down the values to specify when you run the New Virtual Machine
wizard.
Table 3‑1. Worksheet: Creating a Virtual Machine
Option Fill In Your Value Here
Hardware compatibility setting
Guest operating system source
Guest operating system type (for manual installation)
Easy Install information for Windows guests
nProduct key
nOperating system version
nFull name
nPassword
nCredentials for automatic login
Easy Install information for Linux guests
nFull name
nUser name
nPassword
Virtual machine name
Virtual machine location
Number of processors
Memory allocation
Network connection type
I/O controller type
Hard disk
Virtual hard disk type
Disk capacity
Virtual disk file name and location
Selecting a Virtual Machine Configuration
When you start the New Virtual Machine wizard, the wizard prompts you to select a typical or custom
configuration.
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Typical Configuration
If you select a typical configuration, you must specify or accept defaults for a few basic virtual machine
settings.
nHow you want to install the guest operating system.
nA name for the virtual machine and a location for the virtual machine files.
nThe size of the virtual disk and whether to split the disk into multiple virtual disk files.
nWhether to customize specific hardware settings, including memory allocation, number of virtual
processors, and network connection type.
Custom Configuration
You must select a custom configuration if you need to perform any of the following hardware
customizations.
nCreate a virtual machine that has a different Workstation Pro version than the default hardware
compatibility setting.
nSelect the I/O controller type for the SCSI controller.
nSelect the virtual disk device type.
nConfigure a physical disk or an existing virtual disk instead of create a new virtual disk.
nAllocate all virtual disk space rather than let disk space gradually grow to the maximum disk size.
Selecting the Virtual Machine Hardware Compatibility Setting
All virtual machines have a hardware version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware
features that the virtual machine supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum
number of CPUs, maximum memory configuration, and other hardware characteristics. The virtual
machine hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features of the virtual machine.
If you select a typical configuration, the wizard uses the default hardware compatibility setting configured
in the Workstation Pro preferences. By default, the default hardware compatibility setting is the installed
Workstation Pro version.
If you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to select a hardware
compatibility setting for the virtual machine. When you select a hardware compatibility setting, a list of the
VMware products and versions that are compatible with your selection appears. Limitations and features
that are not available for your selection are also listed. If a feature compatibility check box is available for
your selection, you can select that check box to see a list of the additional limitations.
To deploy virtual machines to run on a different VMware product, you might need to select a hardware
compatibility setting that is compatible with that product.
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Selecting a Guest Operating System
The New Virtual Machine prompts you to select the source media for the operating system that will run
inside the virtual machine. You can specify an installer disc inserted in a physical drive, an ISO image file,
or you can instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a virtual machine that has a blank hard
disk.
If you select an installer disc or an ISO image file and the operating system supports Easy Install, the
guest operating system installation is automated and VMware Tools is installed. If the installer disc or ISO
image file contains a product key number and is already set up to perform an unattended installation, the
only benefit of using Easy Install is the automatic installation of VMware Tools.
Note For remote virtual machines, you must specify whether the physical drive or ISO image file is
located on the local host or remote host before you select the installer disc or ISO image file.
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a virtual machine that has a blank hard disk, the
wizard prompts you to specify an operating system and version and you must install the guest operating
system manually after the virtual machine is created. Workstation Pro uses this information to set the
appropriate default values, name files associated with the virtual machine, adjust performance settings,
and work around special behaviors and bugs in the guest operating system. If the operating system you
plan to install is not listed in the wizard, select Other for both the operating system and version.
If you are installing an operating system that supports Easy Install but you do not want to use Easy Install,
you can instruct the wizard to create a virtual machine that has a blank disk and install the guest
operating system manually.
Providing Easy Install Information
When the New Virtual Wizard detects an operating system that supports Easy Install, the wizard prompts
you for information about the guest operating system. After the virtual machine is created, the guest
operating system installation is automated and VMware Tools is installed.
For Windows guest operating systems, you must provide the following Easy Install information.
Table 3‑2. Easy Install Information for Windows Guests
Easy Install 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 Select the Windows operating system edition to install.
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.
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Table 3‑2. Easy Install Information for Windows Guests (Continued)
Easy Install Prompt Description
Password (Optional) The password to use for an account with Administrator permissions on
Windows operating systems other than Windows 2000. On Windows 2000, this is the
password for the Administrator account. On Windows XP Home, an Administrator
account without a password is created and you are automatically logged in to the
guest operating system.
Log on automatically (requires a
password)
(Optional) Save your login credentials and bypass the login dialog box when you
power on the virtual machine. You must enter a name and password to use this
feature.
For Linux guest operating systems, you must provide the following Easy Install information.
Table 3‑3. Easy Install Information for Linux Guests
Prompt Description
Full name The name to use to register the guest operating system, if registration is required.
Workstation Pro uses the first name to create the host name for the virtual machine.
User 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.
See Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System.
Specifying the Virtual Machine Name and File Location
The New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you for a virtual machine name and a directory for the virtual
machine files.
The name of the default directory for virtual machine files is derived from the name of the guest operating
system, for example, Microsoft Windows 10 x64.
For standard virtual machines, the default directory for virtual machine files is located in the virtual
machine directory. For best performance, do not place the virtual machines directory on a network drive. If
other users need to access the virtual machine, consider placing the virtual machine files in a location that
is accessible to those users.
For shared virtual machines, the default directory for virtual machine files is located in the shared virtual
machines directory. Shared virtual machine files must reside in the shared virtual machines directory.
Virtual Machines Directory
Workstation Pro stores standard virtual machines in the virtual machines directory.
The default location of the virtual machines directory depends on the host operating system.
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Table 3‑4. Default Virtual Machines Directory
Host Operating System Default Location
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My
Virtual Machines
username is the name of the currently logged-in user.
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
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 logged
in user.
Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Workstation Pro stores shared virtual machines in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware
Workstation Server manages them.
The default location of the shared virtual machines directory depends on the host operating system.
Table 3‑5. Default Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Host Operating System Default Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012
R2
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Shared Virtual
Machines
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Shared Virtual Machines
Linux /var/lib/vmware/Shared VMs
Selecting the Firmware Type
Depending on the guest operating system, when you use a custom configuration, the New Virtual
Machine wizard prompts you to select the firmware type the virtual machine uses when it boots.
This option appears in the New Virtual Machine Wizard when the guest operating system is supported
with the UEFI firmware type. Otherwise, the BIOS firmware type is selected by default.
Table 3‑6. Firmware Type Options
Option Description
BIOS The virtual machine firmware uses BIOS when booting.
UEFI The virtual machine uses UEFI when booting.
If you select UEFI, depending on the guest operating system,
you might have the option of enabling UEFI Secure Boot.
See Configure a Firmware Type.
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Selecting the Number of Processors for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to specify the
number of processors for the virtual machine.
Specifying multiple virtual processors is supported only on host machines that have at least two logical
processors. Single-processor hosts that have hyperthreading enabled or dual-core CPUs are considered
to have two logical processors. Multiprocessor hosts that have two CPUs are considered to have at least
two logical processors, regardless of whether they are dual-core or have hyperthreading enabled.
For Windows virtual machines running mostly office and Internet productivity applications, using multiple
virtual processors is not beneficial, so the default single virtual processor is ideal. For server workloads
and data-intensive computing applications, adding extra virtual processors may provide an increase in
application performance.
Application Recommended number of processors
Desktop applications 1 processor
Server operating systems 2 processors
Video encoding, modeling, and scientific 4 processors
In some circumstances, adding additional processors can decrease the overall performance of the virtual
machine and your computer. This can occur if the operating system or application is not using the
processors efficiently. In this case, reducing the number of processors is recommended.
Assigning all processors on your computer to the virtual machine results in extremely poor performance.
The host operating system must continue to perform background tasks even if no applications are
running. If you assign all processors to a virtual machine, this prevents important tasks from being
completed.
For more information about virtual processors, see Virtual Machine Processor Support.
Allocating Memory for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to specify the
default settings for memory allocation.
Color-coded icons correspond to the maximum recommended memory, recommended memory, and
guest operating system recommended minimum memory values. To adjust the memory allocated to the
virtual machine, move the slider along the range of values. The high end of the range is determined by
the amount of memory allocated to all running virtual machines. If you allow virtual machine memory to be
swapped, this value changes to reflect the specified amount of swapping.
The maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 64GB.
The total amount of memory that you can assign to all virtual machines running on a single host machine
is limited only by the amount of RAM on the host machine.
You can change the amount of memory available to all virtual machines by modifying Workstation Pro
memory settings.
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Selecting the Network Connection Type for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to configure the
network connection type for the virtual machine.
If you are creating a remote virtual machine, you must select either a custom network or no network
connection.
Table 3‑7. Network Connection Settings
Setting Description
Use bridged networking Configure a bridged network connection for the virtual machine. With bridged networking,
the virtual machine has direct access to an external Ethernet network. The virtual
machine must have its own IP address on the external network.
If your host system is on a network and you have a separate IP address for your virtual
machine (or can get an IP address from a DHCP server), select this setting. Other
computers on the network can then communicate directly with the virtual machine.
Use network address translation
(NAT)
Configure a NAT connection for the virtual machine. With NAT, the virtual machine and the
host system share a single network identity that is not visible outside the network.
Select NAT if you do not have a separate IP address for the virtual machine, but you want
to be able to connect to the Internet.
Use host-only networking Configure a host-only network connection for the virtual machine. Host-only networking
provides a network connection between the virtual machine and the host system, using a
virtual network adapter that is visible to the host operating system.
With host-only networking, the virtual machine can communicate only with the host
system and other virtual machines in the host-only network. Select host-only networking
to set up an isolated virtual network.
Do not use a network connection Do not configure a network connection for the virtual machine.
Custom (Windows host) or Named
Network (Linux host)
(Remote virtual machine only) Select a specific virtual network.
See Chapter 8 Configuring Network Connections for information about virtual switches, virtual network
adapters, the virtual DHCP server, and the NAT device.
Selecting the I/O Controller Type for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to select the I/O
controller type for the virtual machine. Workstation Pro automatically configures your virtual machine with
the SCSI controller best suited for the guest operating system, but you can change the controller.
Workstation Pro installs an IDE controller and a SCSI controller in the virtual machine. SATA controllers
are supported for some guest operating systems. The IDE controller is always ATAPI. For the SCSI
controller, you can choose BusLogic, LSI Logic, or LSI Logic SAS. If you are creating a remote virtual
machine on an ESX host, you can also select a VMware Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) adapter.
BusLogic and LSI Logic adapters have parallel interfaces. The LSI Logic SAS adapter has a serial
interface. The LSI Logic adapter has improved performance and works better with generic SCSI devices.
The LSI Logic adapter is also supported by ESX Server 2.0 and later.
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PVSCSI adapters are high-performance storage adapters that can provide greater throughput and lower
CPU utilization. They are best suited for environments where hardware or applications drive a very high
amount of I/O throughput, such as SAN environments. PVSCSI adapters are not suited for DAS
environments.
Note The choice of SCSI controller does not affect whether the virtual disk can be an IDE, SCSI, or
SATA disk.
Some guest operating systems, such as Windows XP, do not include a driver for the LSI Logic or LSI
Logic SAS adapter. You must download the driver from the LSI Logic Web site. Drivers for a Mylex
(BusLogic) compatible host bus adapter are not obvious on the LSI Logic Web site. Search the support
area for the numeric string in the model number, for example, search for 958 for BT/KT-958 drivers.
See the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for driver support information. For guest
operating system support information and known issues, as well as SATA support, see the online
Compatibility Guide on the VMware Web site.
Selecting a Hard Disk for a Virtual Machine
When you select a custom configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you to configure a
hard disk for the virtual machine.
Virtual hard disks are the best choice for most virtual machines because they are easy to set up and can
be moved to new locations on the same host system or to different host systems. In a typical
configuration, Workstation Pro creates a new virtual hard disk for the virtual machine.
In some cases, you might want to select an existing virtual hard disk or give the virtual machine access to
a physical hard disk or unused partition on the host system.
nSelecting the Virtual Hard Disk Type for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom
configuration, the wizard prompts you to select the virtual hard disk type for the virtual machine.
nSelecting the Disk Mode
When you select a custom configuration on a Linux host, you can use the New Virtual Machine
wizard to configure normal or independent mode for a disk.
nPrepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition
You must perform certain tasks before you configure a virtual machine to use a physical disk or
unused partition on the host system.
nSpecifying Disk Capacity for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom
configuration, the wizard prompts you to set the size of the virtual disk and specify whether to split
the disk into multiple virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
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nSpecifying the Name and Location of Virtual Disk Files
During a custom configuration, if you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new
virtual disk, use an existing virtual disk, or use a physical disk, the wizard prompts you for the name
and location of a virtual disk (.vmdk) file.
Selecting the Virtual Hard Disk Type for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom configuration,
the wizard prompts you to select the virtual hard disk type for the virtual machine.
You can set up a virtual disk as an IDE disk for any guest operating system. You can set up a virtual disk
as a SCSI disk for any guest operating system that has a driver for the LSI Logic or BusLogic SCSI
controller available in the virtual machine. You can set up a virtual disk as a SATA disk for some guest
operating systems. You can set up a virtual disk as an NVMe disk for guest operating systems that
support the NVMe disk type.
You can change virtual disk node and mode settings after a virtual machine is created.
Selecting the Disk Mode
When you select a custom configuration on a Linux host, you can use the New Virtual Machine wizard to
configure normal or independent mode for a disk.
In normal mode, disks are included in snapshots that you take of the virtual machine. If you do not want
data on the disk to be recorded when you take a snapshot of the virtual machine, configure the disk to be
independent.
If you configure a disk to be independent, you can further specify whether changes you make to the disk
are to persist or be discarded when you power off the virtual machine or restore a snapshot.
You can also exclude virtual disks from snapshots by modifying virtual machine settings.
Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition
You must perform certain tasks before you configure a virtual machine to use a physical disk or unused
partition on the host system.
You must perform these tasks before you run the New Virtual Machine wizard to add a physical disk to a
new virtual machine, and before you add a physical disk to an existing virtual machine.
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Procedure
1If a partition is mounted by the host or in use by another virtual machine, unmount it.
The virtual machine and guest operating system access a physical disk partition while the host
continues to run its operating system. Corruption is possible if you allow the virtual machine to modify
a partition that is simultaneously mounted on the host operating system.
Option Description
The partition is mapped to a Windows
Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server
2012 R2 host
a Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools >
Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management.
b Select a partition and select Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and
Paths.
c Click Remove.
The partition is mapped to a Windows
7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 host
a Select Start > Control Panel.
b In the menu bar, click the arrow next to Control Panel.
c From the drop-down menu, select All Control Panel Items > Administrative
Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management (Local).
d Right-click a partition and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
e Click Remove and OK.
2Check the guest operating system documentation regarding the type of partition on which the guest
operating system can be installed.
On Windows 7 hosts, you cannot use the system partition, or the physical disk that contains it, in a
virtual machine. Other operating systems, such as Linux, can be installed on a primary or an
extended partition on any part of the drive.
3If the physical partition or disk contains data that you need in the future, back up the data.
4If you use a Windows host IDE disk in a physical disk configuration, verify that it is not configured as
the slave on the secondary IDE channel if the master on that channel is a CD-ROM drive.
5On a Linux host, set the device group membership or device ownership appropriately.
a Verify that the master physical disk device or devices are readable and writable by the user who
runs Workstation Pro.
Physical devices, such as /dev/hda (IDE physical disk) and /dev/sdb (SCSI physical disk),
belong to group-id disk on most distributions. If this is the case, you can add Workstation Pro
users to the disk group. Another option is to change the owner of the device. Consider all the
security issues involved in this option.
b Grant Workstation Pro users access to all /dev/hd[abcd] physical devices that contain
operating systems or boot managers.
When permissions are set correctly, the physical disk configuration files in Workstation Pro
control access. This reliability provides boot managers access to configuration files and other files
they might need to boot operating systems. For example, LILO needs to read /boot on a Linux
partition to boot a non-Linux operating system that might be on another drive.
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Specifying Disk Capacity for a Virtual Machine
If you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual disk during a custom configuration,
the wizard prompts you to set the size of the virtual disk and specify whether to split the disk into multiple
virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
A virtual disk is made up of one or more virtual disk files. Virtual disk files store the contents of the virtual
machine hard disk drive. Almost all of the file content is virtual machine data. A small portion of the file is
allotted to virtual machine overhead. If the virtual machine is connected directly to a physical disk, the
virtual disk file stores information about the partitions that the virtual machine is allowed to access.
You can set a size between 0.001 GB and 8 TB for a virtual disk file. You can also select whether to store
a virtual disk as a single file or split it into multiple files.
Select Split virtual disk into multiple files if the virtual disk is stored on a file system that has a file size
limitation. When you split a virtual disk less than 950 GB, a series of 2-GB virtual disk files are created.
When you split a virtual disk greater than 950 GB, two virtual disk files are created. The maximum size of
the first virtual disk file is 1.9 TB and the second virtual disk file stores the rest of the data.
For custom configurations, you can select Allocate all disk space now to allocate all disk space
immediately rather than allow the disk space to gradually grow to the maximum amount. Allocating all the
disk space immediately might provide better performance, but it is a time-consuming operation that
requires as much physical disk space as you specify for the virtual disk. If you allocate all the disk space
immediately, you cannot use the shrink disk feature.
After you create a virtual machine, you can edit virtual disk settings and add additional virtual disks.
Disk Size Compatibility
The size of a virtual disk is limited to 8 TB. However, your hardware version, bus type, and controller type
also impact the size of your virtual disks.
Workstation Hardware Version Bus Type Controller Type Maximum Disk Size
10, 11, 12, 14 IDE ATAPI 8192 GB (8TB)
10, 11, 12, 14 SCSI BusLogic 2040 GB (2TB)
10, 11, 12, 14 SCSI LSI Logic 8192 GB (8TB)
10, 11, 12, 14 SCSI LSI Logic SAS 8192 GB (8TB)
10, 11, 12, 14 SATA AHCI 8192 GB (8TB)
14 NVMe NVMe 8192 GB (8TB)
9, 8, 7, 6.5 All All 2040 GB (2TB)
6.0, 5 All All 950 GB
To discover your SCSI controller type, open the virtual machine .vmx file. The value of the setting
scsi0.virtualDev determines your SCSI controller type.
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Value SCSI Controller Type
Blank or not present BusLogic
lsilogic LSI Logic
lsisas1068 LSI Logic SAS
Specifying the Name and Location of Virtual Disk Files
During a custom configuration, if you instruct the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual
disk, use an existing virtual disk, or use a physical disk, the wizard prompts you for the name and location
of a virtual disk (.vmdk) file.
Table 3‑8. Required Information for Each Disk Type
Type of Disk Description
New virtual disk If you specified that all disk space should be stored in a single
file, Workstation Pro uses the filename that you provide to
create one 40GB disk file. If you specified that disk space
should be stored in multiple files, Workstation Pro generates
subsequent filenames by using the filename that you provide. If
you specified that files can increase in size, subsequent
filenames include an s in the file number, for example,
Windows 7-s001.vmdk. If you specified that all disk space
should be allocated when the virtual disk is created,
subsequent filenames include an f in the file number, for
example, Windows 7-f001.vmdk.
Existing virtual disk You select the name and location of an existing virtual disk file.
Physical disk After the wizard prompts you to select a physical device and
specify whether to use the entire disk or individual partitions,
you must specify a virtual disk file. Workstation Pro uses this
virtual disk file to store partition access configuration
information for the physical disk.
Note Earlier VMware products use the .dsk extension for virtual disk files.
Customizing Virtual Machine Hardware
You can click Customize Hardware on the last page of the New Virtual Machine wizard to customize
the virtual machine hardware.
You can change the default hardware settings, including memory allocation, number of virtual CPUs,
CD/DVD and floppy drive settings, and the network connection type.
Create a New Virtual Machine on the Local Host
You create a new virtual machine on the local host system by running the New Virtual Machine wizard.
You can also use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create shared virtual machines, which can be used
by remote users, and remote virtual machines, which run on remote hosts. See Chapter 9 Using Remote
Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines.
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Prerequisites
nVerify that you have the information the New Virtual Machine wizard requires to create a virtual
machine. See Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system you plan to install is supported. See the online VMware
Compatibility Guide on the VMware Web site.
nSee the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information about the guest operating
system that you plan to install.
nIf you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the installer disc in the
CD-ROM drive in the host system.
nIf 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.
nIf the virtual machine will use a physical disk or unused partition on the host system, perform the
appropriate preparation tasks. See Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition.
Procedure
1Start the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Option Description
Windows host nIf the host is not connected to a remote server, select File > New Virtual
Machine.
nIf the host is connected to a remote server, select File > New Virtual
Machine > On this Computer.
Linux host Select File > New Virtual Machine.
2Select the configuration type.
Option Description
Typical The wizard prompts you to specify or accept defaults for basic virtual machine
settings. The typical configuration type is appropriate in most instances.
Custom You must select the custom configuration type to make a different virtual machine
version than the default hardware compatibility setting, specify the I/O adapter
type for SCSI adapters, specify whether to create an IDE, SCSI, SATA, or NVMe
virtual disk, use a physical disk instead of a virtual disk, use an existing virtual
disk, or allocate all virtual disk space rather than let disk space gradually grow to
the maximum disk size.
3If you selected the Custom option, select a hardware compatibility setting.
The hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features of the virtual machine.
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4Select the source of the guest operating system.
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 for the guest operating
system.
Install the guest operating system later Create a virtual machine that has a blank disk. You must install the guest
operating system manually after you create the virtual machine.
5Specify information about the guest operating system.
Option Description
You are using Easy Install Type the Easy Install information for the guest operating system.
You are not using Easy Install Select the guest operating system type and version. If the guest operating system
is not listed, select Other.
6Type a virtual machine name and type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files.
7Follow the prompts to configure the virtual machine.
If you selected a typical configuration, the wizard prompts you to configure the virtual disk size and
specify whether the disk should be split into multiple files. If you selected a custom configuration, the
wizard prompts you to configure the firmware type, virtual machine processors, memory allocation,
networking configuration, I/O controller types, virtual disk type and mode, and virtual disk.
Note For the firmware type, if you select UEFI and if the guest operating system supports UEFI
Secure Boot, you can select the option to enable UEFI Secure Boot.
8(Optional) Click Customize Hardware to customize the hardware configuration.
You can also modify virtual hardware settings after you create the virtual machine.
9(Optional) Select Power on this virtual machine after creation to power on the virtual machine after
you create it.
This option is not available if you are installing the guest operating system manually.
10 Click Finish to create the virtual machine.
If you are using Easy Install, guest operating system installation begins when the virtual machine powers
on. The guest operating system installation is automated and typically runs without requiring any input
from you. After the guest operating system is installed, Easy Install installs VMware Tools.
If you are not using Easy Install, the virtual machine appears in the library.
What to do next
If you used Easy Install and the virtual machine did not power on when you finished the New Virtual
Machine wizard, power on the virtual machine to start the guest operating system installation. See Use
Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System.
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If you did not use Easy Install, install the guest operating system manually. See Install a Guest Operating
System Manually.
Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System
When you use Easy Install, you usually do not need to provide information during guest operating system
installation.
If you did not provide all of the Easy Install information in the New Virtual Machine wizard, you might be
prompted for a product key, user name, or password.
Also, if the guest operating system installation consists of multiple discs or ISO image files, the installer
might prompt you for the next disk.
Procedure
nIf the installer prompts you for a product key, user name, or password, click in the virtual machine
window and type the required information.
Mouse and keyboard input are captured by the virtual machine.
nIf 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.
nIf 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 Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Settings and browse to the
next ISO image file.
b Select Connected.
c Click Save.
Install a Guest Operating System Manually
Installing a guest operating system in a virtual machine is similar to installing an operating system on a
physical computer. If you do not use Easy Install when you create a virtual machine in the New 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
nVerify that the operating system is supported. See the online VMware Compatibility Guide on the
VMware Web site.
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nSee the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information on the guest operating
system that you are installing.
Procedure
1If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, configure the virtual machine to
use a physical CD-ROM or DVD drive and configure the drive to connect at power on.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
b On the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive.
c Select Connect at power on.
d (Remote virtual machine only) Select the location of the CD-ROM or DVD drive.
e Select Use physical drive and select a the drive.
f Click OK to save your changes.
2If you are installing the guest operating system from an ISO image file, configure the CD/DVD drive in
the virtual machine to point to the ISO image file and configure the drive to connect at power on.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
b On the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive.
c Select Connect at power on.
d (Remote virtual machine only) Select the location of the ISO image file.
e Select Use ISO image file and browse to the location of the ISO image file.
f Click OK to save your changes.
3If you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the disc in the CD-ROM
or DVD drive.
4Power on the virtual machine.
5Follow the installation instructions provided by the operating system vendor.
6If the operating system consists of multiple installer discs and you are prompted to insert the next
disc, insert the next disc in the physical drive.
7If the operating system consists of multiple ISO image files, select the image file for the next CD.
a Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Disconnect and disconnect from the current ISO
image file.
b Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD > Settings and select the next ISO image file.
c Select Connected and click OK.
8Use the standard tools in the operating system to configure its settings.
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What to do next
Install VMware Tools. You should install VMware Tools before you activate the license for the operating
system. See Installing VMware Tools.
Installing a Guest Operating System on a Physical Disk or Unused
Partition
You can install a guest operating system directly on a physical disk or unused partition on the host
system.
A physical disk directly accesses an existing local disk or partition. You can use physical disks to run one
or more guest operating systems from existing disk partitions.
Workstation Pro supports physical disks up to 2 TB capacity. Booting from an operating system already
set up on an existing SCSI disk or partition is not supported.
Running an operating system natively on the host system and switching to running it inside a virtual
machine is similar to pulling the hard drive out of one computer and installing it in a second computer that
has a different motherboard and hardware. The steps you take depend on the guest operating system in
the virtual machine. In most cases, a guest operating system that is installed on a physical disk or unused
partition cannot boot outside of the virtual machine, even though the data is available to the host system.
See the Dual-Boot Computers and Virtual Machines technical note on the VMware Web site for
information about using an operating system that can also boot outside of a virtual machine.
After you configure a virtual machine to use one or more partitions on a physical disk, do not modify the
partition tables by running fdisk or a similar utility in the guest operating system. If you use fdisk or a
similar utility on the host operating system to modify the partition table of the physical disk, you must
recreate the virtual machine physical disk. All files that were on the physical disk are lost when you modify
the partition table.
Important You cannot use a physical disk to share files between the host system and a guest operating
system. Making the same partition visible to both the host system and a guest operating system can
cause data corruption. Instead, use shared folder to share files between the host system and a guest
operating system.
Create a Virtual Machine Shortcut
You can use a shortcut to select a virtual machine from your desktop.
Prerequisites
A virtual machine must be present in the Workstation Pro Virtual Machine Library.
This feature is available on Windows host systems only.
Procedure
1Select a virtual machine from the virtual machine library.
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2Drag the virtual machine to the host desktop or to a folder.
A shortcut is created for the virtual machine.
You can select the virtual machine by double-clicking the shortcut.
Cloning Virtual Machines
Installing a guest operating system and applications can be time consuming. With clones, you can make
many copies of a virtual machine from a single installation and configuration process. Cloning a virtual
machine is faster and easier than copying it.
Clones are useful when you must deploy many identical virtual machines to a group. For example, an
MIS department can clone a virtual machine that has a suite of preconfigured office applications for each
employee. You can also configure a virtual machine that has a complete development environment and
then clone it repeatedly as a baseline configuration for software testing.
The existing virtual machine is called the parent virtual machine. When the cloning operation is complete,
the clone becomes a separate virtual machine.
Changes made to a clone do not affect the parent virtual machine, and changes made to the parent
virtual machine do not appear in a clone. The MAC address and UUID for a clone are different from the
parent virtual machine.
nUsing Linked Clones
A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine
in an ongoing manner.
nUsing Full Clones
A full clone is a complete and independent copy of a virtual machine. It shares nothing with the
parent virtual machine after the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is entirely
separate from the parent virtual machine.
nEnable Template Mode for a Parent Virtual Machine of Linked Clones
To prevent the parent virtual machine for a linked clone from being deleted, you can designate the
parent as a template. When template mode is enabled, the virtual machine, and snapshots of the
virtual machine, cannot be deleted.
nClone a Virtual Machine
The Clone Virtual Machine wizard guides you through the process of cloning a virtual machine. You
do not need to locate and manually copy the parent virtual machine files.
Using Linked Clones
A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine in an
ongoing manner.
Because a linked clone is made from a snapshot of the parent, disk space is conserved and multiple
virtual machines can use the same software installation. All files available on the parent at the moment
you take the snapshot continue to remain available to the linked clone.
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Ongoing changes to the virtual disk of the parent do not affect the linked clone, and changes to the disk of
the linked clone do not affect the parent. A linked clone must have access to the parent. Without access
to the parent, you cannot use a linked clone.
Because linked clones are created swiftly, you can create a unique virtual machine for each task. You can
also share a virtual machine with other users by storing the virtual machine on your local network where
other users can quickly make a linked clone. For example, a support team can reproduce a bug in a
virtual machine, and an engineer can quickly make a linked clone of that virtual machine to work on the
bug.
You can make a linked clone from a linked clone, but the performance of the linked clone degrades. If you
make a full clone from a linked clone, the full clone is an independent virtual machine that does not
require access to the linked clone or its parent. You should make a linked clone of the parent virtual
machine, if possible.
Important You cannot delete a linked clone snapshot without destroying the linked clone. You can safely
delete the snapshot only if you also delete the clone that depends on it.
Using Full Clones
A full clone is a complete and independent copy of a virtual machine. It shares nothing with the parent
virtual machine after the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is entirely separate from the
parent virtual machine.
Because a full clone does not share virtual disks with the parent virtual machine, full clones generally
perform better than linked clones. Full clones take longer to create than linked clones. Creating a full
clone can take several minutes if the files involved are large.
Because a full clone duplicates only the state of the virtual machine at the instant of the cloning operation,
it does not have access to snapshots of the parent virtual machine.
Enable Template Mode for a Parent Virtual Machine of Linked
Clones
To prevent the parent virtual machine for a linked clone from being deleted, you can designate the parent
as a template. When template mode is enabled, the virtual machine, and snapshots of the virtual
machine, cannot be deleted.
Note You cannot enable template mode for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
If the parent does not have at least one snapshot, create a snapshot. See Taking Snapshots of Virtual
Machines.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine to use as a parent of the linked clone and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Advanced.
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3Select Enable Template mode (to be used for cloning) and click OK.
Clone a Virtual Machine
The Clone Virtual Machine wizard guides you through the process of cloning a virtual machine. You do
not need to locate and manually copy the parent virtual machine files.
Prerequisites
nFamiliarize yourself with the different types of clones. See Using Full Clones and Using Linked
Clones.
nRun a defragmentation utility in the guest operating system to defragment the drives on the parent
virtual machine.
nIf the parent virtual machine is a Workstation 4.x and Workstation 4.x-compatible virtual machine,
upgrade it to Workstation 5.x or later.
nIf you are creating a linked clone, enable template mode for the parent virtual machine. See Enable
Template Mode for a Parent Virtual Machine of Linked Clones.
nPower off the parent virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the parent virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Clone.
2Select the state of the parent from which you want to create a clone.
You can create a clone from the current state of the parent virtual machine or from an existing
snapshot. If you select the current state, Workstation Pro creates a snapshot of the parent virtual
machine before cloning it.
Note You cannot clone from the current state if template mode is enabled for the parent virtual
machine.
3Specify whether to create a linked clone or a full clone.
4Type a name and a location for the cloned virtual machine.
5Click Finish to create the clone and Close to exit the wizard.
A full clone can take several minutes to create, depending on the size of the virtual disk that is being
duplicated.
6If the parent virtual machine uses a static IP address, change the static IP address of the clone before
the clone connects to the network to prevent IP address conflicts.
Although the wizard creates a new MAC address and UUID for the clone, other configuration
information, such as the virtual machine name and static IP address configuration, is identical to that
of the parent virtual machine.
The summary view for a linked clone shows the path to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file of the
parent virtual machine.
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Virtualize a Physical Machine
You can create a virtual machine from a Windows physical machine in Workstation Pro. When you
virtualize a physical machine, you capture all of the applications, documents, and settings on the physical
machine in a new virtual machine. Workstation Pro must be running on a Windows host system to use
this feature.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the physical machine that you want to virtualize is running Windows. You cannot create a
virtual machine from a non-Windows physical machine in Workstation Pro.
Note You can create a virtual machine from a Linux physical machine using vCenter Converter
Standalone. For more information, see the vCenter Converter Standalone documentation.
nVerify that you have administrative access on the physical machine that you want to virtualize and on
the Workstation Pro host system.
nVerify that the Workstation Pro host system has network access to the physical machine that you
want to virtualize.
nVerify that on the Workstation Pro host system you have disabled User Account Control (UAC). For
instructions, see Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for Virtualization.
nTurn off firewall applications running on the physical machine that you want to virtualize.
nPrepare the physical machine for virtualization. See Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for
Virtualization.
Procedure
1Power on the physical machine that you want to virtualize.
2On the Windows host system, in Workstation Pro, select File > Virtualize a Physical Machine.
If you have never virtualized a physical machine in Workstation Pro, you need to download and install
VMware vCenter Converter Standalone. After the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone installation
is finished, you must restart the virtualization wizard.
3Type the hostname or IP address, user name, and password for the physical machine that you want
to virtualize.
You must use the Administrator account or a user account that is a member of the local
Administrators group.
4Type a name for the new virtual machine and specify a location on the host system in which to store
the virtual machine files.
5Type the user name and password for your user account on the host system.
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6Click Finish to create a virtual machine from the physical machine.
The amount of time required to create the virtual machine depends on the size of the hard disk on the
physical machine.
VMware Tools installation begins the first time you power on the new virtual machine.
Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for Virtualization
To avoid problems related to permissions and network access, you must perform certain steps to prepare
a Windows physical machine before you run the Virtualize a Physical Machine wizard.
Procedure
uDisable User Account Control (UAC) on the Windows physical machine.
nOn Windows Vista, open the User Accounts control panel, select Turn User Account Control
On or Off, and deselect Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer.
nOn Windows 7 or later, open the Change User Account Control Settings control panel and
drag the slider to Never notify.
Troubleshoot Windows Authentication Problems During Physical
Machine Virtualization
User authentication fails when the Virtualize a Physical Machine wizard attempts to connect a Windows
physical machine.
Problem
After you provide user credentials for the physical machine, the Virtualize a Physical Machine wizard
reports that your user credentials are incorrect or you have insufficient permissions to connect to the
physical machine.
Cause
Simple file sharing or User Account Control (UAC) is enabled on the physical machine.
Solution
Perform the steps in Prepare a Windows Physical Machine for Virtualization and rerun the Virtualize a
Physical Machine wizard.
Troubleshoot Windows Activation Problems
A virtual machine that you create from a physical machine prompts you to activate Windows when you
use it in Workstation Pro.
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Problem
After you create a virtual machine from a Windows Vista or Windows 7 physical machine, or from a
physical PC that came with Windows preinstalled, you were required to reactivate Windows in the virtual
machine.
Cause
When you create a virtual machine from a Windows Vista or Windows 7 physical machine, the operating
system detects that the computer hardware has changed. When you make a significant hardware
change, Microsoft requires you to activate Windows again.
The OEM versions of Windows that are preinstalled on some new computers are customized for those
computers. OEM licenses of Windows are not transferrable.
Solution
Any virtual machine that was created from a physical machine that had its Windows license key
successfully activated needs to be reactivated when you run it in Workstation Pro.
The activation process in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is different from the Windows XP activation
process. In Windows 7, retail activation keys are good for only one use. If you enter the same activation
key in Workstation Pro that you used previously, you cannot successfully activate the virtual machine.
The activation wizard tells you that the activation key was already used and prompts you to call the
Microsoft activation hotline to get a second key. If you did not previously call the hotline for the same
license key, you should receive a new activation key. Your call is not transferred to an operator unless you
call repeatedly for the same key.
See the Microsoft Web site for more information about why reactivation is necessary.
Importing Virtual Machines
You can import virtual machines in other formats into Workstation Pro.
Import an Open Virtualization Format Virtual Machine
You can import an Open Virtualization Format (OVF) virtual machine and run it in Workstation Pro.
Workstation Pro converts the virtual machine from OVF format to VMware runtime (.vmx) format. You can
import both .ovf and .ova files.
OVF is a platform-independent, efficient, extensible, and open packaging and distribution format for virtual
machines. For example, you can import OVF virtual machines exported from VMware Fusion™ or Oracle
VM VirtualBox into Workstation Pro. You can import OVF 1.x files only.
You can also use the standalone OVF Tool to convert an OVF virtual machine to VMware runtime format.
The standalone version of the OVF Tool is installed in the Workstation Pro installation directory under
OVFTool. See the OVF Tool User Guide on the VMware Web site for information on using the OVF Tool.
Procedure
1In Workstation Pro, select File > Open.
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2Browse to the .ovf or .ova file and click Open.
3Type a name for the virtual machine, type or browse to the directory for the virtual machine files, and
click Import.
Workstation Pro performs OVF specification conformance and virtual hardware compliance checks. A
status bar indicates the progress of the import process.
4If the import fails, click Retry to try again, or click Cancel to cancel the import.
If you retry the import, Workstation Pro relaxes the OVF specification conformance and virtual
hardware compliance checks and you might not be able to use the virtual machine in
Workstation Pro.
After Workstation Pro successfully imports the OVF virtual machine, the virtual machine appears in the
virtual machine library.
Import a VMware vCenter Server Appliance
You can import a VMware vCenter® Server Appliance™ and run it in Workstation Pro. You can import
both .ovf and .ova files.
Procedure
1In Workstation Pro, select File > Open.
2Browse to the vCenter Server Appliance .ovf or .ova file and click Open.
3Select the license agreement check box and click Next.
4Continue through the wizard, responding to prompts and clicking through to the next dialog box.
5If the import fails, click Retry to try again, or click Cancel to cancel the import.
If you retry the import, Workstation Pro relaxes the OVF specification conformance and virtual
hardware compliance checks and you might not be able to use the virtual machine in
Workstation Pro.
After Workstation Pro successfully imports the vCenter Server Appliance as a virtual machine, the virtual
machine appears in the virtual machine library. Workstation Pro then powers on the virtual machine and
applies the vCenter Server Appliance configuration.
Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
Installing VMware Tools is part of the process of creating a new virtual machine. Upgrading VMware Tools
is part of the process of keeping virtual machines up to current standards.
For the best performance and latest updates, install or upgrade VMware Tools to match the version of
Workstation Pro that you are using. Other compatibility options are also available.
For more information about using VMware Tools, see Installing and Configuring VMware Tools at
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware-tools-installation-configuration.pdf .
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nInstalling VMware Tools
Installing VMware Tools is part of the process of creating a new virtual machine, and upgrading
VMware Tools is part of the process of keeping your virtual machine up to current standards.
Although your guest operating systems can run without VMware Tools, many VMware features are
not available until you install VMware Tools. When you install VMware Tools, the utilities in the suite
enhance the performance of the guest operating system in your virtual machine and improve the
management of your virtual machines.
nUpgrading VMware Tools
You can upgrade VMware Tools manually, or you can configure virtual machines to check for and
install newer versions of VMware Tools.
nConfigure Automatic Software Updates
You can configure Workstation Pro to automatically download software updates, including new
versions of VMware Tools. When automatic software updates are enabled, Workstation Pro always
includes the latest support for guest operating systems and virtual machines always have the latest
version of VMware Tools.
nConfigure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine
You can configure virtual machines that have Windows or Linux guest operating systems to update
VMware Tools automatically. For other guest operating systems, you must manually update VMware
Tools.
nManually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
You can manually install or upgrade VMware Tools on Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and
FreeBSD virtual machines.
nStarting the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a Session Manager
VMware Tools in Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems uses the VMware user
process. This program implements the fit-guest-to-window and other features.
nUninstalling VMware Tools
If the upgrade process of VMware Tools is incomplete, you can uninstall and then reinstall the
VMware Tools.
Installing VMware Tools
Installing VMware Tools is part of the process of creating a new virtual machine, and upgrading VMware
Tools is part of the process of keeping your virtual machine up to current standards. Although your guest
operating systems can run without VMware Tools, many VMware features are not available until you
install VMware Tools. When you install VMware Tools, the utilities in the suite enhance the performance of
the guest operating system in your virtual machine and improve the management of your virtual
machines.
For information about creating virtual machines, see the documentation for the applicable VMware
product.
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The installers for VMware Tools are ISO image files. The CD-ROM in your guest operating system detects
the ISO image file. Each type of guest operating system, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, has
an ISO image file. When you select the command to install or upgrade VMware Tools, the virtual
machine’s first virtual CD-ROM disk drive temporarily connects to the VMware Tools ISO file for your
guest operating system.
You can use the Windows Easy Install or Linux Easy Install feature to install VMware Tools as soon as the
operating system is finished installing.
The most recent versions of the ISO files are stored on a VMware Web site. When you select the
command to install or upgrade VMware Tools, the VMware product determines whether it has
downloaded the most recent version of the ISO file for the specific operating system. If the latest version
has not been downloaded or if no VMware Tools ISO file for that operating system has ever been
downloaded, you are prompted to download the file.
nVMware Tools installer from windows.iso automatically detects the windows version. It does not
proceed with the installation on guest operating systems earlier than Windows Vista.
nVMware Tools installer from winPreVista.iso does not proceed with the installation on Windows
Vista and later.
nVMware Tools installer from linux.iso does not proceed with installation on Linux guest operating
system versions earlier than RHEL5, SLES 11, Ubuntu 10.04, and other Linux distributions with
glibc version earlier than 2.5.
nVMware Tools installer from darwinPre15.iso does not proceed with installation on MAC OS X
guest operating systems versions 10.11 or later.
nVMware Tools installer from darwin.iso does not proceed with installation on MAC OS X guest
operating systems versions earlier than 10.11.
The installation procedure varies, depending on the operating system. For information about installing or
upgrading VMware Tools on your guest operating systems, see the topic about upgrading virtual
machines in the Virtual Machine Administration Guide. For general instructions about installing VMware
Tools, see the VMware Knowledge base article http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1014294.
Upgrading VMware Tools
You can upgrade VMware Tools manually, or you can configure virtual machines to check for and install
newer versions of VMware Tools.
The guest operating system checks the version of VMware Tools when you power on a virtual machine.
The status bar of your virtual machine displays a message when a new version is available.
For vSphere virtual machines,
A newer version of Tools is available for this VM
is displayed when the installed version of VMware Tools is out of date.
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In Windows virtual machines, you can set VMware Tools to notify you when an upgrade is available. If this
notification option is enabled, the VMware Tools icon in the Windows taskbar includes a yellow caution
icon when a VMware Tools upgrade is available.
To install a VMware Tools upgrade, you can use the same procedure that you used for installing VMware
Tools the first time. Upgrading VMware Tools means installing a new version.
For Windows and Linux guest operating systems, you can configure the virtual machine to automatically
upgrade VMware Tools. Although the version check is performed when you power on the virtual machine,
on Windows guest operating systems, the automatic upgrade occurs when you power off or restart the
virtual machine. The status bar displays the message Installing VMware Tools ... when an
upgrade is in progress. The procedure is mentioned below.
Note Upgrading VMware Tools on Windows guest operation systems automatically installs the WDDM
graphics drivers. The WDDM graphics driver allows the sleep mode available in guest OS power settings
to adjust the sleep options. For example, you can use the sleep mode setting Change when the
computer sleeps to configure your guest OS to automatically go to sleep mode after a certain time or
prevent your guest OS from automatically switching to sleep mode after being idle for some time.
Some features in a particular release of a VMware product might depend on installing or upgrading to the
version of VMware Tools included in that release. Upgrading to the latest version of VMware Tools is not
always necessary. Newer versions of VMware Tools are compatible with several host versions. To avoid
unnecessary upgrades, evaluate whether the added features and capabilities are necessary for your
environment.
Configure Automatic Software Updates
You can configure Workstation Pro to automatically download software updates, including new versions of
VMware Tools. When automatic software updates are enabled, Workstation Pro always includes the latest
support for guest operating systems and virtual machines always have the latest version of VMware
Tools.
Prerequisites
nOn a Linux host, become root. On Linux systems, non-root users are not allowed to modify the
preference setting for VMware Tools updates.
nVerify that the host system is connected to the Internet.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences and select Updates.
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2Select a software update download option.
If you deselect all of the software update options, automatic software updates are disabled.
Option Description
Check for product updates on startup When Workstation Pro starts, it checks for new versions of the application and
installed software components.
Check for software components as
needed
When a software component is needed, for example, when you install or upgrade
VMware Tools on a virtual machine, Workstation Pro checks for a new version of
the component.
Download All Components Now Click this button to download all software updates immediately. This option is
useful if you are planning to use a virtual machine at a later time when you do not
have access to the Internet.
3If you use a proxy server to connect to the Internet, click Connection Settings and select a proxy
setting.
Option Description
No proxy Select this option if you do not use a proxy server. This is the default setting.
Windows proxy settings (Windows hosts only) Workstation Pro uses the host proxy settings from the
Connections tab in the Internet Options control panel to access the VMware
Update Server. Click Internet Options to set the guest connection options. Type
a user name and password to use for proxy server authentication. If you leave
either the Username or Password text box blank, Workstation Pro does not use
either value.
Manual proxy settings Select an HTTP or SOCKS proxy, specify the proxy server address and designate
a port number to access the VMware Update Server. Type a user name and
password to use for proxy server authentication. If you leave either the Username
or Password text box blank, Workstation Pro does not use either value (Windows
hosts) or it uses the user name and password set in the gnome settings (Linux
hosts).
4To update VMware Tools when you power on a virtual machine or shut down the guest operating
system, select Automatically update VMware Tools on a virtual machine.
You can override this setting for a specific virtual machine by modifying virtual machine settings.
When you power on a virtual machine, you are prompted to download VMware Tools if a new version
is available.
5Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
To override the VMware Tools update setting for a specific virtual machine, edit the virtual machine
settings. See Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine.
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Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine
You can configure virtual machines that have Windows or Linux guest operating systems to update
VMware Tools automatically. For other guest operating systems, you must manually update VMware
Tools.
Automatic VMware Tools updates are supported for versions of VMware Tools included in Workstation 5.5
and later virtual machines only. Automatic updates are not supported for versions of VMware Tools
included in virtual machines created with VMware Server 1.x.
Important If you update VMware Tools in a Windows virtual machine that was created with Workstation
4 or 5.x, some new components are not installed. To install the new components, you must uninstall the
old version of VMware Tools and install the new version of VMware Tools.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select VMware Tools.
3Select a VMware Tools update setting.
Option Description
Update manually (do nothing) You must update VMware Tools manually. The virtual machine status bar
indicates when a new version of VMware Tools is available.
Update automatically VMware Tools is updated automatically. The virtual machine status bar indicates
when an update is in progress. If you are logged in to a Windows guest, a restart
prompt appears after the update is complete. If you are not logged in, the
operating system restarts without prompting. An auto-update check is performed
as part of the boot sequence when you power on the virtual machine. If the virtual
machine was suspended and you resume it or restore it to a snapshot during the
boot sequence before this check, the automatic update occurs as planned. If you
resume the virtual machine or restore it to a snapshot after the check, the
automatic update does not occur.
Use application default (currently
update manually)
Use the default VMware Tools update behavior. The default behavior is set in
Workstation Pro preferences.
Note You cannot configure this option for a shared or remote virtual machine.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Manually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
You can manually install or upgrade VMware Tools on Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and FreeBSD
virtual machines.
If you are installing VMware Tools in a number of Windows virtual machines, you can automate its
installation by using the VMware Tools setup.exe at a command prompt in the guest operating system.
See Installing and Configuring VMware Tools at
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vmware-tools-installation-configuration.pdf for more information.
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nManually Installing VMware Tools on a Windows Virtual Machine
Guest operating system Windows 2000 and earlier, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows
Vista, and later support VMware Tools.
nManually Installing VMware Tools on a Linux Virtual Machine
For Linux virtual machines, you manually install VMware Tools from the command line. For later
Linux distributions, use the integrated Open VM Tools version.
nManually Installing VMware Tools on a NetWare Virtual Machine
For NetWare virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.
nManually Installing VMware Tools on a Solaris Virtual Machine
For Solaris virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command
line.
nManually Installing VMware Tools on a FreeBSD Virtual Machine
For FreeBSD virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the
command line.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Windows Virtual Machine
Guest operating system Windows 2000 and earlier, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista,
and later support VMware Tools.
For Windows 2000 and later, VMware Tools installs a virtual machine upgrade helper tool. This tool
restores the network configuration if you upgrade the virtual machine compatibility from ESX/ESXi 3.5 to
ESX/ESXi 4.0 and later or from Workstation 5.5 to Workstation 6.0 and later.
Prerequisites
nPower on the virtual machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system is running.
nIf you connected the virtual machine’s virtual CD/DVD drive to an ISO image file when you installed
the operating system, change the setting so that the virtual CD/DVD drive is configured to autodetect
a physical drive.
The autodetect setting enables the virtual machine's first virtual CD/DVD drive to detect and connect
to the VMware Tools ISO file for a VMware Tools installation. This ISO file is detected as a physical
CD by your guest operating system. Use the virtual machine settings editor to set the CD/DVD drive
to autodetect a physical drive.
nLog in as an administrator unless you are using an older Windows operating system. Any user can
install VMware Tools in a Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME guest operating system. For
operating systems later than these, you must log in as an administrator.
nThe AppDefense component is not installed by default. You must perform a custom installation and
include that component.
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Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2If you are installing VMware Tools for the first time, click OK on the Install VMware Tools information
page.
If autorun is enabled for the CD-ROM drive on the guest operating system, the VMware Tools
installation wizard starts.
If autorun is not enabled, to manually launch the wizard, click Start > Run and enter D:\setup.exe,
where D: is your first virtual CD-ROM drive. Use D:\setup64.exe for 64-bit Windows guest
operating system.
3Follow the on-screen prompts.
4If the New Hardware wizard appears, follow the prompts and accept the defaults.
Note If you are installing a beta or RC version of VMware Tools and you see a warning that a
package or driver is not signed, click Install Anyway to complete the installation.
5When prompted, reboot the virtual machine.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Linux Virtual Machine
For Linux virtual machines, you manually install VMware Tools from the command line. For later Linux
distributions, use the integrated Open VM Tools version.
Prerequisites
For more information on OS compatibility for open-vm-tools, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at
https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php.
nPower on the virtual machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system is running.
nBecause the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2In the virtual machine, open a terminal window.
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3Run the mount command with no arguments to determine whether your Linux distribution
automatically mounted the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image.
If the CD-ROM device is mounted, the CD-ROM device and its mount point are listed in a manner
similar to the following output:
/dev/cdrom on /mnt/cdrom type iso9660 (ro,nosuid,nodev)
4If the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image is not mounted, mount the CD-ROM drive.
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.
5Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.
cd /tmp
6(Optional) Delete any previous vmware-tools-distrib directory before you install VMware Tools.
The location of this directory depends on where you placed it during the previous installation. Often
this directory is placed in /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib.
7List the contents of the mount point directory and note the file name of the VMware Tools tar installer.
ls mount-point
8Uncompress the installer.
tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-x.x.x-yyyy.tar.gz
The value x.x.x is the product version number, and yyyy is the build number of the product release.
9If necessary, unmount the CD-ROM image.
umount /dev/cdrom
If your Linux distribution automatically mounted the CD-ROM, you do not need to unmount the image.
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10 Run the installer and configure VMware Tools as a root user
cd vmware-tools-distrib
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
If you attempt to install a tar installation over an RPM installation, or the reverse, the installer detects
the previous installation and must convert the installer database format before continuing.
Note For newer Linux distributions, users are prompted to choose the integrated open-vm-tools.
11 Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.
12 Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a NetWare Virtual Machine
For NetWare virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Prerequisites
nPower on the virtual machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system is running.
nBecause the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Note VMware Tools 10.1.0 does not support the NetWare operating system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2Load the CD-ROM driver so that the virtual CD-ROM device mounts the ISO image as a volume.
Operating 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
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When the installation finishes, the message VMware Tools for NetWare are now running
appears in the Logger Screen for NetWare 6.5 and NetWare 6.0 guest operating systems and in the
Console Screen for NetWare 4.2 and 5.1 operating systems.
3If the VMware Tools virtual disc (netware.iso) is attached to the virtual machine, right-click the CD-
ROM icon in the status bar of the console window and select Disconnect.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a Solaris Virtual Machine
For Solaris virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Prerequisites
nPower on the virtual machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system is running.
nBecause the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.
3If the Solaris volume manager does not mount the CD-ROM under /cdrom/vmwaretools, restart the
volume manager.
/etc/init.d/volmgt stop
/etc/init.d/volmgt start
4Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.
cd /tmp
5Extract VMware Tools.
gunzip -c /cdrom/vmwaretools/vmware-solaris-tools.tar.gz | tar xf -
6Run the installer and configure VMware Tools.
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
7Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.
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8Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Manually Installing VMware Tools on a FreeBSD Virtual Machine
For FreeBSD virtual machines, you manually install or upgrade VMware Tools by using the command line.
Prerequisites
nPower on the virtual machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system is running.
nBecause the VMware Tools installer is written in Perl, verify that Perl is installed in the guest operating
system.
Procedure
1On the host, from the Workstation Pro menu bar, select VM > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2In the virtual machine, log in to the guest operating system as root and open a terminal window.
3If the distribution does not automatically mount CD-ROMs, mount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM
image.
For example, type mount /cdrom.
4Change to a working directory, for example, /tmp.
cd /tmp
5Untar the VMware Tools .tar.gz file.
tar zxpf /cdrom/vmware-freebsd-tools.tar.gz
6If the distribution does not use automounting, unmount the VMware Tools virtual CD-ROM image.
umount /cdrom
7Run the installer and configure VMware Tools.
cd vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl
Usually, the vmware-config-tools.pl configuration file runs after the installer file finishes running.
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8Follow the prompts to accept the default values, if appropriate for your configuration.
9Follow the instructions at the end of the script.
Depending on the features you use, these instructions can include restarting the X session, restarting
networking, logging in again, and starting the VMware User process. You can alternatively reboot the
guest operating system to accomplish all these tasks.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Starting the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a
Session Manager
VMware Tools in Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD guest operating systems uses the VMware user process.
This program implements the fit-guest-to-window and other features.
Normally, this process starts after you configure VMware Tools, log out of the desktop environment, and
log back in. You can invoke the VMware user process by running the vmtoolsd -n vmusr command.
The startup script that you need to modify depends on your system. You must start the process manually
in the following environments:
nIf 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.
nIf you are using an older version of GNOME without gdm or xdm.
nIf you are using a session manager or environment that does not support the Desktop Application
Autostart Specification, available from http://standards.freedesktop.org.
nIf you upgrade VMware Tools.
Procedure
uStart the VMware User process.
Option Action
Start the VMware User process when
you start an X session.
Add vmtoolsd -n vmusr 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 vmtoolsd -n vmusr command.
Uninstalling VMware Tools
If the upgrade process of VMware Tools is incomplete, you can uninstall and then reinstall the VMware
Tools.
Prerequisites
nPower on the virtual machine.
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nLog in to the guest operating system.
Procedure
uSelect a method to uninstall VMware Tools.
Operating System Action
Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or Windows 10 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 Log in as root and enter vmware-uninstall-tools.pl in a terminal window.
Mac OS X, OS X, or macOS Use the Uninstall VMware Tools application, found in /Library/Application
Support/VMware Tools.
What to do next
Reinstall VMware Tools.
Virtual Machine Files
When you create a virtual machine, Workstation Pro creates a set of files for that specific virtual machine.
Virtual machine files are stored in either the virtual machines directory or the working directory. Both
directories are typically on the host system.
Table 3‑9. Virtual Machine Files
Extension File Name Description
.vmx vmname.vmx The primary configuration file, which stores virtual machine settings. If
you created the virtual machine with an earlier version of Workstation Pro
on a Linux host, this file might have a .cfg extension.
.log vmname.log
or
vmware.log
The main log file. If you need to troubleshoot a problem, refer to this file.
This file is stored in the same directory as the .vmx file.
.nvram vmname.nvram
or
nvram
The NVRAM file, which stores the state of the virtual machine BIOS. This
file is stored in the same directory as the .vmx file.
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Table 3‑9. Virtual Machine Files (Continued)
Extension File Name Description
.vmdk vmname.vmdk Virtual disk files, which store the contents of the virtual machine hard disk
drive. These files are stored in the same directory as the .vmx file.
A virtual disk is made up of one or more virtual disk files. The virtual
machine settings show the name of the first file in the set. This file
contains pointers to the other files in the set.
If you specify that all disk space should be allocated when the virtual disk
is created, these files start at the maximum size and do not grow. Almost
all of the file content is virtual machine data. A small portion of the file is
allotted to virtual machine overhead.
If the virtual machine is connected directly to a physical disk, the virtual
disk file stores information about the partitions that the virtual machine is
allowed to access.
Note Earlier VMware products use the .dsk extension for virtual disk
files.
vmname-s###.vmdk If you specified that the files can increase, filenames include an s in the
file number, for example, Windows 7-s001.vmdk.
If you specified that the virtual disk is divided into 2GB sections, the
number of files depends on the size of the virtual disk. As data is added
to a virtual disk, the files increase to a maximum of 2GB each.
vmname-f###.vmdk If all disk space was allocated when the disk was created, filenames
include an f, for example, Windows 7-f001.vmdk.
vmname-disk-###.vmdk If the virtual machine has one or more snapshots, some files are redo log
files. These files store changes made to a virtual disk while the virtual
machine is running. The ### indicates a unique suffix that
Workstation Pro adds to avoid duplicate file names.
.vmem uuid.vmem The virtual machine paging file, which backs up the guest main memory
on the host file system. This file exists only when the virtual machine is
running or if the virtual machine fails. It is stored in the working directory.
snapshot_name_number.vmem Each snapshot of a virtual machine that is powered on has an
associated .vmem file, which contains the guest operating system main
memory, saved as part of the snapshot.
.vmsd vmname.vmsd A centralized file for storing information and metadata about snapshots. It
is stored in the working directory.
.vmsn vmname.Snapshot.vmsn The snapshot state file, which stores the running state of a virtual
machine at the time you take that snapshot. It is stored in the working
directory.
vmname.Snapshot###.vmsn The file that stores the state of a snapshot.
.vmss vmname.vmss The suspended state file, which stores the state of a suspended virtual
machine. It is stored in the working directory.
Some earlier VMware products used the .std extension for suspended
state files.
Other files, such as lock files, might also be present in the virtual machines directory. Some files are
present only while a virtual machine is running.
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Using Virtual Machines 4
When you use virtual machines in Workstation Pro, you can transfer files and text between virtual
machines and the host system, print to host printers, connect removable devices, and change display
settings. You can use folders to manage multiple virtual machines, take snapshots to preserve virtual
machine states, and create screenshots and movies of virtual machines.
You can also use Workstation Pro to interact with remote virtual machines. See Chapter 9 Using Remote
Connections and Sharing Virtual Machines for more information.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nScan for Virtual Machines to Add to the Virtual Machine Library
nStarting Virtual Machines
nStopping Virtual Machines
nTransferring Files and Text
nEnabling a Virtual Machine to Print to Host Printers
nUsing Removable Devices in Virtual Machines
nChanging the Virtual Machine Display
nUsing Folders to Manage Virtual Machines
nTaking Snapshots of Virtual Machines
nInstall New Software in a Virtual Machine
nTake a Screenshot of a Virtual Machine
nDelete a Virtual Machine
Scan for Virtual Machines to Add to the Virtual Machine
Library
You can quickly add multiple virtual machines to the virtual machine library by initiating a scan.
You can manually select and add virtual machines to the virtual machine library. Alternatively, you can
initiate a scan that locates virtual machines in a folder, removable storage device, or hard disk of your
choice. In the context of a scan, files with the .vmx extension are considered virtual machines.
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Procedure
1Select File > Scan for Virtual Machines.
2In the Select a location to scan text box, enter or browse for a location, such as a folder, removable
storage device, or hard disk.
3Click Next.
4(Optional) If Workstation Pro is scanning the location for virtual machines, but the scan is taking too
long, click Stop Scan.
5Select the virtual machines to add and the library node in which to add them.
a Select the virtual machines.
Option Description
To select individual virtual machines Click Unselect All and select the check boxes next to the virtual machines
that you want to add to the library.
To select all virtual machines If not selected, click Select All.
b (Optional) To use the same folder hierarchy in the library, click Match the file system folder
hierarchy in the library.
c To continue, click the appropriate option, depending on which option is available.
Option Description
Finish If the scan location is on the local machine, the Finish option is available.
Next If the scan location is on a remote server or removable storage device, the
Next option is available.
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d If the location of the virtual machines you are adding to the library is on a remote server or a
removable storage device, select the options in the Copy to local disk options dialog box that
meet your needs and click Finish.
Option Description
Copy all selected virtual machines to Select this option to copy the selected virtual machines to your local machine.
If you do not select this option, the virtual machines remain on the remote
server or removable storage device.
Browse If you select the copy virtual machine option and you do not want to accept the
default virtual machine location, you can browse to a location in which to copy
the virtual machines.
Keep the hierarchy of the folder in
target location
If you select the copy virtual machine option, you can select this option to use
the same folder hierarchy used in the remote server or removable storage
device in the target location on your local machine.
e Review the progress and results of the operation on the Result dialog box and click the
appropriate options.
Option Description
Stop If the process is taking too long, click Stop to cancel the operation.
Close Click Close to close the Result dialog box.
Starting Virtual Machines
When you start a virtual machine, the guest operating system starts and you can interact with the virtual
machine. You can use Workstation Pro to start virtual machines on the host system and on remote
servers.
To start a virtual machine from the command line, use the vmware command. See Chapter 15 Using the
vmware Command.
nStart 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.
nStart a Virtual Machine That Is Running in the Background
You can start a virtual machine that is running in the background when Workstation Pro is not
started.
nEnable Autologon in a Windows Virtual Machine
With Autologon, you can save your login credentials and bypass the login dialog box when you
power on a Windows virtual machine. The guest operating system securely stores the password.
nConfigure a Firmware Type
You can select the firmware type for a virtual machine.
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Start a Virtual Machine
You can start a virtual machine from the VM menu or from the toolbar. When you use the VM menu, you
can select a soft or hard power option or start the virtual machine in BIOS setup mode.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines.
You can use the AutoStart feature to configure shared and remote virtual machines to start when the host
system starts. See Manage Virtual Machine Power Actions on Shared and Remote Hosts.
Prerequisites
nIf the virtual machine is on the local host, select File > Open and browse to the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file.
nIf the virtual machine is on a remote host, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote
Server.
Procedure
nTo 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 Pro starts the virtual machine.
Start Up Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine and VMware Tools runs a
script in the guest operating system. On Windows guests, if the virtual machine is
configured to use DHCP, the script renews the IP address of the virtual machine.
On a Linux, FreeBSD, or Solaris guest, the script starts networking for the virtual
machine.
Power On to firmware Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine in BIOS setup mode.
nTo start the virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the start button.
The start power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft power on operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
What to do next
Click anywhere inside the virtual machine console to give the virtual machine control of the mouse and
keyboard on the host system.
Start a Virtual Machine That Is Running in the Background
You can start a virtual machine that is running in the background when Workstation Pro is not started.
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Prerequisites
Set the virtual machine to run in the background. See Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation
Pro.
Procedure
1On the host system, click the virtual machine status icon that is located in the notification area of the
taskbar.
A list of the virtual machines that are running in the background appears in a tooltip. The list contains
the virtual machines that belong to the currently logged in user.
2Select a virtual machine from the list in the tooltip.
Workstation Pro starts and displays the console view of the virtual machine.
Enable Autologon in a Windows Virtual Machine
With Autologon, you can save your login credentials and bypass the login dialog box when you power on
a Windows virtual machine. The guest operating system securely stores the password.
Use the Autologon feature if you restart the guest operating system frequently and want to avoid entering
your login credentials. You can also use the Autologon feature to grant users access to the guest
operating system without sharing your password.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the guest operating system is Windows 2000 or later.
nVerify that you have an existing user account to enable Autologon. The account must be a local
machine account, not a domain account.
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is running in the guest operating system.
nPower on the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine, select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Autologon.
3Click Enable, type your login credentials, and click OK.
If you type an incorrect or expired password, you must type your login credentials when you power on
the virtual machine.
4Click OK to save your changes.
When you enable Autologon or change your login credentials, the Autologon settings are saved
immediately. Clicking Cancel in the Virtual Machine Settings dialog box does not affect the changes
applied to the Autologon settings.
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Configure a Firmware Type
You can select the firmware type for a virtual machine.
You can change your firmware type of a virtual machine after you create the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nTo change the firmware type of an existing virtual machine, the guest operating system is powered
off.
nThe software to boot the system is installed.
nIf you want to select Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) as the firmware type, verify that the
following conditions are met:
nThe guest operating system to be installed on the virtual machine supports UEFI firmware.
nThe virtual machine does not have virtualization-based security (VBS) enabled.
nThe virtual machine uses hardware version 8 or later.
nThe virtual machine has a Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 2012, or Windows 2016 guest
operating system.
nIf you want to select UEFI Secure Boot, verify that the following conditions are met.
nThe virtual machine uses the UEFI firmware type.
nThe virtual machine uses hardware version 14 or later.
Procedure
1In the Workstation Pro interface, select VM > Settings.
2Click the Options tab and click Advanced.
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3In the Firmware type section, make your firmware selections.
If the guest operating system is supported and the prerequisites are met, the following firmware types
are selectable.
Option Description
UEFI UEFI is an interface between the operating system and the platform firmware.
UEFI has architectural advantages over Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
firmware.
Legacy BIOS Standard BIOS firmware.
Note
nOnce a guest operating system is installed, changing the firmware type might cause the virtual
machine boot process to fail.
nIf you select UEFI, depending on the guest operating system, you might have the option of
enabling UEFI Secure Boot. UEFI Secure Boot secures the boot process by preventing the
loading of drivers and operating system loaders that are not signed with an acceptable digital
signature.
nIf VBS is enabled, the firmware type is set to UEFI and the UEFI Secure Boot option is selected.
nYou cannot edit the firmware type or the UEFI Secure Boot setting when VBS is enabled.
4Click OK.
When you start the virtual machine, it boots with the selected firmware configuration.
Stopping Virtual Machines
You can use Workstation Pro to stop virtual machines on the host system and on remote servers. You can
shut down, pause, and suspend virtual machines. You can also close virtual machines and continue
running them in the background.
nShut 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.
nClosing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation Pro
You can close a virtual machine that is running on the local host system without powering it off. By
default, Workstation Pro prompts you to select an action when you close a powered-on virtual
machine and when you exit Workstation Pro while virtual machines are running on the local host
system.
nPause and Unpause a Virtual Machine
You can pause a virtual machine multiple times for a few seconds, or up to several minutes. The
pause feature is useful when a virtual machine is engaged in an lengthy, processor-intensive activity
that prevents you from using the host system to do a more immediate task.
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nSuspend and Resume a Virtual Machine
Use the suspend and resume feature to save the current state of a virtual machine. When you
resume the virtual machine, the applications that were running before the suspension will resume
their running state with their content unchanged.
Shut Down a Virtual Machine
You can shut down a virtual machine from the VM menu or from the toolbar. When you use the VM menu,
you can select a hard or soft power option.
You are not required to power off a virtual machine that is running on the local host system before you exit
Workstation Pro. You can exit Workstation Pro and leave the virtual machine running in the background.
See Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation Pro.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines.
Procedure
nTo 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 Pro powers off the virtual machine abruptly with no
consideration for work in progress.
Shut Down Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro sends a shut-down signal to the guest operating
system. An operating system that recognizes the signal shuts down gracefully.
Not all guest operating systems respond to a shut-down signal from
Workstation Pro. If the guest operating system does not respond to the signal,
shut down from the guest operating system as you would a physical machine.
nTo shut down the virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the stop button.
The stop power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft power off operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
nTo shut down a virtual machine that is suspended, select the virtual machine and click VM > Power >
Power Off.
Closing Virtual Machines and Exiting Workstation Pro
You can close a virtual machine that is running on the local host system without powering it off. By
default, Workstation Pro prompts you to select an action when you close a powered-on virtual machine
and when you exit Workstation Pro while virtual machines are running on the local host system.
Note When you close a remote virtual machine, the virtual machine tab closes. If the virtual machine is
powered on, it continues to run on the remote host.
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Table 4‑1. Close and Exit Actions
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 Pro powers off the
virtual machine abruptly. The effect is the same as using the power button on
a physical machine.
You can configure Workstation Pro preference settings so that virtual machines always run in the
background and you are not prompted to select an action. You can also configure virtual machine option
settings to control power off behavior.
Configure Virtual Machines to Always Run in the Background
You can configure Workstation Pro preference settings so that virtual machines always run in the
background and you are not prompted to select an action when you close powered-on virtual machines.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences.
2Select Workspace and select Keep VMs running after Workstation closes.
3Click OK to save your changes.
Pause and Unpause a Virtual Machine
You can pause a virtual machine multiple times for a few seconds, or up to several minutes. The pause
feature is useful when a virtual machine is engaged in an lengthy, processor-intensive activity that
prevents you from using the host system to do a more immediate task.
Note You cannot pause a remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the restrictions and limitations of the pause feature. See Pause Feature
Restrictions and Limitations.
Procedure
nTo pause a virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select VM > Pause.
The virtual machine display dims and a play button appears over the display. Paused virtual
machines that are configured to display on more than one monitor have a play button on each
monitor.
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nTo pause all of the powered-on virtual machines without interacting with the Workstation Pro user
interface, right-click the virtual machine status icon located in the notification area on the task bar of
the host computer and select Pause All Virtual Machines.
nTo 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.
nYou cannot switch to Unity mode when a virtual machine is paused.
nWhen 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.
nIf 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.
nIf you initiate soft power operations when a virtual machine is paused, those operations do not take
effect until the virtual machine is unpaused.
nWhile a virtual machine is paused, LEDs and devices remain enabled, but device connection changes
do not take effect until the virtual machine is unpaused.
nYou cannot pause a remote virtual machine.
Suspend and Resume a Virtual Machine
Use the suspend and resume feature to save the current state of a virtual machine. When you resume the
virtual machine, the applications that were running before the suspension will resume their running state
with their content unchanged.
How quickly the suspend operation performs depends on the how much data changed after you started
the virtual machine. The first suspend operation usually takes longer than subsequent suspend
operations. When you suspend a virtual machine, Workstation Pro creates a virtual machine suspended
state (.vmss or .vmem) file set in the working directory. How quickly the resume operation performs
depends on how active the virtual machine is. The more active the virtual machine is, the longer it will
take to resume. It also depends on whether the virtual machine suspended state (.vmss or .vmem) file set
is already in the physical memory of the host system. If it is, the virtual machine will resume much faster.
After you resume a virtual machine and do more work, you cannot return to the state that the virtual
machine was in when you suspended it. To return to the same state repeatedly, you must take a
snapshot.
When virtual machines are in a folder, you can perform batch power operations. See Using Folders to
Manage Virtual Machines.
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Procedure
nTo select a suspend option when you suspend a virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select
VM > Power.
Option Description
Suspend (Hard option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and leaves it
connected to the network.
Suspend Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and disconnects it
from the network. VMware Tools runs a script in the guest operating system. On
Windows guests, if the virtual machine is configured to use DHCP, the script
releases the IP address of the virtual machine. On Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris
guests, the script stops networking for the virtual machine.
nTo suspend a virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the suspend
button.
The suspend power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft suspend operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
nTo 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 Pro resumes the virtual machine from the suspended
state.
Resume Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro resumes the virtual machine from the suspended
state and reconnects it to the network.
nTo resume a virtual machine from the toolbar, select the virtual machine and click the resume button.
The suspend power control setting that is configured for the virtual machine determines whether
Workstation Pro performs a hard or soft resume operation. The configured behavior appears in a
tooltip when you mouse over the button.
nTo power off a suspended virtual machine, select the virtual machine and click VM > Power > Power
Off.
Using the Guest ACPI S1 Sleep Feature on Windows Hosts
On Windows hosts, Workstation Pro provides experimental support for guest operating system ACPI S1
sleep. Not all guest operating systems support this feature. Common guest operating system interfaces
for entering standby mode are supported.
By default, ACPI S1 sleep is implemented in Workstation Pro as suspend. You can use the
Workstation Pro Resume button to wake the guest operating system.
You can implement ACPI S1 sleep as power-on suspend. The guest operating system is not fully
powered down. This feature can be useful for test and development scenarios. You can wake the virtual
machine through keyboard input, mouse input, or by programming the CMOS external timer.
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Transferring Files and Text
You can use the drag-and-drop feature, the copy and paste feature, shared folders, and mapped drives to
transfer files and text between the host system and virtual machines and between virtual machines.
nUsing 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.
nUsing the Copy and Paste Feature
You can cut, copy, and paste text between virtual machines and between applications running in
virtual machines.
nUsing Shared Folders
You can use shared folders to share files among virtual machines and between virtual machines and
the host system. The directories that you add as shared folders can be on the host system, or they
can be network directories that are accessible from the host computer.
nMapping a Virtual Disk to the Host System
Instead of using shared folders or copying data between a virtual machine and the host system, you
can map a virtual disk to the host system. In this case, you map a virtual disk in the host file system
as a separate mapped drive. Using a mapped drive lets you connect to the virtual disk without going
into a virtual machine.
Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature
You can use the drag-and-drop feature to move files and directories, email attachments, plain text,
formatted text, and images between the host system and virtual machines.
You can drag files or directories between the following locations.
nFile managers, such as Windows Explorer, on the host system and virtual machines.
nA file manager to an application that supports drag-and-drop.
nApplications, such as zip file managers, which support drag-and-drop extraction of individual files.
nDifferent virtual machines.
When you drag a file or folder between the host and a virtual machine, Workstation Pro copies the file or
folder to the location where you drop it. For example, if you drop a file on the desktop icon of a word
processor, the word processor opens a copy of the original file. The original file does not include changes
that you make to the copy.
Initially, the application opens a copy of the file that is stored in the temp directory. On Windows, the temp
directory is specified in the %TEMP% environment variable. On Linux and Solaris, the temp directory
is /tmp/VMwareDnD. Save the file in a different directory to protect changes that you make.
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Drag-and-Drop Requirements and Restrictions
The drag-and-drop feature has certain requirements and restrictions.
nYou must install VMware Tools in a virtual machine to use the drag-and-drop feature.
nThe 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.
nYou can drag images between applications on Windows hosts and applications on Windows guests
only. Dragging images is not supported for Linux hosts or guests.
nYou 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.
nDragging email attachments is restricted to images or files smaller than 4 MB.
nDragging plain text and formatted text (including the formatting) is restricted to amounts less than 4
MB.
nDragging text is restricted to text in languages that can be represented by Unicode characters.
nWorkstation Pro uses the PNG format to encode images that are dragged. Dragging images is
restricted to images smaller than 4 MB after conversion to PNG format.
Disable the Drag-and-Drop Feature
The drag-and-drop feature is enabled by default when you create a virtual machine in Workstation Pro. To
prevent dragging and dropping between a virtual machine and the host system, disable the drag-and-drop
feature.
Note You cannot enable or disable the drag-and-drop feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Guest Isolation.
3Deselect Enable drag and drop.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Using the Copy and Paste Feature
You can cut, copy, and paste text between virtual machines and between applications running in virtual
machines.
You can also cut, copy, and paste images, plain text, formatted text, and email attachments between
applications running on the host system and applications running in virtual machines.
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Copy and Paste Requirements and Restrictions
The copy and paste feature has certain requirements and restrictions.
nYou must install VMware Tools in a virtual machine to use the copy and paste feature.
nThe copy and paste feature works with Linux and Windows hosts and Linux, Windows, and Solaris 10
guests only.
nThe 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.
nCopying and pasting email attachments is restricted to images or files smaller than 4 MB.
nCopying and pasting plain text and formatted text (including the formatting) is restricted to amounts
less than 4MB.
nCopying and pasting text is restricted to text in languages that can be represented by Unicode
characters.
nWorkstation Pro uses the PNG format to encode images that are copied and pasted. Copying and
pasting images is restricted to images smaller than 4 MB after conversion to PNG format.
nYou cannot copy and paste files between virtual machines.
Disable the Copy and Paste Feature
The copy and paste feature is enabled by default when you create a virtual machine in Workstation Pro.
To prevent copying and pasting between a virtual machine and the host system, disable the copy and
paste feature.
Note You cannot enable or disable the copy and paste feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Guest Isolation.
3Deselect Enable copy and paste.
4Click OK to save your changes.
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Using Shared Folders
You can use shared folders to share files among virtual machines and between virtual machines and the
host system. The directories that you add as shared folders can be on the host system, or they can be
network directories that are accessible from the host computer.
Important You cannot open a file in a shared folder from more than one application at a time. For
example, do not open the same file in an application on the host operating system and in another
application in the guest operating system. If one of the applications writes to the file, data might be
corrupted.
nGuest Operating Systems That Support Shared Folders
To use shared folders, a virtual machine must have a supported guest operating system.
nEnable a Shared Folder for a Virtual Machine
You can enable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine. To set up a folder for sharing between
virtual machines, you must configure each virtual machine to use the same directory on the host
system or network share.
nEnable Shared Folders for Virtual Machines Created By Other Users
If a shared folder is not created by the user who powers on the virtual machine, it is disabled by
default. This is a security precaution.
nView Shared Folders in a Windows Guest
In a Windows guest operating system, you can view shared folders by using desktop icons.
nMounting Shared Folders in a Linux Guest
After you enable a shared folder, you can mount one or more directories or subdirectories in the
shared folder to any location in the file system in addition to the default location of /mnt/hgfs.
nChange Shared Folder Properties
After you create a shared folder, you can change the folder name, the host path, and other
attributes.
nChange the Folders That a Virtual Machine Can Share
You can change the folders that a specific virtual machine is allowed to share.
nDisable Folder Sharing for a Virtual Machine
You can disable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine.
Guest Operating Systems That Support Shared Folders
To use shared folders, a virtual machine must have a supported guest operating system.
The following guest operating systems support shared folders.
nWindows Server 2003 R2
nWindows Server 2008 R2
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nWindows Server 2012 R2
nWindows Server 2016
nWindows Vista
nWindows 7
nWindows 8
nWindows 10
nLinux with a kernel version of 2.6 or later
nSolaris x86 10
nSolaris x86 10 Update 1 and later
Enable a Shared Folder for a Virtual Machine
You can enable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine. To set up a folder for sharing between virtual
machines, you must configure each virtual machine to use the same directory on the host system or
network share.
Note You cannot enable a shared folder for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the virtual machines use a guest operating system that supports shared folders. See Guest
Operating Systems That Support Shared Folders.
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nVerify that permission settings on the host system allow access to files in the shared folders. For
example, if you are running Workstation Pro as a user named User, the virtual machine can read and
write files in the shared folder only if User has permission to read and write them.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3Select a folder sharing option.
Option Description
Always enabled Keep folder sharing enabled, even when the virtual machine is shut down,
suspended, or powered off.
Enabled until next power off or
suspend
Enable folder sharing temporarily, until you power off, suspend, or shut down the
virtual machine. If you restart the virtual machine, shared folders remain enabled.
This setting is available only when the virtual machine is powered on.
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4(Optional) To map a drive to the Shared Folders directory, select Map as a network drive in
Windows guests.
This directory contains all of the shared folders that you enable. Workstation Pro selects the drive
letter.
5Click Add to add a shared folder.
On Windows hosts, the Add Shared Folder wizard starts. On Linux hosts, the Shared Folder
Properties dialog box opens.
6Browse to, or type, the path on the host system to the directory to share.
If you specify a directory on a network share, such as D:\share, Workstation Pro always attempts to
use that path. If the directory is later connected to the host on a different drive letter, Workstation Pro
cannot locate the shared folder.
7Specify the name of the shared folder as it should appear inside the virtual machine and click Next.
Characters that the guest operating system considers illegal in a share name appear differently when
viewed inside the guest. For example, if you use an asterisk in a share name, you see %002A instead
of * in the share name on the guest. Illegal characters are converted to their ASCII hexadecimal
value.
8Select shared folder attributes.
Option Description
Enable this share Enable the shared folder. Deselect this option to disable a shared folder without
deleting it from the virtual machine configuration.
Read-only Make the shared folder read-only. When this property is selected, the virtual
machine can view and copy files from the shared folder, but it cannot add,
change, or remove files. Access to files in the shared folder is also governed by
permission settings on the host computer.
9Click Finish to add the shared folder.
The shared folder appears in the Folders list. The check box next to folder name indicates that the
folder is being shared. You can deselect this check box to disable sharing for the folder.
10 Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
View the shared folder. On Linux guests, shared folders appear under /mnt/hgfs. On Solaris guests,
shared folders appear under /hgfs. To view shared folders on a Windows guest, see View Shared
Folders in a Windows Guest.
Enable Shared Folders for Virtual Machines Created By Other Users
If a shared folder is not created by the user who powers on the virtual machine, it is disabled by default.
This is a security precaution.
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Folder sharing is also disabled by default for Workstation 5.x virtual machines, regardless of who creates
the folder.
Important Enabling shared folders on all virtual machines can pose a security risk because a shared
folder might enable existing programs inside the virtual machine to access the host file system without
your knowledge.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences.
2Select Workspace and select Enable all shared folders by default.
This setting applies to shared folders on all virtual machines that are created by other users.
View Shared Folders in a Windows Guest
In a Windows guest operating system, you can view shared folders by using desktop icons.
Note If the guest operating system has VMware Tools from Workstation 4.0, shared folders appear as
folders on a designated drive letter.
Procedure
nDepending on the Windows operating system version, look for VMware Shared Folders in My
Network Places, Network Neighborhood, or Network.
nIf you mapped the shared folder as a network drive, open My Computer and look for Shared
Folders on 'vmware-host' under Network Drives.
nTo view a specific shared folder, go directly to the folder by using the UNC path \\vmware-
host\Shared Folders\shared_folder_name.
Mounting Shared Folders in a Linux Guest
After you enable a shared folder, you can mount one or more directories or subdirectories in the shared
folder to any location in the file system in addition to the default location of /mnt/hgfs.
Depending on the kernel version of the Linux guest operating system, VMware Tools uses different
components to provide shared-folder functionality. In Linux kernels prior to version 4.0, the VMware Tools
services script loads a driver that performs the mount. Linux kernels 4.0 and later use a FUSE file system
component.
You can use different mount commands to mount all shares, one share, or a subdirectory within a share
to any location in the file system. The commands also vary depending on the Linux-kernel version of the
guest.
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Table 4‑2. Mount Command Syntax
Linux Kernel Prior to 4.0 Linux Kernel 4.0 and Later Description
mount -t
vmhgfs .host:/ /home/user1/shares
/usr/bin/vmhgfs-
fuse .host:/ /home/user1/shares -o
subtype=vmhgfs-fuse,allow_other
Mounts all shares
to /home/user1/shares
mount -t vmhgfs .host:/foo /tmp/foo /usr/bin/vmhgfs-
fuse .host:/foo /tmp/foo -o
subtype=vmhgfs-fuse,allow_other
Mounts the share named foo
to /tmp/foo
mount -t
vmhgfs .host:/foo/bar /var/lib/bar
/usr/bin/vmhgfs-
fuse .host:/foo/bar /var/lib/bar -o
subtype=vmhgfs-fuse,allow_other
Mounts the subdirectory bar
within the share foo
to /var/lib/bar
For Linux kernel prior to version 4.0, you can use VMware-specific options in addition to the standard
mount syntax. Enter the command /sbin/mount.vmhgfs -h to list the options.
For Linux kernel version 4.0 or later, enter the command /usr/bin/vmhgfs-fuse -h to list the available
options.
Note The mount can fail if shared folders are disabled or if the share does not exist. You are not
prompted to run the VMware Tools vmware-config-tools.pl configuration program again.
Optimizing Read and Write Access to Shared Files on Linux
Host-guest file sharing is integrated with the guest page cache. Files in shared folders are cached for
reading and can be written to asynchronously.
Files that are being actively written to from the guest do not experience read caching benefits. To improve
performance, you can use the mount command time-to-live (ttl) option to specify the interval that the
host-guest file system (hgfs) driver uses for validating file attributes.
For example, to validate attributes every 3 seconds instead of every 1 second, which is the default, use
the following command.
mount -o ttl=3 -t vmhgfs .host:/sharemountpoint
Note Lengthening the interval involves some risk. If a process in the host modifies file attributes, the
guest operating system might not get the modifications as quickly and the file can become corrupted.
Using Permissions to Restrict Access to Shared Files in a Linux Guest
You can use permissions to restrict access to the files in a shared folder on a Linux guest operating
system.
On a Linux host, if you create files that you want to share with a Linux guest operating system, the file
permissions shown on the guest operating system are the same as the permissions on the host system.
You can use the fmask and dmask commands to mask permissions bits for files and directories.
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If you create files on a Windows host system that you want to share with a Linux guest operating system,
read-only files are displayed as having read and execute permission for everyone and other files are
shown as fully writable by everyone.
If you use a Linux guest operating system to create files for which you want to restrict permissions, use
the mount program with the following options in the guest operating system.
nuid
ngid
nfmask
ndmask
nro (read only)
nrw (read-write)
rw is the default.
If you are using a virtual machine that was created with the Windows version of Workstation Pro, or a
previous release of the Linux version of Workstation Pro, you can change the owner permissions only.
Change Shared Folder Properties
After you create a shared folder, you can change the folder name, the host path, and other attributes.
Prerequisites
Create a shared folder. See Enable a Shared Folder for a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3Select the shared folder in the folders list and click Properties.
4To change the name of the shared folder as it appears inside the virtual machine, type the new name
in the Name text box.
Characters that the guest operating system considers illegal in a share name appear differently when
viewed inside the guest. For example, if you use an asterisk in a share name, you see %002A instead
of * in the share name on the guest. Illegal characters are converted to their ASCII hexadecimal
value.
5To change the host path for the shared folder, browse to or type the new path in the Host path text
box.
If you specify a directory on a network share, such as D:\share, Workstation Pro always attempts to
use that path. If the directory is later connected to the host on a different drive letter, Workstation Pro
cannot locate the shared folder.
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6To change an attribute for the shared folder, select or deselect the attribute.
Option Description
Enabled Enable the shared folder. Deselect this option to disable a shared folder without
deleting it from the virtual machine configuration.
Read-only Make the shared folder read-only. When this property is selected, the virtual
machine can view and copy files from the shared folder, but it cannot add,
change, or remove files. Access to files in the shared folder is also governed by
permission settings on the host computer.
7Click OK to save your changes.
Change the Folders That a Virtual Machine Can Share
You can change the folders that a specific virtual machine is allowed to share.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3In the folders list, select the check boxes next to the folders to share and deselect the check boxes
next to the folders to disable.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Disable Folder Sharing for a Virtual Machine
You can disable folder sharing for a specific virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Shared Folders.
3Select Disabled to disable folder sharing.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Mapping a Virtual Disk to the Host System
Instead of using shared folders or copying data between a virtual machine and the host system, you can
map a virtual disk to the host system. In this case, you map a virtual disk in the host file system as a
separate mapped drive. Using a mapped drive lets you connect to the virtual disk without going into a
virtual machine.
Map or Mount a Virtual Disk to a Drive on the Host System
When you map a virtual disk and its associated volume to a drive on the host system, you can connect to
the virtual disk without opening a virtual machine.
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After you map the virtual disk to a drive on the host system, you cannot power on any virtual machine that
uses the disk until you disconnect the disk from the host system.
Note You cannot map a virtual hard disk for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Important If you mount a virtual disk that has a snapshot and then write to the disk, you can irreparably
damage a snapshot or linked clone created from the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nPower off all virtual machines that use the virtual disk.
nVerify that the virtual disk (.vmdk) files on the virtual disk are not compressed and do not have read-
only permissions.
nVerify that the virtual disk is unencrypted. You cannot map or mount encrypted disks.
Procedure
1Mount the virtual disk to a drive on the host system.
Option Description
Windows host Select File > Map Virtual Disks.
Linux host Select File > Mount Virtual Disks.
2Map or mount the virtual disk.
Option Description
Windows host In the Map or Disconnect Virtual Disks dialog box, click Map.
Linux host In the Mount or Unmount Virtual Disks dialog box, click Mount Disk.
3(Optional) You can also map a virtual disk from Windows Explorer.
a Open Explorer and browse to the .vmdk file you want to map.
b Right-click the .vmdk file and select Map Virtual Disk.
The menu also allows you to map the first volume of the .vmdk file to a drive immediately. If you
select that option, no further configurations are needed.
4Browse to a virtual disk (.vmdk) file, select it, and click Open.
5Select the volume to map or mount and select an unused drive letter on the host system.
6Click OK or Mount.
The drive appears on the host system. You can read from or write to files on the mapped virtual disk
on the host system.
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7(Optional) View the mapped or mounted drive.
Option Description
Windows host Select File > Map Virtual Disks. A list of mapped drives displays.
Linux host Select File > Mount Virtual Disks. A list of mounted drives displays.
Disconnect a Virtual Disk from the Host System
To use a virtual disk from a virtual machine after it has been mapped or mounted on the host system, you
must disconnect it from the host system.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Hard Disk, click Utilities, and select Disconnect.
You can now power on any virtual machine that uses this disk.
Enabling a Virtual Machine to Print to Host Printers
VMware Virtual Printer is a technology that allows you to print from a virtual machine to any printer
available to the host machine without having to install additional drivers in the virtual machine. When you
enable VMware Virtual Printer, Workstation Pro configures a virtual serial port to communicate with the
host printers.
Starting with version 15 of Workstation Pro, the version of VMware Tools bundled with VMware
Workstation Pro no longer delivers VMware Virtual Printer functionality. You must install the VMware
Virtual Printer application separately in the guest operating system to make the printers on the host visible
in the virtual machine.
Before you install VMware Virtual Printer on a virtual machine, you must add a virtual printer device to the
virtual machine.
Add a Virtual Printer to a Virtual Machine
To enable a virtual machine to print to any printer available to the host machine, you need to add a virtual
printer device to the virtual machine, if one is not already present. When you add a virtual printer to the
virtual machine, Workstation Pro configures a virtual serial port with the virtual machine to communicate
with the host printers.
Note You cannot add a printer to a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nOn Windows hosts, enable VMware Virtual Printer globally. See Configuring Virtual Printers on
Windows Hosts. This prerequisite does not apply to Linux hosts, on which VMware Virtual Printer is
always enabled.
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nThe virtual machine must be powered on or off. You cannot add a printer to a virtual machine in a
powered on or suspended state.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Add.
3In 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
Install the VMware Virtual Printer application in the virtual machine. See Install VMware Virtual Printer
Install VMware Virtual Printer
To allow a supported virtual machine to print to any printer available to the host machine, install the
VMware Virtual Printer application on the virtual machine.
The VMware Virtual Printer application is packaged as an image that you can mount in the CD/DVD drive
of the guest operating system for installation.
The following guest operating systems support VMware Virtual Printer.
nWindows 7 and later
nDebian-based and RPM-based Linux distributions
Prerequisites
To install VMware Virtual Printer application in the guest operating system, perform the following
prerequisites.
nUpgrade to or install VMware Tools 10.3.x or later, if not already installed. See Installing and
Upgrading VMware Tools
nOn Windows host machines, enable virtual printing globally, if not already enabled. This prerequisite
does not apply to Linux hosts, on which VMware Virtual Printer is always enabled. See Configuring
Virtual Printers on Windows Hosts.
nAdd a virtual printer device to the virtual machine, if one is not present already. See Add a Virtual
Printer to a Virtual Machine.
nAdd a CD/DVD drive to the virtual machine, if one is not present already installed. See Add a DVD or
CD-ROM Drive to a Virtual Machine
Procedure
1Power on the virtual machine.
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2To mount the VMware Virtual Printer application in the CD/DVD drive of the guest, select VM > Install
Virtual Printer.
3Install VMware Virtual Printer using the method appropriate for the guest.
nWindows Guest
nDouble-click the Virtual-Printer-version-build.exe file and complete the VMware
Virtual Printer Setup Wizard as guided.
nLinux Guest
On Linux guests, install VMware Virtual Printer on the virtual machine using a .deb or .rpm
installer package.
The .deb packages are for Debian-based Linux distributions, such as Debian and Ubuntu, and
are in the top directory in the CD/DVD drive.
The .rpm packages are for RPM-based Linux distributions, such as Red Hat, SUSE, and Fedora,
and are divided into folders on the CD/DVD drive. Each folder is specific to a Linux-distribution
type and bitness combination. The .x86_64.rpm package is for 64-bit Linux guests.
The .i386.rpm package is for 32-bit Linux guests.
a Open a terminal window and change directories to the CD/DVD drive for a .deb package or
continue to a specific folder for a .rpm package.
b Run the appropriate command for the guest.
DEB package command for 64-bit guests sudo dpkg -i thinprint_version-revision_amd64.deb
DEB package command for 32-bit guests sudo dpkg -i thinprint_version-revision_i386.deb
RPM package command for 64-bit guests Rpm -ivh thinprint_version-revision.x86_64.rpm
RPM package command for 32-bit guests Rpm -ivh thinprint_version-revision.i386.rpm
c To verify that VMware Virtual Printer installed successfully, run the appropriate commands. If
the Thinprint service is listed as active, VMware Virtual Printer is installed and running.
DEB package commands for 32-bit and 64-bit guests Command to check the status of VMware Virtual Printer.
service thinprint status
Command to list the installed package.
dpkg -l thinprint
RPM package commands for 32-bit and 64-bit guests Command to check the status of VMware Virtual Printer.
service thinprint status
Command for information about the installed package.
rpm -q --info thinprint
The host printers appear on the printer list in the guest.
What to do next
nIn the guest, print a test page to a printer you just configured to confirm that VMware Virtual Printer
works as expected.
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nWhen you upgrade Workstation Pro in the future, to ensure that a guest has the latest version of
VMware Virtual Printer, uninstall and reinstall VMware Virtual Printer. See Uninstall VMware Virtual
Printer
Uninstall VMware Virtual Printer
When you upgrade Workstation Pro, to confirm that the latest version of VMware Virtual Printer is
installed on a guest operating system, you can uninstall and reinstall VMware Virtual Printer.
Procedure
uUse the appropriate uninstallation method based on the operating system of the guest.
nWindows guest
Use the Windows uninstall feature to uninstall the VMware Virtual Printer application. For
example, for Windows 10, perform the following steps.
a Select Start > Windows System > Control Panel.
b Click Uninstall a program.
c Select VMware Virtual Printer.
d Click Uninstall.
nDebian-based Linux guest, such as Debian and Ubuntu
In a terminal window, run either of the following commands.
nsudo apt-get purge thinprint
nsudo dpkg -P thinprint
nRPM-based Linux guest, such as Red Hat, SUSE, and Fedora
In a terminal window, run the following command.
nrpm -e thinprint
The VMware Virtual Printer is no longer installed on the guest.
What to do next
Install VMware Virtual Printer again. See Install VMware Virtual Printer.
Using Removable Devices in Virtual Machines
You can use removable devices such as floppy drives, DVD and CD-ROM drives, USB devices, and
smart card readers in virtual machines.
Some devices cannot be used by the host system and a guest operating system, or by multiple guest
operating systems, simultaneously.
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For example, if the host system is using a floppy drive, you must connect the floppy drive to the virtual
machine before you can use it in the virtual machine. To use the floppy drive on the host again, you must
disconnect it from the virtual machine. By default, a floppy drive is not connected when a virtual machine
powers on.
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
nPower on the virtual machine.
nIf you are connecting or disconnecting a USB device, familiarize yourself with the way
Workstation Pro handles USB devices. See Connecting USB Devices to Virtual Machines.
Procedure
nTo 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.
nTo change the settings for a removable device, select VM > Removable Devices, select the device,
and select Settings.
nTo 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
Workstation Pro responds differently when you plug a USB device into a Windows host or a Linux host.
On a Windows host, by default, unless Workstation Pro is currently configured to remember a connection
rule for a specific USB device, when you plug the USB device into the host system, Workstation Pro
prompts you to select a machine to connect the device to. Workstation Pro connects the device to the
machine you select, but a remember option is also available, which creates a USB device connection rule
that, in the future, directs Workstation Pro to either automatically connect that device to the host or to a
virtual machine, depending on the machine you selected.
On a Linux host, 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.
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Also, on a Linux host, when you connect a USB device to a virtual machine, Workstation Pro 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 Pro
reconnects the device. Workstation Pro retains the connection by writing an autoconnect entry to the
virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file. If Workstation Pro cannot reconnect to the device, for example,
because you disconnected the device, the device is removed and Workstation Pro displays a message to
indicate that it cannot connect to the device. If the device is still available, you can connect to it manually.
To connect a USB device to the virtual machine manually, select VM > Removable Devices > Device
Name > Connect (Disconnect from host)
Follow the device manufacturer's procedures for unplugging the device from the host computer when you
physically unplug the device, move the device from the host system to a virtual machine, 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.
nInstalling USB Drivers on Windows Hosts
When a particular USB device is connected to a virtual machine for the first time, the host detects it
as a new device named VMware USB Device and installs the appropriate VMware driver.
nConfigure USB Device Connection Behavior
nSelect the Machine a USB Device Connects To
nDelete the Connection Rule for a Specific USB Device
nDisable Automatic Connection of USB Devices
nConnect USB HIDs to a Virtual Machine
To connect USB human interface devices (HIDs) to a virtual machine, you must configure the virtual
machine to show all USB input devices in the Removable Devices menu.
nInstall a PDA Driver and Synchronize With a Virtual Machine
To install a PDA driver in a virtual machine, you must synchronize the PDA with the virtual machine.
Installing USB Drivers on Windows Hosts
When a particular USB device is connected to a virtual machine for the first time, the host detects it as a
new device named VMware USB Device and installs the appropriate VMware driver.
The Windows operating system prompts you to run the Microsoft Windows Found New Hardware wizard.
Select the default action to install the software automatically. After the software is installed, the guest
operating system detects the USB device and searches for a suitable driver.
Configure USB Device Connection Behavior
This feature is only available for Workstation Pro on a Windows host. When you plug a new USB device
into your Windows host machine, Workstation Pro responds according to the USB Connections setting,
which you can configure.
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The default setting for the USB Connections setting is Ask me what to do. You can change the setting to
suit your needs.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences > USB.
2Select one of the options and click OK.
nAsk me what to do
nConnect the device to the host
nConnect the device to the foreground virtual machine
Selected Option Result When You Plug a New USB Device into the Host
Ask me what to do If Workstation Pro is open and one or more virtual machines is powered on, a dialog box appears that
prompts you to choose which machine to connect the device to. You can choose the host or one of the
powered-on virtual machines.
Connect the device
to the host
Workstation Pro always connects new USB devices to the host machine regardless of whether a virtual
machine is running.
Connect the device
to the foreground
virtual machine
If Workstation Pro is open and one or more virtual machines is powered on, Workstation Pro connects
the device to the powered-on virtual machine in the foreground.
What to do next
Plug a USB device into the Windows host machine. If the Ask me what to do option is configured, when
you plug in a device, you must respond to the New USB Device Detected dialog box. See Select the
Machine a USB Device Connects To. Access the USB device from the machine you selected.
You can manually connect a USB device to the virtual machine by selecting VM > Removable Devices >
Device Name > Connect (Disconnect from host)
Select the Machine a USB Device Connects To
This feature is only available for Workstation Pro on a Windows host. If the USB Connections setting is
set to Ask me what to do, when you plug a new USB device into the Windows host, the New USB
Device Detected dialog box appears. You can connect the USB device to the host or one of the powered-
on virtual machines.
A USB device is treated as new when Workstation Pro does not have a remembered connection rule for
the USB device. A connection rule is remembered when you select Remember my choice and do not
ask again, and stays remembered until you configure Workstation Pro to forget the rule.
Prerequisites
1 Set the USB Connections setting to Ask me what to do. See Configure USB Device Connection
Behavior.
2 Plug a new USB device into the Windows host machine.
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Procedure
1Select the machine to connect the USB device to.
Option Description
Connect to host The device connects to the Windows host machine.
Connect to a virtual machine The device connects to the powered-on virtual machine of your choice.
Select a virtual machine in the list.
2(Optional) If you want Workstation Pro to remember your machine selection, select Remember my
choice and do not ask again.
This option creates a connection rule between the specific USB device and the specific machine.
3Click OK.
Workstation Pro connects the USB device to the machine you selected. If you selected Remember my
choice and do not ask again, in the future, when you connect the USB device to the Windows host
machine, Workstation Pro implements the connection rule and connects the device to the machine you
configured without prompting. However, if the target virtual machine of the connection rule is powered off
or deleted at the time the device is plugged into the host, the USB device automatically connects to the
host. Anytime in the future, you can delete the connection rule. After which, Workstation Pro treats the
USB device as new again. See Delete the Connection Rule for a Specific USB Device.
What to do next
Access the USB device from the machine you configured.
Delete the Connection Rule for a Specific USB Device
This feature is only available for Workstation Pro on a Windows host. If you created a connection rule for
a USB device to a specific virtual machine or to the host machine, you can delete the connection rule.
Selecting Remember my choice and do not ask again in the New USB Device Detected dialog box
creates a connection rule. See Select the Machine a USB Device Connects To. If you no longer want a
specified USB device to connect to a specified machine, delete the connection rule by configuring
Workstation Pro to forget the rule.
Procedure
uUse one of the following methods to delete the connection rule.
nSelect the virtual machine and select VM > Removable Devices > Device Name > Forget
Connection Rule.
nRight-click the icon of the USB device in the Workstation Pro status bar and select Forget
Connection Rule.
Workstation Pro is no longer configured to remember the rule. When you plug a USB device into the
Windows host, the device no longer automatically connects to the virtual machine. Instead, the New USB
Device Detected dialog box appears.
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Disable Automatic Connection of USB Devices
This feature is only available for Workstation Pro on a Linux host. You can disable the autoconnect
feature if you do not want USB devices to connect to a virtual machine when you plug the devices into the
host machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select USB Controller.
3Deselect Automatically connect new USB devices to disable automatic connection of USB
devices.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Connect USB HIDs to a Virtual Machine
To connect USB human interface devices (HIDs) to a virtual machine, you must configure the virtual
machine to show all USB input devices in the Removable Devices menu.
By default, USB HIDs, such as USB 1.1 and 2.0 mouse and keyboard devices, do not appear in the
Removable Devices menu in a virtual machine, even though they are plugged in to USB ports on the
host system.
An HID that is connected to a virtual machine is not available to the host system.
Note You cannot configure a shared or remote virtual machine to show all USB input devices.
Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nThis prerequisite only applies to Workstation Pro on a Linux host. If you are using a KVM switch for a
mouse or keyboard, disable automatic connection of USB devices. See Disable Automatic
Connection of USB Devices.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select USB Controller.
3Select Show all USB input devices.
This option allows users to use special USB HIDs inside the virtual machine.
4Click OK to save your changes.
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5Power on the virtual machine.
HIDs appear in the Removable Devices menu.
Install a PDA Driver and Synchronize With a Virtual Machine
To install a PDA driver in a virtual machine, you must synchronize the PDA with the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Connect the PDA to the host system and synchronize it with the host system.
The PDA driver should begin installing in the virtual machine.
2Allow the virtual machine to install the PDA driver.
3If connection warning messages appear, dismiss them.
4If the PDA disconnects from the host system before the virtual machine can synchronize with it,
synchronize the PDA with the host system again.
The total time required to load the VMware USB device driver in the host system and install the PDA
driver in the virtual machine might exceed the device connection timeout value. A second
synchronization attempt usually succeeds.
Troubleshooting USB Device Control Sharing
Only the host system or the virtual machine can have control of a particular USB device at any one time.
Device control operates differently, depending on whether the host system is a Linux or a Windows
computer.
When you connect a device to a virtual machine, it is disconnected from the host system or from the
virtual machine that previously had control of the device. When you disconnect a device from a virtual
machine, it is returned to the host system.
Under some circumstances, if a USB storage device is in use on the host system, for example, one or
more files stored on the device are open on the host, an error appears in the virtual machine when you try
to connect to the device. You must let the host system complete its operation or close any application
connected to the device on the host system and connect to the device in the virtual machine again.
Troubleshoot USB Device Control Issues on a Linux Host
You have problems connecting or disconnecting USB devices on a Linux host system.
Problem
You are prompted to disconnect the driver on the host system when you connect a USB device to the
virtual machine or disconnecting the device fails.
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Cause
On Linux host systems, guest operating systems can use devices that are not claimed by a host
operating system driver. A related issue sometimes affects devices that rely on automatic connection,
such as PDAs. Occasionally, even if you successfully use autoconnection to connect the device to the
virtual machine, you might experience problems with the connection to the device.
Solution
1If you have problems with autoconnection, perform these steps.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Removable Devices to disconnect and reconnect the
device.
b If the problem persists, unplug the device and plug it in again.
c If a warning message indicates that the device is in use, disable the device in the hotplug
configuration files in the /etc/hotplug directory.
The documentation for the Linux distribution contains information on editing these configuration
files.
2If disconnection fails, either disable the driver or unload the driver manually.
Option Description
Disable the driver If the driver was automatically loaded by hotplug, disable it in the hotplug
configuration files in the /etc/hotplug directory. See the documentation for your
Linux distribution for information on editing these configuration files.
Unload the driver manually Become root (su -) and use the rmmod command.
Using Smart Cards in Virtual Machines
Virtual machines can connect to smart card readers that interface to serial ports, parallel ports, USB
ports, PCMCIA slots, and PCI slots. A virtual machine considers a smart card reader to be a type of USB
device.
A smart card is a plastic card that has an embedded computer chip. Many government agencies and
large enterprises use smart cards to send secure communication, digitally sign documents, and
authenticate users who access their computer networks. Users plug a smart card reader into their
computer and insert their smart card in the reader. They are then prompted for their PIN to log in.
You can select a smart card reader from the Removable Devices menu in a virtual machine. A smart
card can be shared between virtual machines, or between the host system and one or more virtual
machines. Sharing is enabled by default.
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When you plug a smart card reader into the host system, the reader appears as two separate USB
devices in Workstation Pro. This is because you can use smart cards in one of two mutually exclusive
modes.
Shared mode (Recommended) The smart card reader device is available as Shared
smart_card_reader_model in the Removable Devices menu. In Windows
XP guest operating systems, the shared reader appears as USB Smart
Card Reader after it is connected to the virtual machine. In Windows Vista
and Windows 7 guest operating systems, the generic smart card reader
device name appears under the Windows Device Manager list. The smart
card reader can be shared among applications on the host system and
among applications in different guest operating systems.
USB passthrough mode The smart card reader device is available as smart_card_reader_model in
the Removable Devices menu. In USB passthrough mode, a single virtual
machine directly controls the physical smart card reader. A USB
passthrough smart card reader cannot be used by applications on the host
system or by applications in other virtual machines. You should use USB
passthrough mode only if connection in shared mode does not work well for
your scenario. You might need to install the driver provided by the
manufacturer to use USB passthrough mode.
You can use smart cards with Windows operating systems and most Linux distributions. VMware provides
full smart card support for Windows virtual machines running on Linux hosts. Using smart cards in Linux
typically requires third-party software to effectively authenticate to a domain or enable secure
communications.
Note Although smart cards should work with common Linux browsers, email applications, and directory
services, these products have not been tested or certified by VMware.
Use a Smart Card in a Virtual Machine
You can configure a virtual machine to use the smart card reader on the host system.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the virtual machine has a USB controller. A USB controller is required, regardless of
whether the smart card reader is a USB device. A USB controller is added by default when you create
a virtual machine.
nConnect the smart card reader to the host system.
nStart the virtual machine
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Procedure
nTo connect the smart card reader to the virtual machine, select the virtual machine and select VM >
Removable Devices > Shared <smart_card_reader_model> > Connect.
If the smart card reader is a USB device, two items appear for it in the menu. Both items use the
model name of the reader, but one item name begins with Shared.
nTo disconnect the smart card reader from the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices >
Shared <smart_card_reader_model> > Disconnect.
nTo remove the smart card from the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices > Shared
<smart_card_reader_model> > Remove Smart Card.
The smart card is removed from the virtual machine, but it remains connected on the host system. If
the smart card is physically removed from the smart card reader, this option is disabled.
nTo insert the smart card to the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices > Shared
<smart_card_reader_model> > Insert Smart Card.
If the smart card is physically inserted in the smart card reader, the smart card is also inserted in the
virtual machine.
Disable Smart Card Sharing
By default, you can share a smart card between virtual machines or between the host system and one or
more virtual machines. You might want to disable smart card sharing if you are using a PCMCIA smart
card reader, deploying virtual machines for enterprise use and do not want to support drivers for various
smart card readers, or the host system has drivers but the virtual machines do not.
The setting that controls smart card sharing is located in the Workstation Pro global configuration file.
Procedure
1Find the global configuration file on the host system.
Operating System Location
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016,
Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
hosts
%PROGRAMDATA%\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini
Linux hosts /etc/vmware/config
2If the global configuration file does not yet exist on the host system, select Edit > Preferences and
change at least one Workstation Pro preference setting.
Workstation Pro creates the global configuration file when you change Workstation Pro preference
settings.
3Open the global configuration file in a text editor and set the usb.ccid.useSharedMode property to
FALSE.
For example: usb.ccid.useSharedMode = "FALSE"
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4Save and close the global configuration file.
5Set permissions on the global configuration file so that other users cannot change it.
Switch to a Virtual Smart Card Reader on a Linux Host
Because of the way smart card reader functionality is implemented on Linux hosts, you must exit
Workstation Pro and restart the pcscd daemon on the host system before you can switch from the non-
virtual smart card reader to the virtual smart card reader.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices, select the smart card reader, and select
Disconnect.
2Power off the virtual machine and exit Workstation Pro.
3Physically disconnect the smart card reader from the host system.
4Restart the pcscd daemon on the host system.
5Physically connect the smart card reader to the host system.
6Start Workstation Pro and start the virtual machine.
7Select the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices, select the smart card reader, and select
Connect.
Changing the Virtual Machine Display
You can change the way Workstation Pro 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.
You can also match the Workstation Pro console with the guest operating system display size.
nUse Full Screen Mode
In full screen mode, the virtual machine display fills the screen and you cannot see the borders of
the Workstation Pro window.
nUse Exclusive Mode
Like full screen mode, exclusive mode causes the Workstation Pro 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.
nUse Unity Mode
You can switch virtual machines that have Windows XP or later guest operating systems to Unity
mode to display applications directly on the host system desktop.
nUse 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.
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nUse Multiple Monitors for Multiple Virtual Machines
If the host system has multiple monitors, you can run a different virtual machine on each monitor.
nFit the Workstation Pro Console to the Guest Operating System Display
You can control the size of the virtual machine display and match the Workstation Pro console with
the display size of the guest operating system for an active virtual machine.
Use Full Screen Mode
In full screen mode, the virtual machine display fills the screen and you cannot see the borders of the
Workstation Pro 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.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nVerify 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.
nPower on the virtual machine.
nIf you have multiple monitors, move the Workstation Pro window onto the monitor to use for full
screen mode.
Procedure
nTo enter full screen mode, select the virtual machine and select View > Full Screen.
nPress 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.
nWhen in full screen mode, you can also use the tabs on the full screen toolbar to switch between
powered-on virtual machines.
nTo 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.
nTo 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.
nTo exit full screen mode, on the full screen toolbar select View > Full Screen, and deselect Full
Screen.
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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
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Power.
3Select Report battery information to guest.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Use Exclusive Mode
Like full screen mode, exclusive mode causes the Workstation Pro 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.
nThe 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.
nWhen 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.
nOn a Windows host, exclusive mode does not use multiple monitors.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nPower on the virtual machine.
nIf you have multiple monitors, move the Workstation Pro window onto the monitor to use for exclusive
mode.
nEnter full screen mode. See Use Full Screen Mode.
Procedure
1Enter full screen mode.
2Select View > Exclusive Mode from the full screen toolbar.
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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 Windows XP 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
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nVerify that the guest operating system is Windows XP or later.
nPower on the virtual machine.
nIf you are entering Unity mode, open applications in the virtual machine to use in Unity mode.
Procedure
nTo enter Unity mode, select the virtual machine and select View > Unity.
The console view in the
Workstation Pro
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.
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nTo 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.
nTo 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
nVerify that the virtual machine is a Workstation 6.x or later virtual machine.
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nVerify that the Windows or Linux guest operating system is supported.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select View > Autosize > Autofit Guest to verify that the virtual
machine can resize correctly.
2Power on the virtual machine and select View > Full Screen.
3On the full screen toolbar, click the Cycle Multiple Monitors button.
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.
4(Optional) Click the Cycle Multiple Monitors button again if the host system has more than two
monitors and you want the virtual machine to use all of the monitors.
The order in which the virtual machine uses the monitors depends on the order in which the monitors
were added to the host operating system. If you continue to click the button, you return to fewer
monitors.
Limitations for Multiple Monitors
The use of more than two monitors with a virtual machine has certain limitations.
nIf 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.
nMore than two monitors is supported on Windows and Linux host and guest operating systems.
nWindows 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.
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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
1Open a second Workstation Pro window.
Option Description
Open a new window from
Workstation Pro
Select File > New Window. On Linux hosts, the windows operate in a single
Workstation Pro process.
(Linux hosts only) Run a separate
Workstation Pro process in a different
X server
Use the vmware command with the -W flag, for example, vmware -W &.
2Start one or more virtual machines in each Workstation Pro window.
3Drag each Workstation Pro window to the monitor on which you want to use it.
If a virtual machine is running in one Workstation Pro window and you want to run that virtual
machine in another Workstation Pro window, you must close the virtual machine in the first window
before you attempt to open it in the other window.
4To switch mouse and keyboard input from the virtual machine on the first monitor to the virtual
machine on the second monitor, move the pointer from one screen to the other screen and click
inside the second monitor.
Fit the Workstation Pro Console to the Guest Operating System
Display
You can control the size of the virtual machine display and match the Workstation Pro console with the
display size of the guest operating system for an active virtual machine.
The fit options are redundant if the corresponding Autofit option is active because the console and the
guest operating system display are the same size.
Prerequisites
nFor a Linux virtual machine, familiarize yourself with the considerations for resizing displays. See
Considerations for Resizing Displays in Linux Virtual Machines.
nFor a Solaris virtual machine, familiarize yourself with the considerations for resizing displays. See
Considerations for Resizing Displays in Solaris Virtual Machines.
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Procedure
nTo configure a display size option, select View > Autosize and select an Autofit option.
Option Description
Autofit Guest The virtual machine resizes the guest display resolution to match the size of the
Workstation Pro console.
Stretch Guest This option is available on Linux hosts only.
The virtual machine changes the guest display to fit the full screen. The guest
display resolution is not changed.
Center Guest The virtual machine centers the guest display in the full screen. The guest display
resolution is not changed.
Autofit Window The Workstation Pro console maintains the size of the virtual machine display
resolution. If the guest operating system changes its resolution, the
Workstation Pro console resizes to match the new resolution.
nTo configure a fit option, select View and select a fit option.
Option Description
Fit Window Now The Workstation Pro console changes to match the current display size of the
guest operating system.
Fit Guest Now The guest operating system display size changes to match the current
Workstation Pro console.
Considerations for Resizing Displays in Linux Virtual Machines
Certain considerations apply to resizing displays in Linux virtual machines.
nIf you have virtual machines that were suspended under a version of VMware Tools earlier than
version 5.5, display resizing does not work until the virtual machines are powered off and powered on
again. Rebooting the guest operating system is not sufficient.
nTo use the resizing options, you must update VMware Tools to the latest version in the guest
operating system.
nYou cannot use the Autofit Guest and Fit Guest Now options unless VMware Tools is running in the
guest operating system.
nThe resizing restrictions that the X11 Windows system imposes on physical host systems also apply
to guest operating systems.
nYou cannot resize to a mode that is not defined. The VMware Tools configuration script can add a
large number of mode lines, but you cannot resize in 1-pixel increments as you can in Windows.
VMware Tools adds modelines in 100-pixel increments. This means that you cannot resize a
guest larger than the largest mode defined in the X11 configuration file. If you attempt to resize
larger than that mode, a black border appears and the guest operating system size stops
increasing.
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nThe X server always starts up in the largest defined resolution. The XDM/KDM/GDM login screen
always appears at the largest size. Because Gnome and KDE allow you to specify your preferred
resolution, you can reduce the guest display size after you log in.
Considerations for Resizing Displays in Solaris Virtual Machines
Certain considerations apply to resizing displays in Solaris virtual machines.
nTo use the display resizing options, you must update VMware Tools to the latest version in the guest
operating system.
nYou cannot use the Autofit Guest and Fit Guest Now options unless VMware Tools is running in the
guest operating system.
nSolaris 10 guests must be running an Xorg X server and JDS/Gnome.
Working with Nonstandard Resolutions
A guest operating system and its applications might react unexpectedly when the Workstation Pro
console size is not a standard VESA resolution.
For example, you can use Autofit Guest and Fit Guest Now to set the guest operating system screen
resolution smaller than 640×480, but some installers do not run at resolutions smaller than 640×480.
Programs might refuse to run. Error messages might include phrases such as VGA Required to
Install or You must have VGA to install.
If the host computer screen resolution is high enough, you can enlarge the window and select Fit Guest
Now. If the host computer screen resolution does not allow you to enlarge the Workstation Pro console
sufficiently, you can manually set the guest operating system’s screen resolution to 640×480 or larger.
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.
nAdd 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.
nRemove a Virtual Machine from a Folder
You can remove a virtual machine from a folder or move it to a different folder or subfolder.
nManage 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.
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nChange the Power On Delay
By default, when you power on several virtual machines in a folder, Workstation Pro 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 Pro preference.
nConvert a Team
If you created a team in an earlier version, you must convert the team before you can use the virtual
machines in the current version of Workstation Pro.
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
1If 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.
2To 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.
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
nTo 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.
nTo 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.
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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 Pro delays 10 seconds
before powering on the next virtual machine by default. Workstation Pro 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 Pro preference. See
Change the Power On Delay.
Procedure
nTo 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.
nTo 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.
nTo display thumbnails for virtual machines on the folder tab, select a thumbnail size from the drop-
down menu on the folder tab.
When a virtual machine is powered on, Workstation Pro updates the thumbnail in real time to show
the actual content of the virtual machine. When a virtual machine is suspended, the thumbnail shows
a screenshot of the virtual machine at the time that it was suspended.
nTo display virtual machine names on the folder tab, select Details from the drop-down menu on the
folder tab.
nTo open the tab for a virtual machine, double-click the virtual machine on the folder tab.
Change the Power On Delay
By default, when you power on several virtual machines in a folder, Workstation Pro 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 Pro preference.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences and select Workspace.
2Select the number of seconds for the delay from the Seconds between powering on multiple VMs
drop-down menu.
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3Click OK to save your changes.
Convert a Team
If you created a team in an earlier version, you must convert the team before you can use the virtual
machines in the current version of Workstation Pro.
Procedure
1Open the team in Workstation Pro 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.
2Click 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 Pro 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.
nUsing 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.
nUsing the Snapshot Manager
You can review all snapshots for a virtual machine and act on them directly in the snapshot
manager.
nTake 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.
nRevert to a Snapshot
You can restore a virtual machine to a previous state by reverting to a snapshot.
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nTake 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.
nEnable 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.
nEnable Background Snapshots
When you enable background snapshots, you can continue working while Workstation Pro
preserves the state of a virtual machine. A progress indicator for the background snapshot appears
in a corner of the Workstation Pro window.
nExclude a Virtual Disk from Snapshots
You can configure snapshots so that Workstation Pro preserves states only for certain virtual disks.
nDelete 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.
nTroubleshooting Snapshot Problems
You can use a variety of procedures for diagnosing and fixing problems with snapshots.
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.
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Figure 4‑1. 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
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.
nShow AutoProtect snapshots in the Snapshot menu.
nPrevent an AutoProtect snapshot from being deleted.
nRename a snapshot or change its description.
nDelete 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.
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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
nVerify 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.
nTo 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.
nComplete any suspend operations.
nVerify that the virtual machine is not communicating with another computer.
nFor better performance, defragment the guest operating system drives.
nIf 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.
nIf the virtual machine was created with Workstation 4, delete any existing snapshots or upgrade the
virtual machine to Workstation 5.x or later.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Snapshot > Take Snapshot.
2Type a unique name for the snapshot.
3(Optional) Type a description for the snapshot.
The description is useful for recording notes about the virtual machine state captured in the snapshot.
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4Click 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
nTo revert to the parent snapshot, select the virtual machine and select VM > Snapshot > Revert to
Snapshot.
nTo 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 O
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
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Snapshots.
3Select 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.
Ask me Prompts you to power off, revert, or take a snapshot when the virtual machine is
powered off.
4Click 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.
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When AutoProtect snapshots are enabled for a virtual machine, Workstation Pro 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.
nBecause 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.
nAutoProtect snapshots are not taken in Workstation Player, even if AutoProtect is enabled for the
virtual machine in Workstation Pro.
nYou cannot configure the AutoProtect feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select AutoProtect and select Enable AutoProtect.
3Select 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 Pro saves only one snapshot per tier, even if a snapshot matches more than one tier.
4Select the maximum number of AutoProtect snapshots to retain.
After the maximum number of AutoProtect snapshots is reached, Workstation Pro 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.
5Select OK to save your changes.
Enable Background Snapshots
When you enable background snapshots, you can continue working while Workstation Pro preserves the
state of a virtual machine. A progress indicator for the background snapshot appears in a corner of the
Workstation Pro window.
Important Enabling background snapshots for a host with slow hard disks can adversely affect
performance. If you experience significant performance problems when taking or restoring snapshots,
disable background snapshots.
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Prerequisites
On a Linux host, run Workstation Pro as the root user. Only root users are allowed to change background
snapshot settings.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences.
2On the Priority tab, select Take snapshots in the background.
3Click OK to save your changes.
4Restart the virtual machines.
Virtual machines must be powered off and then powered on, rather than restarted, for background
snapshot changes to take effect.
Exclude a Virtual Disk from Snapshots
You can configure snapshots so that Workstation Pro preserves states only for certain virtual disks.
In certain configurations, you might want to revert some disks to a snapshot while other disks retain all
changes. For example, you might want a snapshot to preserve a disk with the operating system and
applications, but always keep the changes to a disk with documents.
Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nDelete existing snapshots.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the drive to exclude and click Advanced.
3Select Independent and select the disk mode.
Option Description
Persistent Changes are immediately and permanently written to the disk. Disks in persistent
mode behave like conventional disks on a physical computer.
Nonpersistent Changes to the disk are discarded when you power off or restore a snapshot. In
nonpersistent mode, a virtual disk is in the same state every time you restart the
virtual machine. Changes to the disk are written to and read from a redo log file
that is deleted when you power off or reset the virtual machine.
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.
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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
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.
2If you are deleting an AutoProtect snapshot, select Show AutoProtect snapshots.
3Select the snapshot.
4Select 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.
5Click Close to close the snapshot manager.
Troubleshooting Snapshot Problems
You can use a variety of procedures for diagnosing and fixing problems with snapshots.
Guest Operating System Has Startup Problems
The guest operating system experiences problems during startup.
Problem
The guest operating system does not start up properly.
Cause
Keeping more than 99 snapshots for each branch in a process tree can cause startup problems.
Solution
Delete some snapshots or create a full clone of the virtual machine.
Take Snapshot Option Is Disabled
The Snapshot Manager Take Snapshot option is disabled.
Problem
You cannot select the Take Snapshot option in the Snapshot Manager.
Cause
The virtual machine might have multiple disks in different disk modes.
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Solution
If your configuration requires an independent disk, you must power off the virtual machine before you take
a snapshot.
Performance Is Slow When You Take a Snapshot
Significant performance problems occur when you take or restore snapshots.
Problem
Performance is slow when you take or restore snapshots.
Cause
The host operating system has a slow hard disk.
Solution
Upgrade the hard disk or disable background snapshots to improve performance. See Enable
Background Snapshots for information on background snapshots.
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
nVerify 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.
nVerify that the virtual machine has access to the CD-ROM drive, ISO image file, or floppy drive where
the installation software is located.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On 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.
3Install the new software according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
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Disable Acceleration if a Program Does Not Run
When you install or run software inside a virtual machine, Workstation Pro might appear to stop
responding. This problem typically occurs early in the program's execution. In many cases, you can get
past the problem by temporarily disabling acceleration in the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Processors.
3Select Disable acceleration for binary translation to disable acceleration.
4Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
After you pass the point where the program encountered problems, re-enable acceleration. Because
disabling acceleration slows down virtual machine performance, you should use it only for getting past the
problem with running the program
Take a Screenshot of a Virtual Machine
You can take a screenshot of a virtual machine and save it to the clipboard, to a file, or to both a file and
the clipboard.
When a take a screenshot of a virtual machine, the image is saved as a portable network graphics (.png)
file by default. On Windows hosts, you can also save the screenshot as a bitmap (.bmp) file.
On Linux hosts, saving a screenshot to the clipboard is supported only on systems running Gnome 2.12
or later.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences.
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2Select Workspace and select a save screenshots option.
You can select both options to save screenshots to both a file and the clipboard.
Option Description
Clipboard Save the screenshot to the clipboard.
File Save screenshots to a file. You can select:
nAlways ask for location
nSave to Desktop
nBrowse for custom location
By default, Workstation Pro saves screenshots to .png files on the Desktop of the
host computer. If you save the file to the desktop, the filename is generated from
the virtual machine name and the time at which the screenshot is taken.
To save screenshots to .bmp files on Windows hosts, select Always ask for
location and specify the file type when you save the screenshot.
3Click OK to save your changes.
4To take the screenshot, select the virtual machine, select VM > Capture Screen.
Delete a Virtual Machine
You can delete a virtual machine and all of its files from the host file system.
Important Do not delete a virtual machine if it was used to make a linked clone and you want to
continue to use the linked clone. A linked clone stops working if it cannot find the virtual disk files for the
parent virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
uSelect the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Delete from Disk.
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Configuring and Managing
Virtual Machines 5
You can configure virtual machine power, display, video, and sound card settings, encrypt a virtual
machine to secure it from unauthorized use, and restrict the Workstation Pro user interface to limit virtual
machine operations.
You can also move a virtual machine to another host system or to a different location on the same host
system, configure a virtual machine as a VNC server, change the hardware compatibility of a virtual
machine, and export a virtual machine to Open Virtualization Format (OVF).
This chapter includes the following topics:
nConfigure Power Options and Power Control Settings
nConfigure SSH Login on a Linux Virtual Machine
nSet Workstation Pro Display Preferences
nConfigure Display Settings for a Virtual Machine
nSet Preferences for Unity Mode
nSetting Screen Color Depth
nUsing Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
nEncrypting and Restricting Virtual Machines
nMoving Virtual Machines
nConfigure a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server
nChange the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
nClean Up a Virtual Hard Disk on Windows Hosts
nExport a Virtual Machine to OVF Format
nWriting and Debugging Applications That Run In Virtual Machines
Configure Power Options and Power Control Settings
You can configure how a virtual machine behaves when it is powered on, powered off, and closed. You
can also configure the behavior of the power controls and specify which power options appear in the
context menu when you right-click the virtual machine in the library.
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You can configure a soft or hard setting for each power control. A soft setting sends a request to the guest
operating system, which the guest operating system can ignore or, in the case of a deadlocked guest, it
might not be able to handle. A guest operating system cannot ignore a hard power control. Hard power
control settings are configured by default.
Power control settings affect the behavior of the stop, suspend, start, and reset buttons. The behavior you
select for a power control appears in a tooltip when you mouse over the button. Power control settings
also determine which power options appear in the context menu. For example, if you select the hard
setting for the start control, Power On appears in the context menu when you right-click the virtual
machine in the library. If you select the soft setting, Start Up Guest appears instead.
Not all guest operating systems respond to a shutdown or restart signal. If the guest operating system
does not respond to the signal, shut down or restart from within the guest operating system.
You can pass X toolkit options when you power on a virtual machine for a Linux guest operating system.
See Chapter 15 Using the vmware Command for more information.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Power.
3Select a power option.
Note You cannot configure these options for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Option Description
Enter full screen mode after powering
on
The virtual machine window enters full screen mode after it is powered on.
Close after powering off or suspending The virtual machine tab closes after it is powered off or suspended.
Report battery information to guest Battery information is reported to the guest operating system. If you run the virtual
machine on a laptop in full screen mode, this option enables you to determine
when the battery is running low. This option is available only for Workstation 6.x
and later virtual machines.
4Select a setting for the power off control.
Option Description
Power Off (Hard option) Workstation Pro powers off the virtual machine abruptly with no
consideration for work in progress.
Shut Down Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro sends a shut-down signal to the guest operating
system. An operating system that recognizes the signal shuts down gracefully.
Not all guest operating systems respond to a shut-down signal from
Workstation Pro. If the guest operating system does not respond to the signal,
shut down from the guest operating system as you would a physical machine.
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5Select a setting for the suspend control.
Option Description
Suspend (Hard option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and leaves it
connected to the network.
Suspend Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and disconnects it
from the network. VMware Tools runs a script in the guest operating system. On
Windows guests, if the virtual machine is configured to use DHCP, the script
releases the IP address of the virtual machine. On Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris
guests, the script stops networking for the virtual machine.
6Select a setting for the start control.
Note You cannot configure start control settings for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Option Description
Power On (Hard option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine.
Start Up Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine and VMware Tools runs a
script in the guest operating system. On Windows guests, if the virtual machine is
configured to use DHCP, the script renews the IP address of the virtual machine.
On a Linux, FreeBSD, or Solaris guest, the script starts networking for the virtual
machine.
7Select a setting for the reset control.
Option Description
Reset (Hard option) Workstation Pro resets the virtual machine abruptly with no
consideration for work in progress.
Restart Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro shuts down and restarts the guest operating system
gracefully. VMware Tools runs scripts before the virtual machine shuts down and
when the virtual machine starts up.
8Click OK to save your changes.
Configure SSH Login on a Linux Virtual Machine
With Workstation Pro on a Windows 10, version 1803 or later host, when a Linux virtual machine has an
SSH service enabled, you can configure quick SSH login to the virtual machine. The configuration
enables SSH login from the host to a Linux virtual machine in the virtual machine library. The virtual
machine can be running on the host or on a remote server running Workstation Pro, VMware ESXi, or
VMware vCenter Server.
By configuring SSH login, you provide yourself with easy and secure SSH access to the Linux virtual
machine now and at anytime in the future. You can then use a terminal window to access the Linux virtual
machine, where you can view files, transfer data, and run the commands available on the Linux operating
system.
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Prerequisites
nEnable SSH on the Linux virtual machine, if not already enabled. See instructions for the specific
Linux operating system.
nAdd the Linux virtual machine to the virtual machine library, if not already added.
You can add virtual machines that reside on the host or on a supported remote server.
nStart the Linux virtual machine, if not already started.
Procedure
1Select the Linux virtual machine and select VM > SSH > Connect to SSH.
2Complete the form and click Connect.
Option Description
Username Enter the user name of the virtual machine.
Port If 22, the default SSH service port number, is not correct for the Linux virtual machine you are configuring,
enter the correct port number.
Options You can use this text box to specify additional parameters to pass to the SSH client. For example, if you
created an SSH key pair to log in to the virtual machine without a password, you can enter it here.
A terminal window opens on the host desktop.
3Enter the password of the virtual machine.
SSH connects to the virtual machine. During the first connection, Workstation Pro automatically saves
the connection information for future connections.
You now have command-line access to the Linux virtual machine.
What to do next
In the future, to open an SSH connection from the host to the Linux virtual machine, in the
Workstation Pro virtual machine library, select the Linux virtual machine and select VM > SSH > Connect
to SSH.
Edit or Delete the SSH Login Configuration for a Linux Virtual
Machine
After you configure SSH login on a Linux virtual machine, you can change or delete the configuration.
If any of the following items change, you must change the SSH login configuration.
nPort number for the SSH service
nYour Linux virtual machine user name
You can also delete the SSH login configuration.
Procedure
1Select the Linux virtual machine and select VM > SSH > Configure SSH.
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2Either edit updated options and click Save or remove the configuration.
Option Description
Username Edit this option if your virtual machine user name changed.
Port Edit this option if the port number for the SSH service changed.
Options You can use this text box to specify additional parameters to pass to the SSH client. For example, if you
created an SSH key pair to log in to the virtual machine without a password, you can enter it here.
Remove To delete the SSH login configuration, click this option.
Set Workstation Pro Display Preferences
You can configure Workstation Pro display preferences to control how the display settings of all virtual
machines adjust to fit the Workstation Pro window. These adjustments occur when you resize the
Workstation Pro window or when you change the display settings in the guest operating system.
Prerequisites
Verify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in all guest operating systems.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences and select Display.
If you are using Windows 8.1 (Update 2) or Windows 10, Workstation Pro detects the DPI on each
monitor and scales the virtual machine to match the DPI on the host.
2Configure the Autofit options.
You can select one option, both options, or no options.
Option Description
Autofit window Resize the application window to match the virtual machine display settings when
the virtual machine display settings are changed.
Autofit guest Change the virtual machine settings to match the application window when the
application window is resized.
3Select a full screen option.
Option Description
Autofit guest (change guest resolution) Virtual machine resolution settings change to match the display settings of the
host system when you are in full screen mode.
Stretch guest (no resolution change) This option is available on Linux hosts only.
Virtual machine resolution settings are retained, but the display still changes to fill
the full screen. Select this setting if you need to retain low-resolution settings, for
example, when playing older computer games that run only at low resolutions.
Center guest (no resolution change) The host system and virtual machines retain their own display settings when you
are in full screen mode.
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4Select menu and toolbar options.
You can select one or more options, or no options.
Option Description
Use a single button for power controls (Windows hosts only) When this setting is selected, the start, stop, suspend, and
reset power controls appear on the toolbar as a single button with a drop-down
menu. When this setting is deselected, each power control has a separate button
on the toolbar.
Use a single button for stretch controls (For Windows guests earlier than Windows 7 and Linux guests) When this setting
is selected, the Keep Aspect Ratio Stretch and Free Stretch display controls
appear on the toolbar as a single button with a drop-down menu. When this
setting is deselected, each stretch control appears as a separate button on the
toolbar.
Combine toolbar with menu bar in
windowed mode
Show the Workstation Pro menus and toolbar on a single bar when
Workstation Pro is in windowed mode.
Combine tabs with toolbar in full
screen
Show the tabs and toolbar in a single bar when Workstation Pro is in full screen
mode.
Show toolbar edge when unpinned in
full screen
Show the edge of the full screen toolbar. When this setting is deselected, the
edge of the full screen toolbar is not visible. The full screen toolbar appears for a
few seconds when you place your cursor near the top of the screen.
5Click OK to save your changes.
Configure Display Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can specify monitor resolution settings, configure multiple monitors, and select accelerated graphics
capabilities for a virtual machine. You can use the multiple-monitor feature when the virtual machine is in
full screen mode.
For Windows guests, to use DirectX 9 accelerated graphics, the guest operating system must be
Windows XP or later. To use DirectX 10 accelerated graphics, the guest operating system must be
Windows Vista or later. To use DirectX 10.1 accelerated graphics, the guest operating system must be
Windows 7 or later.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nVerify that the guest operating system in the virtual machine is Windows XP or later, or Linux.
nIf you plan to use DirectX 9, DirectX 10, or DirectX 10.1 accelerated graphics, prepare the host
system. See Prepare the Host System to Use 3D Accelerated Graphics.
nIf the guest operating system is Windows 7 or later and you want Workstation Pro to automatically
adjust the virtual machine user interface size, update VMware Tools in the guest to the newest
version.
nIf you are using Windows 8.1 (Update 2) or Windows 10, Workstation Pro detects the DPI on each
monitor and scales the virtual machine to match the DPI on the host.
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Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Display.
3(Optional) To run applications that use DirectX 9, DirectX 10, or DirectX 10.1 accelerated graphics,
select Accelerate 3D graphics.
4Specify whether host settings determine the number of monitors.
Option Description
Use host setting for monitors When you select this setting, the SVGA driver uses a maximum bounding box
width of 7680 and a maximum bounding box height of 4320. The virtual machine
uses the number of monitors on the host system. The guest monitors cannot
exceed the maximum bounding box that the SVGA driver uses, 7680x4320. You
should select this setting in most cases.
Specify monitor settings Set the number of monitors that the virtual machine will see, regardless of the
number of monitors on the host system. This setting is useful if you use a
multimonitor host system and you need to test in a virtual machine that has only
one monitor. It is also useful if you are developing a multimonitor application in a
virtual machine and the host system has only one monitor. After you power on the
virtual machine, the guest operating system sees the number of monitors that you
specified. Select a resolution from the list or type a setting that has the format
width x height, where width and height are the number of pixels.
Note You cannot configure the resolution setting for a remote virtual machine.
5(Optional) Select the maximum amount of guest memory that can be used for graphics memory using
the drop-down menu. The default value of video memory varies by guest OS.
Guest OS Default
Windows 7 and later 1 GB
Windows XP and earlier 512 MB
Linux 768 MB
Note If you manually edited the .vmx file to change the memory size for the virtual machine, the
value you entered in the .vmx file is displayed, labeled Custom.
6(Optional) Either enable display scaling or set the display stretch ratio for a virtual machine,
depending on the option available to you.
Workstation Pro presents the option that the selected guest operating system supports.
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Option Guest Support Description
Display
scaling
Windows 7 or later To enable the DPI synchronization, select Automatically adjust user interface size
in the virtual machine.
Display
scaling,
Stretch mode
Windows earlier
than Windows 7
Linux
To allow the virtual machine display to stretch when the virtual machine is in full
screen mode or windowed mode, select Stretch mode and select one of the stretch
options.
nKeep aspect ratio stretch
When you adjust the Workstation Pro window, the virtual machine display
maintains the user interface aspect ratio.
nFree stretch
When you adjust the Workstation Pro window, the virtual machine display
stretches to fill the user interface, without maintaining the user interface aspect
ratio.
7Click OK to save your changes.
Prepare the Host System to Use 3D Accelerated Graphics
You must perform certain preparation tasks on the Windows or Linux host system to use 3D accelerated
graphics in a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nOn a Windows host, verify that the host has a video card that supports DirectX 9, DirectX 10, or
DirectX 10.1 and the latest DirectX Runtime required for the DirectX version being used.
nOn a Linux host, verify that the host has a video card that supports accelerated OpenGL 2.0 if you are
using DirectX 9, or OpenGL 3.3 if you are using DirectX 10 or DirectX 10.1.
The VMware guest operating system OpenGL driver for Windows and Linux supports the OpenGL
3.3 core profile only. The OpenGL3.3 compatibility profile is not supported.
Procedure
1Upgrade the video drivers on the host system to the latest versions.
ATI Graphics drivers are available from the AMD Web site. NVIDIA drivers are available from the
NVIDIA Web site. Intel drivers are available from the Intel Web site.
2If you have a Windows host system, move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the Full position.
Option Description
Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows
10
Right-click the desktop and select Personalize > Screen resolution > Advanced
Settings > Troubleshoot > Change settings.
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3If you have a Linux host system, run commands to test the host for compatibility.
a Verify that direct rendering is enabled.
glxinfo | grep direct
b Verify that 3D applications work.
glxgears
Prepare a Virtual Machine to Use Accelerated 3D Graphics
You must perform certain preliminary tasks to use accelerated 3D graphics on a virtual machine.
The accelerated 3D graphics feature is enabled by default on Workstation 6.x and later virtual machines.
Prerequisites
nPrepare the host system to use accelerated 3D graphics. See Prepare the Host System to Use 3D
Accelerated Graphics.
nIf using DirectX 9, verify that the guest operating system is Windows XP or later. DirectX 9 is
supported on virtual machines running hardware version 11 or earlier.
nIf using DirectX 10, verify that the guest operating system is Windows 7 or later. DirectX 10 is
supported on virtual machines running hardware version 12 or later.
nIf using DirectX 10.1, verify that the guest operating system is Windows 7 or later. DirectX 10.1 is
supported on virtual machines running hardware version 16 or later.
nVerify that the latest version of VMware Tools is installed in the guest operating system.
nPower off the virtual machine. The virtual machine must not be suspended.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Display.
3Select Accelerate 3D graphics.
4Configure the virtual machine to use only one monitor.
5Click OK to save your changes.
6Power on the virtual machine and install the required DirectX EndRuntime version.
This download is available from the Microsoft Download Center.
7Install and run your 3D applications.
Set Preferences for Unity Mode
You can set preferences for Unity mode to control whether the virtual machine Start or Applications
menu is available from the host system desktop. You can also select the border color that appears around
applications that run in Unity mode when they appear on the host system desktop.
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When you use the virtual machine Start or Applications menu from the host system desktop, you can
start applications in the virtual machine that are not open in Unity mode. If you do not enable this feature,
you must exit Unity mode to display the virtual machine Start or Applications menu in the console view.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Unity.
3Select a Unity window decoration option.
Option Description
Show borders Set a window border that identifies the application as belonging to the virtual
machine rather than to the host computer.
Show badges Display a logo in the title bar.
Use a custom color in window borders To help distinguish between the application windows that belong to various virtual
machines, use a custom color in window borders. For example, you can set the
applications for one virtual machine to have a blue border and set the applications
for another virtual machine to have a yellow border. On Windows hosts, click
Choose color to use the color chooser.
4To control whether the virtual machine Start or Applications menu is available on the host system
desktop, select or deselect Enable applications menu.
5Click OK to save your changes.
6(Optional) To minimize the Workstation Pro window when you enter Unity mode, edit the
Workstation Pro Unity preference setting.
Workstation Pro preference settings apply to all virtual machines.
a Select Edit > Preferences and select Unity.
b Select Minimize Workstation when entering Unity .
c Click OK to save your changes.
Setting Screen Color Depth
The number of screen colors available in the guest operating system depends on the screen color setting
of the host operating system.
Virtual machines support the following screen colors.
n16-color (VGA) mode
n8-bit pseudocolor
n16 bits per pixel (16 significant bits per pixel)
n32 bits per pixel (24 significant bits per pixel)
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If the host operating system is in 15-bit color mode, the guest operating system color setting controls offer
15-bit mode in place of 16-bit mode. If the host operating system is in 24-bit color mode, the guest
operating system color setting controls offer 24-bit mode in place of 32-bit mode.
If you run a guest operating system set for a greater number of colors than the host operating system, the
colors in the guest operating system might not be correct or the guest operating system might not be able
to use a graphical interface. If these problems occur, you can either increase the number of colors in the
host operating system or decrease the number of colors in the guest operating system.
To change color settings on the host operating system, power off all virtual machines and close
Workstation Pro and then follow standard procedures for changing color settings.
How you change color settings in a guest operating system depends on the type of guest operating
system. In a Windows guest, the Display Properties control panel offers only those settings that are
supported. In a Linux or FreeBSD guest, you must change the color depth before you start the X server,
or you must restart the X server after making the changes.
For best performance, use the same number of colors in the host and guest operating systems.
Using Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
Workstation 7.x and later versions support Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA). You might need
to perform certain preparation tasks before you can use ALSA in a virtual machine.
To use ALSA, the host system must meet certain requirements.
nThe ALSA library version on the host system must be version 1.0.16 or later.
nThe 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.
nThe ALSA sound card on the host system must not be muted.
nThe current user must have the appropriate permissions to use the ALSA sound card.
Override the ALSA Library Version Requirement for a Virtual
Machine
If the host system has an earlier version of the ALSA library, you can override the requirement for version
1.0.16.
If the host system does not meet ALSA requirements, or for some other reason cannot use ALSA,
Workstation uses the OSS API for sound playback and recording. Depending on the sound card in the
host system, the sound quality might not be as good when an older version of the ALSA library is used.
You should upgrade the host system to use the latest sound drivers and libraries.
Procedure
1Open the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file in a text editor.
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2Add the sound.skipAlsaVersionCheck property and set it to TRUE.
For example: sound.skipAlsaVersionCheck = "TRUE"
Obtain ALSA Sound Card Information
You can type commands at the command prompt on a Linux host system to obtain information about the
ALSA sound card and determine whether the current user has the appropriate permissions to access it.
Prerequisites
Obtain the documentation for the alsamixer program. The documentation is available on the Internet.
Procedure
nUse the alsamixer program to determine whether the current user has the appropriate permissions
to access the ALSA sound card.
If the user does not have the appropriate permissions, an error similar to alsamixer: function
snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device. appears.
nIf a user does not have the appropriate permissions to access the ALSA sound card, give the user
read, write, and execute permissions to the directory that contains the ALSA sound card.
The ALSA sound card is usually located in /dev/snd/. This location can vary depending on the Linux
distribution.
nTo list the name and type of sound chipset on the host system, type the command lspci | grep -I
audio.
nTo list the sound cards on the host system, type the command cat /proc/asound/cards.
nIf the ALSA sound card is muted, use the alsamixer program to unmute it.
Configure a Virtual Machine to Use an ALSA Sound Card
You can configure a virtual machine to use an ALSA sound card by modifying virtual machine settings.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Sound Card.
3Select Connected and Connect at power on.
4Select Specify host sound card and select the ALSA sound card.
5If the ALSA sound card does not appear in the list, use the alsa-utils package to list the ALSA
sound cards on the host system and select Specify host sound card again.
For example: aplay -L
6Click OK to save your changes.
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Encrypting and Restricting Virtual Machines
Encrypting a virtual machine secures it from unauthorized use. To decrypt a virtual machine, users must
enter the correct encryption password. Restricting a virtual machine prevents users from changing
configuration settings unless they first enter the correct restrictions password. You can also set other
restriction policies.
When you encrypt a virtual machine, Workstation Pro prompts you for a password. After the virtual
machine is encrypted, you must enter this password to open the virtual machine or to remove encryption
from it. Workstation Pro displays the encrypted virtual machine with a lock icon until you enter the
password to open the virtual machine.
If you also enable restrictions, users are prevented from modifying the virtual machine. For example, you
can enable restrictions to prevent users from removing virtual devices, changing the memory allocation,
modifying removable devices, changing the network connection type, and changing the virtual hardware
compatibility. A password prompt appears whenever anyone performs any of the following actions on the
virtual machine:
nClicks Edit virtual machine settings or Upgrade Virtual Machine on the virtual machine summary
tab
nDouble-clicks a virtual device in the Devices list on the virtual machine summary tab
nSelects the virtual machine and selects VM > Settings or VM > Manage > Change Hardware
Compatibility from the menu bar
nClicks or right-clicks on a removable device icon to edit its settings
nUses a Removable Devices > device_name menu to edit the settings for a device
Besides restricting users from changing USB device settings, you can also optionally set a policy that
prevents users from connecting USB devices to the guest operating system. If you set the policy to allow
connecting USB devices, users are not prompted to enter the restrictions password to use the devices.
An optional policy includes a setting that forces users to change the encryption password if they move or
copy the virtual machine. For example, a teacher might provide a copy of the virtual machine to all
students in the class and set this restriction so that all students must create their own encryption
password.
Another optional policy includes setting an expiration date for a virtual machine. For example, an
administrator can create a virtual machine for a temporary employee and set the virtual machine to expire
when the temporary employee leaves the company.
Important Make sure you record the encryption password and the restrictions password.
Workstation Pro does not provide a way to retrieve these passwords if you lose them.
Encryption applies to all snapshots in a virtual machine. If you restore a snapshot in an encrypted virtual
machine, the virtual machine remains encrypted whether or not it was encrypted when the snapshot was
taken. If you change the password for an encrypted virtual machine, the new password applies to any
snapshot you restore, regardless of the password in effect when the snapshot was taken.
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nVirtual Machine Encryption Limitations
The encryption feature has certain limitations.
nEncrypt and Restrict a Virtual Machine
You can encrypt a virtual machine to secure it from unauthorized use. You can also enable
restrictions to prevent users from changing configuration settings.
nRemove Encryption From a Virtual Machine
You can remove encryption from a virtual machine.
nChange the Password for an Encrypted Virtual Machine
You can change the password for an encrypted virtual machine. Changing the password does not
re-encrypt the virtual machine.
Virtual Machine Encryption Limitations
The encryption feature has certain limitations.
nYou must power off a virtual machine before you add or remove encryption or change the encryption
password.
nThe encryption feature supports virtual machines that have virtual hardware version 5.x or later only.
nYou cannot create a linked clone from an encrypted virtual machine.
nIf more than one unencrypted virtual machine shares the same virtual disk and you encrypt one of the
virtual machines, the virtual disk becomes unusable for the unencrypted virtual machine.
nYou cannot encrypt a shared or remote virtual machine.
nYou cannot upload an encrypted virtual machine to a remote server.
nYou cannot share an encrypted virtual machine.
Encrypt and Restrict a Virtual Machine
You can encrypt a virtual machine to secure it from unauthorized use. You can also enable restrictions to
prevent users from changing configuration settings.
Depending on the size of the virtual machine, the encryption process can take several minutes or several
hours.
Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nFamiliarize yourself with the encryption feature limitations. See Virtual Machine Encryption
Limitations.
nFamiliarize yourself with restricted virtual machine expiration behavior. See Restricted Virtual
Machine Expiration.
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Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Access Control.
3Click Encrypt.
4Click Encrypt, type an encryption password, and click Encrypt.
The encryption password is required to gain access to the virtual machine. It does not prevent the
user from changing the virtual machine configuration. Turn on restrictions and enter a password to
prevent the user from changing the virtual machine configuration.
Important Record the encryption password you use. If you forget the password, Workstation Pro
does not provide a way to retrieve it.
Workstation Pro begins encrypting the virtual machine. After the encryption process is complete, you
can optionally set a restrictions password.
5(Optional) To enable restrictions, select the Enable restrictions check box and configure restrictions
options.
Option Action
Restrictions password Set the restrictions password. The restrictions password prevents users of the
virtual machine from changing the virtual machine configuration.
Important Record the restrictions password you use. If you forget the password,
Workstation Pro does not provide a way to retrieve it.
Require the user to change the
encryption password when this virtual
machine is moved or copied
(Optional) Select this check box to require the user to change the encryption
password for the virtual machine if the virtual machine is moved or copied.
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Option Action
Allow USB devices to be connected to
this virtual machine
(Optional) Select this check box to allow USB device connections in the virtual
machine.
Expire the virtual machine after (Optional) Set a date and time for the virtual machine to expire. Click the down
arrow to select an expiration date. Click in the time field and enter the expiration
time.
You can provide an alert message and configure a time server by performing the
appropriate steps that follow:
a Click Advanced.
b Enter text to be displayed when the virtual machine expires.
c (Optional) Select the check box to show a message when the virtual machine
is about to expire and enter message text.
d (Optional) Set the number of days before expiration that the message is
displayed.
e (Optional) To provide the URL of a custom time server, enter the URL of the
time server in the Time server text box.
f (Optional) To verify the time server URL, click Check Server.
g (Optional) To manage the certificates of the time server, click Manage
certificates, click Add, navigate to each certificate file and add the file.
When you add certificates to the virtual machine, Workstation Pro uses the
certificates in the virtual machine, not on the host.
h (Optional) To change how often the encrypted virtual machine syncs with the
time server, set the number and time measurement of the Server contact
frequency option.
i (Optional) To change the Maximum time the VM can be used without
sever contact setting, set the number of days.
j Click OK.
6Click OK in the Virtual Machine Settings dialog box.
What to do next
For more information about the expiration of a restricted virtual machine, see Restricted Virtual Machine
Expiration.
Restricted Virtual Machine Expiration
When you enable restrictions for an encrypted virtual machine, how and when the virtual machine expires
depends on a few factors.
When you enable restrictions for an encrypted virtual machine, the expiration date and time are fixed, for
example, December 12, 2019, at 11:00 am in local time. The time and date are in Universal Time
Coordinated (UTC) format.
When an encrypted virtual machine with an expiration date is powered on, the virtual machine verifies the
time and compares it to the expiration date. While running, the virtual machine periodically checks the
time and stores all successful timestamps as the last trusted time stamp. If the last trusted timestamp
exceeds the date set for the virtual machine expiration, a warning message appears and the virtual
machine is suspended.
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After a virtual machine has expired, you can delete or extend its expiration date. To change the expiration
date, shut down the guest operating system and provide the restrictions password. See Encrypt and
Restrict a Virtual Machine.
Remove Encryption From a Virtual Machine
You can remove encryption from a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nRemove any sensitive information from the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Encryption.
3Deselect the Enable restrictions check box, if it is selected.
You cannot remove encryption from a virtual machine while restrictions are enabled.
4Click Remove Encryption.
5Type the encryption password.
6Click Remove Encryption.
Change the Password for an Encrypted Virtual Machine
You can change the password for an encrypted virtual machine. Changing the password does not re-
encrypt the virtual machine.
When you use this feature to change the password, the master key used to decrypt the virtual machine is
not changed, and the virtual machine is not re-encrypted. For security reasons, instead of changing the
password by using this procedure, you might choose to remove encryption and then encrypt the virtual
machine again with a different password.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select Encryption.
3Select Change Password.
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4Type the current password and the new password.
Important Make sure that you record the password. If you forget the password, Workstation Pro
does not provide a way to retrieve it.
Moving Virtual Machines
You can move a virtual machine that was created in Workstation Pro to a different host system or to a
different location on the same host system. You can also use a virtual machine that was created in
Workstation Pro in Workstation Player.
nMove a Virtual Machine to a New Location or Host
You can move a virtual machine that was created in Workstation Pro to a different host system or to
a different location on the same host system. You can also move a virtual machine to a host system
that has a different operating system.
nOpen a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation Player
VMware® Workstation Player opens and plays virtual machines created in other VMware products.
nConfigure a Virtual Machine for Compatibility
When you create a virtual machine that you intend to distribute to other users, you should configure
the virtual machine for maximum compatibility with all expected host systems. Users might be limited
in their ability to make changes in a virtual machine so that it is compatible with their host systems.
nUsing the Virtual Machine UUID
Each virtual machine has a universal unique identifier (UUID). The UUID is generated when you
initially power on the virtual machine.
Move a Virtual Machine to a New Location or Host
You can move a virtual machine that was created in Workstation Pro to a different host system or to a
different location on the same host system. You can also move a virtual machine to a host system that
has a different operating system.
Moving a virtual machine typically involves moving all of the files that make up the virtual machine. All
files in the virtual machine's original directory when the virtual machine was created must be moved. The
path names for all files associated with a Workstation Pro virtual machine are relative to the virtual
machine directory. If you stored any files in directories other than the virtual machine directory, be sure to
move them into a directory of the same name and same position relative to the location of the virtual
machine.
When you move a virtual machine to a different host system or to a different location on the same host
system, Workstation Pro generates a new MAC address for the virtual network adapter. Workstation Pro
also generates a new MAC address when you rename a directory in the path to the virtual machine
configuration file.
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Prerequisites
nFamiliarize yourself with how Workstation Pro generates UUIDs for moved virtual machines. See
Using the Virtual Machine UUID.
nIf you are moving the virtual machine to a different host system, familiarize yourself with the
limitations of moving a virtual machine to a new host. see Limitations of Moving a Virtual Machine to a
Different Host.
nIf you are moving a linked clone or a parent virtual machine, verify that the clone can access the
parent virtual machine. See Moving Linked Clones for more information.
nMake backup copies of the files in the virtual machine directory for the virtual machine that you are
moving.
Procedure
1Verify that all virtual machine files are stored in the virtual machines directory.
Some files might reside outside of the virtual machines directory.
2Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
3Copy the virtual machine files to the new location.
4If you moved the virtual machine to a different location on the same host system, remove the virtual
machine from the library, select File > Open, and browse to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx)
file in its new location.
5If you moved the virtual machine to a different host system, start Workstation Pro on the new host
system, select File > Open and browse to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
6When you are certain that the virtual machine works correctly in its new location, delete the virtual
machine files from its original location.
7If the virtual machine does not work correctly, verify that you copied all of the virtual machine files to
the new location.
You can examine virtual machine device settings to determine whether any associated files point to
locations that cannot be accessed from the new location.
Limitations of Moving a Virtual Machine to a Dierent Host
You should be aware of certain limitations before you move a virtual machine to a different host system.
nThe guest operating system might not work correctly if you move a virtual machine to a host system
that has significantly different hardware, for example, if you move a virtual machine from a
multiprocessor host to a uniprocessor host.
nWorkstation 7.x and later virtual machines support up to eight-way virtual symmetric multiprocessing
(SMP) on multiprocessor host systems. Workstation 10.x and later virtual machines support up to
sixteen-way multiprocessing on multiprocessor host systems. You can assign up to 8 or 16 virtual
processors to virtual machines running on host systems that have at least two logical processors. If
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you attempt to assign two processors to a virtual machine that is running on a uniprocessor host
system, a warning message appears. You can disregard this message and assign two processors to
the virtual machine, but you must move it to a host that has at least two logical processors before you
can power it on.
Moving Linked Clones
If you move a linked clone, or if you move its parent virtual machine, make sure that the clone can access
the parent virtual machine.
You cannot power on a linked clone if Workstation Pro cannot locate the original virtual machine.
For example, if you put a linked clone on a laptop and the parent remains on another machine, you can
use the clone only when the laptop connects to the network or drive where the parent is stored.
To use a cloned virtual machine on a disconnected laptop, you must use a full clone, or you must move
the parent virtual machine to the laptop.
Open a Virtual Machine in VMware Workstation Player
VMware® Workstation Player opens and plays virtual machines created in other VMware products.
Workstation Player is included with VMware Workstation Pro. When you install Workstation Pro, the
Workstation Player application file is stored with the Workstation Pro program files. On Windows hosts,
the file is called vmplayer.exe. On Linux hosts, the file is called vmplayer.
Note You can download the standalone version of Workstation Player for free from the VMware Web
site.
Prerequisites
Verify that the virtual machine is compatible with Workstation Player. See Configure a Virtual Machine for
Compatibility.
Procedure
1Start Workstation Player.
Option Action
From the GUI on a Windows host Select Start > Programs > VMware > VMware Player.
From the command line on a Windows
host
Type path\vmplayer.exe, where path is the path to the application file.
From a Linux X session Select VMware Player from the corresponding program menu, such as the
System Tools menu.
From the command line on a Linux
host
Type vmplayer &.
2Select File > Open a Virtual Machine and browse to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
3Select the virtual machine and select Virtual Machine > Power > Play Virtual Machine to start the
virtual machine in Workstation Player .
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Configure a Virtual Machine for Compatibility
When you create a virtual machine that you intend to distribute to other users, you should configure the
virtual machine for maximum compatibility with all expected host systems. Users might be limited in their
ability to make changes in a virtual machine so that it is compatible with their host systems.
Procedure
nInstall VMware Tools in the virtual machine.
VMware Tools significantly improves the user’s experience working with the virtual machine.
nDetermine which virtual devices are actually required, and do not include any that are not needed or
useful for the software you are distributing with the virtual machine.
Generic SCSI devices are typically not appropriate.
nTo connect a physical device to a virtual device, use the Auto detect options when you configure the
virtual machine.
The Auto detect options allow the virtual machine to adapt to the user’s system, and they work
whether the host operating system is Windows or Linux. Users who have no physical device receive a
warning message.
nTo connect a CD-ROM or floppy to an image file that you ship with the virtual machine, make sure the
image file is in the same directory as the virtual machine.
A relative path, rather than an absolute path, is used.
nFor both a physical CD-ROM and an image, provide two virtual CD-ROM devices in the virtual
machine.
For example, Workstation Pro does not provide an option to switch a single CD-ROM device between
a physical CD-ROM and an image, and the user cannot switch between them if you plan to ship
multiple images.
nChoose a reasonable amount of memory to allocate to the virtual machine.
For example, if the host system does not have enough physical memory to support the memory
allocation, the user cannot power on the virtual machine.
nChoose a reasonable screen resolution for the guest.
A user is likely to find it easier to increase the resolution manually than to deal with a display that
exceeds the user’s physical screen size.
nTo ensure that CD-ROMs work properly in virtual machines that you intend to distribute and play on
Workstation Pro, configure CD-ROM devices in legacy mode.
Some host operating systems do not support CD-ROMs in non-legacy mode.
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nWhen you configure a snapshot option for the virtual machine, select Just power off or Revert to
snapshot.
The Revert to snapshot option is useful if you want to distribute a demo virtual machine that resets
itself to a clean state when it is powered off. Workstation Pro does not allow taking snapshots.
Using the Virtual Machine UUID
Each virtual machine has a universal unique identifier (UUID). The UUID is generated when you initially
power on the virtual machine.
You can use the UUID of a virtual machine for system management in the same way that you use the
UUID of a physical computer. The UUID is stored in the SMBIOS system information descriptor, and you
can access it by using standard SMBIOS scanning software, including SiSoftware Sandra or IBM
smbios2.
If you do not move or copy the virtual machine to another location, the UUID remains constant. When you
power on a virtual machine that was moved or copied to a new location, you are prompted to specify
whether you moved or copied the virtual machine. If you indicate that you copied the virtual machine, the
virtual machine receives a new UUID.
Suspending and resuming a virtual machine does not trigger the process that generates a UUID. The
UUID in use at the time the virtual machine was suspended remains in use when the virtual machine is
resumed, even if it was copied or moved. You are not prompted to specify whether you moved or copied
the virtual machine until the next time you reboot the virtual machine.
Configure a Virtual Machine to Always Receive a New UUID
You can configure a virtual machine to always receive a new UUID when it is copied or moved so that you
are not prompted when you move or copy the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Open the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file in a text editor.
2Add the uuid.action property to the .vmx file and set it to create.
For example: uuid.action = "create"
Configure a Virtual Machine to Keep the Same UUID
You can configure a virtual machine to always keep the same UUID, even when it is moved or copied.
When a virtual machine is set to always keep the same UUID, you are not prompted when a virtual
machine is moved or copied.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
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Procedure
1Open the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file in a text editor.
2Add the uuid.action property and set it to keep.
For example: uuid.action = "keep"
Override the Generated UUID for a Virtual Machine
You can override the generated UUID and assign a specific UUID to a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Open the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file in a text editor.
2Search for the line that contains uuid.bios.
The format of the line is uuid.bios = "uuid_value". The UUID is a 128-bit integer. The 16 bytes
are separated by spaces, except for a dash between the eighth and ninth hexadecimal pairs.
For example: uuid.bios = "00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77-88 99 aa bb cc dd ee ff"
3Replace the existing UUID value with the specific UUID value.
4Power on the virtual machine.
The virtual machine uses new UUID is used when it reboots.
Configure a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server
You can use Workstation Pro to configure a virtual machine to act as a Virtual Network Computing (VNC)
server so that users on other computers can use a VNC client to connect to the virtual machine. You do
not need to install specialized VNC software in a virtual machine to set it up as a VNC server.
Note You cannot configure a shared or remote virtual machine as a VNC server.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select VNC Connections and select Enable VNC.
3(Optional) To allow VNC clients to connect to multiple virtual machines on the same host system,
specify a unique port number for each virtual machine.
Use should use a port number in the range from 5901 to 6001. Other applications use certain port
numbers, and some port numbers are privileged. For example, the VMware Management Interface
uses ports 8333 and 8222 and VMware Workstation Server uses port 443. On Linux, only the root
user can listen to ports up to port number 1024.
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4(Optional) Set a password for connecting to the virtual machine from a VNC client.
The password can be up to eight characters long. Because it is not encrypted when the VNC client
sends it, do not use a password that you use for other systems.
5(Optional) Click View VNC Connections to see a list of the VNC clients that are remotely connected
to the virtual machine and find out how long they have been connected.
6Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
If you do not VNC clients use to use the US101 keyboard map (U.S. English) when they connect to the
virtual machine, specify a different language. See Specify a Language Keyboard Map for VNC Clients.
Specify a Language Keyboard Map for VNC Clients
If you set a virtual machine to act as a VNC server, you can specify which language to use for the
keyboard that VNC clients use. By default, the US101 keyboard map (U.S. English) is used.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the virtual machine is set to act as a VNC server.
nDetermine the language code to use. See Language Codes.
Procedure
1In a text editor, open the virtual machine configuration file (.vmx) file for the virtual machine and add
the RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled and RemoteDisplay.vnc.port properties.
a Set RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled to TRUE.
b Set RemoteDisplay.vnc.port to the port number to use.
For example:
RemoteDisplay.vnc.enabled = "TRUE"
RemoteDisplay.vnc.port = "portnumber"
2Determine the location of the keymap file to use.
Default keymap files are included in the Workstation Pro installation directory.
Host System Keymap File Location
Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 hosts C:\ProgramData\VMware\vnckeymap
Linux host /usr/lib/vmware/vnckeymap
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3In the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file, add a property to specify the location of the keymap
file.
Option Description
To use the default keymap file included
in the Workstation Pro installation
directory
Add RemoteDisplay.vnc.keyMap = "xx", where xx is the code for the
language to use, such as jp for Japanese.
To use a keyboard map file in another
location
Add RemoteDisplay.vnc.keyMapFile = "filepath", where filepath is the
absolute file path.
4Start the virtual machine and connect to it from a VNC client.
Language Codes
When you specify a language keyboard map for VNC clients, you must specify a language code.
Table 5‑1. Language Codes
Code Language
de German
de-ch German (Switzerland)
es Spanish
fi Finnish
fr French
fr-be French (Belgium)
fr-ch French (Switzerland)
is Icelandic
it Italian
jp Japanese
nl-be Dutch (Belgium)
no Norwegian
pt Polish
uk UK English
us US English
Use a VNC Client to Connect to a Virtual Machine
You can use a VNC client to connect to a running virtual machine. Because VNC software is cross-
platform, you can use virtual machines running on different types of computers.
Workstation Pro does not need to be running to use VNC to connect to a virtual machine. Only the virtual
machine needs to be running, and it can be running in the background.
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When you use a VNC client to connect to a virtual machine, some features do not work or are not
available.
nYou cannot take or revert to snapshots.
nYou cannot power on, power off, suspend, or resume the virtual machine. You can shut down the
guest operating system. Shutting down might power off the virtual machine.
nYou cannot copy and paste text between the host system and the guest operating system.
nYou cannot change virtual machine settings.
nRemote display does not work well if you are also using the 3D feature.
Prerequisites
nConfigure the virtual machine as a VNC server. See Configure a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server.
nDetermine the machine name or IP address of the host system on which the virtual machine is
running and, if required, the VNC port number and password.
Procedure
1Install a VNC client on your computer.
Open-source versions of VNC are freely and publicly available. You can use any VNC client, but not a
Java viewer in a browser.
2Start the VNC client on your computer.
3Verify that the client is set for hextile encoding.
For example, if you use RealVNC Viewer, select Hextile under the Preferred Encoding option.
4Set the VNC client to use all colors.
For example, if you use RealVNC Viewer, select Full (all available colours) under the Colour Level
option.
5When prompted for the VNC server name, type the name or IP address and the port number of the
host system where the virtual machine is running.
For example: machine_name:port_number
6Type a password if one is required.
View VNC Connections for a Virtual Machine
When a virtual is configured to act as a VNC server, you can view a list of the VNC clients that are
remotely connected to the virtual machine and find out how long they have been connected.
Prerequisites
Configure the virtual machine to act as a VNC server. See Configure a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server.
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Procedure
uSelect the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > VNC Connections.
Change the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine
You can change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine. All virtual machines have a hardware
version. The hardware version indicates which virtual hardware features that the virtual machine
supports, such as BIOS or UEFI, number of virtual slots, maximum number of CPUs, maximum memory
configuration, and other hardware characteristics.
When you upgrade Workstation Pro, you must change the hardware compatibility of virtual machines that
were created in previous versions of Workstation Pro so that they can use the new features in the new
version of Workstation Pro. You can run older versions of virtual machines in the new version of
Workstation Pro, but you will not have the benefits of the new features.
If you want a virtual machine to remain compatible with other VMware products that you are using, you
might not want to change the hardware compatibility to the latest Workstation Pro version.
Note If you decide not to change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine, you should consider
upgrading to the latest version of VMware Tools to obtain the latest VMware Tools features.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the considerations and limitations of changing the hardware compatibility of a
virtual machine. See Considerations for Changing the Hardware Compatibility of a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Make backup copies of the virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
2If you are upgrading from a Workstation 5.x virtual machine, or downgrading to a Workstation 5.x
virtual machine, make a note of the NIC settings in the guest operating system.
If you specified a static IP address for the virtual machine, that setting might be changed to automatic
assignment by DHCP after the upgrade.
3Shut down the guest operating system and power off the virtual machine.
4Select the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Change Hardware Compatibility.
5Follow the prompts in the wizard to change the hardware compatibility of the virtual machine.
When you select a hardware compatibility setting, a list of the VMware products that are compatible
with that setting appears. For example, if you select Workstation 4, 5, or 6, a list of Workstation 6.5
and later features that are not supported for that Workstation version also appears.
Note Using Workstation 10 or later, you can change the hardware compatibility of a shared or
remote virtual machine. However, you cannot downgrade a previously created virtual machine.
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6Power on the virtual machine.
If you upgrade a virtual machine that contains a Windows 98 operating system to a Workstation 6.5 or
later virtual machine, you must install a PCI-PCI bridge driver when you power on the virtual machine.
Note Because Workstation 6.5 and later versions have 32 more PCI-PCI bridges than Workstation
6, you might need to respond to the prompt 32 or 33 times.
7If the NIC settings in the guest operating system have changed, use the NIC settings that you
recorded to change them back to their original settings.
8If the virtual machine does not have the latest version of VMware Tools installed, update VMware
Tools.
Update VMware Tools to the version included with the latest version of Workstation Pro, even if you
upgraded the virtual machine to an earlier version of Workstation Pro. Do not remove the older
version of VMware Tools before installing the new version.
Note If you are upgrading a virtual machine that runs from a physical disk, you can safely ignore this
message: Unable to upgrade drive_name. One of the supplied parameters is invalid.
Considerations for Changing the Hardware Compatibility of a
Virtual Machine
Before you change the hardware compatibility of a virtual machine, you should be aware of certain
considerations and limitations.
nFor 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.
nIf you upgrade a Workstation 5.x virtual machine that is compatible with ESX Server to Workstation 6,
6.5, 7.x, or later, you cannot use the Change Hardware Compatibility wizard to later downgrade the
virtual machine to an ESX-compatible virtual machine.
nWhen you upgrade a Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
virtual machine, the Microsoft product activation feature might require you to reactivate the guest
operating system.
nUsing Workstation 9 or earlier, you cannot change the hardware compatibility of a shared or remote
virtual machine.
nUsing 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.
Clean Up a Virtual Hard Disk on Windows Hosts
When you delete files from your virtual machine, the disk space occupied by those files is not immediately
returned to your host system. If a virtual disk has such empty space, you can use the Clean up disks
command to return that space to the hard drive on a Microsoft Windows host.
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The Clean up disks command is similar to the Compact command in the Workstation Pro virtual
machine settings and the shrink command provided by VMware Tools. The Clean up disks command
has these advantages:
nYou can use the Clean up disks command with virtual machines that have snapshots or are linked
clones or parents of a linked clone.
nThe Clean up disks command reclaims more disk space than the Compact command.
The Clean up disks command reclaims disk space from the current state of the virtual machine, from
any powered-off snapshots, and from any powered-on snapshots where the guest operating system
is Windows XP or later and you have installed a version of VMware Tools that is compatible with
Workstation 8 or later.
nUnlike the Defragment command and the shrink command provided by VMware Tools, the Clean up
disks command does not require any extra disk space on the host. The Clean up disks command
operates directly on the virtual disk (.vmdk) files.
Note This command is not available for shared or remote virtual machines.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you are using a Windows host and that the guest operating system uses NTFS. (NTFS is
standard in Windows XP or later operating systems.) This feature works on all NTFS hard disks but
reclaims more disk space if the operating system is Windows XP or later.
nShut down or power off the virtual machine. You cannot use this command while the virtual machine
is powered on or suspended.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine in the library.
2From the menu bar, select VM > Manage > Clean Up Disks.
Workstation Pro calculates how much space can be reclaimed, and either the Clean Up Now button
becomes available or a message appears, explaining why the command is unavailable.
3Click Clean Up Now to start the process.
A dialog box reports the progress of the clean-up process.
Export a Virtual Machine to OVF Format
You can export a virtual machine from Workstation Pro to OVF format.
OVF is a platform-independent, efficient, extensible, and open packaging and distribution format for virtual
machines. OVF format provides a complete specification of the virtual machine, including the full list of
required virtual disks and the required virtual hardware configuration, including CPU, memory, networking,
and storage. An administrator can quickly provision an OVF-formatted virtual machine with little or no
intervention.
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You can also use the standalone OVF Tool to convert a virtual machine that is in VMware runtime format
to an OVF virtual machine. The standalone version of the OVF Tool is installed in the Workstation Pro
installation directory under OVFTool. See the OVF Tool User Guide on the VMware Web site for
information about using the OVF Tool.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the virtual machine is not encrypted. You cannot export an encrypted virtual machine to
OVF format.
nVerify that the virtual machine is powered off.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select File > Export to OVF.
2Type a name for the OVF file and specify a directory in which to save it.
3Click Save to start the OVF export process.
The export process can take several minutes. A status bar indicates the progress of the export
process.
Writing and Debugging Applications That Run In Virtual
Machines
Application developers can use APIs, SDKs, and IDEs to write and debug applications that run in virtual
machines.
VIX API You can use the VIX API to write programs that automate virtual machine
operations. The API is easy to use and useful for both script writers and
application programmers. Functions enable you to power virtual machines
on and off, register them, and run programs to manipulate files in the guest
operating systems. Additional language bindings are available for Perl,
COM, and shell scripts (for example, vmrun).
VMCI Sockets Interface VMCI Sockets is a network sockets API for the Virtual Machine
Communication Interface. It provides a fast means of communication
between a host and its guest virtual machines. This API is well-suited for
client-server applications. See the VMCI Sockets Programming Guide.
Integrated Virtual
Debuggers for Eclipse
The integrated development environment (IDE) plug-ins provide a
configurable interface between virtual machines and Eclipse. They let you
test, run, and debug programs in virtual machines. See the Integrated
Virtual Debugger for Eclipse Developer’s Guide.
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Debugging Over a Virtual Serial Port
You can use virtual machines to debug kernel code on one system without the need for two physical
computers, a modem, or a serial cable. You can use Debugging Tools for Windows (WinDbg) or Kernel
Debugger (KD) to debug kernel code in a virtual machine over a virtual serial port.
You can Download Debugging Tools for Windows from the Windows Hardware Developer Central
(WHDC) Web site.
Debug an Application in a Virtual Machine from a Windows Host
You can debug an application in a virtual machine from a Windows host system over a virtual serial port.
Prerequisites
nVerify that Debugging Tools for Windows is installed on the host system and that it supports
debugging over a pipe. It must be version 5.0.18.0 or later.
nVerify that a serial port is configured for the virtual machine. See Configuring Virtual Ports.
Procedure
1Configure the named pipe on the target virtual machine and select This end is the server.
2Power on the virtual machine.
3Select the virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices, and verify that the serial port is
connected.
4If the serial port is not reported as \\.\pipe\namedpipe, select the virtual serial port and click
Connect.
5On the host system, type the debugger command.
For example: debugger -k com:port=\\.\pipe\namedpipe,pipe
The debugger value is WinDbg or KD.
6Press Enter to start debugging.
Debug an Application in a Virtual Machine from Another Virtual Machine
You can use the WinDbg or KD debugger to debug an application in a virtual machine from another virtual
machine over a serial port.
Prerequisites
nDownload and install WinDbg or KD in the Windows guest operating system that you plan to use as
the debugger virtual machine.
nVerify that a serial port is configured for the virtual machine. See Configuring Virtual Ports.
Procedure
1Power on both virtual machines.
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2Select the virtual machine and select VM > Removable Devices to verify that the serial port is
connected.
3If the serial port is not connected, select the virtual serial port and click Connect.
4In the debugger virtual machine, start debugging by using WinDbg or KD.
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VMware Workstation Server Log
Files 6
VMware Workstation Server saves messages in log files. Refer to these log files if you need to audit or
troubleshoot a problem with remote access or remote authorization.
Table 6‑1. Workstation Server Log Files
Host System Location
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows
8, and Windows 10 hosts
C:\ProgramData\VMware\hostd\hostd-n.log
Linux hosts /var/log/vmware/hostd-n.log
On Linux hosts, security-related information, such as authorization attempts, is sent to the system
messages log.
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Configuring and Managing
Devices 7
You can use Workstation Pro to add devices to virtual machines, including DVD and CD-ROM drives,
floppy drives, USB controllers, virtual and physical hard disks, parallel and serial ports, generic SCSI
devices, and processors. You can also modify settings for existing devices.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nConfiguring DVD, CD-ROM, and Floppy Drives
nConfiguring a USB Controller
nConfiguring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks
nAdding a Physical Disk to a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Virtual Ports
nConfiguring Generic SCSI Devices
nConfiguring Virtual Trusted Platform Module Devices
nConfiguring Sixteen-Way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing
nConfiguring Keyboard Features
nModify Hardware Settings for a Virtual Machine
Configuring DVD, CD-ROM, and Floppy Drives
You can add up to four IDE devices, up to 60 SCSI devices, and up to 120 SATA devices (four controllers
with 30 devices per controller) to a virtual machine. Any of these devices can be connected to a physical
or virtual CD-ROM or DVD device. CD-ROM and DVD devices cannot be connected to an NVMe
controller.
A virtual machine can read data from a DVD disc. Workstation Pro does not support playing DVD movies
in a virtual machine. If you use a DVD player application that does not require video overlay support in the
video card, you might be able to play a movie.
Add a DVD or CD-ROM Drive to a Virtual Machine
You can add one or more DVD or CD-ROM drives to a virtual machine. You can connect the virtual DVD
or CD-ROM drive to a physical drive or an ISO image file.
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You can configure the virtual DVD or CD-ROM drive as an IDE, SCSI, or SATA device, regardless of the
type of physical drive that you connect it to. For example, if the host has an IDE CD-ROM drive, you can
set up the virtual machine drive as either SCSI or IDE and connect it to the host drive.
Do not configure legacy emulation mode unless you experience problems with normal mode. See
Configure Legacy Emulation Mode for a DVD or CD-ROM Drive for more information.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the Add Hardware wizard, select DVD/CD Drive.
4Click Finish to add the drive to the virtual machine.
5(Optional) To change which SCSI, IDE, or SATA device identifier to use for the drive, select the drive
and click Advanced.
6Click OK to save your changes.
Add a Floppy Drive to a Virtual Machine
You can configure a virtual floppy drive to connect to a physical floppy drive or an existing or blank floppy
image file. You can add up to two floppy drives to a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the Add Hardware wizard, select Floppy Drive.
4Click Finish to add the drive to the virtual machine.
5Select the floppy media type.
Option Description
Use a physical floppy drive The virtual machine uses a physical floppy drive.
Use a floppy image The drive connects to an floppy image (.flp) file.
Create a blank floppy image The drive connects to a blank floppy image (.flp) file that you create.
6If you selected the physical floppy drive media type, select a specific floppy drive or select Auto
detect to allow Workstation Pro to auto-detect the drive to use.
7If you selected the floppy image or blank floppy image media type, type the name or browse to the
location of a floppy image (.flp) file.
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8To connect the drive or floppy image file to the virtual machine when the virtual machine powers on,
select Connect at power on.
9Click OK to save your changes.
10 If you added a second floppy drive to the virtual machine, enable the drive in the virtual machine
BIOS.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Power > Power On to BIOS.
b Select Legacy Diskette B: and use the plus (+) and minus (-) keys on the numerical keypad to
select the type of floppy drive to use.
c Press F10 to save the settings.
Configure Legacy Emulation Mode for a DVD or CD-ROM Drive
Use legacy emulation mode to work around direct communication problems between a guest operating
system and a DVD or CD-ROM drive.
In legacy emulation mode, you can read only from data discs in the DVD or CD-ROM drive. Legacy
emulation mode does not provide the other capabilities of normal mode. In normal mode, the guest
operating system communicates directly with the CD-ROM or DVD drive. This direct communication
enables you to read multisession CDs, perform digital audio extraction, view videos, and use CD and
DVD writers to burn discs.
If you run more than one virtual machine at a time, and if their CD-ROM drives are in legacy emulation
mode, you must start the virtual machines with their CD-ROM drives disconnected. By disconnecting the
CD-ROM drives in the virtual machines, you prevent multiple virtual machines from being connected to
the CD-ROM drive at the same time.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the drive and click Advanced.
3Select Legacy emulation and click OK.
On Windows hosts, this option is deselected by default. On Linux hosts that have IDE drives, the
default setting depends on whether the ide-scsi module is loaded in the kernel. The ide-scsi
module must be loaded, or you must use a physical SCSI drive, to connect directly to the DVD or CD-
ROM drive.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Configuring a USB Controller
A virtual machine must have a USB controller to use USB devices and smart card readers. To use a
smart card reader, a virtual machine must have a USB controller regardless of whether the smart card
reader is actually a USB device.
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Workstation Pro provides a USB controller to support the following types of USB devices.
nUSB 1.1 UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface) is supported for all virtual machine hardware
versions.
nUSB 2.0 EHCI (Enhanced Host Controller Interface) controllers are supported if the virtual machine
hardware is compatible with Workstation 6 and later virtual machines.
nUSB 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 or later virtual machines.
For USB 2.0 or 3.0 support, you must select USB 2.0 or 3.0 compatibility by configuring virtual machine
settings for the USB controller. USB 2.0 and 3.0 devices are high-speed devices that include the latest
models of USB flash drives, USB hard drives, iPods, and iPhone.
If you select USB 2.0 compatibility, when a USB 2.0 device connects to a USB port on the host system,
the device connects to the EHCI controller and operates in USB 2.0 mode. A USB 1.1 device connects to
the UHCI controller and operates in USB 1.1 mode. If you enable USB 3.0, the xHCI controller can
support all USB devices, including USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 devices.
Although the host operating system must support USB, you do not need to install device-specific drivers
for USB devices in the host operating system to use those devices only in the virtual machine. Linux
kernels earlier than 2.2.17 do not support USB.
VMware has tested a variety of USB devices. If the guest operating system has the appropriate drivers,
you can use many different USB devices, including PDAs, Smart phones, printers, storage devices,
scanners, MP3 players, digital cameras, memory card readers, and isochronous transfer devices, such as
webcams, speakers, and microphones.
You can connect USB human interface devices (HIDs), such as the keyboard and mouse, to a virtual
machine by enabling the Show all USB input devices option. If you do not select this option, these
devices do not appear in the Removable Devices menu and are not available to connect to the virtual
machine, even though they are plugged in to USB ports on the host system.
See Connect USB HIDs to a Virtual Machine for information on connecting HIDs.
Add a USB Controller to a Virtual Machine
A USB controller is required to use a USB device in a virtual machine. You can add one USB controller to
a virtual machine.
When you create a virtual machine in Workstation Pro, a USB controller is added by default. If you
remove the USB controller, you can add it back.
Note Shared and remote virtual machines are created without a USB controller by default. You can add
a USB controller manually after you finish creating a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
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Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the New Hardware wizard, select USB Controller.
4Click Finish to add the USB controller.
5Configure the USB connection settings.
You can select multiple settings.
Note You typically cannot configure USB connection settings for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Option Description
USB Compatibility Selecting USB 2.0 or 3.0 enables support for isochronous USB devices, including
Web cams, speakers, and microphones.
Automatically connect new USB
devices
This feature only appears when you
use Workstation Pro on a Linux host.
Connect new USB devices to the virtual machine. If this setting is not selected,
new USB devices are connected only to the host system.
Show all USB input devices Human interface devices (HIDs), such as USB 1.1 and 2.0 mouse and keyboard
devices, appear in the Removable Devices menu. Icons for HIDs appear in the
status bar. An HID that is connected to the guest operating system is not available
to the host system. The virtual machine must be powered off when you change this
setting.
Share Bluetooth devices with the
virtual machine
Enable support for Bluetooth devices.
Enable Support for Isochronous USB Devices
Modems and certain streaming data devices, such as speakers and webcams, do not work properly in a
virtual machine unless you enable support for isochronous USB devices.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the guest operating system supports USB 2.0 devices or 3.0 devices.
nOn a Windows XP guest operating system, verify that the latest service pack is installed. If you use
Windows XP with no service packs, the driver for the EHCI controller cannot be loaded.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select USB Controller.
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3From the USB Compatibility list, select USB 2.0 or USB 3.0.
Option Description
USB 2.0 Available if the virtual machine hardware is compatible with Workstation 6 and
later virtual machines.
USB 3.0 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.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks
You can use Workstation Pro to configure virtual hard disk storage for virtual machines.
A virtual disk is a file or set of files that appears as a physical disk drive to a guest operating system. The
files can be on the host system or on a remote computer. When you configure a virtual machine to use a
virtual disk, you can install a new operating system onto the virtual disk without repartitioning a physical
disk or rebooting the host.
The New Virtual Machine wizard creates a virtual machine that has one disk drive. You can modify
virtual machine settings to add more disk drives to a virtual machine, remove disk drives from a virtual
machine, and change certain settings for the existing disk drives.
nConfiguring a Virtual Hard Disk
You can configure virtual hard disks as IDE or SATA disks for any guest operating system. You can
set up a virtual hard disk as a SCSI disk for any guest operating system that has a driver for the LSI
Logic or BusLogic SCSI adapter. You can also set up a virtual hard disk as an NVMe disk for any
guest system that includes NVMe drivers. You determine which SCSI adapter to use when you
create a virtual machine.
nCompact a Virtual Hard Disk
Compacting a virtual hard disk can reclaim unused space in the virtual disk. Modern disks and
operating systems are much more efficient at managing disk space than in the recent past.
Therefore, do not expect the compacting procedure to return large amounts of disk space to the host
drive.
nExpand a Virtual Hard Disk
You can add storage space to a virtual machine by expanding its virtual hard disk.
nDefragment a Virtual Hard Disk
Like physical disk drives, virtual hard disks can become fragmented. Defragmenting disks
rearranges files, programs, and unused space on the virtual hard disk so that programs run faster
and files open more quickly. Defragmenting does not reclaim unused space on a virtual hard disk.
nRemove a Virtual Hard Disk from a Virtual Machine
Removing a virtual hard disk disconnects it from a virtual machine. It does not delete files from the
host file system.
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nUsing Virtual Disk Manager
Virtual Disk Manager (vmware-vdiskmanager.exe) is a Workstation Pro utility that you can use to
create, manage, and modify virtual disk files from the command line or in scripts.
nUsing Legacy Virtual Disks
You can use the current version of Workstation Pro in a mixed environment with virtual machines
that were created with earlier versions or with other VMware products.
nUsing Lock Files to Prevent Consistency Problems on Virtual Hard Disks
A running virtual machine creates lock files to prevent consistency problems on virtual hard disks.
Without locks, multiple virtual machines might read and write to the disk, causing data corruption.
nMoving a Virtual Hard Disk to a New Location
A key advantage of virtual hard disks is their portability. Because the virtual hard disks are stored as
files on the host system or a remote computer, you can move them easily to a new location on the
same computer or to a different computer.
Configuring a Virtual Hard Disk
You can configure virtual hard disks as IDE or SATA disks for any guest operating system. You can set up
a virtual hard disk as a SCSI disk for any guest operating system that has a driver for the LSI Logic or
BusLogic SCSI adapter. You can also set up a virtual hard disk as an NVMe disk for any guest system
that includes NVMe drivers. You determine which SCSI adapter to use when you create a virtual machine.
The files that make up an IDE, SATA, SCSI, or NVMe virtual hard disk can be stored on a hard disk of any
type. They can also be stored on other types of fast-access storage media.
To use SCSI hard disks in a 32-bit Windows XP virtual machine, you must download a special SCSI driver
from the VMware Web site. Follow the instructions on the Web site to use the driver with a fresh
installation of Windows XP.
Growing and Allocating Virtual Disk Storage Space
Most virtual hard disks can be up to 8TB. SCSI disks on the BusLogic controller are limited to 2TB.
Depending on the size of the virtual hard disk and the host operating system, Workstation Pro creates
one or more files to hold each virtual disk.
Virtual hard disk files include information such as the operating system, program files, and data files.
Virtual disk files have a .vmdk extension.
By default, the actual files that the virtual hard disk uses start small and grow to their maximum size as
needed. The main advantage of this approach is the smaller file size. Smaller files require less storage
space and are easier to move to a new location, but it takes slightly longer to write data to a disk
configured in this way.
You can also configure virtual hard disks so that all of the disk space is allocated when the virtual disk is
created. This approach provides enhanced performance and is useful if you are running performance-
sensitive applications in the virtual machine.
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Regardless of whether you allocate all disk space in advance, you can configure the virtual hard disk to
split into multiple files on the host disk. The split is not visible to the virtual machine, but is necessary if
you move the virtual machine or its disks to a file system that does not support files larger than 4GB, such
as a USB thumb drive formatted with the FAT32 file system.
Add a New Virtual Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine
To increase storage space, you can add a new virtual hard disk to a virtual machine. Workstation Pro
supports up to four IDE devices, 60 SCSI devices, 120 SATA devices, and 60 NVMe virtual disks.
Virtual hard disks are stored as files on the host computer or on a network file server. A virtual IDE drive
or SCSI drive can be stored on a physical IDE drive or on a physical SCSI drive.
As an alternative to adding a new virtual hard disk, you can expand the existing virtual hard disk. See
Expand a Virtual Hard Disk.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the New Hardware wizard, select Hard Disk.
4Select Create a new virtual disk.
5Select the disk type.
Option Description
IDE Create an IDE device. You can add up to four IDE devices to a virtual machine.
SCSI Create a SCSI device. You can add up to 60 SCSI devices to a virtual machine.
SATA Create a SATA device. You can add up to 120 SATA devices, four controllers, and
30 devices per controller.
NVMe Create an NVMe device. You can add up to 60 NVMe devices, four controllers,
and 15 devices per controller.
6Set the capacity for the new virtual hard disk.
You can set a size between 0.001 GB and 8 TB for a virtual disk.
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7Specify how to allocate the disk space.
Option Description
Allocate all disk space now Allocating all of the disk space when you create the virtual hard disk can enhance
performance, but it requires all of the physical disk space to be available now. If
you do not select this setting, the virtual disk starts small and grows as you add
data to it.
Store virtual disk as a single file Select this option if the virtual disk is stored on a file system that does not have a
file size limitation.
Split virtual disk into multiple files Select this option if the virtual disk is stored on a file system that has a file size
limitation. When you split a virtual disk less than 950 GB, a series of 2 GB virtual
disk files are created. When you split a virtual disk greater than 950 GB, two
virtual disk files are created. The maximum size of the first virtual disk file is 1.9
TB and the second virtual disk file stores the rest of the data.
8Accept the default filename and location, or browse to and select a different location.
9Click Finish to add the new virtual hard disk.
The wizard creates the new virtual hard disk. The disk appears to the guest operating system as a
new, blank hard disk.
10 (Optional) To exclude the disk from snapshots, select Independent for the mode and select a
persistence option.
Option Description
Persistent Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on a physical computer.
All data written to a disk in persistent mode is written permanently to the disk.
Nonpersistent Changes to disks in nonpersistent mode are discarded when you power off or
reset the virtual machine. With nonpersistent mode, you always restart the virtual
machine with a virtual disk in the same state. Changes to the disk are written to
and read from a redo log file that is deleted when you power off or reset the virtual
machine.
11 Click OK to save your changes.
12 Use the guest operating system tools (such as the Windows Disk Management tool or the fdisk
command in Linux) to partition and format the new drive.
Add an Existing Virtual Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine
You can reconnect an existing virtual hard disk that was removed from a virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the Add Hardware wizard, select Hard Disk.
4Select Use an existing virtual disk.
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5Specify the path name and filename for the existing disk file.
6Click Finish to add the existing virtual hard disk.
7Click OK to save your changes.
Compact a Virtual Hard Disk
Compacting a virtual hard disk can reclaim unused space in the virtual disk. Modern disks and operating
systems are much more efficient at managing disk space than in the recent past. Therefore, do not expect
the compacting procedure to return large amounts of disk space to the host drive.
Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nVerify that the virtual disk is not mapped or mounted. You cannot compact a virtual disk while it is
mapped or mounted.
nVerify that the disk space is not preallocated for the virtual hard disk. If the disk space was
preallocated, you cannot compact the disk.
nIf the virtual hard disk is an independent disk, verify that it is in persistent mode.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the virtual hard disk to compact.
3Select Utilities > Compact.
4Click OK after the disk compacting process is complete.
Expand a Virtual Hard Disk
You can add storage space to a virtual machine by expanding its virtual hard disk.
When you expand a virtual hard disk, the added space is not immediately available to the virtual machine.
To make the added space available, you must use a disk management tool to increase the size of the
existing partition on the virtual hard disk to match the expanded size.
The disk management tool that you use depends on the virtual machine guest operating system. Many
operating systems, including Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 and some versions of Linux,
provide built-in disk management tools that can resize partitions. Third-party disk management tools are
also available, such as EASEUS Partition Master, Acronis Disk Director, and the open-source tool
GParted.
When you expand the size of a virtual hard disk, the sizes of partitions and file systems are not affected.
As an alternative to expanding a virtual hard disk, you can add a new virtual hard disk to the virtual
machine. See Add a New Virtual Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine.
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Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nVerify that the virtual disk is not mapped or mounted. You cannot expand a virtual disk while it is
mapped or mounted.
nVerify that the virtual machine has no snapshots.
nVerify that the virtual machine is not a linked clone or the parent of a linked clone.
You can determine whether a virtual machine is a linked clone by the virtual machine name string on
the summary page. If the string includes "Clone of: virtual machine name", the virtual machine is a
linked clone. If the string includes "Snapshot: Snapshot for virtual machine name", the virtual machine
is a parent of a linked clone.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the virtual hard disk to expand.
3Select Utilities > Expand.
4Set the new maximum size for the virtual disk.
You can set a size between 0.001 GB and 8192 GB for a virtual disk.
5Select Expand.
6Click OK after the disk expansion process is complete.
What to do next
Use a disk management tool to increase the disk partition size to match the expanded virtual disk size.
Defragment a Virtual Hard Disk
Like physical disk drives, virtual hard disks can become fragmented. Defragmenting disks rearranges
files, programs, and unused space on the virtual hard disk so that programs run faster and files open
more quickly. Defragmenting does not reclaim unused space on a virtual hard disk.
Defragmenting disks can take considerable time.
Prerequisites
nVerify that there is adequate free working space on the host system. For example, if the virtual hard
disk is contained in a single file, there must be free space equal to the size of the virtual disk file.
Other virtual hard disk configurations require less free space.
nVerify that the virtual disk is not mapped or mounted. You cannot defragment a virtual disk while it is
mapped or mounted.
Procedure
1Run a disk defragmentation utility in the guest operating system.
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2If disk space is not preallocated for the virtual hard disk, use the Workstation Pro defragmentation tool
to defragment it.
a Power off the virtual machine.
b Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
c On the Hardware tab, select Hard Disk.
d Select Utilities > Defragment.
e When the defragmentation process is finished, click OK.
3Run a disk defragmentation utility on the host system.
Remove a Virtual Hard Disk from a Virtual Machine
Removing a virtual hard disk disconnects it from a virtual machine. It does not delete files from the host
file system.
After you remove a virtual hard disk from a virtual machine, you can map or mount the disk to the host
system and copy data from the guest operating system to the host without powering on the virtual
machine or starting Workstation Pro. You can also add the disk to another virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the virtual hard disk and click Remove.
3Click OK to save your changes.
Using Virtual Disk Manager
Virtual Disk Manager (vmware-vdiskmanager.exe) is a Workstation Pro utility that you can use to create,
manage, and modify virtual disk files from the command line or in scripts.
Virtual Disk Manager is included in the VMware Workstation program files directory when Workstation Pro
is installed. With Virtual Disk Manager, you can enlarge a virtual disk so that its maximum capacity is
larger than it was when you created it. This feature is useful if you need more disk space in a given virtual
machine, but do not want to add another virtual disk or use ghosting software to transfer the data on a
virtual disk to a larger virtual disk.
You can also use Virtual Disk Manager to change how disk space is allocated for a virtual hard disk. You
can preallocate all the disk space in advance or configure the disk to grow as more disk space is needed.
If you allocate all the disk space but later need to reclaim some hard disk space on the host system, you
can convert the preallocated virtual disk into a growable disk. The new virtual disk is still large enough to
contain all the data in the original virtual hard disk. You can also change whether the virtual hard disk is
stored in a single file or split into 2GB files.
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Using Legacy Virtual Disks
You can use the current version of Workstation Pro in a mixed environment with virtual machines that
were created with earlier versions or with other VMware products.
Although you can use the current version of Workstation Pro to power on virtual machines that were
created with older versions or other VMware products, many new features of Workstation Pro are not
available in older virtual machines.
If you decide not to upgrade a virtual machine, you should still upgrade VMware Tools to the latest
version in the guest operating system. Do not remove the older version of VMware Tools before installing
the new version.
You can also use the current version of Workstation to create a version 5.x and later virtual machine.
If you have a Workstation 2, 3, or 4 virtual machine that you want to use with the current version of
Workstation, upgrade the virtual machine to at least Workstation version 5 before you attempt to power it
on.
Using Lock Files to Prevent Consistency Problems on Virtual Hard
Disks
A running virtual machine creates lock files to prevent consistency problems on virtual hard disks. Without
locks, multiple virtual machines might read and write to the disk, causing data corruption.
Lock files have a .lck suffix and are created in subdirectories in the same directory as the virtual disk
(.vmdk) files. A locking subdirectory and lock file are created for .vmdk files, .vmx files, and .vmem files.
A unified locking method is used on all host operating systems so that files shared between them are fully
protected. For example, if one user on a Linux host tries to power on a virtual machine that is already
powered on by another user with a Windows host, the lock files prevent the second user from powering
on the virtual machine.
When a virtual machine powers off, it removes the locking subdirectories and the lock files. If the virtual
machine cannot remove these locking controls, one or more stale lock files might remain. For example, if
the host system fails before the virtual machine removes its locking controls, stale lock files remain.
When the virtual machine restarts, it scans any locking subdirectories for stale lock files and, when
possible, removes them. A lock file is considered stale if the lock file was created on the same host
system that is now running the virtual machine and the process that created the lock is no longer running.
If either of these conditions is not true, a dialog box warns you that the virtual machine cannot be
powered on. You can delete the locking directories and their lock files manually.
Locks also protect physical disk partitions. Because the host operating system is not aware of this locking
convention, it does not recognize the lock. For this reason, you should install the physical disk for a virtual
machine on the same physical disk as the host operating system.
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Moving a Virtual Hard Disk to a New Location
A key advantage of virtual hard disks is their portability. Because the virtual hard disks are stored as files
on the host system or a remote computer, you can move them easily to a new location on the same
computer or to a different computer.
For example, you can use Workstation Pro on a Windows host system to create virtual hard disks, move
the disks to a Linux computer, and use the disks with Workstation Pro on a Linux host system.
Adding a Physical Disk to a Virtual Machine
In some circumstances, you might need to give a virtual machine direct access to a physical disk or
unused partition on the host computer.
A physical disk directly accesses an existing local disk or partition. You can use physical disks to run one
or more guest operating systems from existing disk partitions.
Workstation Pro supports physical disks up to 2TB capacity. Booting from an operating system already
set up on an existing disk or partition is not supported.
Running an operating system natively on the host computer and switching to running it inside a virtual
machine is similar to pulling the hard drive out of one computer and installing it in a second computer that
has a different motherboard and hardware. The steps you take depend on the guest operating system in
the virtual machine. In most cases, a guest operating system that is installed on a physical disk or unused
partition cannot boot outside of the virtual machine, even though the data is available to the host system.
See the Dual-Boot Computers and Virtual Machines technical note on the VMware Web site for
information about using an operating system that can also boot outside of a virtual machine.
After you configure a virtual machine to use one or more partitions on a physical disk, do not modify the
partition tables by running fdisk or a similar utility in the guest operating system. If you use fdisk or a
similar utility on the host operating system to modify the partition table of the physical disk, you must
recreate the virtual machine physical disk. All files that were on the physical disk are lost when you modify
the partition table.
Important You cannot use a physical disk to share files between the host computer and a guest
operating system. Making the same partition visible to both the host computer and a guest operating
system can cause data corruption. Instead, use shared folder to share files between the host computer
and a guest operating system.
Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition
You must perform certain tasks before you configure a virtual machine to use a physical disk or unused
partition on the host system.
You must perform these tasks before you run the New Virtual Machine wizard to add a physical disk to a
new virtual machine, and before you add a physical disk to an existing virtual machine.
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Procedure
1If a partition is mounted by the host or in use by another virtual machine, unmount it.
The virtual machine and guest operating system access a physical disk partition while the host
continues to run its operating system. Corruption is possible if you allow the virtual machine to modify
a partition that is simultaneously mounted on the host operating system.
Option Description
The partition is mapped to a Windows
Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server
2012 R2 host
a Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools >
Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management.
b Select a partition and select Action > All Tasks > Change Drive Letter and
Paths.
c Click Remove.
The partition is mapped to a Windows
7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 host
a Select Start > Control Panel.
b In the menu bar, click the arrow next to Control Panel.
c From the drop-down menu, select All Control Panel Items > Administrative
Tools > Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management (Local).
d Right-click a partition and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
e Click Remove and OK.
2Check the guest operating system documentation regarding the type of partition on which the guest
operating system can be installed.
On Windows 7 hosts, you cannot use the system partition, or the physical disk that contains it, in a
virtual machine. Other operating systems, such as Linux, can be installed on a primary or an
extended partition on any part of the drive.
3If the physical partition or disk contains data that you need in the future, back up the data.
4If you use a Windows host IDE disk in a physical disk configuration, verify that it is not configured as
the slave on the secondary IDE channel if the master on that channel is a CD-ROM drive.
5On a Linux host, set the device group membership or device ownership appropriately.
a Verify that the master physical disk device or devices are readable and writable by the user who
runs Workstation Pro.
Physical devices, such as /dev/hda (IDE physical disk) and /dev/sdb (SCSI physical disk),
belong to group-id disk on most distributions. If this is the case, you can add Workstation Pro
users to the disk group. Another option is to change the owner of the device. Consider all the
security issues involved in this option.
b Grant Workstation Pro users access to all /dev/hd[abcd] physical devices that contain
operating systems or boot managers.
When permissions are set correctly, the physical disk configuration files in Workstation Pro
control access. This reliability provides boot managers access to configuration files and other files
they might need to boot operating systems. For example, LILO needs to read /boot on a Linux
partition to boot a non-Linux operating system that might be on another drive.
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Add a Physical Disk to an Existing Virtual Machine
You can add a physical disk to an existing virtual machine by modifying virtual machine hardware
settings.
To add a physical disk to a new virtual machine, run the New Virtual Machine wizard and select the
Custom option. See Create a New Virtual Machine on the Local Host.
Note You cannot add a physical disk to a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nPerform the appropriate preparation tasks. See Prepare to Use a Physical Disk or Unused Partition.
nPower off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3Select Hard Disk.
4Select Use a physical disk.
5If a warning message appears, click OK.
6Select the physical hard disk to use from the drop-down menu.
7Select whether to use the entire disk or individual partitions.
8If you selected individual partitions, select the partitions.
The virtual machine can access only the partitions that you select. The guest operating system might
be able to detect other partitions, but you cannot mount, access, or format those partitions.
9Accept the default filename and location for the virtual disk (.vmdk) file, or browse to a different
location.
10 Click Finish to add the physical disk to the virtual machine.
11 Use the tools in the guest operating system to format any partitions on the physical disk that are not
formatted for the guest operating system.
Configuring Virtual Ports
You can add virtual parallel (LPT) ports and virtual serial (COM) ports to a virtual machine. A
Workstation Pro virtual machine can use up to three parallel ports and up to four virtual serial ports.
nAdd a Virtual Parallel Port to a Virtual Machine
You can attach up to three bidirectional parallel (LPT) ports to a virtual machine. Virtual parallel ports
can output to parallel ports or to files on the host system.
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nConfigure a Virtual Parallel Port on a Linux 2.6.x Kernel Host
Linux 2.6.x kernels that support parallel ports use the modprobe modulename and modprobe
parport_pc modules. Workstation Pro requires that the parallel port PC-style hardware option
(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC) is built and loaded as a kernel module.
nConfigure Permissions for a Parallel Port Device on a Linux Host
Some Linux distributions do not grant a virtual machine access to the lp and parport devices by
default. If this is the case on your Linux host system, you must add the VMware user to the group
that has permission to access those devices.
nTroubleshoot ECR Errors for Parallel Ports
A parallel port on the host system does not have an Extended Control Register (ECR).
nAdd a Virtual Serial Port to a Virtual Machine
You can add up to four serial (COM) ports to a virtual machine. Virtual serial ports can output to
physical serial ports, files, or named pipes.
nChange the Input Speed of a Serial Connection
You can increase the speed of a serial connection over a pipe to a virtual machine.
Add a Virtual Parallel Port to a Virtual Machine
You can attach up to three bidirectional parallel (LPT) ports to a virtual machine. Virtual parallel ports can
output to parallel ports or to files on the host system.
Parallel ports are used for a variety of devices, including printers, scanners, dongles, and disk drives.
Although these devices can connect to the host system, only printers can reliably connect to virtual
machines by using parallel ports.
Workstation Pro provides only partial emulation of PS/2 hardware. Interrupts that a device connected to a
physical port requests are not passed to the virtual machine. The guest operating system cannot use
direct memory access (DMA) to move data to or from the port. For this reason, not all devices that attach
to a parallel port work correctly. Do not use virtual parallel ports to connect parallel port storage devices or
other types of parallel port devices to a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the New Hardware wizard, select Parallel Port.
4Click Finish to add the virtual parallel port to the virtual machine.
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5Select where the virtual parallel port sends output.
Option Description
Use a physical parallel port Select a parallel port on the host system.
Use output file Send output from the virtual parallel port to a file on the host system. Either locate
an existing output file or browse to a directory and type a filename to create a new
output file.
6To connect the virtual parallel port to the virtual machine when the virtual machine powers on, select
Connect at power on.
When a parallel port is configured for a virtual machine, most guest operating systems detect the port at
installation time and install the required drivers. Some operating systems, including Linux, detect the ports
at boot time.
Configure a Virtual Parallel Port on a Linux 2.6.x Kernel Host
Linux 2.6.x kernels that support parallel ports use the modprobe modulename and modprobe
parport_pc modules. Workstation Pro requires that the parallel port PC-style hardware option
(CONFIG_PARPORT_PC) is built and loaded as a kernel module.
Linux kernels in the 2.6.x series use a special arbitrator for access to the parallel port hardware. If the
host system is using the parallel port, the virtual machine cannot use it. If a virtual machine is using the
parallel port, the host and any users accessing the host are denied access to the device. You must use
the Removable Devices menu to disconnect the parallel port from the virtual machine to access the
device from the host system.
Procedure
1To determine whether the modprobe modulename and modprobe parport_pc modules are installed
and loaded on the host system, run the lsmod command as the root user.
You can also see a list of modules in the /proc/modules file.
Note In Linux 2.6.x, loading parport_pc does not load all modules.
2If necessary, load the parallel port modules.
For example: modprobe parport_pc && modprobe ppdev
This command inserts the modules that are required for a parallel port.
3If the lp module is loaded, run the rmmod command as root to remove it.
For example: rmmod lp
The virtual machine cannot use the parallel port correctly if the lp module is loaded.
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4Comment out the line that refers to the lp module in the /etc/modules.conf
or /etc/conf.modules file.
The name of the configuration file depends on the Linux distribution.
When the line is commented out, the configuration file no longer starts the lp module when you reboot
the host system.
5To make sure that the proper modules for the parallel port are loaded at boot time, add the following
line to the /etc/modules.conf or /etc/conf.modules file.
alias parport_lowlevel parport_pc
Configure Permissions for a Parallel Port Device on a Linux Host
Some Linux distributions do not grant a virtual machine access to the lp and parport devices by default.
If this is the case on your Linux host system, you must add the VMware user to the group that has
permission to access those devices.
Procedure
1On the Linux host system, use the ls command to determine the owner and group for the device.
For example: ls –la /dev/parport0
The third and fourth columns of the output show the owner and group, respectively. In most cases,
the owner of the device is root and the associated group is lp.
2To add the user to the device group, become root and open the /etc/group file in a text editor.
3On the line that defines the lp group, add the Workstation Pro username.
For example: lp::7:daemon,lp,workstation_username
The changes take effect the next time the user logs in to the host system.
Troubleshoot ECR Errors for Parallel Ports
A parallel port on the host system does not have an Extended Control Register (ECR).
Problem
When you power on a virtual machine after adding a parallel port, an error messages states that the
parallel port on the host system does not have an ECR.
Cause
This problem can occur when the hardware supports ECR, but ECR has been disabled in the BIOS.
Solution
1Reboot the host system.
2Early in the boot process, press and hold down the Delete key to enter the BIOS configuration editor.
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3Find the parallel port field and enable Extended Capability Port (ECP) mode or a combination of
modes that includes ECP.
Most modern computers support ECP mode.
Add a Virtual Serial Port to a Virtual Machine
You can add up to four serial (COM) ports to a virtual machine. Virtual serial ports can output to physical
serial ports, files, or named pipes.
You might want to add a virtual serial port to a virtual machine to make devices such as modems and
printers available to the virtual machine. You can also use virtual ports to send debugging data from a
virtual machine to the host system or to another virtual machine.
Note The virtual printer feature configures a serial port to make host printers available to the guest. You
do not need to install additional drivers in the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the Add Hardware wizard, select Serial Port.
4Click Finish to add the virtual serial port to the virtual machine.
5Select where the virtual serial port sends output.
Option Description
Use a physical parallel port Send output to a physical serial port on the host system.
Use output file Send output to a file on the host system. Either locate an existing output file or
browse to a directory and type a filename to create a new output file.
Output to named pipe Set up a direct connection between two virtual machines, or a connection
between a virtual machine and an application on the host system.
6If you selected Output to named pipe, configure the named pipe.
a (Windows host) Use the default pipe name, or type another pipe name.
The pipe name must begin with \\.\pipe\ and must be the same on both the server and the
client.
For example: \\.\pipe\namedpipe
b (Linux host) Type /tmp/socket or another UNIX socket name in the first text box.
The pipe name must be the same on both the server and the client.
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c To send debugging information to an application on the host system, select This end is the
server from the first drop-down menu and select The other end is an application from the
second drop-down menu.
d To send debugging information to another virtual machine, select This end is the server from the
first drop-down menu and The other end is a virtual machine from the second drop-down
menu.
7To connect the port to the virtual machine when the virtual machine powers on, select Connect at
power on.
8(Optional) On the Hardware tab, select the new serial port, select Yield CPU on poll, and click OK.
This option is useful if you are using debugging tools that communicate over a serial connection. If
the serial port in the guest operating system is being used in polled mode rather than interrupt mode,
you might notice performance issues. This option forces the virtual machine to yield processor time if
the only task it is trying to do is poll the virtual serial port.
What to do next
If you set up a connection between two virtual machines, the first virtual machine is set up as the server.
Repeat this procedure for the second virtual machine, but set it up as the client by selecting This end is
the client when you configure the named pipe.
Change the Input Speed of a Serial Connection
You can increase the speed of a serial connection over a pipe to a virtual machine.
In principle, the output speed, which is the speed at which the virtual machine sends data through the
virtual serial port, is unlimited. In practice, the output speed depends on how fast the application at the
other end of the pipe reads inbound data.
Prerequisites
nUse the guest operating system to configure the serial port for the highest setting supported by the
application that you are running in the virtual machine.
nPower off the virtual machine and exit Workstation Pro.
Procedure
1In a text editor, add the following line to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
serialport_number.pipe.charTimePercent = "time"
port_number is the number of the serial port, starting from 0. The first serial port is serial0. time is a
positive integer that specifies the time taken to transmit a character, expressed as a percentage of the
default speed set for the serial port in the guest operating system. For example, a setting of 200
forces the port to take twice as long for each character, or send data at half the default speed. A
setting of 50 forces the port to take only half as long for each character, or send data at twice the
default speed.
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2Assuming that the serial port speed is set appropriately in the guest operating system, experiment
with this setting by starting with a value of 100 and gradually decreasing it until you find the highest
speed at which the connection works reliably.
Configuring Generic SCSI Devices
The generic SCSI feature gives the guest operating system direct access to SCSI devices that are
connected to the host system, including scanners, tape drives, and other data storage devices. A virtual
machine can use the generic SCSI driver to run any SCSI device that is supported by the guest operating
system.
To use SCSI devices in a virtual machine running on a Windows host system, you must run
Workstation Pro as a user who has administrator access.
Although generic SCSI is device independent, it can be sensitive to the guest operating system, device
class, and specific SCSI hardware.
nAdd a Generic SCSI Device to a Virtual Machine
You must add a generic SCSI device to the virtual machine to map virtual SCSI devices on a virtual
machine to physical generic SCSI devices on the host system. You can add up to 60 generic SCSI
devices to a virtual machine.
nAvoiding Concurrent Access Problems for SCSI Devices on Linux Hosts
Workstation Pro makes sure that multiple programs do not use the same /dev/sg entry at the same
time, but it cannot always ensure that multiple programs do not use the /dev/sg entry and the
traditional /dev entry at the same time.
nTroubleshoot Problems Detecting Generic SCSI Devices
When you add a generic SCSI device to a virtual machine, the device does not appear in the list of
available SCSI devices.
Add a Generic SCSI Device to a Virtual Machine
You must add a generic SCSI device to the virtual machine to map virtual SCSI devices on a virtual
machine to physical generic SCSI devices on the host system. You can add up to 60 generic SCSI
devices to a virtual machine.
Note You cannot add a generic SCSI device to a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3In the Add Hardware wizard, select Generic SCSI Device.
4Click Finish to add the device.
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5Select the physical SCSI device to map to the virtual SCSI device.
When you type the path to the SCSI device on a Linux host, do not enter /dev/st0 or /dev/sr0.
6To connect the device when the virtual machine powers on, select Connect at power on.
7On the Hardware tab, select the SCSI device identifier to use for the device from the Virtual device
node drop-down menu and click OK.
For example, if you select SCSI 0:2, the guest operating system sees the drive as ID 2 on controller
0.
Avoiding Concurrent Access Problems for SCSI Devices on Linux
Hosts
Workstation Pro makes sure that multiple programs do not use the same /dev/sg entry at the same time,
but it cannot always ensure that multiple programs do not use the /dev/sg entry and the traditional /dev
entry at the same time.
The SCSI generic driver sets up a mapping in /dev for each SCSI device. Each entry starts with sg, for
the SCSI generic driver, followed by a number. For example, /dev/sg0 is the first generic SCSI device.
Each entry corresponds to a SCSI device in the order specified in /proc/scsi/scsi, from the lowest
device ID on the lowest adapter to the highest device ID on the lowest adapter, and so on to the highest
device ID on the highest adapter.
Some Linux devices, such as tape drives, disk drives, and CD-ROM drives, already have a
designated /dev entry (st, sd, and sr, respectively). When the SCSI generic driver is installed, Linux
identifies these devices with corresponding sg entries in /dev, in addition to their traditional entries.
To avoid concurrent access problems, do not specify /dev/st0 or /dev/sr0 when you specify which
SCSI device to use in a virtual machine.
Important Do not attempt to use the same generic SCSI device in both the host system and guest
operating system. Unexpected behavior and data loss or corruption might occur.
Troubleshoot Problems Detecting Generic SCSI Devices
When you add a generic SCSI device to a virtual machine, the device does not appear in the list of
available SCSI devices.
Problem
The SCSI device does not appear in the list of available SCSI devices after you add it to a virtual
machine.
Cause
A driver for that device is not installed on the host system, a driver on the host system prevents the
device from being detected, or the virtual machine uses a device for which there are no drivers available
to the host operating system.
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Solution
1Determine the SCSI bus number that the device uses on the host system.
The SCSI bus is assigned a number by the host operating system after all IDE buses are assigned
numbers. For example, if you have two IDE buses, they are numbered 0 and 1. The first SCSI bus is
assigned bus number 2. You can use a third-party tool, such as winobj, to determine the SCSI bus
number.
2Determine the target ID that the device uses in the virtual machine and on the host system.
This ID is usually set by some jumpers or switches on the device.
3Determine whether the device driver for the device is installed on the host system.
If the device driver is not installed, install it and see if the device appears. To avoid a device-in-use
conflict between the host and guest, you might not want to install the driver on the host system.
4If an original SCSI device driver is already installed on the host system, disable it.
Some Windows operating systems do not process the send command from the adapter if the device
driver owns the device.
5Power off the virtual machine and open the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file in a text editor.
6Add or change the following line in the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
scsiZ:Y.fileName = "deviceName"
Z is the SCSI bus number the device uses in the virtual machine. For deviceName, use scsiX:Y,
where X is the SCSI bus number that the device uses on the host system and Y is the target ID that
the device uses in both the virtual machine and on the host system.
For example, if the problematic device is a CD-ROM drive, the existing entry is
scsi0:4.fileName = "CdRom0" and the device on the host system is located on bus 2 with target
ID 4, change the line to scsi0:4.fileName = "scsi2:4".
7If the virtual machine does not contain any SCSI devices, to add a generic SCSI device to a new
virtual SCSI adapter, or to use an existing SCSI device as a generic SCSI device, add the following
line to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
scsiZ:Y.deviceType = "scsi-passthru"
8If the virtual machine does not contain any SCSI devices, or to add a generic SCSI device to a new
virtual SCSI adapter, add the following lines to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
scsiZ:Y.present = "true"
scsiZ.present = "true"
Configuring Virtual Trusted Platform Module Devices
You can add a virtual cryptoprocessor that uses Trusted Platform Module (TPM) technology to an
encrypted virtual machine. Afterward, you can remove the cryptoprocessor from the virtual machine.
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TPM technology provides hardware-based, security-related functions. A TPM cryptoprocessor carries out
cryptographic operations. Workstation Pro supports TPM version 2.0.
You can add TPM device on an encrypted virtual machine with a minimum hardware version of 14 that
uses the UEFI firmware type.
Add a Virtual Trusted Platform Module Device
For increased security, you can add a virtual cryptoprocessor that is equipped with Trusted Platform
Module (TPM) technology to an encrypted virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nCreate a virtual machine with a minimum hardware version of 14 that uses the UEFI firmware type.
nEncrypt the virtual machine. See Encrypt and Restrict a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2Click Add.
3Click Trusted Platform Module.
If the option is not available, the Trusted Platform Module device is not supported on the guest.
4Click Finish.
5Click OK.
The virtual machine uses the virtual TPM device.
Note When a TPM device is present on a virtual machine, you cannot perform the following actions.
nDecrypt the virtual machine.
nChange the firmware type to BIOS.
Remove a Virtual Trusted Platform Module Device
You can remove a Trusted Platform Module device from a virtual machine.
After you add a virtual cryptoprocessor equipped with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) technology to an
encrypted virtual machine, you can then remove the TPM device.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2Select Trusted Platform Module and click Remove.
3Click OK.
Workstation Pro removes the TPM device from the virtual machine.
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Configuring Sixteen-Way Virtual Symmetric
Multiprocessing
With virtual symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), you can assign processors and cores per processor to a
virtual machine on any host system that has at least two logical processors.
Workstation Pro considers multiprocessor hosts that have two or more physical CPUs, single-processor
hosts that have a multicore CPU, and single-processor hosts that have hyperthreading enabled, to have
two logical processors.
Note On hyperthreaded uniprocessor hosts, performance of virtual machines that have virtual SMP
might be below normal. Even on multiprocessor hosts, performance is affected if you overcommit by
running multiple workloads that require more total CPU resources than are physically available.
You can power on and run multiple dual-processor virtual machines concurrently. The number of
processors for a given virtual machine appears in the summary view of the virtual machine.
Configure Sixteen-Way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing
You can configure sixteen-way virtual symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) for an existing virtual machine.
Note For a new virtual machine, you can specify the number of processors when you select the custom
configuration option in the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Processors.
3Change the Number of processors setting to 16.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Use a Virtual Machine That Has More Than Sixteen Virtual
Processors
If Workstation Pro is running on a multiprocessor host system, you can open a virtual machine that has
more than 16 virtual processors assigned to it. You must change the number of processors before
powering on the virtual machine.
You can see the number of processors in the virtual machine summary view or by viewing the virtual
machine hardware settings.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
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Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Processors.
Note that Number of processors is set to Other (x), where x is the number of processors originally
assigned to it. Workstation Pro preserves this original configuration setting for the number of
processors, even though eight is the maximum number of processors supported.
3Change the Number of processors setting to 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16.
After you commit a change to this setting, the original setting for the number of processors is
discarded and no longer appears as an option.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Configuring Keyboard Features
You can change key combinations for hot-key sequences in Workstation Pro and the language for the
keyboard that VNC clients use. You can also configure platform-specific keyboard features for Windows
and Linux host systems.
nUse the Enhanced Virtual Keyboard Feature in a Virtual Machine
The enhanced virtual keyboard feature provides better handling of international keyboards and
keyboards that have extra keys. This feature is available only on Windows host systems.
nChange Hot-Key Combinations for Common Operations
You can change the hot-key combinations that you use to perform common virtual machine
operations.
nChange Hot-Key Combinations for Unity Mode
You can change the hot-key combination that you use to access the Start and Applications menus
in Unity mode.
nConfigure Keyboard Mapping for a Remote X Server
Although the keyboard works correctly with a local X server, it might not work correctly when you run
the same virtual machine with a remote X server.
nChange How a Specific Key Is Mapped
If some keys on the keyboard do not work correctly in a virtual machine, you can set a property that
makes a modification to the map. To change how a specific key is mapped, you add the appropriate
property to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file or to ~/.vmware/config.
nConfigure How Keysyms Are Mapped
When key code mapping cannot be used or is disabled, Workstation Pro maps keysyms to v-scan
codes. If a language-specific keyboard does not appear to be supported by Workstation Pro, you
might need to set a property that tells Workstation Pro which keysym table to use.
nV-Scan Code Table
You specify v-scan codes when you change how keys or keysyms are mapped.
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Use the Enhanced Virtual Keyboard Feature in a Virtual Machine
The enhanced virtual keyboard feature provides better handling of international keyboards and keyboards
that have extra keys. This feature is available only on Windows host systems.
Because it processes raw keyboard input as soon as possible, the enhanced virtual keyboard feature also
offers security improvements by bypassing Windows keystroke processing and any malware that is not
already at a lower layer. When you use the enhanced virtual keyboard feature, only the guest operating
system acts when you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
Note You cannot configure the enhanced virtual keyboard setting for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nPower off the virtual machine.
nIf you did not install the Enhanced Keyboard Utility feature when you initially installed or upgraded
Workstation Pro, install it by running the Workstation Pro installer in program maintenance mode. See
Install the Enhanced Keyboard Driver on a Windows Host.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Options tab, select General.
3Select an option from the Enhanced virtual keyboard drop-down menu.
Option Description
Off The virtual machine does not use the enhanced virtual keyboard feature. This is
the default value.
Use if available (recommended) The virtual machine uses the enhanced virtual keyboard feature, but only if the
enhanced virtual keyboard driver is installed on the host system.
Required The virtual machine must use the enhanced the virtual keyboard feature. If you
select this option and the enhanced keyboard driver is not installed on the host
system, Workstation Pro returns an error message.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Install the Enhanced Keyboard Driver on a Windows Host
To use the enhanced virtual keyboard feature in a virtual machine, you must install the enhanced
keyboard driver on the Windows host system. If you did not install the enhanced keyboard driver when
you initially installed or upgraded Workstation Pro, you can install it by running the Workstation Pro
installer in program maintenance mode.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
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Procedure
1Log in to the Windows host system as the Administrator user or as a user who is a member of the
local Administrators group.
If you log in to a domain, the domain account must also be a local administrator.
2Double-click the VMware-workstation-xxxx-xxxxxxx.exe file, where xxxx-xxxxxxx is the version
and build numbers.
3Select Modify/Change.
4Select Enhanced Keyboard Utility.
5Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
What to do next
Enable the enhanced virtual keyboard feature for the virtual machine. See Use the Enhanced Virtual
Keyboard Feature in a Virtual Machine.
Change Hot-Key Combinations for Common Operations
You can change the hot-key combinations that you use to perform common virtual machine operations.
Configuring hot keys is useful to prevent key combinations such as Ctrl+Alt+Del from being intercepted by
Workstation Pro instead of being sent to the guest operating system. You can use hot-key sequences to
switch between virtual machines, enter or exit from full screen mode, release input, send Ctrl+Alt+Del
only to virtual machines, and send commands only to virtual machines.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the default hot-key combinations. See Default Hot-Key Combinations.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences > Hot Keys.
2To change the hot-key combinations for common virtual machine operations, click one or more hot
key buttons on the dialog box.
For example, to use Ctrl+Shift to release control from the current virtual machine, click the Ctrl and
Shift buttons.
The text under the hot key buttons describes the new hot key combinations.
3Click OK to save your changes.
Use Ctrl+Alt in a Key Combination
Because Ctrl+Alt tells Workstation Pro to release mouse and keyboard input, hot-key combinations that
include Ctrl+Alt are not passed to the guest operating system. You must use the Space key if the key
combination includes Ctrl+Alt.
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Procedure
1Press Ctrl+Alt+spacebar.
2Release the spacebar without releasing Ctrl and Alt.
3Press the third key of the key combination to send to the guest operating system.
Change Hot-Key Combinations for Unity Mode
You can change the hot-key combination that you use to access the Start and Applications menus in
Unity mode.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences > Unity.
2Type a new hot-key combination in the Hot Key text box.
3To minimize the Workstation Pro when you enter Unity mode, select Minimize Workstation when
entering Unity.
Do not select this setting if you plan to run virtual machines in Unity mode and simultaneously run
other virtual machines that are accessible only in the Workstation Pro window.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Configure Keyboard Mapping for a Remote X Server
Although the keyboard works correctly with a local X server, it might not work correctly when you run the
same virtual machine with a remote X server.
For local X servers, Workstation Pro maps X key codes to PC scan codes to correctly identify a key.
Because it cannot tell whether a remote X server is running on a PC or on some other kind of computer,
Workstation Pro uses this key code map only for local X servers. You can set a property to tell
Workstation Pro to use key code mapping. See Understanding X-Key Codes and Keysyms for more
information.
To configure a keyboard mapping for a remote X server, you add the appropriate property to the virtual
machine configuration (.vmx) file or to ~/.vmware/config.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the remote X server is an XFree86 server running on a PC.
nPower off the virtual machine and exit Workstation Pro.
Note If the keyboard does not work correctly on an XFree86 server running locally, report the problem to
VMware technical support.
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Procedure
nIf you use an XFree86-based server that Workstation Pro does not recognize as an XFree86 server,
add the xkeymap.usekeycodeMap property and set it to TRUE.
This property tells Workstation Pro to always use key code mapping regardless of server type.
For example: xkeymap.usekeycodeMap = "TRUE"
nIf Workstation Pro does not recognize the remote server as an XFree86 server, add the
xkeymap.usekeycodeMapIfXFree86 property and set it to TRUE.
This property tells Workstation Pro to use key code mapping if you are using an XFree86 server, even
if it is remote.
For example: usekeycodeMapIfXFree86 = "TRUE"
Understanding X-Key Codes and Keysyms
Pressing a key on a PC keyboard generates a PC scan code based roughly on the position of the key.
For example, the Z key on a German keyboard generates the same code as the Y key on an English
keyboard because they are in the same position on the keyboard. Most keys have one-byte scan codes,
but some keys have two-byte scan codes with prefix 0xe0.
Internally, Workstation Pro uses a simplified version of the PC scan code that is a single nine-bit numeric
value, called a v-scan code. A v-scan code is written as a three-digit hexadecimal number. The first digit
is 0 or 1. For example, the Ctrl key on the left side of the keyboard has a one-byte scan code (0x1d) and
its v-scan code is 0x01d. The Ctrl key scan code on the right side of the keyboard is two bytes (0xe0,
0x1d) and its v-scan code is 0x11d.
An XFree86 server on a PC has a one-to-one mapping from X key codes to PC scan codes, or v-scan
codes, which is what Workstation Pro uses. When Workstation Pro is hosted on an XFree86 server and
runs a local virtual machine, it uses the built-in mapping from X key codes to v-scan codes. This mapping
is keyboard independent and should be correct for most languages. In other cases (not an XFree86
server or not a local server), Workstation Pro must map keysyms to v-scan codes by using a set of
keyboard-specific tables.
An X server uses a two-level encoding of keys, which includes the X key code and the keysym. An X key
code is a one-byte value. The assignment of key codes to keys depends on the X server implementation
and the physical keyboard. As a result, an X application normally cannot use key codes directly. Instead,
the key codes are mapped into keysyms that have names like space, escape, x and 2. You can use an X
application to control the mapping by using the function XChangeKeyboardMapping() or by the program
xmodmap. To explore keyboard mappings, you can use the xev command, which shows the key codes
and keysyms for keys typed into its window.
A key code corresponds roughly to a physical key, while a keysym corresponds to the symbol on the key
top. For example, with an XFree86 server running on a PC, the Z key on the German keyboard has the
same key code as the Y key on an English keyboard. The German Z keysym, however, is the same as
the English Z keysym, and different from the English Y keysym.
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Change How a Specific Key Is Mapped
If some keys on the keyboard do not work correctly in a virtual machine, you can set a property that
makes a modification to the map. To change how a specific key is mapped, you add the appropriate
property to the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file or to ~/.vmware/config.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the X server is an XFree86 server running on a PC. If the X server is remote, configure it to
use key code mapping. See Configure Keyboard Mapping for a Remote X Server.
nDetermine the X key code and the corresponding v-scan code for the key. To find the X key code for a
key, run xev or xmodmap -pk. See V-Scan Code Table for most v-scan codes.
nPower off the virtual machine and exit Workstation Pro.
Procedure
1Open .vmx or ~/.vmware/config in a text editor.
2Add the xkeymap.keycode.code property and set it to the v-scan code.
code must be a decimal number and the v-scan code must be a C-syntax hexadecimal number, such
as 0x001.
In this example, the properties swap left Ctrl and Caps Lock.
xkeymap.keycode.64 = "0x01d # X Caps_Lock -> VM left ctrl"
xkeymap.keycode.37 = "0x03a # X Control_L -> VM caps lock"
Configure How Keysyms Are Mapped
When key code mapping cannot be used or is disabled, Workstation Pro maps keysyms to v-scan codes.
If a language-specific keyboard does not appear to be supported by Workstation Pro, you might need to
set a property that tells Workstation Pro which keysym table to use.
Workstation Pro determines which table to use by examining the current X keymap. However, its
decision-making process can sometimes fail. In addition, each mapping is fixed and might not be
completely correct for any given keyboard and X key code-to-keysym mapping. For example, if a user
uses xmodmap to swap Ctrl and Caps Lock by, the keys are swapped in the virtual machine when using a
remote server (keysym mapping), but are unswapped when using a local server (key code mapping). To
correct this situation, you must remap the keys in Workstation Pro.
To configure how keysyms are mapped, you add one or more properties to the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file or to ~/.vmware/config.
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Prerequisites
nTo change the mapping of a few keys, determine the keysym name for each key. To find a keysym
name, use the xev or xmodmap -pk command. The X header file /usr/include/X11/keysymdef.h
also has a complete list of keysyms. The name of a keysym is the same as its C constant, but without
the XK_ prefix.
nTo use a different keysym table, determine which mapping table to use. The tables are located in the
xkeymap directory in the Workstation Pro installation directory, which is usually /usr/lib/vmware.
The table you must use depends on the keyboard layout. The normal distribution includes tables for
PC keyboards for the United States and a number of European countries and languages. For most of
these, both the 101-key (or 102-key) and the 104-key (or 105-key) variants are available.
If none of the mapping tables is completely correct, find one that works best, copy it to a new location,
and change the individual keysym mappings.
nFamiliarize yourself with the v-scan codes. See V-Scan Code Table.
nPower off the virtual machine and exit Workstation Pro.
Procedure
nTo disable X key code mapping to map keysyms rather than key codes to v-scan codes, add the
xkeymap.nokeycodeMap property and set it to TRUE.
For example: xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = "TRUE"
nIf Workstation Pro has a table in the xkeymap directory for your keyboard but cannot detect it, add the
xkeymap.language property and set it to one of the tables in the xkeymap directory.
For example: xkeymap.language = "keyboard_type"
If the failure to detect the keyboard means that the table is not completely correct for you, you might
need to create a modified table and use the xkeymap.fileName property instead.
nTo use a different keysym mapping table that is not in the xkeymap directory, add the
xkeymap.fileName property and set it to the path to the table.
For example: xkeymap.fileName = "file_path"
The table must list a keysym for each key by using the form sym="v-scan_code", where the sym
value is an X keysym name and v-scan_code is a C-syntax hexadecimal number, for example, 0x001.
Use a new line for each keysym.
Note Because compiling a complete keysym mapping is difficult, you should usually edit an existing
table and make small changes.
nTo change the keysym mapping of a few keys, type the xkeymap.keysym property for each key, on
separate lines.
For example: xkeymap.keysym.sym = "v-scan_code"
The value of sym must be an X keysym name and v-scan_code is a C-syntax hexadecimal number,
for example, 0x001.
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V-Scan Code Table
You specify v-scan codes when you change how keys or keysyms are mapped.
Following are the v-scan codes for the 104-key U.S. keyboard.
Table 7‑1. V-Scan Codes for the 104-Key U.S. Keyboard
Symbol Shifted Symbol Location V-Scan Code
Esc 0x001
1 ! 0x002
2 @ 0x003
3 # 0x004
4 $ 0x005
5 % 0x006
6 ^ 0x007
7 & 0x008
8 * 0x009
9 ( 0x00a
0 ) 0x00b
- _ 0x00c
= + 0x00d
Backspace 0x00e
Tab 0x00f
Q 0x010
W 0x011
E 0x012
R 0x013
T 0x014
Y 0x015
U 0x016
I 0x017
O 0x018
P 0x019
[ { 0x01a
] } 0x01b
Enter 0x01c
Ctrl left 0x01d
A 0x01e
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Table 7‑1. V-Scan Codes for the 104-Key U.S. Keyboard (Continued)
Symbol Shifted Symbol Location V-Scan Code
S 0x01f
D 0x020
F 0x021
G 0x022
H 0x023
J 0x024
K 0x025
L 0x026
; 0x027
' 0x028
` 0x029
Shift left 0x02a
\ | 0x02b
Z 0x02c
X 0x02d
C 0x02e
V 0x02f
B 0x030
N 0x031
M 0x032
, < 0x033
. > 0x034
/ ? 0x035
Shift right 0x036
* numeric pad 0x037
Alt left 0x038
Space bar 0x039
Caps Lock 0x03a
F1 0x03b
F2 0x03c
F3 0x03d
F4 0x03e
F5 0x03f
F6 0x040
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Table 7‑1. V-Scan Codes for the 104-Key U.S. Keyboard (Continued)
Symbol Shifted Symbol Location V-Scan Code
F7 0x041
F8 0x042
F9 0x043
F10 0x044
Num Lock numeric pad 0x045
Scroll Lock 0x046
Home 7 numeric pad 0x047
Up arrow 8 numeric pad 0x048
PgUp 9 numeric pad 0x049
- numeric pad 0x04a
Left arrow 4 numeric pad 0x04b
5 numeric pad 0x04c
Right arrow 6 numeric pad 0x04d
+ numeric pad 0x04e
End 1 numeric pad 0x04f
Down arrow 2 numeric pad 0x050
PgDn 3 numeric pad 0x051
Ins 0 numeric pad 0x052
Del numeric pad 0x053
F11 0x057
F12 0x058
Break Pause 0x100
Enter numeric pad 0x11c
Ctrl right 0x11d
/ numeric pad 0x135
SysRq Print Scrn 0x137
Alt right 0x138
Home function pad 0x147
Up arrow function pad 0x148
Page Up function pad 0x149
Left arrow function pad 0x14b
Right arrow function pad 0x14d
End function pad 0x14f
Down arrow function pad 0x150
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Table 7‑1. V-Scan Codes for the 104-Key U.S. Keyboard (Continued)
Symbol Shifted Symbol Location V-Scan Code
Page Down function pad 0x151
Insert function pad 0x152
Delete function pad 0x153
Windows left 0x15b
Windows right 0x15c
Menu 0x15d
The 84-key keyboard has a Sys Req key on the numeric pad. Its v-scan code is 0x054.
Keyboards outside the U.S. usually have an extra key (often < > or < > |) next to the left Shift key. The v-
scan code for this key is 0x056.
Modify Hardware Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can modify memory, processor, virtual and physical hard disk, CD-ROM and DVD drive, floppy drive,
virtual network adapter, USB controller, sound card, serial port, generic SCSI device, printer, and display
settings for a virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine, select VM > Settings.
2Click the Hardware tab.
3Select the hardware setting to modify.
4Click Help for information about how to modify the hardware setting.
You must power off a virtual machine before you change certain hardware settings.
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Configuring Network
Connections 8
Workstation Pro provides bridged networking, network address translation (NAT), host-only networking,
and custom networking options to configure a virtual machine for virtual networking. The software needed
for all networking configurations is installed on the host system when you install Workstation Pro.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nUnderstanding Virtual Networking Components
nUnderstanding Common Networking Configurations
nChanging the Default Networking Configuration
nConfiguring Bridged Networking
nConfiguring Network Address Translation
nConfiguring Host-Only Networking
nAssigning IP Addresses in Host-Only Networks and NAT Configurations
nConfiguring LAN Segments
nConfiguring Samba for Workstation Pro
nUsing Virtual Network Adapters in Promiscuous Mode on Linux Hosts
nMaintaining and Changing MAC Addresses for Virtual Machines
nSample Custom Networking Configuration
Understanding Virtual Networking Components
The virtual networking components in Workstation Pro include virtual switches, virtual network adapters,
the virtual DHCP server, and the NAT device.
Virtual Switches
Like a physical switch, a virtual switch connects networking components together. Virtual switches, which
are also referred to as virtual networks, are named VMnet0, VMnet1, VMnet2, and so on. A few virtual
switches are mapped to specific networks by default.
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Table 8‑1. Default Virtual Network Switches
Network Type Switch Name
Bridged VMnet0
NAT VMnet8
Host-only VMnet1
Workstation Pro creates virtual switches as needed, up to 20 virtual switches on a Windows host system
and up to 255 virtual switches on a Linux host system. You can connect an unlimited number of virtual
network devices to a virtual switch on a Windows host system and up to 32 virtual network devices to a
virtual switch on a Linux host system.
Note On Linux host systems, the virtual switch names are in all lowercase letters, for example, vmnet0.
Virtual Network Adapters
When you use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual machine, the wizard creates a
virtual network adapter for the virtual machine. The virtual network adapter appears in the guest operating
system as an AMD PCNET PCI adapter, Intel Pro/1000 MT Server Adapter, or Intel 82574L Gigabit
Network Connection. In Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 guest operating systems, the adapter
is an Intel Pro/1000 MT Server Adapter. In Windows 8.1 and Windows10 guest operation systems, the
adapter is an Intel 82574L Gigabit Network Connection.
Workstation 6.0 and later virtual machines can have up to 10 virtual network adapters. Workstation 5.x
virtual machines are limited to three virtual network adapters.
Virtual DHCP Server
The virtual Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server provides IP addresses to virtual
machines in configurations that are not bridged to an external network. For example, the virtual DHCP
server assigns IP addresses to virtual machines in host-only and NAT configurations.
NAT Device
In a NAT configuration, the NAT device passes network data between one or more virtual machines and
the external network, identifies incoming data packets intended for each virtual machine, and sends them
to the correct destination.
Understanding Common Networking Configurations
You can configure bridged networking, NAT, and host-only networking for virtual machines. You can also
use the virtual networking components to create sophisticated custom virtual networks.
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Bridged Networking
Bridged networking connects a virtual machine to a network by using the network adapter on the host
system. If the host system is on a network, bridged networking is often the easiest way to give the virtual
machine access to that network.
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a bridged network (VMnet0) is set
up for you. See Configuring Bridged Networking.
NAT Networking
With NAT, a virtual machine does not have its own IP address on the external network. Instead, a
separate private network is set up on the host system. In the default configuration, a virtual machine gets
an address on this private network from the virtual DHCP server. The virtual machine and the host system
share a single network identity that is not visible on the external network.
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a NAT network (VMnet8) is set up
for you. When you use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a new virtual machine and select the
typical configuration type, the wizard configures the virtual machine to use the default NAT network.
You can have only one NAT network. See Configuring Network Address Translation.
Host-Only Networking
Host-only networking creates a network that is completely contained within the host computer. Host-only
networking provides a network connection between the virtual machine and the host system by using a
virtual network adapter that is visible on the host operating system.
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a host-only network (VMnet1) is
set up for you. See Configuring Host-Only Networking.
Custom Networking Configurations
With the Workstation Pro virtual networking components, you can create sophisticated virtual networks.
The virtual networks can be connected to one or more external networks, or they can run entirely on the
host system. You can use the virtual network editor to configure multiple network cards in the host system
and create multiple virtual networks. Sample Custom Networking Configuration.
Changing the Default Networking Configuration
When you choose the standard network options in the New Virtual Machine wizard, the wizard sets up
the networking configuration for the virtual machine.
In a typical configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard sets up NAT for the virtual machine. You must
select the custom configuration option to configure bridged networking or host-only networking. The
wizard connects the virtual machine to the appropriate virtual network.
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You can change the networking configuration for a virtual machine by modifying virtual machine settings.
For example, you can use virtual machine settings to add virtual network adapters and change existing
virtual network adapters for a particular virtual machine.
You use the virtual network editor to change key networking settings, add and remove virtual networks,
and create custom virtual networking configurations. The changes you make in the virtual network editor
affect all virtual machines running on the host system.
Important If you click Restore Default in the virtual network editor to restore network settings, all
changes that you made to network settings after you installed Workstation Pro are permanently lost. Do
not restore the default network settings when a virtual machine is powered on as this might cause serious
damage to bridged networking.
nAdd a Virtual Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine
You can add up to 10 virtual network adapters to a virtual machine.
nModify an Existing Virtual Network Adapter for a Virtual Machine
You can change the settings of a virtual network adapter that is currently used by a virtual machine.
nDisconnect a Host Virtual Network Adapter
When you install Workstation Pro, two virtual network adapters, VMware Network Adapter VMnet1
and VMware Network Adapter VMnet8, are added to the configuration of the host operating system.
You might want to disconnect one or both of these virtual network adapters to improve performance
on the host system.
nConfigure Bandwidth, Packet Loss, and Latency Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can use advanced virtual network adapter settings to limit the bandwidth, specify the acceptable
packet loss percentage, and create network latency for incoming and outgoing data transfers for a
virtual machine.
Add a Virtual Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine
You can add up to 10 virtual network adapters to a virtual machine.
Note Workstation 5.x virtual machines are limited to three virtual network adapters.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the network configuration types. See Understanding Common Networking
Configurations.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, click Add.
3To add the virtual network adapter to the virtual machine, select Network Adapter and click Finish.
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4Select the virtual network adapter type.
You cannot select a custom network or LAN segment for a shared virtual machine. For a remote
virtual machine, you must select a custom network.
Option Description
Bridged The virtual machine is connected to the network by using the network adapter on
the host system. The virtual machine has a unique identity on the network,
separate from and unrelated to the host system.
NAT The virtual machine and the host system share a single network identity that is
not visible on the external network. When the virtual machine sends a request to
access a network resource, it appears to the network resource as if the request is
coming from the host system.
Host-only The virtual machine and the host virtual network adapter are connected to a
private Ethernet network. The network is completely contained within the host
system.
Custom Select a custom network from the drop-down menu. Although VMnet0, VMnet1,
and VMnet8 might be available in the list, these networks are usually used for
bridged, host-only, and NAT networks.
5(Optional) Select the Connect at power on checkbox.
6Click Finish to add the virtual network adapter to the virtual machine.
7Click OK to save your changes.
8Verify that the guest operating system is configured to use an appropriate IP address on the new
network.
a If the virtual machine is using DHCP, release and renew the lease.
b If the IP address is set statically, verify that the guest operating system has an address on the
correct virtual network.
Modify an Existing Virtual Network Adapter for a Virtual Machine
You can change the settings of a virtual network adapter that is currently used by a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the network configuration types. See Understanding Common Networking
Configurations.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the virtual network adapter.
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3Select the virtual network adapter type.
You cannot select a custom network or LAN segment for a shared virtual machine. For a remote
virtual machine, you must select a custom network.
Option Description
Bridged The virtual machine is connected to the network by using the network adapter on
the host system. The virtual machine has a unique identity on the network,
separate from and unrelated to the host system.
NAT The virtual machine and the host system share a single network identity that is
not visible on the external network. When the virtual machine sends a request to
access a network resource, it appears to the network resource as if the request is
coming from the host system.
Host-only The virtual machine and the host virtual network adapter are connected to a
private Ethernet network. The network is completely contained within the host
system.
Custom Select a custom network from the drop-down menu. Although VMnet0, VMnet1,
and VMnet8 might be available in this list, these networks are usually used for
bridged, host-only, and NAT networks.
LAN segment Select a LAN segment from the drop-down menu. A LAN segment is a private
network that is shared by other virtual machines.
4Click OK to save your changes.
5Verify that the guest operating system is configured to use an appropriate IP address on the new
network.
a If the virtual machine is using DHCP, release and renew the lease.
b If the IP address is set statically, verify that the guest operating system has an address on the
correct virtual network.
Disconnect a Host Virtual Network Adapter
When you install Workstation Pro, two virtual network adapters, VMware Network Adapter VMnet1 and
VMware Network Adapter VMnet8, are added to the configuration of the host operating system. You might
want to disconnect one or both of these virtual network adapters to improve performance on the host
system.
Because broadcast packets must go to these adapters, the presence of virtual network adapters has a
slight performance cost. On Windows networks, browsing the network might be slower than usual. In
some cases, these adapters interact with the host computer networking configuration in undesirable
ways.
You can reconnect a host virtual network adapter after you disconnect it.
Prerequisites
nDetermine whether you are going to use the host virtual network adapter. The host system uses
VMware Network Adapter VMnet1 to connect to the host-only network and it uses VMware Network
Adapter VMnet8 to connect to the NAT network.
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nOn a Windows host, log in as an Administrator user. Only an Administrator user can change network
settings in the virtual network editor.
nOn a Linux host, log in as root. You must enter the root password to use the virtual network editor.
Procedure
1Start the virtual network editor on the host system.
Option Description
Windows host Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
Linux host Select Applications > System Tools > Virtual Network Editor. The menu path
might be different for your version of Linux. You can also start the network editor
from the command line by using the vmware-netcfg command.
2Select the virtual network.
3Deselect Connect a host virtual adapter to this network to disconnect the host virtual network
adapter from the virtual network.
4Click OK to save your changes.
Configure Bandwidth, Packet Loss, and Latency Settings for a
Virtual Machine
You can use advanced virtual network adapter settings to limit the bandwidth, specify the acceptable
packet loss percentage, and create network latency for incoming and outgoing data transfers for a virtual
machine.
Note You cannot configure advanced virtual network adapter settings for a shared or remote virtual
machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the virtual network adapter and click Advanced.
3Select a bandwidth setting.
Option Description
Limit incoming or outgoing data
transfers to the data transfer rate for a
specific network connection type
Select the network connection type from the Bandwidth drop-down menu. The
value in the Kbps text box changes to the data transfer rate, in kilobits per
second, of the network connection type that you select. For example, if you select
Leased Line T1 (1.544 Mbps), the value in the Kbps text box changes to 1544.
Limit incoming or outgoing data
transfers to a specific data transfer
rate
Select Custom and type the data transfer rate, in kilobits per second, in the Kbps
text box.
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4Enter the acceptable packet loss percentage for incoming and outgoing data transfers in the Packet
Loss (%) text box.
The default setting is 0.0%.
5Enter the number of milliseconds (ms) for network latency of incoming and outgoing data transfers.
The latency setting allows you to simulate the latency in a network environment that differs from your
own. The latency range is 0 to 2,000 ms.
Note Expect actual network latency to be up to 10 ms above the number you set. For example, if
you set latency at 200 ms, expect the actual latency to be between 200 to 210 ms.
6Click OK to save your changes.
Configuring Bridged Networking
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a bridged network (VMnet0) is set
up for you. Bridged networking connects a virtual machine to a network by using the network adapter on
the host system. If the host system is on a network, bridged networking is often the easiest way to give
the virtual machine access to that network.
With bridged networking, the virtual network adapter in the virtual machine connects to a physical network
adapter in the host system. The host network adapter enables the virtual machine to connect to the LAN
that the host system uses. Bridged networking works with both wired and wireless host network adapters.
Bridged networking configures the virtual machine as a unique identity on the network, separate from and
unrelated to the host system. The virtual machine is a full participant in the network. It has access to other
machines on the network, and other machines on the network can contact it as if it were a physical
computer on the network.
Figure 8‑1. Bridged Networking Configuration
host
network
adapter
virtual
network
adapter
virtual network switch
(VMnet0)
virtual machine
virtual bridge
You can view and change the settings for bridged networking on the host system, determine which
network adapters to use for bridged networking, and map specific host network adapters to specific virtual
switches.
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nAssigning IP Addresses in a Bridged Networking Environment
A virtual machine must have its own identity on a bridged network. For example, on a TCP/IP
network, the virtual machine needs its own IP address. Your network administrator can tell you
whether IP addresses are available for virtual machines and which networking settings to use in the
guest operating system.
nAdd a Bridged Network
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a bridged network (VMnet0)
is set up for you. If you install Workstation Pro on a host system that has multiple network adapters,
you can configure multiple bridged networks.
nConfigure Bridged Networking for an Existing Virtual Machine
You can configure bridged networking for an existing virtual machine.
nChange VMnet0 Bridged Networking Settings
By default, VMnet0 is set to use auto-bridging mode and is configured to bridge to all active network
adapters on the host system. You can use the virtual network editor to change VMnet0 to bridge to
one specific host network adapter, or restrict the host network adapters that VMnet0 auto-bridges to.
The changes you make affect all virtual machines that use bridged networking on the host system.
Assigning IP Addresses in a Bridged Networking Environment
A virtual machine must have its own identity on a bridged network. For example, on a TCP/IP network,
the virtual machine needs its own IP address. Your network administrator can tell you whether IP
addresses are available for virtual machines and which networking settings to use in the guest operating
system.
Typically, the guest operating system can acquire an IP address and other network details from a DHCP
server, but you might need to set the IP address and other details manually in the guest operating
system.
Users who boot multiple operating systems often assign the same address to all systems because they
assume that only one operating system will be running at a time. If the host system is set up to boot
multiple operating systems, and you run one or more operating systems in virtual machines, you must
configure each operating system to have a unique network address.
Add a Bridged Network
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a bridged network (VMnet0) is set
up for you. If you install Workstation Pro on a host system that has multiple network adapters, you can
configure multiple bridged networks.
For example, if the host system has two network adapters connected to two different networks, you might
want virtual machines on the host system to bridge to both network adapters so that they can access
either or both physical networks.
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Prerequisites
nVerify that a network adapter is available on the host system to bridge to. If VMnet0 is bridging to all
of the available host network adapters (the default setting), you can modify it to make an adapter
available. See Change VMnet0 Bridged Networking Settings.
nOn a Windows host, log in as an Administrator user. Only an Administrator user can change network
settings in the virtual network editor.
nOn a Linux host, log in as root. You must enter the root password to access the virtual network editor.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Click Add Network and select a network to add.
You can create a custom bridged network on VMnet2 to VMnet7. On Windows hosts, you can also
use VMnet9 to VMnet19. On Linux hosts, you can also use vmnet10 through vmnet255.
3Select the new network and select Bridged (connect VMs directly to the external network).
4Select a host network adapter to bridge to from the Bridged to drop-down menu.
5Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
If you want to rename the new network to a name that is meaningful to you, see Rename a Virtual
Network.
Configure Bridged Networking for an Existing Virtual Machine
You can configure bridged networking for an existing virtual machine.
To configure bridged networking for a new virtual machine, select Customize Hardware when you run
the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
3Select Bridged: Connected directly to the physical network.
4If you use the virtual machine on a laptop or other mobile device, select Replicate physical network
connection state.
This setting causes the IP address to be renewed when you move from one wired or wireless network
to another.
5Click OK to save your changes.
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Change VMnet0 Bridged Networking Settings
By default, VMnet0 is set to use auto-bridging mode and is configured to bridge to all active network
adapters on the host system. You can use the virtual network editor to change VMnet0 to bridge to one
specific host network adapter, or restrict the host network adapters that VMnet0 auto-bridges to. The
changes you make affect all virtual machines that use bridged networking on the host system.
For example, you might want to change VMnet0 to bridge to a specific host network adapter, or to auto-
bridge to as subset of the available host network adapters, to make a host network adapter available to
create a second bridged network.
Important If you reassign a host network adapter to a different virtual network, any virtual machine that
is using the original network loses its network connectivity through that network and you must change the
setting for each affected virtual machine network adapter individually. This restriction can be especially
problematic if the host system has only one physical network adapter and you reassign it to a virtual
network other than VMnet0. Even though the virtual network appears to be bridged to an automatically
chosen adapter, the only adapter it can use was assigned to a different virtual network.
Prerequisites
nOn a Windows host, log in as an Administrator user. Only an Administrator user can change network
settings in the virtual network editor.
nOn a Linux host, log in as root. You must enter the root password to use the virtual network editor.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Select VMnet0.
The location of the VMnet0 option can vary.
Status Description
VMnet0 option listed If listed, select VMnet0.
VMnet0 option not listed If not listed, click Change Settings and select VMnet0.
3Change the host network adapters that VMnet0 bridges to.
Option Description
Prevent VMnet0 from automatically
bridging to a particular host network
adapter
a Click Automatic Settings.
b Deselect the check box for the host network adapter.
c Click OK.
Disable automatic bridging and bridge
VMnet0 to a specific host network
adapter
Select the host network adapter from the Bridge to drop-down menu.
4Click OK to save your changes.
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Configuring Network Address Translation
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a NAT network (VMnet8) is set up
for you. When you use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a typical virtual machine, the wizard
configures the virtual machine to use the default NAT network.
With NAT, a virtual machine does not have its own IP address on the external network. Instead, a
separate private network is set up on the host system. In the default configuration, virtual machines get
an address on this private network from the virtual DHCP server.
Figure 8‑2. NAT Configuration
virtual
network
adapter
virtual network switch
(VMnet8)
virtual machine
DHCP server
network
NAT
device
The virtual machine and the host system share a single network identity that is not visible on the external
network. NAT works by translating the IP addresses of virtual machines in the private network to the IP
address of the host system. When a virtual machine sends a request to access a network resource, it
appears to the network resource as if the request is coming from the host system.
The host system has a virtual network adapter on the NAT network. This adapter enables the host system
and virtual machines to communicate with each other. The NAT device passes network data between one
or more virtual machines and the external network, identifies incoming data packets intended for each
virtual machine, and sends them to the correct destination.
nFeatures and Limitations of NAT Configurations
NAT is useful when the number of IP addresses is limited or the host system is connected to the
network through a non-Ethernet adapter.
nChange NAT Settings
You can change the gateway IP address, configure port forwarding, and configure advanced
networking settings for NAT networks.
nEditing the NAT Configuration File
If you are an advanced user, you can edit the NAT configuration file to modify NAT settings.
nUsing NAT with NetLogon
If you use NAT networking in a Windows virtual machine running on a Windows host system, you
can use NetLogon to log in to a Windows domain from the virtual machine and access file shares
that the WINS server knows.
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nSpecifying Connections from Source Ports Below 1024
If a virtual machine that uses NAT attempts to connect to a server that requires the client to use a
source port below 1024, the NAT device must forward the request from a port below 1024. For
security reasons, some servers accept connections only from source ports below 1024.
Features and Limitations of NAT Configurations
NAT is useful when the number of IP addresses is limited or the host system is connected to the network
through a non-Ethernet adapter.
With NAT, a virtual machine can use many standard TCP/IP protocols to connect to other machines on
the external network. For example, you can use HTTP to browse Web sites, FTP to transfer files, and
Telnet to log in to other computers. You also can connect to a TCP/IP network by using a Token Ring
adapter on the host system. NAT works with Ethernet, DSL, and phone modems.
In the default NAT configuration, computers on the external network cannot initiate connections to the
virtual machine. For example, you cannot use the virtual machine as a Web server to send Web pages to
computers on the external network. This feature protects the guest operating system from being
compromised before you have a chance to install security software.
NAT configurations have the following additional features and limitations.
nNAT causes some performance loss. Because NAT requires that every packet sent to and received
from a virtual machine must be in the NAT network, an unavoidable performance penalty occurs.
nNAT is not perfectly transparent. NAT does not usually allow connections to be initiated from outside
the network, although you can manually configure the NAT device to set up server connections. The
practical result is that some TCP and UDP protocols that require a connection be initiated from the
server machine do not work automatically and some might not work at all.
nNAT provides some firewall protection. A standard NAT configuration provides basic-level firewall
protection because the NAT device can initiate connections from the private NAT network, but devices
on the external network usually cannot initiate connections to the private NAT network.
Understanding DHCP in a NAT Configuration
In a NAT configuration, virtual machines running on the network with the NAT device can send DHCP
requests to dynamically obtain their IP addresses.
In the default configuration, the virtual DHCP server dynamically allocates IP addresses in the range of
net.128 through net.254, where net is the network number assigned to the NAT network. Workstation Pro
always uses a Class C address for NAT networks. IP addresses net.3 through net.127 can be used for
static IP addresses. IP address net.1 is reserved for the host virtual network adapter and net.2 is reserved
for the NAT device.
In addition to the IP address, the virtual DHCP server on the NAT network sends out configuration
information that enables the virtual machine to operate. This information includes the default gateway and
the DNS server. In the DHCP response, the NAT device instructs the virtual machine to use the IP
address net.2 as the default gateway and DNS server. This routing causes all IP packets destined for the
external network and DNS requests to be forwarded to the NAT device.
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Understanding the NAT Device
The NAT device is connected to the VMnet8 virtual switch. Virtual machines connected to the NAT
network also use the VMnet8 virtual switch.
The NAT device waits for packets coming from virtual machines on the VMnet8 virtual network. When a
packet arrives, the NAT device translates the address of the virtual machine to the address of the host
system before forwarding the packet to the external network.
When data arrives from the external network for the virtual machine on the private network, the NAT
device receives the data, replaces the network address with the address of the virtual machine, and
forwards the data to the virtual machine on the virtual network. This translation occurs automatically and
requires minimal configuration on the guest operating system and the host system.
The NAT device is a DNS proxy and forwards DNS requests from the virtual machines to a DNS server
that the host system knows. Responses return to the NAT device, which then forwards them to the virtual
machines.
If they get their configuration information from the virtual DHCP server, the virtual machines on the NAT
network use the NAT device as the DNS server. The virtual machines in the private NAT network are not
accessible through DNS. To have the virtual machines running on the NAT network access each other by
DNS names, you must set up a private DNS server connected to the NAT network and configure the
virtual machines to use the DNS server.
Accessing External Networks from a NAT Network
For most client applications, including Web browsers, Telnet, passive-mode FTP, and downloaded
streaming video, a virtual machine on a NAT network can use any protocol using TCP or UDP if the virtual
machine initiates the network connection. Additional protocol support is built into the NAT device to allow
FTP and ICMP echo (ping) to work transparently through the NAT device.
On the external network, a virtual machine on the NAT network appears to be the host system because its
network traffic uses the host system IP address. The virtual machine can send and receive data by using
TCP/IP to any machine that is accessible from the host system.
Before any communication can occur, the NAT device must set up a map between the virtual machine
address on the private NAT network and the host network address on the external network. When a
virtual machine initiates a network connection with another network resource, this map is created
automatically. The operation is transparent to the user of the virtual machine on the NAT network.
Network connections that are initiated from outside the NAT network to a virtual machine on the NAT
network are not transparent. When a machine on the external network attempts to initiate a connection
with a virtual machine on the NAT network, it cannot reach the virtual machine because the NAT device
does not forward the request. You can configure port forwarding manually on the NAT device so that
network traffic destined for a certain port can still be forwarded automatically to a virtual machine on the
NAT network.
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File sharing of the type used by Windows operating systems and Samba is possible among computers on
the NAT network, including virtual machines and the host system. If you use WINS servers on your
network, a virtual machine that uses NAT networking can access shared files and folders on the host
system that the WINS server knows if those shared files and folders are in the same workgroup or
domain.
Change NAT Settings
You can change the gateway IP address, configure port forwarding, and configure advanced networking
settings for NAT networks.
Prerequisites
nOn a Windows host, log in as an Administrator user. Only an Administrator user can change network
settings in the virtual network editor.
nOn a Linux host, log in as root. You must enter the root password to use the virtual network editor.
Procedure
1Start the virtual network editor on the host system.
Option Description
Windows host Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
Linux host Select Applications > System Tools > Virtual Network Editor. The menu path
might be different for your version of Linux. You can also start the network editor
from the command line by using the vmware-netcfg command.
2Select the NAT network, and click NAT Settings.
By default, the NAT device is connected to the VMnet8 virtual switch. You can have only one NAT
virtual network.
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Table 8‑2. NAT Settings
Setting Description
Gateway IP The gateway IP address for the selected network.
Port Forwarding Add a port for port forwarding. With port forwarding, incoming TCP or UDP requests
are sent to a specific virtual machine on the virtual network that is served by the NAT
device.
Host port The number of the incoming TCP or UDP port. For
example, incoming HTTP requests are usually on port
80.
Virtual machine
IP address
The IP address of the virtual machine to which you want
to forward the incoming requests.
Virtual machine
port
The port number to use for requests on the specified
virtual machine. It may be the standard port, such as 80
for HTTP, or a nonstandard port if software running in the
virtual machine is configured to accept requests on a
nonstandard port.
Description (Optional) You can use this text box to identify the
forwarded service, for example, HTTP.
To change settings for an existing port, select its name and click Properties.
Allow active FTP Allow only passive mode FTP over the NAT device.
Allow any Organizationally
Unique Identifier
Select this setting if you change the organizationally unique identifier (OUI) portion of
the MAC address for the virtual machine and subsequently cannot use NAT with the
virtual machine.
UDP timeout (in seconds) Select the number of minutes to keep the UDP mapping for the NAT.
Config port Select the port to use to access status information about NAT.
Important Change this value only under the direction of VMware technical support.
Enable IPv6 Enable NAT to use an IPv6 address.
IPv6 Prefix If IPv6 is enabled, enter the IPv6 prefix that the NAT device uses.
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Table 8‑2. NAT Settings (Continued)
Setting Description
DNS Settings (Windows hosts only) Configure the DNS servers for the virtual NAT device to use.
Auto detect
available DNS
servers
Select this option to detect the available DNS servers. To
add a DNS server to the list, deselect this check box and
enter the IP address of the preferred and alternate DNS
servers in the Preferred DNS server text boxes.
Policy If you have multiple DNS servers, select the strategy for
choosing which server to send a request to. Order sends
one DNS request at a time in order of the name. Rotate
sends one DNS request at a time and rotates through the
DNS servers. Burst sends to three servers and waits for
the first server to respond.
Timeout (sec) Select the number of seconds to keep trying if the NAT
device cannot connect to the DNS server.
Retries Select the number of retries.
NetBios Settings (Windows hosts only) Select NBNS (NetBIOS Name Service) and NBDS (NetBIOS
Datagram Service) timeouts and retry settings.
Editing the NAT Configuration File
If you are an advanced user, you can edit the NAT configuration file to modify NAT settings.
The location of the NAT configuration file depends on the host operating system.
Table 8‑3. NAT Configuration File Location
Host Operating System NAT Configuration File Location
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows
8 or Windows 10
C:\ProgramData\VMware\vmnetnat.conf
Linux /etc/vmware/vmnet8/nat/nat.conf
The NAT configuration file is divided into sections, and each section configures a part of the NAT device.
Text surrounded by square brackets, such as [dns], marks the beginning of a section. Each section
contains one or more configuration parameters. The configuration parameters take the form
ip = 192.168.27.1/24.
You can change the NAT configuration by using the virtual network editor. You do not need to edit the
NAT configuration file.
Important Make a backup copy of the NAT configuration file. If you edit the NAT configuration file and
then use the virtual network editor, your edits might be lost.
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NAT Configuration File Sections
The NAT configuration file is divided into sections. The parameters in each section configure a part of the
NAT device.
[host] Section
The [host] section includes parameters to configure the NAT connection.
Table 8‑4. [host] Section Parameters
Parameter Description
ip The IP address that the NAT device should use. It can be followed by a slash and the
number of bits in the subnet.
netmask The subnet mask to use for the NAT network. DHCP addresses are allocated from this
range of addresses.
configport A port that can be used to access status information about the NAT device.
device The VMnet device to use. Windows devices are of the form vmnetx where x is the number
of the VMnet. Linux devices are of the form /dev/vmnetx.
activeFTP Flag to indicate if active FTP is to be allowed. Active FTP allows incoming connections to
be opened by the remote FTP server. Turning this off means that only passive mode FTP
works. Set this flag to 0 to turn it off.
[udp] Section
The [udp] section contains the timeout parameter, which specifies the number of seconds to keep the
UDP mapping for the NAT network.
[dns] Section
The [dns] section is for Windows hosts only. Linux hosts do not use this section.
Table 8‑5. [dns] Section Parameters
Parameter Description
policy Policy to use for DNS forwarding.
norder sends one DNS request at a time in the order of the name servers.
nrotate sends one DNS request at a time and rotate through the DNS servers.
nburst sends to three servers and wait for the first one to respond.
timeout Time in seconds before retrying a DNS request.
retries Number of retries before the NAT device stops trying to respond to a DNS request.
autodetect Flag to indicate whether the NAT device should detect the DNS servers available to the
host.
nameserver1 IP address of a DNS server to use.
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Table 8‑5. [dns] Section Parameters (Continued)
Parameter Description
nameserver2 IP address of a DNS server to use.
nameserver3 IP address of a DNS server to use.
If autodetect is on and some name servers are specified, the DNS servers specified in nameserver1,
nameserver2, and nameserver3 are added before the list of detected DNS servers.
[netbios] Section
The [netbios] section applies to Windows hosts only. Linux hosts do not use this section.
Table 8‑6. [netbios] Section Parameters
Parameter Description
nbnsTimeout = 2 Timeout, in seconds, for NBNS queries.
nbnsRetries = 3 Number of retries for each NBNS query.
nbdsTimeout = 3 Timeout, in seconds, for NBDS queries.
[incomingtcp] Section
The [incomingtcp] section configures TCP port forwarding for NAT. You can assign a port number to an IP
address and port number on a virtual machine.
This example creates a map from port 8887 on the host to the IP address 192.168.27.128 and port 21.
8887 = 192.168.27.128:21
When this map is set and an external machine connects to the host at port 8887, the network packets are
forwarded to port 21 (the standard port for FTP) on the virtual machine that has IP address
192.168.27.128.
[incomingudp] Section
The [incomingudp] section configures UDP port forwarding for NAT. You can assign a port number to an
IP address and port number on a virtual machine.
This example creates a map from port 6000 on the host to the IP address 192.168.27.128 and port 6001.
6000 = 192.168.27.128:6001
When this map is set and an external machine connects to the host at port 6000, the network packets are
forwarded to port 6001 on the virtual machine that has IP address 192.168.27.128.
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Sample Linux nat.conf File
This is an example of a NAT configuration file on a Linux host system.
# Linux NAT configuration file
[host]
# NAT gateway address
ip = 192.168.237.2/24
hostMAC = 00:50:56:C0:00:08
# enable configuration; disabled by default for security reasons
#configport = 33445
# vmnet device if not specified on command line
device = vmnet8
# Allow PORT/EPRT FTP commands (they need incoming TCP stream...)
activeFTP = 1
# Allows the source to have any OUI. Turn this one if you change the OUI
# in the MAC address of your virtual machines.
#allowAnyOUI = 1
[udp]
# Timeout in seconds, 0 = no timeout, default = 60; real value might
# be up to 100% longer
timeout = 30
[dns]
# This section applies only to Windows.
#
# Policy to use for DNS forwarding. Accepted values include order,
# rotate, burst.
#
# order: send one DNS request at a time in order of the name servers
# rotate: send one DNS request at a time, rotate through the DNS servers
# burst: send to three servers and wait for the first one to respond
policy = order;
# Timeout in seconds before retrying DNS request.
timeout = 2
# Retries before giving up on DNS request
retries = 3
# Automatically detect the DNS servers
autodetect = 1
# List of DNS servers to use. Up to three may be specified
#nameserver1 = 208.23.14.2
#nameserver2 = 63.93.12.3
#nameserver3 = 208.23.14.4
[netbios]
# This section applies only to Windows.
# Timeout for NBNS queries.
nbnsTimeout = 2
# Number of retries for each NBNS query.
nbnsRetries = 3
# Timeout for NBDS queries.
nbdsTimeout = 3
[incomingtcp]
# Use these with care - anyone can enter into your virtual machine through
# these...
# FTP (both active and passive FTP is always enabled)
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# ftp localhost 8887
#8887 = 192.168.27.128:21
# WEB (make sure that if you are using named webhosting, names point to
# your host, not to guest... And if you are forwarding port other
# than 80 make sure that your server copes with mismatched port
# number in Host: header)
# lynx http://localhost:8888
#8888 = 192.168.27.128:80
# SSH
# ssh -p 8889 root@localhost
#8889 = 192.168.27.128:22
[incomingudp]
# UDP port forwarding example
#6000 = 192.168.27.128:6001
Using NAT with NetLogon
If you use NAT networking in a Windows virtual machine running on a Windows host system, you can use
NetLogon to log in to a Windows domain from the virtual machine and access file shares that the WINS
server knows.
To use NetLogon, you need to set up the virtual machine to use NetLogon. The setup process is similar to
the way you set up a physical computer on one LAN that is using a domain controller on another LAN.
To log in to a Windows domain outside the virtual NAT network, the virtual machine needs access to a
WINS server for that domain. If the WINS server that the DHCP server uses on the NAT network is
already set up on the host system, you can connect the virtual machine to it. To connect from the virtual
machine to a WINS server that is not set up on the host system, you must manually configure the IP
address of the WINS server.
After the virtual machine has an IP address for a WINS server, you can use NetLogon in the virtual
machine to log in to a domain and access shares in that domain. Your access is limited to shares of
virtual machines that are on the same NAT network or are bridged on the same domain.
For example, if the WINS server covers a domain with a domain controller, you can access that domain
controller from the virtual machine and add the virtual machine to the domain. You need the Administrator
user ID and password for the domain controller.
Use NAT to Connect to an Existing WINS Server on the Host
If the WINS server that the DHCP server uses on the NAT network is already set up on the host system,
you can connect the virtual machine to it.
You can use this procedure for Windows guest operating systems. The steps might be different,
depending on the Windows operating system type.
Procedure
1In the Windows virtual machine, right-click My Network Places and select Properties.
2Right-click the virtual network adapter and click Properties.
3In the Properties dialog box, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
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4In the TCP/IP Properties dialog box, click Advanced.
5On the WINS tab, under the NetBIOS setting, select Default: Use NetBIOS setting from DHCP
Server.
6Click OK twice and click Close.
Configure the IP Address of a WINS Server Manually
To connect from a virtual machine to a WINS server that is not set up on the host system, you must
manually configure the IP address of the WINS server.
You can use this procedure for Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, and 9x guest operating systems. The
steps might be different, depending on the Windows operating system type. Repeat this procedure for
each WINS server that you want to connect to from the virtual machine.
Procedure
1In the Windows virtual machine, right-click My Network Places and select Properties.
2In the Network Connections window, right-click the virtual network adapter and choose Properties.
3In the Properties dialog box, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
4In the TCP/IP Properties dialog box, click Advanced.
5On the WINS tab, click Add.
6In the TCP/IP WINS Server dialog box, type the IP address for the WINS server in the WINS server
text box and click Add.
The IP address of the WINS server appears in the WINS addresses list on the WINS tab.
7Click OK twice and click Close.
Specifying Connections from Source Ports Below 1024
If a virtual machine that uses NAT attempts to connect to a server that requires the client to use a source
port below 1024, the NAT device must forward the request from a port below 1024. For security reasons,
some servers accept connections only from source ports below 1024.
The parameters that control virtual machine source and destination ports are in the [privilegedUDP]
and [privilegedTCP] sections in the NAT configuration file. You might need to add settings or modify
settings in either or both of these sections, depending on the kind of connection you need to make. You
can set two parameters, each of which appears on a separate line.
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Table 8‑7. Parameters that Map Virtual Machine Source and Destination Ports
Parameter Description
autodetect = nDetermines whether the NAT device attempts to map virtual machine source ports below 1024
to NAT source ports below 1024. A setting of 1 means true. A setting of 0 means false. On a
Windows host, the default is 1 (true). On a Linux host, the default is 0 (false).
port = nSpecifies a destination port, where n is the port on the server that accepts the connection from
the client. When a virtual machine connects to the specified port on any server, the NAT device
attempts to make the connection from a source port below 1024. You can include one or more
port settings in the [privilegedUDP] or [privilegedTCP] section or in both sections, as
required for the connections you need to make. Enter each port setting on a separate line.
See Editing the NAT Configuration File for more information.
Configuring Host-Only Networking
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a host-only network (VMnet1) is
set up for you. Host-only networking is useful if you need to set up an isolated virtual network. In a host-
only network, the virtual machine and the host virtual network adapter are connected to a private Ethernet
network. The network is completely contained within the host system.
The network connection between the virtual machine and the host system is provided by a virtual network
adapter that is visible on the host operating system. The virtual DHCP server provides IP addresses on
the host-only network.
Figure 8‑3. Host-Only Networking Configuration
host
network
adapter
virtual
network
adapter
virtual network switch
(VMnet1)
virtual machine
DHCP server
In the default configuration, a virtual machine in a host-only network cannot connect to the Internet. If you
install the proper routing or proxy software on the host system, you can establish a connection between
the host virtual network adapter and a physical network adapter on the host system to connect the virtual
machine to a Token Ring or other non-Ethernet network.
On a Windows host computer, you can use host-only networking in combination with the Internet
Connection Sharing feature in Windows to allow a virtual machine to use the dial-up networking adapter
or other connection to the Internet on the host system. See Microsoft documentation for information on
configuring Internet Connection Sharing.
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nAdd a Host-Only Network
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a host-only network (VMnet1)
is set up for you. You might want to configure multiple host-only networks to manage network traffic
between virtual machines in specific ways.
nConfigure Host-Only Networking for an Existing Virtual Machine
You can configure host-only networking for an existing virtual machine. You can connect a virtual
network adapter to the default host-only network (VMnet1) or to a custom host-only network. If a
virtual machine has two virtual network adapters, you can connect it to two host-only networks.
nSet Up Routing Between Two Host-Only Networks
If you are setting up a complex test network that uses virtual machines, you might want to have two
independent host-only networks with a router between them.
nAvoiding IP Packet Leakage in Host-Only Networks
Each host-only network should be confined to the host system on which it is set up. Packets that
virtual machines send on this network should not leak out to a physical network attached to the host
system. Packet leakage can occur only if a machine actively forwards packets.
nControlling Routing Information for Host-Only Networks on Linux
A host-only network has a network interface associated with it (vmnet1) that is marked up when the
host operating system is booted. Routing server processes that operate on the host operating
system automatically discover the host-only network and propagate information on how to reach the
network, unless you explicitly configure them not to do so.
nUsing DHCP and DDNS with Host-Only Networking on Linux
The virtual DHCP server in Workstation Pro cannot update a DNS server by using a Dynamic
Domain Name Service (DDNS). For this reason, you should use DHCP to supply IP addresses as
well as other information, such as the identity of a host running a name server and the nearest router
or gateway.
Add a Host-Only Network
When you install Workstation Pro on a Windows or Linux host system, a host-only network (VMnet1) is
set up for you. You might want to configure multiple host-only networks to manage network traffic
between virtual machines in specific ways.
For example, you can set up multiple host-only networks on the same host system to test routing between
two virtual networks or test a virtual machine that has multiple network interface cards without using any
physical network adapters. You might also want to have two virtual machines connected to one host-only
network and other virtual machines connected to another host-only network to isolate the network traffic
on each network.
Prerequisites
nOn a Windows host, log in as an Administrator user. Only an Administrator user can change network
settings in the virtual network editor.
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nOn a Linux host, log in as root. You must enter the root password to use the virtual network editor.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Click Add Network and select a network to add, for example, VMnet2.
You can create a custom host-only network on VMnet2 to VMnet7. On Windows hosts, you can also
use VMnet9 to VMnet19. On Linux hosts, you can also use vmnet10 through vmnet255.
The new network is configured as a host-only network by default.
3Click OK to save your changes.
After the host-only networks are set up on a Linux host system, at least four network interfaces appear:
eth0, lo, vmnet1, and vmnet2. These four interfaces should have different IP addresses on separate
subnets.
What to do next
If you want to rename the new network to a name that is meaningful to you, see Rename a Virtual
Network.
Configure Host-Only Networking for an Existing Virtual Machine
You can configure host-only networking for an existing virtual machine. You can connect a virtual network
adapter to the default host-only network (VMnet1) or to a custom host-only network. If a virtual machine
has two virtual network adapters, you can connect it to two host-only networks.
To configure host-only networking for a new virtual machine, select Customize Hardware when you run
the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Prerequisites
To connect the virtual machine to two host-only networks, add a second virtual network adapter to the
virtual machine. See Add a Virtual Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab select a virtual network adapter.
3Select the host-only network.
Option Action
Use the default host-only network
(VMnet1)
Select Host-only: A private network shared with the host.
Use a custom host-only network Select Custom and select the custom host-only network from the drop-down
menu.
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4To connect the virtual machine to a second host-only network, select another virtual network adapter
and select the second host-only network.
5Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
Assign IP addresses to the virtual network adapters. To see the IP address that a host-only network is
using, use the ipconfig /all command on a Windows host or the ipconfig command on a Linux host.
Set Up Routing Between Two Host-Only Networks
If you are setting up a complex test network that uses virtual machines, you might want to have two
independent host-only networks with a router between them.
You can run the router software on the host system or on its own virtual machine. In both cases, you need
two host-only networks.
In a simple configuration, you configure one virtual machine on each of the host-only networks. For more
complex configurations, you can add more virtual machines and host-only networks.
Prerequisites
Create a second host-only network. On Windows and Linux host systems, the first host-only network
(VMnet1) is set up for you when you install Workstation Pro. See Add a Host-Only Network.
Procedure
1Set up the connection to the first host-only network.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
b On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
c Select Host-only to connect to the default host-only network (VMnet1).
2Set up the connection to the second host-only network.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
b On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
c Select Custom and select the custom host-only network from the drop-down menu.
3(Optional) To run the router software on a virtual machine, set up a third virtual machine that has
connections to the two host-only networks.
a Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
b On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
c Select Host-only.
The adapter is connected to the default host-only interface (VMnet1).
d Select the second network adapter, select Custom, and select the custom host-only network from
the drop-down menu.
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4Stop the VMware DHCP Server service.
Option Description
Windows host Use the services.msc command to open the Services Console and stop the
VMware DHCP Service.
Linux host Use the killall -TERM vmnet-dhcpd command to stop the vmnet-dhcpd
service.
5Install the router software on the host system or in the third virtual machine, depending on the
approach you are using.
6Configure networking in the first two virtual machines to use addresses on the appropriate host-only
network.
Option Description
Windows host Use the ipconfig /all command to determine which IP addresses each host-
only network is using.
Linux host Use the ifconfig command to determine which IP addresses each host-only
network is using.
7Assign IP addresses.
Option Description
The router software is on the host
system
Assign default router addresses based on the addresses of the host-only
adapters on the host computer. In the first virtual machine, the default router
address should be the IP address for the host-only adapter connected to VMnet1.
In the second virtual machine, the default router address should be the IP
address for the host-only adapter connected to VMnet2.
The router software is in a third virtual
machine
Set the default router addresses in the first two virtual machines based on the
addresses that the third virtual machine. In the first virtual machine, the default
router address should be the IP address for the network adapter connected to
VMnet1 in third virtual machine. In the second virtual machine, the default router
address should be the IP address for the network adapter connected to VMnet2 in
third virtual machine.
8Ping the router machine from the first and second virtual machines.
If the router software is set up correctly, you can communicate between the first and second virtual
machines.
Avoiding IP Packet Leakage in Host-Only Networks
Each host-only network should be confined to the host system on which it is set up. Packets that virtual
machines send on this network should not leak out to a physical network attached to the host system.
Packet leakage can occur only if a machine actively forwards packets.
If you use dial-up networking support in a virtual machine and packet forwarding is enabled, host-only
network traffic might leak out through the dial-up connection. To prevent the leakage, disable packet
forwarding in the guest operating system.
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If the host system has multiple network adapters, it might be intentionally configured to use IP forwarding.
If that is the case, you do not want to disable forwarding. To avoid packet leakage, you must enable a
packet filtering facility and specify that packets from the host-only network should not be sent outside the
host system. See the operating system documentation for information on configuring packet filtering.
Disable Packet Forwarding on a Windows Host
Systems that use server versions of Windows operating systems can forward IP packets that are not
addressed to them. These systems, and Windows Vista and Windows 7 and later systems, have IP
packet forwarding disabled by default.
If packets are leaking from a host-only network on a Windows host system, check whether packet
forwarding is enabled on the host system. If packet forwarding is enabled, you must disable it.
Procedure
uOn a Windows Vista or Windows 7 or later host, stop the Routing and Remote Access service.
a Type services.msc to open the Services Console.
b Select Routing and Remote Access and click Stop.
Disable Packet Forwarding on a Linux Host
If packets are leaking from a host-only network on a Linux host system, packet forwarding might be
mistakenly enabled on the host system. If packet forwarding is enabled, you must disable it.
How you disable packet forwarding depends on your Linux distribution. For example, you might be able to
use a control panel, specify a setting at the time you compile your kernel, or enter a specification when
you boot your system. See the operating system documentation for more information.
Procedure
uAs root, write a 0 (zero) to the special file /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward.
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
Controlling Routing Information for Host-Only Networks on Linux
A host-only network has a network interface associated with it (vmnet1) that is marked up when the host
operating system is booted. Routing server processes that operate on the host operating system
automatically discover the host-only network and propagate information on how to reach the network,
unless you explicitly configure them not to do so.
If you are running the routed or gated daemon only to receive routing information, the simplest solution is
to run the routing configuration with the -q option so that the host-only network receives, but does not
supply, routing information.
If you are running routing services to supply routing information, configure the services so that they do not
advertise routes to the host-only network. The routed daemon version that is included with many Linux
distributions does not support specifying that an interface should not be advertised. See the routed(8)
manual page for your system for more information.
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If you are using the gated daemon, you must explicitly exclude the vmnet1 interface from any protocol
activity. If you need to run virtual machines on a host-only network on a multihomed system where gated
is used and you experience problems, contact VMware technical support.
Using DHCP and DDNS with Host-Only Networking on Linux
The virtual DHCP server in Workstation Pro cannot update a DNS server by using a Dynamic Domain
Name Service (DDNS). For this reason, you should use DHCP to supply IP addresses as well as other
information, such as the identity of a host running a name server and the nearest router or gateway.
To use names to communicate with other virtual machines, you must either edit the DHCP configuration
file for vmnet1 (/etc/vmware/vmnet1/dhcpd/dhcpd.conf), or use IP addresses that are statically
bound to a host name. Editing the DHCP server configuration file requires information that is best
obtained directly from the DHCP server documentation. See the dhcpd(8) and dhcpd.conf(8) manual
pages.
Note The edits made inside the read-only section of the DHCP configuration file are lost the next time
you run the virtual network editor.
Troubleshooting DHCPD Problems on a Linux Host
If a DHCP server (dhcpd) utility was running on the Linux host system before you installed
Workstation Pro, it might have noticed that an additional network interface, vmnet1, was marked up and
available for use when host-only networking was configured.
Some dhcpd implementations abort if their configuration files do not include a subnet specification for the
interface. This can happen even if dhcpd is not supposed to respond to messages that arrive through the
interface.
The best solution is to add a line to the dhcpd configuration file in the format
subnet net.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {}. The net value is the network number assigned to the
host-only network, for example, 192.168.0. This line in the configuration file informs dhcpd about the
host-only network and tells it explicitly not to respond to any dhcpd requests arriving from that network.
An alternative solution is to explicitly state the set of network interfaces for dhcpd to monitor each time
you start the program. For example, if the host system has one Ethernet interface (eth0), list the interface
on the command line each time you start dhcpd.
dhcpd eth0
This solution prevents dhcpd from searching for all available network interfaces.
If these solutions do not work for your DHCP server program, it might be an older version of the program
and you can try upgrading to more current version. DHCP server programs are available from the Internet
Systems Consortium (ISC) Web site.
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Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only Networks and NAT
Configurations
The host system and all virtual machines configured for host-only networking are connected to the
network through a virtual switch. Typically, all the parties on this network use the TCP/IP protocol suite,
although other communication protocols can be used.
A NAT configuration also sets up a private network, which must be a TCP/IP network. The virtual
machines configured for NAT are connected to that network through a virtual switch. A host virtual
network adapter connects the host system to the private network used for NAT. Each virtual machine and
the host system must be assigned addresses on the private network.
When host-only networking is enabled at the time Workstation Pro is installed, the subnet IP address for
the virtual network is automatically selected as an unused private subnet IP address. A NAT configuration
also uses an unused private network automatically selected when you install Workstation Pro. The subnet
number associated with a virtual network is shown in the virtual network editor.
IP addresses are typically assigned by using the virtual DHCP server included with Workstation Pro. IP
addresses can also be assigned statically from a pool of addresses that the virtual DHCP server does not
assign. Using DHCP to assign IP addresses is simpler and more automatic than statically assigning them.
Most Windows operating systems are preconfigured to use DHCP at boot time, so Windows virtual
machines can connect to the network the first time they are booted, without additional configuration.
If you want virtual machines to communicate with each other by using names instead of IP addresses,
you must set up a naming convention, a name server on the private network, or both. In this case, it might
be simpler to use static IP addresses.
In general, if you have virtual machines that you intend to use frequently or for extended periods of time, it
is more convenient to assign static IP addresses or configure the virtual DHCP server to always assign
the same IP address to each of these virtual machines. For temporary virtual machines, let the virtual
DHCP allocate IP addresses.
Note The virtual DHCP server does not service virtual or physical machines residing on bridged
networks.
nChange DHCP Settings for a Host-Only or NAT Network on a Windows Host
You can use the virtual network editor to change DHCP settings for a host-only or NAT network on a
Windows host system.
nChange the Subnet Settings for a Host-Only or NAT Network on a Windows Host
You can use the virtual network editor to change the subnet IP address and subnet mask for a host-
only or NAT network on a Windows host system.
nChange the Subnet IP Address for a Host-Only or NAT Network on a Linux Host
You can use the virtual network editor to change the subnet IP address for a host-only or NAT
network on a Linux host system.
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nDHCP Conventions for Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only and NAT Networks
For each host-only or NAT network, the virtual DHCP server allocates available IP addresses by
using certain conventions. Workstation Pro always uses a Class C address for host-only and NAT
networks.
Change DHCP Settings for a Host-Only or NAT Network on a
Windows Host
You can use the virtual network editor to change DHCP settings for a host-only or NAT network on a
Windows host system.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
nFamiliarize yourself with the DHCP conventions for assigning IP addresses. See DHCP Conventions
for Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only and NAT Networks.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system as an Administrator user.
Only an Administrator user can change network settings in the virtual network editor.
2Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
3Select the host-only or NAT network.
4To use the virtual DHCP server to assign IP addresses to virtual machines on the network, select Use
local DHCP service to distribute IP addresses to VMs.
5To change additional DHCP settings, click DHCP Settings.
You can change the range of IP addresses that the virtual DHCP server provides on the selected
network and the duration of DHCP licenses that the DHCP server provides to clients on the virtual
network.
6Click OK to save your changes.
Change the Subnet Settings for a Host-Only or NAT Network on a
Windows Host
You can use the virtual network editor to change the subnet IP address and subnet mask for a host-only
or NAT network on a Windows host system.
The default subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, which is a Class C address. Typically, you should modify only
the third number in the IP address, for example, x in 192.168.x.0 or 198.16.x.0. In general, do not change
the subnet mask. Certain virtual network services might not work as well with a customized subnet mask.
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When you modify the subnet mask, Workstation Pro updates the IP address settings for other
components, including DHCP, NAT, and the host virtual network adapter, if the default settings were never
changed. Settings that are automatically updated include the DHCP lease range and DHCP server
address, the NAT gateway address, and the host network adapter IP address.
If you change any of these settings from their default values, Workstation Pro does not update that setting
automatically if the value is within the valid range. If the value exceeds the valid range, Workstation Pro
resets the settings based on the subnet range. Workstation Pro presumes that a custom setting should
not be modified, even if you later change the setting back to its default value.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you have administrative privileges on the host system.
nFamiliarize yourself with the DHCP conventions for assigning IP addresses. See DHCP Conventions
for Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only and NAT Networks.
Procedure
1Log in to the host system as an Administrator user.
Only an Administrator user can change network settings in the virtual network editor on a Windows
host system.
2Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
3Select the host-only or NAT network.
4To change the subnet IP address, type a new value in the Subnet IP text box.
The address should specify a valid network address that is suitable for use with the subnet mask.
5To change the subnet mask, type a new value in the Subnet mask text box.
6Click OK to save your changes.
Change the Subnet IP Address for a Host-Only or NAT Network on
a Linux Host
You can use the virtual network editor to change the subnet IP address for a host-only or NAT network on
a Linux host system.
You can also use the virtual network editor to specify that a local DHCP service distributes IP addresses
to virtual machines. To change DHCP settings further, you must edit the DHCP server configuration file
(dhcp.conf). See Editing the DHCP Server Configuration File.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you have root access on the host system.
nFamiliarize yourself with the DHCP conventions for assigning IP addresses. See DHCP Conventions
for Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only and NAT Networks.
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Procedure
1Log in to the Linux host system as root.
You must enter the root password to use the virtual network editor on a Linux host system.
2Select Applications > System Tools > Virtual Network Editor to start the virtual network editor.
The menu path might be different for your version of Linux. You can also start the network editor from
the command line by using the vmware-netcfg command.
3Select the virtual network.
4Change the subnet IP address.
Option Description
Select an unused subnet IP address Leave the Subnet IP text box empty.
Configure a specific subnet IP address Type the subnet IP address that you want to use in the Subnet IP text box.
5To have the virtual DHCP server distribute IP addresses to virtual machines on the network, select
Use local DHCP service to distribute IP addresses to VMs.
6Click Save to save your changes.
Editing the DHCP Server Configuration File
If you are an advanced user, you can edit the DHCP server configuration file to modify DHCP settings.
The location of the DHCP server configuration file depends on the operating system type.
Table 8‑8. DHCP Configuration File Location
Host Operating System DHCP Server Configuration File Location
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows
8, or Windows 10
C:\ProgramData\VMware\vmnetdhcp.conf
Linux For the default host-only network: /etc/vmware/vmnet1/dhcp/dhcp.conf
For the NAT network: /etc/vmware/vmnet8/dhcp/dhcp.conf
On a Windows host system, you can change DHCP settings by using the virtual network editor. You do
not need to edit the DHCP server configuration file.
On a Linux host system, you can use the virtual network editor to specify that a local DHCP service
distributes IP addresses to virtual machines on the network. To change DHCP settings further, you must
edit the DHCP server configuration file. Editing the DHCP server configuration file requires information
that is best obtained directly from the DHCP server documentation. See the dhcpd(8) and dhcpd.conf(8)
manual pages.
Note Changes made to the read-only section of the DHCP configuration file are lost the next time you
run the virtual network editor.
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DHCP Conventions for Assigning IP Addresses in Host-Only and
NAT Networks
For each host-only or NAT network, the virtual DHCP server allocates available IP addresses by using
certain conventions. Workstation Pro always uses a Class C address for host-only and NAT networks.
The net value is the network number assigned to the host-only or NAT network.
Table 8‑9. IP Address Use on a Host-Only Network
Range Address Use Example
net.1 Host machine 192.168.0.1
net.2–net.127 Static addresses 192.168.0.2–192.168.0.127
net.128–net.253 DHCP-assigned 192.168.0.128–192.168.0.253
net.254 DHCP server 192.168.0.254
net.255 Broadcasting 192.168.0.255
Table 8‑10. IP Address Use on a NAT Network
Range Address Use Example
net.1 Host machine 192.168.0.1
net.2 NAT device 192.168.0.2
net.3–net.127 Static addresses 192.168.0.3–192.168.0.127
net.128–net.253 DHCP-assigned 192.168.0.128–192.168.0.253
net.254 DHCP server 192.168.0.254
net.255 Broadcasting 192.168.0.255
Configuring LAN Segments
A LAN segment is a private network that is shared by other virtual machines. A LAN segment can be
useful for multitier testing, network performance analysis, and situations where virtual machine isolation
are important.
Create a LAN Segment for a Virtual Machine
You create a LAN segment by configuring virtual machine network settings. When you convert a team
that was created in an earlier version of Workstation Pro, the LAN segment configuration is retained for
each virtual machine. You do not need to recreate the LAN segment.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
3Click LAN Segments.
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4Click Add, type a name for the LAN segment, and click OK.
5Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
Configure the virtual machine to use the LAN segment. See Configure a Virtual Machine to Use a LAN
Segment.
Configure a Virtual Machine to Use a LAN Segment
You can configure an existing virtual machine to use a LAN segment, and you can change the LAN
segment that a virtual machine is currently using.
In this release of Workstation Pro, bandwidth and packet loss settings are associated with individual
virtual machines rather than LAN segments. See Configure Bandwidth, Packet Loss, and Latency
Settings for a Virtual Machine.
Prerequisites
nIf the LAN segment does not already exist, create it. See Create a LAN Segment for a Virtual
Machine.
nTo configure a virtual machine to use multiple LAN segments, you must configure the virtual machine
to have multiple network adapters. See Add a Virtual Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
3Select LAN segment and select the LAN segment from the drop-down menu.
4Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
When you add an existing virtual machine to a LAN segment, the virtual machine might be configured to
expect an IP address from a DHCP server. Unlike host-only and NAT networking, Workstation Pro does
not provide a DHCP server for LAN segments. You must manually configure IP addressing for virtual
machines on a LAN segment. You can either configure a DHCP server on the LAN segment to allocate IP
addresses, or you can configure a fixed IP address for each virtual machine on the LAN segment.
Delete a LAN Segment
Deleting a LAN segment disconnects all virtual network adapters that are configured for that LAN
segment. When you delete a LAN segment, you must manually configure its disconnected virtual network
adapter to reconnect the virtual machine to a network.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
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2On the Hardware tab, select Network Adapter.
3Click LAN Segments, select the LAN segment, click Remove, and click OK.
4Either select another LAN segment or change the network connection type for the virtual machine.
5Click OK to save your changes.
What to do next
If you deleted a LAN segment that is being used by other virtual machines, select another LAN segment
or change the network connection type for those virtual machines. See Modify an Existing Virtual Network
Adapter for a Virtual Machine.
Configuring Samba for Workstation Pro
If you have Samba on a Linux host system, you can configure it so that it works with Workstation Pro.
You must modify the Samba configuration so that it includes the IP subnet that the vmnet1 virtual network
adapter uses. You can determine which subnet vmnet1 uses by using the command /sbin/ifconfig
vmnet1.
You must also make sure the Samba password file includes entries for all users of the virtual machine
who will access the host file system. The user names and passwords in the Samba password file must
match those used for logging on to the guest operating system.
Add Users to the Samba Password File
You can add user names and passwords to the Samba password file at any time from a terminal window
on the Linux host system. The Samba password file must include entries for all users of the virtual
machine who will access the host file system.
Procedure
1Log in to the root account.
2Run the Samba password command with the user name to add to the password file.
For example: smbpasswd -a user_name
3Follow the instructions on the screen.
4Log out of the root account.
Use a Samba Server for Bridged or Host-Only Networking
You can use a Samba server for bridged or host-only networking.
Procedure
1Open the Samba configuration file (/etc/samba/smb.conf) in a text editor.
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2Add the interfaces parameter and set it to VMnet interface.
You can define the interface parameter so that the Samba server serves multiple interfaces. This
example tells the Samba server to monitor and use both the eth0 and vmnet1 interfaces, which are
the networks that bridged and host-only networking use
For example: interface = eth0 vmnet1
3Restart Samba.
Use Samba Without Network Access
You can make Samba inaccessible from the physical network interface.
Procedure
1Open the Samba configuration file (/etc/samba/smb.conf) in a text editor.
2Add the interfaces parameter and set it to vmnet*.
For example: interfaces = vmnet*
3Restart Samba.
Using Virtual Network Adapters in Promiscuous Mode on
Linux Hosts
Workstation Pro does not allow the virtual network adapter to go into promiscuous mode unless the user
running Workstation Pro has permission to make that setting. This restriction follows the standard Linux
practice that only the root user can put a network interface into promiscuous mode.
When you install and configure Workstation Pro, you must run the installation as the root user. Because
Workstation Pro creates the vmnet devices with root ownership and root group ownership, only the root
user has read and write permissions to the devices.
To set a virtual machine network adapter to promiscuous mode, you must launch Workstation Pro as the
root user because you must have read and write access to the vmnet device. For example, if you use
bridged networking, you must have access to /dev/vmnet0.
To grant selected users read and write access to the vmnet device, you can create a new group, add the
appropriate users to the group, and grant that group read and write access to the appropriate device. You
must make these changes on the host operating system as the root user.
In this example, newgroup is the group that should be able to set vmnet0 to promiscuous mode.
chgrp newgroup /dev/vmnet0
chmod g+rw /dev/vmnet0
In the next example, all users are able to set vmnet0 to promiscuous mode.
chmod a+rw /dev/vmnet0
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Maintaining and Changing MAC Addresses for Virtual
Machines
When a virtual machine is powered on, Workstation Pro assigns each of its virtual network adapters an
Ethernet media access control (MAC) address. A MAC address is the unique address assigned to each
Ethernet network device.
A virtual machine is assigned the same MAC address every time it is powered unless the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file is moved or changes are made to certain settings in the configuration file.
Moving the file to a different host system, or even moving it to a different location on the same host
system, changes the MAC address.
The MAC address changes if you remove or change any of these options in the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file.
nethernet[n].generatedAddress
nethernet[n].addressType
nethernet[n].generatedAddressOffset
nuuid.location uuid.bios
nethernet[n].present
In these options, [n] is the number of the virtual network adapter. If you never edit the configuration file
by hand and do not remove the virtual network adapter, these settings remain unchanged.
Workstation Pro cannot guarantee to automatically assign unique MAC addresses for virtual machines
that run on multiple host systems.
Note To preserve the MAC address for a virtual network adapter, you must be careful not to remove the
adapter. If you remove the adapter but later recreate it, the adapter might receive a different MAC
address.
Change the MAC Address for a Virtual Machine
You can use advanced virtual network adapter settings to assign a new MAC address to a virtual
machine.
Note You cannot configure advanced virtual network adapter settings for a shared or remote virtual
machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Settings.
2On the Hardware tab, select the virtual network adapter and click Advanced.
3Type a new MAC address in the MAC Address text box, or click Generate to have Workstation Pro
generate a new address.
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4Click OK to save your changes.
Manually Assign a MAC Address to a Virtual Machine
You can manually assign a MAC address to a virtual machine.
You might want to assign a MAC address to guarantee that the same address is assigned to a virtual
machine every time it powers on, even it is moved, or to be sure that a unique MAC address is provided
for each virtual machine in a networked environment.
Procedure
1Use a text editor to remove the following options from the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file.
ethernet[n].generatedAddress
ethernet[n].addressType
ethernet[n].generatedAddressOffset
In these options, [n] is the number of the virtual network adapter.
2Add the ethernet[n].address option to the .vmx file above the UUID lines in the file and set it to
the MAC address.
For example: ethernet[n].address = 00:50:56:XX:YY:ZZ
In this line, the fourth pair of numbers, XX, must be a valid hexadecimal number between 00h and
3Fh, and YY and ZZ must be valid hexadecimal numbers between 00h and FFh. You must use this
format. Workstation Pro virtual machines do not support arbitrary MAC addresses.
A value for XX:YY:ZZ that is unique among your hard-coded addresses avoids conflicts between the
automatically assigned MAC addresses and the manually assigned addresses.
Sample Custom Networking Configuration
There are many ways to combine devices on a virtual network. This example shows server connections
through multiple firewalls.
You can combine devices on a virtual network in many ways. In this example, a Web server connects
through a firewall to an external network and an administrator's computer connects to the Web server
through a second firewall.
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Figure 8‑4. Custom Configuration with Two Firewalls
virtual
network
adapter
virtual network switch
(VMnet2)
virtual network switch
(VMnet3)
virtual network switch
(VMnet0)
virtual machine 4
“internal” PC
virtual
network
adapter
virtual
network
adapter
virtual
network
adapter
virtual machine 1
firewall
virtual
network
adapter
virtual
network
adapter
virtual machine 3
firewall
virtual machine 2
Web server
host
network
adapter
virtual bridge
Create the Sample Custom Networking Configuration
You can create the sample custom networking configuration.
Prerequisites
nFamiliarize yourself with how to create virtual machines and configure network devices in the host
and guest operating systems.
nFamiliarize yourself with the diagram of the sample networking configuration. See Figure 8‑4.
Procedure
1Use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create four virtual machines.
a Create the first virtual machine with bridged networking so that it can connect to an external
network by using the host network adapter.
b Create the other three virtual machines without networking.
2Configure network settings for the first virtual machine.
a Open the first virtual machine, but do not power it on.
b Edit the virtual machine settings to add a second virtual network adapter.
c Connect the second network adapter to VMnet2.
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3Configure network settings for the second virtual machine.
a Open the virtual machine, but do not power it on.
b Edit the virtual machine settings to add a virtual network adapter.
c Connect the network adapter to VMnet2.
4Configure network settings for the third virtual machine.
a Open the virtual machine, but do not power it on.
b Edit the virtual machine settings to add a virtual network adapter.
c Connect the network adapter to VMnet2.
d Edit the virtual machine settings to add a second virtual network adapter.
e Connect the second network adapter to VMnet3.
5Configure network settings for the fourth virtual machine.
a Open the virtual machine, but do not power it on.
b Edit the virtual machine settings to add a virtual network adapter.
c Connect the network adapter to VMnet3.
6Determine the network addresses that are used for VMnet2 and VMnet3.
Option Description
Windows host Use the ipconfig /all command.
Linux host Use the ifconfig command.
7Power on each virtual machine and install the appropriate guest operating system.
8Use the virtual network editor to configure VMnet2 to use the virtual DHCP service to distribute IP
address to virtual machines.
9Configure the networking in each guest operating system.
Option Description
Virtual machine 1 For the bridged network adapter in virtual machine 1, use the networking settings
needed for a connection to the external network. If the virtual machine receives its
IP address from a DHCP server on the external network, the default settings
should work. For the second network adapter in virtual machine 1, manually
assign an IP address in the range you are using with VMnet2.
Virtual machine 2 Assign an IP address in the range you are using with VMnet2.
Virtual machine 3 Network adapters are connected to VMnet2 and VMnet3. Assign an IP address in
the virtual network's range it is connected to.
Virtual machine 4 Assign an IP address in the range you are using with VMnet3.
10 Install the necessary application software in each virtual machine.
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Using Remote Connections and
Sharing Virtual Machines 9
A shared virtual machine is a virtual machine on the host system that remote Workstation Pro users can
access as a remote virtual machine. Up to 100 remote users can connect to a single shared virtual
machine at the same time.
You can configure Workstation Pro so that users on remote Workstation Pro hosts can interact with your
local host and use the shared virtual machines that are running on it. You can also connect to remote
hosts and run remote virtual machines. You control who can access host systems and shared virtual
machines by setting permissions.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nUnderstanding VMware Workstation Server
nConnect to a Remote Server
nDisconnect from a Remote Server
nCreating and Managing Shared Virtual Machines
nUploading Virtual Machines to Remote Servers
nDownload a Virtual Machine from a Remote Server
nCreate a Virtual Machine on a Remote Host
nManage Virtual Machine Power Actions on Shared and Remote Hosts
nUsing Roles to Assign Privileges
nUsing Permissions to Restrict Users
Understanding VMware Workstation Server
VMware Workstation Server is a service that runs on the Workstation Pro host system. Remote
Workstation Pro users connect to VMware Workstation Server when they run shared virtual machines on
the host system.
On a Windows host, VMware Workstation Server is the VMware Workstation Server service. On a Linux
host, it is vmware-workstation-server.
When you install Workstation Pro, virtual machine sharing and remote access are enabled by default and
VMware Workstation Server starts when the host system starts. When Workstation Pro starts, it connects
to VMware Workstation Server by using the credentials of the currently logged in user.
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Remote Workstation Pro users connect to VMware Workstation Server through HTTPS port 443 on the
host system. You can change the VMware Workstation Server port when you install Workstation Pro and
after Workstation Pro is installed by modifying the Shared VMs Workstation Pro preference.
Shared virtual machines appear under the Shared VMs item in the virtual machine library. If virtual
machine sharing is disabled, or if the current user does not have permissions to connect to VMware
Workstation Server, the Shared VMs item is inactive.
If you click the Shared VMs item when virtual machine sharing is disabled, Workstation Pro returns a
message that explains how to enable virtual machine sharing. If the Shared VMs item is inactive because
the current user does not have the proper permissions, a login dialog box appears and you can log in as
a user who can connect to VMware Workstation Server.
Configure Virtual Machine Sharing and Remote Access
You can enable or disable virtual machine sharing and remote access, change the HTTPS port that
VMware Workstation Server uses on the host system, and change the shared virtual machines directory.
When you enable virtual machine sharing and remote access, Workstation Pro starts VMware
Workstation Server and configures the service to start with the host system.
When you disable virtual machine sharing and remote access, Workstation Pro disables virtual machine
sharing and stops VMware Workstation Server. You cannot create shared virtual machines and remote
users cannot connect to the host system.
You must disable virtual machine sharing and remote access before you can change the HTTPS port that
VMware Workstation Server uses.
Prerequisites
nOn a Linux host, verify that you have root access.
nOn a Windows host, verify that you have administrative privileges.
nIf you plan to change the shared virtual machines directory, stop sharing virtual machines on the host
system. You cannot change the shared virtual machines directory if there are shared virtual machines
on the host system. See Stop Sharing a Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences > Shared VMs.
2To enable or disable virtual machine sharing and remote access, click Enable Sharing or Disable
Sharing (Windows host), or select or deselect Enable virtual machine sharing and remote access
(Linux host).
3To change the HTTPS port that VMware Workstation Server uses on the host system, select a
different port from the drop-down menu.
Note If you change the port to a non-default value, remote users must specify the port number when
they connect to the host system, for example, host:port.
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4To change the shared virtual machines directory, type or browse to the location of the new shared
virtual machines directory (Windows host), or type the new directory in the text box and click Apply
(Linux host).
5Click OK to save your changes.
Replace the Default Certificate for VMware Workstation Server
VMware Workstation Server generates a self-signed certificate. This certificate is sufficient for encryption,
but it does not provide identity verification. For increased security, you should replace the default
certificate with a certificate that is signed by a commercial Certificate Authority (CA).
Prerequisites
Obtain a signed certificate. Obtaining a signed certificate involves creating a certificate signing request
(CSR) and sending it to a CA in accordance with the CA's enrollment process. After conducting some
checks on your company, the CA signs your request, encrypts it with a private key, and sends you a
validated certificate. See the instructions provided by the CA for more information.
Procedure
1On the host system, replace the default certificate text in the VMware SSL certificate file with the
certificate text that you obtained from the CA.
The location of the certificate file depends on the host operating system.
Option Certificate File
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows
8, and Windows 10 hosts
C:\ProgramData\VMware\SSL\rui.crt
Note You can access the SSL directory only from an elevated command prompt.
Linux hosts /etc/vmware/ssl/rui.crt
2On the host system, replace the default private key text in the VMware SSL key file with the private
key text that you obtained from the CA.
The location of the key file depends on the host operating system.
Option Certificate File
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows
8, and Windows 10 hosts
C:\ProgramData\VMware\SSL\rui.key
Note You can access the SSL directory only from an elevated command prompt.
Linux hosts /etc/vmware/ssl/rui.key
3Restart the host system.
The VMware Workstation Server service restarts and begins using the new certificate.
Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Workstation Pro stores shared virtual machines in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware
Workstation Server manages them.
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The default location of the shared virtual machines directory depends on the host operating system.
Table 9‑1. Default Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Host Operating System Default Shared Virtual Machines Directory
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012
R2
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Shared Virtual
Machines
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows 10
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Shared Virtual Machines
Linux /var/lib/vmware/Shared VMs
VMware Workstation Server Log Files
VMware Workstation Server saves messages in log files. Refer to these log files if you need to audit or
troubleshoot a problem with remote access or remote authorization.
Table 9‑2. Workstation Server Log Files
Host System Location
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, Windows
8, and Windows 10 hosts
C:\ProgramData\VMware\hostd\hostd-n.log
Linux hosts /var/log/vmware/hostd-n.log
On Linux hosts, security-related information, such as authorization attempts, is sent to the system
messages log.
Connect to a Remote Server
You can use Workstation Pro to connect to a remote server that is running Workstation Pro, ESXi, or
vCenter Server.
When you connect to a remote server for the first time, Workstation Pro asks you whether to save your
login information. You can configure Workstation Pro to never ask you to save login information for a
remote server. See Disable the Prompt to Save Remote Login Information.
Prerequisites
Verify that the remote server is running Workstation 8.x or later, or ESXi or vCenter Server 4.1 or later.
Procedure
1Select File > Connect to Server.
2Type the host name or IP address, your user name and password, and click Connect.
If the VMware Workstation Server service running on the remote server is not using the default port,
you must specify the port number, for example, remotehost:444. The VMware Workstation Server
service uses port 443 by default.
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3(Optional) If Workstation Pro asks you whether to save your login information, select an option.
Option Description
Remember Workstation Pro saves your login information so that you do not need to provide it
the next time you log in to the server.
Never for this Host Workstation Pro saves the server name to an exceptions list and does not prompt
you to save your login information for this server again.
Not Now Workstation Pro does not save your login information, but it prompts you to save
your login information the next time you connect to this server.
After you connect to the remote server, the remote host appears in the library. At a minimum, remote
virtual machines also appear in the library.
If you are using Workstation Pro on a Windows host and the remote server is running vCenter Server,
other objects can appear in the library. In this situation, when vCenter Server appears in the library, you
can toggle between the Hosts and Clusters view and the VMs view. The Hosts and Clusters view displays
datacenters, clusters, ESXi hosts, resource pools, vApps, and virtual machines. The VMs view lists
datacenters, folders, and virtual machines.
What to do next
Interact with the remote host and remote virtual machines. See Interacting with Remote Hosts and Virtual
Machines.
Interacting with Remote Hosts and Virtual Machines
After you connect to a remote server, the remote host and remote virtual machines appear in the library. If
you are using Workstation Pro on a Windows host and the remote server is running vCenter Server, you
can toggle between the Hosts and Clusters view and the VMs view. The Hosts and Clusters view displays
datacenters, clusters, ESXi hosts, resource pools, vApps, and virtual machines. The VMs view lists
datacenter, folders, and virtual machines.
To interact with a remote host, you select it in the library.
The tasks that you can perform on a remote host appear on the tab for the remote host. For example, you
might be able to perform the following actions on the remote host.
nRestart
nShut down
nEnter maintenance mode
nCreate virtual machines
To interact with a remote virtual machine, you select it in the library. You interact with remote virtual
machines in the same way that you interact with local virtual machines, but some features and devices
are not supported. Features that you cannot use with remote virtual machines include Unity mode, shared
folders, AutoProtect snapshots, drag-and-drop, and copy and paste.
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Your permissions determine the actions that you can perform on remote hosts and remote virtual
machines. When a feature is not supported, or when you do not have permission to use it, the associated
menu item is unavailable.
Disable the Prompt to Save Remote Login Information
You can disable the prompt to save remote login information for a specific remote server or for all remote
servers.
Procedure
nDisable the prompt to save login information for a specific remote server.
a Log in to the remote server for the first time.
b Select Never for this Host.
Workstation Pro saves the name of the remote server to an exceptions list. You must type login
information the next time you connect to the remote server.
nDisable the prompt to save login information for all remote servers.
a Select Edit > Preference > Workspace.
b Deselect Offer to save login information for remote hosts.
c Click OK to save your changes.
You must type login information every time you connect to a remote server.
Remove Saved Login and Exception Information for Remote
Servers
You can remove the login information that Workstation Pro saves for a remote server. You might need to
remove saved login information if the user name or password changes for a remote sever. You can also
remove a remote server from the exceptions list.
Workstation Pro adds a remote server to the exceptions list when you select Never for this Host the first
time you log in to the remote server. If you subsequently want Workstation Pro to prompt you to save
login information for that remote server, you must remove the remote server from the exceptions list.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Preferences, select Workspace, and click Show Saved Login Information.
The Saved Passwords tab shows the saved user names. The remote servers for which
Workstation Pro does not prompt you to save login information appear on the Exceptions tab.
Option Description
Remove saved login information for a
specific remote server
On the Saved Passwords tab, select the remote server and click Remove. You
must type login information the next time you connect to that remote server.
Remove all saved login information On the Saved Passwords tab, click Remove All. You must type login information
the next time you connect to any remote server.
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Option Description
Remove a remote server from the
exceptions list
On the Exceptions tab, select the remote server and click Remove.
Workstation Pro prompts you to save login information the next time you connect
to the remote server.
Remove all remote servers from the
exceptions list
On the Exceptions tab, click Remove All (Windows host) or Clear (Linux host).
Workstation Pro prompts you to save login information the next time you connect
to any remote server.
2Click Close to close the dialog box and click OK to save your changes.
Disconnect from a Remote Server
When you disconnect from a remote server, the remote virtual machines no longer appear in the library.
Procedure
nOn a Windows host, right-click the remote host in the library and select Disconnect.
nOn a Linux host, select the remote host in the library and click Disconnect From This Server on the
tab for the remote host.
Creating and Managing Shared Virtual Machines
A shared virtual machine is a virtual machine on the host system that remote Workstation Pro users can
access as a remote virtual machine. You can create a new shared virtual machine, convert a standard
virtual machine to a shared virtual machine, or create a shared virtual machine clone of a standard virtual
machine.
You can configure specific shared virtual machines to start when the host system starts, and you can view
status and task information for shared virtual machines.
Workstation Pro stores shared virtual machines in the shared virtual machines directory, where VMware
Workstation Server manages them. Shared virtual machines appear in the virtual machine library under
the Shared VMs item.
nConvert or Clone a Standard Virtual Machine to a Shared Virtual Machine
You can convert a standard virtual machine to a shared virtual machine or create a shared virtual
machine by creating a clone of a standard virtual machine. Workstation Pro stores shared virtual
machines in the shared virtual machines directory.
nCreate a New Shared Virtual Machine
You can create a new shared virtual machine in Workstation Pro by using the New Virtual Machine
wizard. Creating a shared virtual machine is similar to creating a standard virtual machine.
nStop Sharing a Virtual Machine
When you stop sharing a virtual machine, Workstation Pro changes the shared virtual machine to a
standard virtual machine.
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nView the Status of Shared and Remote Virtual Machines
You can view power status and task information for shared virtual machines, and you can view the
power status of remote virtual machines. Tasks are operations that can affect the use of a virtual
machine, such as power state changes and changes to virtual machine settings.
Convert or Clone a Standard Virtual Machine to a Shared Virtual
Machine
You can convert a standard virtual machine to a shared virtual machine or create a shared virtual
machine by creating a clone of a standard virtual machine. Workstation Pro stores shared virtual
machines in the shared virtual machines directory.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the virtual machine is not encrypted.
nVerify that the virtual machine is not configured to use a physical disk.
nPower off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Share, or drag the virtual machine to the
Shared VMs item.
2Type a name for the shared virtual machine.
3Select how to create the shared virtual machine.
Option Description
Move the virtual machine Convert the standard virtual machine to a shared virtual machine.
Workstation Pro moves the virtual machine files to the shared virtual machines
directory. If you decide to prevent remote access to virtual machine at a later time,
you can change the virtual machine back to a standard virtual machine.
Make a full clone of the virtual machine Create a shared virtual machine by cloning the virtual machine. Workstation Pro
creates the clone in the shared virtual machines directory. The clone is a
complete and independent copy of the virtual machine and additional disk space
is required to store it.
4Click Finish to share the virtual machine and click Close to exit the wizard.
A clone can take several minutes to create, depending on the size of the virtual disk that is being
duplicated.
If you converted a standard virtual machine to a shared virtual machine, the virtual machine appears
under the Shared VMs item in the library. If you cloned a standard virtual machine, the clone appears
under the Shared VMs item and the original virtual machine remains under My Computer.
What to do next
If the virtual machine uses a static IP address, change it after cloning a standard virtual machine to a
shared virtual machine.
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Create a New Shared Virtual Machine
You can create a new shared virtual machine in Workstation Pro by using the New Virtual Machine
wizard. Creating a shared virtual machine is similar to creating a standard virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you have the information the New Virtual Machine wizard requires to create a virtual
machine. See Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine.
nVerify that the guest operating system you plan to install is supported. See the VMware Compatibility
Guide on the VMware Web site for a list of the supported guest operating systems.
nSee the VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide for information about the guest operating
system that you plan to install.
nIf you are installing the guest operating system from an installer disc, insert the installer disc in the
CD-ROM drive in the host system.
nIf 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
1In the library, select Shared VMs.
2On the Shared VMs tab, click Create a New Virtual Machine.
3On the Welcome screen, select the configuration type.
Option Description
Typical The wizard prompts you to specify or accept defaults for basic virtual machine
settings. The typical configuration type is appropriate in most instances.
After specifying an operating system version and virtual machine name and
location, the wizard prompts you to configure only the virtual disk size and
whether the disk should be split into multiple files. If you choose a custom setup,
the wizard includes additional prompts for such things as processors, memory,
and networking.
Custom You must select the custom configuration type to make a different virtual machine
version than the default hardware compatibility setting, specify the I/O adapter
type for SCSI adapters, specify whether to create an IDE, SCSI, SATA, or NVMe
virtual disk, use an existing virtual disk, or allocate all virtual disk space rather
than let disk space gradually grow to the maximum disk size.
4If you selected a custom configuration, select the hardware compatibility setting for the virtual
machine.
The hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features of the virtual machine.
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5Follow the prompts to select a guest operating system and name and configure the virtual machine.
Use the following guidelines:
nThe Easy Install feature is not available for installing operating systems in shared or remote
virtual machines.
nIf you choose to install the operating system later, the virtual machine is created with a blank disk.
6(Optional) Click Customize Hardware to customize the hardware configuration.
You can also modify virtual hardware settings after you create the virtual machine.
7(Optional) Select Power on this virtual machine after creation to power on the virtual machine after
you create it.
This option is not available if you are installing the guest operating system manually.
8Click Finish to create the virtual machine.
If you are using Easy Install, guest operating system installation begins when the virtual machine powers
on. The guest operating system installation is automated and typically runs without requiring any input
from you. After the guest operating system is installed, Easy Install installs VMware Tools.
Newly created shared virtual machines appear in the library under the Shared VMs item.
What to do next
If you used Easy Install and the virtual machine did not power on when you finished the New Virtual
Machine wizard, power on the virtual machine to start the guest operating system installation. See Use
Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System.
If you did not use Easy Install, install the guest operating system manually. See Install a Guest Operating
System Manually.
Stop Sharing a Virtual Machine
When you stop sharing a virtual machine, Workstation Pro changes the shared virtual machine to a
standard virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1Select the shared virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Stop Sharing, or drag the virtual
machine from under the Shared VMs item and drop it on My Computer.
2Type or browse to the new location for the virtual machine.
3Click Finish to stop sharing the virtual machine and click Close to exit the wizard.
The virtual machine no longer appears on the Shared VMs tab.
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View the Status of Shared and Remote Virtual Machines
You can view power status and task information for shared virtual machines, and you can view the power
status of remote virtual machines. Tasks are operations that can affect the use of a virtual machine, such
as power state changes and changes to virtual machine settings.
Prerequisites
To view the power status of remote virtual machines, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a
Remote Server.
Procedure
nTo view power status and task information for shared virtual machines, select Shared VMs and select
the list view on the Shared VMs tab.
Power status and task information appears on the Shared VMs tab for each shared virtual machine.
nTo view the power status of remote virtual machines, select the remote host and select the list view
on the tab for the remote host.
The power status of each virtual machine on the remote host appears on the tab.
Uploading Virtual Machines to Remote Servers
You can upload virtual machines created with Workstation Pro to remote servers running VMware ESXi or
VMware vCenter Server.
Upload a Virtual Machine to a Remote Server
When you upload a virtual machine to a remote server, Workstation Pro copies the virtual machine to the
remote host and datastore that you select. The original virtual machine remains on the host system.
Prerequisites
nVerify that the remote server is running VMware Workstation Pro, VMware ESXi or VMware vCenter
Server..
nVerify that the virtual machine is not encrypted. You cannot upload an encrypted virtual machine.
nVerify that the remote host supports the hardware version of the virtual machine. If the remote host
does not support the hardware version, the upload wizard returns an error message.
nOpen the virtual machine in Workstation Pro.
nIf the virtual machine is powered on or suspended, power it off.
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Procedure
1Select the virtual machine and select VM > Manage > Upload.
Note You can also start the upload process by dragging and dropping the virtual machine to the
remote host in the library.
2Select the destination remote server.
Option Action
The remote server appears in the list Select the remote server in the list.
The remote server does not appear in
the list
Select New Server Connection and log in to the remote server.
Workstation Pro verifies the connection to the remote server.
3If the remote server is running vCenter Server, select a destination location.
4(Optional) Type a new name for the virtual machine on the remote host.
5Select a remote host and datastore to store the uploaded virtual machine.
If the remote server is running vCenter Server, multiple hosts and datastores might be available.
6Click Finish to upload the virtual machine to the remote server.
A status bar indicates the progress of the upload process. How long it takes to upload a virtual
machine depends on the size of the virtual disk and the network connection speed.
After the virtual machine is uploaded to the remote server, it appears in the inventory for the remote host
in the library.
Download a Virtual Machine from a Remote Server
When you download a virtual machine from a remote server, Workstation Pro copies the virtual machine
from the remote host and datastore. The original virtual machine remains on the host system, and a copy
is created on the Workstation Pro host in the location you specify.
This feature is available for virtual machines on remote servers. It is not available for shared virtual
machines or standard virtual machines on Workstation Pro hosts.
Prerequisites
nConnect to the remote server that hosts the virtual machine you want to download. See Connect to a
Remote Server.
nVerify that the remote server is running ESX, ESXi, or vCenter Server 4.1 or later.
nIf the virtual machine is powered on or suspended, power it off.
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Procedure
1Select the virtual machine on the remote server and select VM > Manage > Download.
Note You can also start the download process by dragging the virtual machine from the remote host
into the My Computer portion of the Workstation Pro library or into any sub-folder of My Computer in
the library.
2In the Download Virtual Machine dialog box that appears, type a name for the virtual machine, type or
browse to the directory for the virtual machine files, and click Download.
Create a Virtual Machine on a Remote Host
When you are connected to a remote server, you can create a remote virtual machine. Creating a remote
virtual machine is similar to creating a virtual machine on the local host, but Easy install is not supported
and you must install the guest operating system manually.
When you select a typical configuration, the New Virtual Machine wizard uses the default hardware
version configured in the Workstation Pro preferences, unless the remote host does not support that
version. If the remote host does not support the default hardware version, the wizard uses the latest
hardware version that is supported on the remote host.
Prerequisites
nConnect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote Server.
nVerify that you have permission to create a virtual machine on the remote host.
nVerify that you have the information the New Virtual Machine wizard requires to create a virtual
machine. See Preparing to Create a New Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1Start the New Virtual Machine wizard.
Option Description
Windows host Select File > New Virtual Machine and select the remote host from the menu, or
click New Virtual Machine on the tab for the remote host.
Linux host Click Create a New Virtual Machine on the tab for the remote host.
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2On the Welcome screen, select the configuration type.
Option Description
Typical The wizard prompts you to specify or accept defaults for basic virtual machine
settings. The typical configuration type is appropriate in most instances.
After specifying an operating system version and virtual machine name and
location, the wizard prompts you to configure only the virtual disk size and
whether the disk should be split into multiple files. If you choose a custom setup,
the wizard includes additional prompts for such things as processors, memory,
and networking.
Custom You must select the custom configuration type to make a different virtual machine
version than the default hardware compatibility setting, specify the I/O adapter
type for SCSI adapters, specify whether to create an IDE, SCSI, SATA, or NVMe
virtual disk, use an existing virtual disk, or allocate all virtual disk space rather
than let disk space gradually grow to the maximum disk size.
3If the remote server running is ESX or ESXi and it has multiple datastores, select a datastore to store
the virtual machine.
4If the remote server is running vCenter Server, select an inventory location, a remote host, and a
datastore to store the virtual machine.
The inventory location can be a datacenter or virtual machine folder within a datacenter. You must
select a datastore only if the remote host has multiple datastores.
5If you selected a custom configuration, select the hardware compatibility setting for the virtual
machine.
The hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features of the virtual machine.
6Select the guest operating system type and version, or select Other if the guest operating system is
not listed.
7Type a name for the virtual machine.
8Follow the prompts to select a guest operating system and name and configure the virtual machine.
Use the following guidelines:
nThe Easy Install feature is not available for installing operating systems in shared or remote
virtual machines.
nIf you choose to install the operating system later, the virtual machine is created with a blank disk.
9Click Finish to create the virtual machine.
The virtual machine appears in the library under the remote host.
What to do next
Install the guest operating system manually. See Install a Guest Operating System Manually.
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Manage Virtual Machine Power Actions on Shared and
Remote Hosts
You can manage power actions, such as start and stop actions, on shared and remote virtual machines.
The available power options differ for Windows and Linux hosts.
Table 9‑3. Virtual Machine Power Options on Windows host for Shared and Remote virtual
machines
Power Actions Description
Auto Start When you select Auto Start, the virtual machines start when the host starts.
Auto Suspend When you select Auto Suspend, the virtual machines suspend when the host shuts down.
Table 9‑4. Virtual Machine Power Options on Linux host for Shared and Remote virtual
machines
Power Actions Description
Auto Start When you select Auto Start, the virtual machines start when the host starts.
Suspend When you select Suspend, the virtual machines suspend when the host shuts down.
Shut Down Guest When you select Shut Down Guest, the virtual machines shut down when the host shuts down.
Power Off When you select Power Off, the virtual machines power off when the host shuts down.
None When you select None, the stop actions of the host do not affect the virtual machines.
If the remote server is running vCenter Server, you cannot configure power actions . You cannot use the
power actions to configure virtual machines to start or stop in a preferred sequence. You can use the
VMware vSphere Client to configure more advanced features, including startup order. See the vSphere
virtual machine administration documentation.
Prerequisites
nIf you are configuring power actions for remote virtual machines, connect to the remote server. See
Connect to a Remote Server.
nVerify that you have the Administrator role or a custom role that contains the
Host.Configuration.Virtual machine autostart configuration privilege.
Procedure
1Select the location of the virtual machines.
Option Description
The virtual machines are on the local
host
a In the library, select Shared VMs.
b On the Shared VMs tab, click Manage VM Power Actions.
The virtual machines are on a remote
host
a In the library, select the remote host.
b On the tab for the remote host, click Manage VM Power Actions.
2Select the virtual machines to start or stop with the host system.
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3If you selected multiple virtual machines, select the number of seconds to delay between starting or
stopping the virtual machines.
4To save your changes, click Save.
Using Roles to Assign Privileges
A role is a predefined set of privileges. Privileges define individual rights that a user requires to perform
actions and read properties. Workstation Pro includes a default set of system roles. You can also create
your own roles.
A single user might have different roles for different objects. For example, if you have two shared virtual
machines, virtual machine A and virtual machine B, you might assign a particular user the Administrator
role on virtual machine A and the Read Only permission on virtual machine B.
nDefault System Roles
Workstation Pro provides a set of default system roles. You can use the default system roles to
assign permissions, or you can use them as a model to create your own roles.
nCreate a Role
If the default system roles do not meet your needs, you can combine selected privileges to create
your own roles.
nEdit a Role
You can change the name of a role. You can add or remove the privileges in a role. You cannot edit
the default system roles.
nClone a Role
You can make a copy of an existing role by cloning it. When you clone a role, the new role is not
applied to users, groups, or objects. You must assign the role to users or groups and objects.
nRemove a Role
When you remove a role, Workstation Pro removes the definition from the list of roles.
Default System Roles
Workstation Pro provides a set of default system roles. You can use the default system roles to assign
permissions, or you can use them as a model to create your own roles.
The default system roles are permanent. You cannot edit the privileges associated with these roles.
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Table 9‑5. Default System Roles
Role User Capabilities
Administrator nHas all privileges for all objects.
nCan add, remove, and set access rights and privileges on
all objects.
Default role for members of the Administrators group on
Windows hosts and the root user on Linux hosts.
No Access nCannot view or change the associated object.
nTabs associated with the object appear without content.
Except for users in the Administrators group on Windows hosts
and the root user on Linux hosts, this is the default role for all
users.
Read Only nCan view the object state and details about the object.
nCannot perform any actions through the menus and
toolbars.
VM Creator Can create, use, configure, and delete virtual machines.
VM User Can configure and use existing virtual machines.
Create a Role
If the default system roles do not meet your needs, you can combine selected privileges to create your
own roles.
Privileges define individual rights that a user requires to perform actions and read properties. The
privileges that you can select when you create a role depend on whether the server is running
Workstation Pro, ESX, ESXi, or vCenter Server.
See Defined Privileges in the Workstation Pro documentation center for descriptions of the available
privileges. The Workstation Pro documentation center is available on the VMware Web site at
https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/ws_pubs.html.
Prerequisites
If you are creating a role on a remote host, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote
Server.
Procedure
1Open the Edit Roles dialog box.
Option Description
Create a role on the local host n(Windows host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Edit Roles.
Create a role on a remote host n(Windows host) Right-click the remote host and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click the remote host and select Edit Roles.
2Click Add.
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3Type a name for the new role.
Option Description
Windows host Replace the name of the role in the Roles list.
Linux host Type a new name in the Name text box.
4From the privileges tree, select the privileges to include in the new role.
You can expand the tree to view the privileges in each category.
5Click OK (Windows host) or Save (Linux host) to create the new role.
Edit a Role
You can change the name of a role. You can add or remove the privileges in a role. You cannot edit the
default system roles.
When you change the privileges in a role, the changes are applied to any user or group that is assigned
that role. When you change the name of a role, no changes occur to the role's assignments.
See Defined Privileges in the Workstation Pro documentation center for descriptions of the available
privileges. The Workstation Pro documentation center is available on the VMware Web site at
https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/ws_pubs.html.
Prerequisites
If you are editing a role on a remote host, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote Server.
Procedure
1Open the Edit Roles dialog box.
Option Description
Edit a role on the local host n(Windows host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Edit Roles.
Edit a role on a remote host n(Windows host) Right-click the remote host and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click the remote host and select Edit Roles.
2Select the role to edit.
Option Description
Change the role name n(Windows host) Double-click the role in the Roles list and type a new name.
n(Linux host) Type a new name in the Name text box.
Change the privileges in the role Select or deselect privileges from the privileges tree. You can expand the tree to
view the privileges in each category.
3Click OK (Windows host) or Save (Linux host) to save your changes.
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Clone a Role
You can make a copy of an existing role by cloning it. When you clone a role, the new role is not applied
to users, groups, or objects. You must assign the role to users or groups and objects.
You can change the privileges in a cloned role during the cloning process. See Defined Privileges in the
Workstation Pro documentation center for descriptions of the available privileges. The Workstation Pro
documentation center is available on the VMware Web site at
https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/ws_pubs.html.
Prerequisites
If you are cloning a role on a remote host, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote
Server.
Procedure
1Open the Edit Roles dialog box.
Option Description
Clone a role on the local host n(Windows host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Edit Roles.
Clone a role on a remote host n(Windows host) Right-click the remote host and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click the remote host and select Edit Roles.
2Select the role to clone and click Clone.
Workstation Pro adds a copy of the role to the list of roles.
3Type a new name for the cloned role.
Option Description
Windows host Replace the name of the role in the Roles list.
Linux host Type a new name in the Name text box.
4(Optional) To change the privileges in the cloned role, select or deselect privileges from the privileges
tree.
You can expand the tree to view the privileges in each category.
5Click OK (Windows host) or Save (Linux host) to create the new role.
Remove a Role
When you remove a role, Workstation Pro removes the definition from the list of roles.
Important Make sure that you understand how users will be affected before you remove or replace role
assignments.
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Prerequisites
If you are removing a role on a remote host, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a Remote
Server.
Procedure
1Open the Edit Roles dialog box.
Option Description
Remove a role on the local host n(Windows host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click Shared VMs and select Edit Roles.
Remove a role on a remote host n(Windows host) Right-click the remote host and select Roles.
n(Linux host) Right-click the remote host and select Edit Roles.
2Select the role to remove and click Remove.
On a Windows host, Workstation Pro removes configured user or group and role pairings on the host.
Users or groups that do not have other permissions assigned lose all privileges.
3If the role is assigned to a user or group, select a reassignment option and click OK.
Option Description
Remove the role from all affected users
and groups
n(Windows host) Select Remove role assignments.
n(Linux host) Select Remove affected permissions.
Users or groups that do not have other permissions assigned lose all privileges.
Remove the role and assign another
role to all affected users and groups
n(Windows host) Select Reassign affected users to and select a role.
n(Linux host) Select Reassign affected permissions to and select a role.
Using Permissions to Restrict Users
You can control which users can access remote hosts and shared virtual machines by creating
permissions. To create a permission, you pair a user or group with a role and associate that pairing with
an object. The role defines the actions that a user or group can perform, the user or group indicates who
can perform the actions, and the object is the target of the actions.
A role is a predefined set of privileges. Privileges define individual rights that a user requires to perform
actions and read properties. A single user can have different roles for different objects.
Users can inherit permissions through group membership and through the object hierarchy. When you
assign permissions to a group, all of the users in the group inherit those permissions. If you define
multiple group permissions on the same object and a user belongs to two or more of those groups, the
user inherits all of the privileges assigned to the groups. If you define a permission for the user on the
object, that permission takes precedence over all group permissions.
Add a Permission
To create a permission, you assign a user or group and a role to an object.
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The available users and groups include local users and groups on the host system. For Workstation Pro,
users and groups in the Windows domain that the host system belongs to are also included. For remote
hosts that vCenter Server manages, users and groups in the Windows domain list that vCenter Server
references are also included.
The object of a permission can be a shared or remote virtual machine, the Shared VMs item, or a remote
host. For remote hosts that vCenter Server manages, you can also set permissions on datacenters and
folders within datacenters.
When you add a permission, you can indicate whether the permission propagates down the object
hierarchy. Propagation is not universally applied. Permissions that you define for a child object always
override the permissions that propagate from parent objects.
Note You cannot use Workstation Pro to create, remove, or modify users and groups. To manage users
and groups, use the mechanisms that the host operating system provides.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you know the default roles. See Default System Roles.
nIf you are setting a permission on a remote object, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a
Remote Server.
Procedure
1Open the Permissions dialog box.
Option Description
If the object is a shared or remote
virtual machine
Right-click the object and select Manage > Permissions.
If the object is a remote host,
datacenter, or folder
Right-click the object and select Permissions.
2Click Add.
3Select the location of the user or group from the Domain drop-down menu.
If you select (server), only local users and groups appear in the list.
4Select the name of the user or group from the list.
You can type a name in the search box to filter the users and groups in the list.
5Add the permission.
Option Description
Windows host Click Add, select the user or group, select a role from the drop-down menu under
Assigned Role, and click OK.
Linux host Select a role from the Role drop-down menu and click Add.
On a Linux host, the permission is added immediately. On a Windows host, the permission is not
added until you click OK.
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6(Optional) If you do not want to propagate the permission to child objects, deselect the Propagate
check box next to the new permission.
If the object is a shared or remote virtual machine and you deselect the Propagate check box, you
must confirm that the user can have read-only access to the host. Users must have read-only access
to the host on which a virtual machine is running to access the virtual machine through
Workstation Pro.
The propagation setting takes effect immediately.
7(Windows host only) Click OK to add the permission.
Edit a Permission
You can change the role that is paired with a user or group. You can also change the propagation setting.
Prerequisites
nVerify that you know the default roles. See Default System Roles.
nIf you are editing a permission on a remote object, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a
Remote Server.
Procedure
1Open the Permissions dialog box.
Option Description
If the object is a shared or remote
virtual machine
Right-click the object and select Manage > Permissions.
If the object is a remote host,
datacenter, or folder
Right-click the object and select Permissions.
2Select the permission.
3Select a new role from the drop-down menu.
On a Windows host, the drop-down menu is under Assigned Role.
On a Linux host, the role is changed immediately. On a Windows host, the role is not changed until
you click OK.
4To change the propagation setting, select or deselect the Propagate check box.
The propagation setting change takes effect immediately.
5(Windows host only) Click OK to save your changes.
Remove a Permission
You can remove the user or group and role pair for a selected object. You cannot remove an inherited
permission.
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Removing a permission does not remove the user or group from the list of available users and groups,
nor does it remove the role from the list of available roles.
Prerequisites
If you are removing a permission on a remote object, connect to the remote server. See Connect to a
Remote Server.
Procedure
1Open the Permissions dialog box.
Option Description
If the object is a shared or remote
virtual machine
Right-click the object and select Manage > Permissions.
If the object is a remote host,
datacenter, or folder
Right-click the object and select Permissions.
2Select the permission and click Remove.
On a Linux host, the permission is removed immediately. On a Windows host, the permission is not
removed until you click OK.
3(Windows host only) Click OK to remove the permission.
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Changing Workstation Pro
Preference Settings 10
Workstation Pro preference settings are global configuration settings that apply to Workstation Pro and
the virtual machines that you run in Workstation Pro. You can override certain Workstation Pro preference
settings for specific virtual machines.
To change Workstation Pro preference settings, select Edit > Preferences.
Important The default settings for Workstation Pro preferences are correct for most cases. Do not
change Workstation Pro preference settings unless you are an experienced user.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nConfiguring Workspace Preference Settings
nConfiguring Input Preference Settings
nChanging Hot-Key Combinations
nConfiguring Workstation Pro Display Preference Settings
nConfiguring USB Device Connection Behavior
nConfiguring Software Update Preference Settings
nJoin or Leave the Customer Experience Improvement Program
nChanging Shared Virtual Machine Preference Settings
nConfiguring Workstation Pro Memory Preference Settings
nConfiguring Workstation Pro Priority Preference Settings
nConfiguring Device Settings for Windows Hosts
Configuring Workspace Preference Settings
You can use workspace preference settings to change the default hardware compatibility setting for newly
created virtual machines, control how virtual machines behave when you exit Workstation Pro, and
configure general workspace settings.
To configure workspace preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Workspace.
nConfiguring the Default Locations for Virtual Machine Files and Screenshots
You can configure the default locations for virtual machine files and captured screenshots.
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nConfiguring Virtual Machine Exit Behavior
You can configure how virtual machines behave when you exit Workstation Pro.
nEnabling Shared Folders Created By Other Users
As a security precaution, a shared folder is disabled by default if it was not created by the user who
powers on the virtual machine. Folder sharing is also disabled by default for Workstation 5.x virtual
machines, regardless of who created the virtual machine.
nChanging the Default Hardware Compatibility Setting
You can change the hardware compatibility setting that the New Virtual Machine wizard uses when
it creates a typical virtual machine. The hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware
features that are supported in the virtual machine.
nConfiguring Power On Delay and Aero Peek Thumbnail Settings
You can configure the number of seconds that Workstation Pro delays between powering on virtual
machines when you perform a batch power operation. You can also specify whether to show Aero
Peek thumbnails on open virtual machine tabs.
nChanging the Remote Server Login Privacy Setting
You can change the setting to enable or disable a prompt to save your login information when
connecting to a remote server.
Configuring the Default Locations for Virtual Machine Files and
Screenshots
You can configure the default locations for virtual machine files and captured screenshots.
To configure the default locations for virtual machine files and screenshots, select Edit > Preferences >
Workspace.
Table 10‑1. Virtual Machine File and Screenshot Location Settings
Setting Description
Default location for virtual machines The default location for storing virtual machine files. This path
appears in the Location text box in the New Virtual Machine
wizard and the Clone Virtual Machine wizard. It applies to
virtual machines that the currently logged in user creates.
Save screenshots to Select whether to save virtual machine screenshots to the
clipboard, to a file, or to both.
When saving a screenshot to a file, you can have
Workstation Pro:
nAways ask for location
nSave to desktop
nBrowse for custom location
By default, Workstation Pro saves screenshots to .png files on
the Desktop of the host computer. To save screenshots to .bmp
files on Windows hosts, select Always ask for location and
specify the file type when you create the screenshot.
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Configuring Virtual Machine Exit Behavior
You can configure how virtual machines behave when you exit Workstation Pro.
To configure virtual machine exit behavior, select Edit > Preferences > Workspace.
Table 10‑2. Virtual Machine Exit Behavior Settings
Setting Description
Remember opened tabs between sessions The virtual machine tabs that appear when you exit
Workstation Pro appear the next time you start
Workstation Pro.
If a tab for a virtual machine appears in the Workstation Pro
window, the virtual machine is considered open even if it is not
powered on.
Keep VMs running after Workstation closes Powered-on virtual machines remain running in the
background when you close them or exit Workstation Pro. If
you deselect this setting, Workstation Pro prompts you for the
action to take each time you close a powered-on virtual
machine or exit Workstation Pro.
If a powered-on virtual machine continues running after you
close it or exit Workstation Pro, you can interact with it through
VNC or another service.
Show tray icon If you run virtual machines in the background, use this setting
to select how the tray icon appears. The tray icon is
represented by three overlapping squares in the notification
area in the taskbar on the host system.
Always The tray icon appears in the taskbar
when no virtual machines are running,
even if Workstation Pro is not running.
When a
virtual
machine is
powered on
The tray icon appears in the taskbar only
when a virtual machine is powered on.
Never The tray icon does not appear in the
taskbar when a virtual machine is
running, even if you restart
Workstation Pro.
Enabling Shared Folders Created By Other Users
As a security precaution, a shared folder is disabled by default if it was not created by the user who
powers on the virtual machine. Folder sharing is also disabled by default for Workstation 5.x virtual
machines, regardless of who created the virtual machine.
To enable shared folders that were created by other users, select Edit > Preferences > Workstation and
select Enable all shared folders by default.
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After this setting is enabled, you can specify which virtual machines can share folders and which folders
can be shared.
Important Enabling all shared folders can pose a security risk because a shared folder might enable
existing programs inside the virtual machine to access the host file system without your knowledge.
Changing the Default Hardware Compatibility Setting
You can change the hardware compatibility setting that the New Virtual Machine wizard uses when it
creates a typical virtual machine. The hardware compatibility setting determines the hardware features
that are supported in the virtual machine.
To change the default hardware compatibility setting, select Edit > Preferences > Workspace. The
default hardware compatibility setting appears in the Default hardware compatibility menu.
By default, the default hardware compatibility setting is the Workstation Pro version that is installed on the
host system.
If you plan to create virtual machines and deploy them in environments that use other VMware products,
you might need to change the default hardware compatibility setting to an earlier Workstation version.
Some products do not support all of the hardware features in the installed Workstation Pro version. If the
virtual machine must be ESX server compatible, you can select the check box for ESX server
compatibility on the Workspace preferences dialog box.
Note The check box for ESX server compatibility is not available when you create a virtual machine on a
remote ESX host. Virtual machines created on remote ESX hosts are always ESX compatible.
See the Virtual Machine Mobility Planning Guide for information about virtual hardware versions. This
guide lists compatibility problems to consider when you move virtual machines into different
environments.
Note If you create a custom virtual machine in the New Virtual Machine wizard, you can override the
default hardware compatibility setting.
Configuring Power On Delay and Aero Peek Thumbnail Settings
You can configure the number of seconds that Workstation Pro delays between powering on virtual
machines when you perform a batch power operation. You can also specify whether to show Aero Peek
thumbnails on open virtual machine tabs.
To configure power on delay and thumbnail settings, select Edit > Preferences > Workspace.
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Table 10‑3. Power On Delay and Thumbnail Settings
Setting Description
Seconds between powering on multiple VMs Select the number of seconds that Workstation Pro delays
between starting virtual machines when you perform a batch
power operation. You can perform a batch power operation on
virtual machines in a folder by selecting the folder or by
selecting thumbnails on the folder tab.
Show Aero Peek thumbnails for open tabs Select whether to show Aero Peek thumbnails on open virtual
machine tabs.
This check box is available on Windows 7 version 6.1 and later
host operating systems only.
Changing the Remote Server Login Privacy Setting
You can change the setting to enable or disable a prompt to save your login information when connecting
to a remote server.
By default, when you connect to a remote server you are prompted whether you want Workstation Pro to
save your login and password information. You can disable this prompt from displaying by deselecting the
Offer to Save Login Information for Remote Hosts checkbox. For more information, see Connect to a
Remote Server.
Configuring Input Preference Settings
To direct input to a virtual machine, Workstation Pro captures input from the host system so that all
keystrokes, mouse moves, and button clicks go to the virtual machine. You can use input preference
settings to configure how Workstation Pro captures input from the host system.
To configure input preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Input.
nConfiguring Keyboard and Mouse Settings
Keyboard and mouse settings control how virtual machines that run in Workstation Pro capture input
from the keyboard and mouse.
nConfiguring Cursor Settings
Cursor settings control cursor behavior for the virtual machines that you run in Workstation Pro.
Configuring Keyboard and Mouse Settings
Keyboard and mouse settings control how virtual machines that run in Workstation Pro capture input from
the keyboard and mouse.
To configure keyboard and mouse settings, select Edit > Preferences > Input.
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Table 10‑4. Keyboard and Mouse Settings
Setting Description
Grab keyboard and mouse input on mouse
click
Virtual machines grab input the first time you click in the virtual machine
window.
Grab keyboard and mouse input on key press Virtual machines grab keyboard and mouse input the first time you press a
key when the cursor is in the virtual machine window.
When this setting is selected, you cannot use the normal application and
system accelerator key sequences when the virtual machine display is
active.
Troubleshooting Input Problems
You might occasionally encounter problems when virtual machines capture input from the keyboard and
mouse on the host system.
Table 10‑5. Common Input Problems and Solutions
Problem Solution
Pressing Ctrl+Alt to release the mouse and keyboard
causes a laptop to suspend.
By default, Workstation Pro uses Ctrl+Alt to release the mouse and
keyboard. Some laptops use this same key combination to suspend the
host machine. In these cases, try using Ctrl and Alt on the right side of
the keyboard. Workstation Pro recognizes both sets of Ctrl and Alt keys,
but laptops usually recognize only the keys on the left side of the
keyboard for the suspend function.
After you press Ctrl+Alt to release the mouse and
keyboard, the keyboard does not function properly
within the host operating system.
Occasionally, Workstation Pro causes the host operating system to lose
keyboard events, which in turn causes the host operating system to
detect that keys are being pressed when they are not.
If keys do not respond as expected after you exit Workstation Pro, they
might be stuck in the host operating system. Press and release each of
the modifier keys individually, including Ctrl, Shift, and Alt. If the keys
still do not respond, press and release more special keys, including the
Windows, Esc, and Caps Lock keys.
On Linux hosts, pressing Ctrl+Alt does not release the
cursor.
The modifier keys might be mapped under X (in Linux) in unexpected
ways. For example, the left Ctrl key might be mapped to Caps Lock, or
an Alt key is generating special keystrokes. Run xmodmap -- kim --
kp and submit a support request to VMware technical support that
includes the output.
Configuring Cursor Settings
Cursor settings control cursor behavior for the virtual machines that you run in Workstation Pro.
To configure cursor settings, select Edit > Preferences > Input.
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Table 10‑6. Cursor Settings
Setting Description
Automatically grab and ungrab the mouse Virtual machines release the cursor when you point outside of the virtual
machine window. When this setting is selected, you can use the host
system without first pressing a key combination.
You might need to deselect this setting if you play computer games that
pan or scroll when you move the pointer to the edge of the screen.
VMware Tools must be installed in the virtual machine to use this feature.
Hide cursor on ungrab The cursor does not appear in the virtual machine display after input is
transferred back to the host system. If you have multiple virtual machines
open at the same time, selecting this setting helps you track the active
cursor.
VMware Tools must be installed in the virtual machine to use this feature.
Optimize mouse for games Select mouse behavior for computer games. In some computer games,
you move the pointer to the edge of the screen to pan the scene or scroll.
By optimizing the virtual mouse for games, you can achieve this effect in a
virtual machine.
Automatic Workstation Pro determines when to optimize
mouse motion. This is the default setting.
Always Mouse motion is always optimized for games.
Never Mouse motion is never optimized. When you play
computer games in a virtual machine, the
optimized mouse is usually not released from the
virtual machine. Some applications, such as
AutoCAD, are incorrectly identified as games.
Select this setting if you use AutoCAD and find
that the mouse cannot pass freely from the virtual
machine to the host system or if pointer speed is
different when you use AutoCAD.
Changing Hot-Key Combinations
Hot-keys, which are also called keyboard shortcuts, provide a quick way to perform common virtual
machine operations. Hot-key settings are usually a combination of the Ctrl, Shift, Alt, and Windows keys.
nYou can change the hot-key combinations that you use to perform common virtual machine
operations. See Change Hot-Key Combinations for Common Operations.
nYou can change the hot-key combination that you use to access the Start and Applications menus
in Unity mode. See Change Hot-Key Combinations for Unity Mode.
Configuring Workstation Pro Display Preference Settings
Display adjustments occur when you resize the Workstation Pro window and when you change the
display settings inside the guest operating system. You can use display preference settings to configure
how Workstation Pro makes display adjustments.
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To configure display preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Display.
If you are using Windows 8.1 (Update 2) or Windows 10, Workstation Pro detects the DPI on each
monitor and scales the virtual machine to match the DPI on the host.
nConfiguring Autofit Settings
Autofit settings control how the display of virtual machines adjusts to fit the Workstation Pro window.
nConfiguring Full Screen Settings
Full screen settings control how the host system and guest operating system display settings
interact when you enter full screen mode. In full screen mode, the virtual machine display fills the
screen and you cannot see the borders of the Workstation Pro window.
nConfiguring Menu and Toolbar Settings
Menu and toolbar settings control how the menus and toolbars appear when Workstation Pro is in
full screen and windowed mode.
Configuring Autofit Settings
Autofit settings control how the display of virtual machines adjusts to fit the Workstation Pro window.
To configure autofit settings, select Edit > Preferences > Display.
Table 10‑7. Autofit Settings
Setting Description
Autofit window Resize the application window to match the virtual machine display settings when
the virtual machine display settings are changed.
Autofit guest Change the virtual machine settings to match the application window when the
application window is resized.
Configuring Full Screen Settings
Full screen settings control how the host system and guest operating system display settings interact
when you enter full screen mode. In full screen mode, the virtual machine display fills the screen and you
cannot see the borders of the Workstation Pro window.
To configure full screen settings, select Edit > Preferences > Display.
Table 10‑8. Full Screen Settings
Setting Description
Autofit guest Change the virtual machine settings to match the application window when the
application window is resized.
Stretch guest (no resolution change) Virtual machine resolution settings are retained, but the display still changes to fill
the full screen. Select this setting if you need to retain low-resolution settings, for
example, when playing older computer games that run only at low resolutions.
Center guest (no resolution change) The host system and virtual machines retain their own display settings when you
are in full screen mode.
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Configuring Menu and Toolbar Settings
Menu and toolbar settings control how the menus and toolbars appear when Workstation Pro is in full
screen and windowed mode.
To configure menu and toolbar settings, select Edit > Preferences > Display.
Table 10‑9. Menu and Toolbar Settings
Setting Description
Use a single button for power controls (Windows hosts only) When this setting is selected, the start,
stop, suspend, and reset power controls appear on the toolbar
as a single button with a drop-down menu. When this setting is
deselected, each power control has a separate button on the
toolbar.
Use a single button for stretch controls (For Windows guests earlier than Windows 7 and Linux
guests) When this setting is selected, the Keep Aspect Ratio
Stretch and Free Stretch display controls appear on the
toolbar as a single button with a drop-down menu. When this
setting is deselected, each stretch control appears as a
separate button on the toolbar.
Combine toolbar with menu bar in windowed mode Show the Workstation Pro menus and toolbar on a single bar
when Workstation Pro is in windowed mode.
Combine tabs with toolbar in full screen Show the tabs and toolbar in a single bar when
Workstation Pro is in full screen mode.
Show toolbar edge when unpinned in full screen Show the edge of the full screen toolbar. When this setting is
deselected, the edge of the full screen toolbar is not visible.
The full screen toolbar appears for a few seconds when you
place your cursor near the top of the screen.
Configuring USB Device Connection Behavior
This feature is only available for Workstation Pro on a Windows host. You can configure Workstation Pro
to behave in one of the following ways when you connect a new USB device to the Windows host
machine.
nAsk you which machine you want to connect the device to.
nAutomatically connect the device to the host.
nAutomatically connect the device to the foreground virtual machine.
To configure USB device connection settings, select Edit > Preferences > USB. For an overview of
connecting USB devices to virtual machines, see Connecting USB Devices to Virtual Machines. For
specific information about configuring the USB device connection settings, see Configure USB Device
Connection Behavior.
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Configuring Software Update Preference Settings
You can use software update preference settings to configure when Workstation Pro checks for the
availability of new versions of software components and VMware Tools updates. You can also configure a
proxy server to connect to the VMware Update Server.
To configure software update preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Updates.
nConfiguring Software Updates Settings
Software updates settings control when Workstation Pro downloads software updates to the host
system and whether it uses a proxy server to connect to the VMware Update Server.
nConfiguring Connection Settings for a Proxy Server
You can configure connection settings to use a proxy server to connect to the VMware Update
Server.
Configuring Software Updates Settings
Software updates settings control when Workstation Pro downloads software updates to the host system
and whether it uses a proxy server to connect to the VMware Update Server.
Table 10‑10. Software Update Preference Settings
Setting Description
Check for product updates on startup Check for new versions of the application and installed components
when you start Workstation Pro. This setting is selected by default.
Check for new software components as needed Check for a new version of a component when a component, such as
VMware Tools, is required. When this setting is selected,
Workstation Pro verifies if a new version is available to download and
install.
Download All Components Now Manually download all of the available software components to the host
system. Click this button if you are planning to use a virtual machine at a
later time when you do not have access to the Internet.
Connection Settings Click this button to configure a proxy server to connect to the VMware
Update Server.
Automatically update VMware Tools on virtual
machine
Install the latest version of VMware Tools when you power on a virtual
machine or shut down the guest operating system.
You can override this setting for specific virtual machines.
Understanding the Automatic Software Update Process
When you enable automatic software updates, you are always aware of the latest releases from VMware.
By keeping your software up-to-date, you can take advantage of new product features and performance
improvements, ensure that your system includes the latest patches, and obtain timely support for new
guest operating systems. You can enable the automatic software update feature when you install
Workstation Pro or by configuring Workstation Pro preference settings. You can disable the feature at any
time.
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To determine if software updates are available, the VMware software updates feature securely sends the
following anonymous information to VMware.
nA universal unique identifier (UUID), which it uses to identify each individual system
nThe product name, the product version, and the build number
nYour host operating system name, version, and the locale setting
The VMware software updates feature does not collect any personal data, such as your name, address,
telephone number, or mail address. Your product license key and MAC address are not sent to VMware,
and VMware does not store your IP address with the data that it receives from you.
VMware might use the information it receives from the software update feature for product planning
purposes. VMware limits access to your data and uses industry-standard controls to protect your
information, including physical access controls, Internet firewalls, intrusion detection, and network
monitoring.
The information collected by the VMware software updates feature is handled in accordance with VMware
Privacy Policy.
Configuring Connection Settings for a Proxy Server
You can configure connection settings to use a proxy server to connect to the VMware Update Server.
To configure proxy connection settings, select Edit > Preferences > Updates and click Connection
Settings.
Table 10‑11. Connection Settings
Setting Description
No proxy Do not use a proxy server.
Windows proxy settings (Windows hosts only) Workstation Pro uses the host proxy settings from the Connections
tab in the Internet Options control panel to access the VMware Update Server.
Click Internet Options to set the guest connection options.
System proxy settings (Linux hosts only) Workstation Pro uses the host proxy settings to access the VMware
Update Server.
Manual proxy settings Select an HTTP or SOCKS proxy, specify the proxy server address, and designate a port
number to access the VMware Update Server.
Username and Password The username and password to use for proxy server authentication. On Windows hosts, if
either the Username or Password text box is blank, Workstation Pro does not use either
value. On Linux hosts, if either the Username or Password text box is blank,
Workstation Pro uses the username and password set in the gnome settings.
You must restart Workstation Pro for proxy setting changes to take effect.
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Join or Leave the Customer Experience Improvement
Program
The VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) provides information to VMware.
VMware uses the information to improve its products and services, to fix problems, and to advise you on
how best to deploy and use VMware products.
Workstation Pro participates in the VMware CEIP. Information about the data collected through CEIP and
how VMware uses it are in the Trust & Assurance Center at
http://www.vmware.com/trustvmware/ceip.html.
The CEIP appears the first time you start Workstation Pro after you install the product. You must then
make a selection. You can change your selection any time afterwards.
Procedure
1Start Workstation Pro.
2Select Edit > Preferences.
3Click Feedback.
4Join or leave the CEIP depending on the participation preference currently selected.
Option Description
Join Select Join the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program.
Leave Unselect Join the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program.
Changing Shared Virtual Machine Preference Settings
You can enable or disable virtual machine sharing and remote access, modify the HTTPS port that
VMware Workstation Server uses, and change the shared virtual machines directory.
To change shared virtual machine preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Shared VMs.
To change these settings on a Windows host, you must have administrative privileges on the host system.
On a Linux host, you must have root access on the host system.
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Table 10‑12. Shared Virtual Machine Preference Settings
Setting Description
Enable Sharing or Disable Sharing (Windows host)
Enable virtual machine sharing and remote access (Linux
host)
When you enable virtual machine sharing, Workstation Pro
starts VMware Workstation Server on the host system. You can
create shared virtual machines and remote users can connect
to the host system.
When you disable virtual machine sharing, Workstation Pro
stops VMware Workstation Server on the host system. You
cannot create shared virtual machines and remote users
cannot connect to the host system.
Virtual machine sharing is enabled by default.
HTTPS port The HTTPS port that VMware Workstation Server uses on the
host system. The default HTTPS port is 443.
On Windows hosts, you cannot change the HTTPS port unless
remote access and virtual machine sharing are disabled.
On Linux hosts, you cannot change the port number in the
Preferences dialog box. You can change the port number only
during installation, when running the Workstation Pro
installation wizard.
Note If the port number uses a non-default value, remote
users must specify the port number when they connect to the
host system, for example, host:port.
Shared VMs location The directory where Workstation Pro stores shared virtual
machines.
You cannot change the shared virtual machines directory if
there are shared virtual machines on the host.
Configuring Workstation Pro Memory Preference Settings
You can use memory preference settings to configure the amount of memory that Workstation Pro is
allowed to reserve for all running virtual machines. You can also configure settings to control memory
swapping.
To configure memory preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Memory.
nConfiguring Reserved Memory
The reserved memory setting specifies the maximum amount of host RAM that Workstation Pro is
allowed to reserve for all running virtual machines. Reserved memory is not allocated in advance.
nConfiguring Additional Memory Settings
The additional memory settings control how the memory manager on the host system swaps virtual
machines out of physical RAM.
Configuring Reserved Memory
The reserved memory setting specifies the maximum amount of host RAM that Workstation Pro is
allowed to reserve for all running virtual machines. Reserved memory is not allocated in advance.
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To configure the reserved memory setting, select Edit > Preferences > Memory and move the Reserved
memory slider to select the reserved memory amount.
If you set the reserved memory value too high, the CPU might thrash if you run other applications on the
host. If you set the value too low, virtual machines might perform poorly, and you cannot run as many
virtual machines at the same time.
The maximum amount of memory for each virtual machine is 64GB.
The total amount of memory that you can assign to all virtual machines running on a single host system is
limited only by the amount of RAM on the host system.
Configuring Additional Memory Settings
The additional memory settings control how the memory manager on the host system swaps virtual
machines out of physical RAM.
To configure additional memory settings, select Edit > Preferences > Memory.
Table 10‑13. Additional Memory Settings
Setting Description
Fit all virtual machine memory into
reserved host RAM
Select this option to impose the tightest restrictions on the number and memory
size of virtual machines that can run at a given time. Because the virtual
machines are running entirely in RAM, they have the best possible
performance.
Allow some virtual machine memory to be
swapped
The host operating system can swap a moderate amount of virtual machine
memory to disk. Select this setting to allow the number or memory size of
virtual machines to be increased so that they can run on the host system at a
given time.
This setting might result in reduced performance if virtual machine memory
must be shifted between RAM and disk.
Allow most virtual machine memory to be
swapped
The host operating system can swap as much virtual machine memory to disk
as necessary. When this setting is selected, you can run more virtual machines
with more memory than when the Allow some virtual machine memory to be
swapped setting is selected.
This setting might result in reduced performance if virtual machine memory
must be shifted between RAM and disk.
Configuring Workstation Pro Priority Preference Settings
You can use priority preference settings to enable or disable background snapshots. On Windows hosts,
you can also use priority preference settings to configure process priorities.
To configure priority preference settings, select Edit > Preferences > Priority.
nConfiguring Process Priorities on Windows Hosts
The default process priority settings control the priority that the Windows process scheduler gives to
the virtual machines that run on the host system. These settings affect the performance of both the
host system and the virtual machines running on it.
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nConfiguring Background Snapshots
Background snapshots settings control how Workstation Pro handles background snapshots.
Configuring Process Priorities on Windows Hosts
The default process priority settings control the priority that the Windows process scheduler gives to the
virtual machines that run on the host system. These settings affect the performance of both the host
system and the virtual machines running on it.
To configure default process priority settings, select Edit > Preferences > Priority.
Process priority settings apply to Windows hosts only. You can override these settings for specific virtual
machines.
Table 10‑14. Default Process Priority Settings
Setting Description
Input grabbed Select the priority for virtual machines when their keyboard and mouse input
is grabbed.
Input ungrabbed Select the priority for virtual machines when their keyboard and mouse input
is not grabbed.
The Normal setting means that the processes within virtual machines contend equally for resources with
all other processes running on the host.
Configuring Background Snapshots
Background snapshots settings control how Workstation Pro handles background snapshots.
To configure background snapshot settings, select Edit > Preferences > Priority.
Taking a snapshot is not an instantaneous process. When background snapshots are enabled, you can
continue to work while Workstation Pro completes the snapshot process in the background.
Table 10‑15. Snapshot Setting Options
Option Description
Take snapshots in the background when
possible
Enable background snapshots.
Restore snapshots in the background when
possible
Enable the restoration of background snapshots.
Virtual machines must be powered off and then powered on, rather than restarted, for background
snapshot changes to take effect.
Configuring Device Settings for Windows Hosts
You can use device settings to configure removable media and virtual printer settings for Windows hosts.
To configure device settings for Windows hosts, select Edit > Preferences > Devices.
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Configuring the Autorun Feature on Windows Hosts
On Windows hosts, the Autorun feature causes CDs and DVDs to run automatically when you insert them
in to the CD-ROM or DVD drive on the host system.
To enable or disable the Autorun feature on a Windows host system, select Edit > Preferences >
Devices. You must be logged in as a member of the Administrators group to change this setting.
To run Autorun programs, some operating systems poll the CD-ROM drive every second or so to
determine whether a disk is present. Polling can cause Workstation Pro to connect to the host CD-ROM
or DVD drive, which can make the drive spin up while the virtual machine appears to pause. Because this
behavior is undesirable, the Autorun feature is disabled by default in Workstation Pro.
Note You can use Windows Explorer to open a disk on the host system when the Autorun feature is
disabled.
Configuring Virtual Printers on Windows Hosts
On Windows hosts, you can configure Workstation Pro to support virtual printing on all printers configured
on the host.
Virtual printing is disabled by default on Windows hosts. To enable or disable virtual printing on a
Windows host system, select Edit > Preferences > Devices. Select the Enable virtual printers check
box to enable virtual printers. You must install the VMware Virtual Printer application on the virtual
machine to enable printing. See Enabling a Virtual Machine to Print to Host Printers. You must have
administrator privileges to enable or disable virtual printers.
The Workstation Pro printer feature uses VMware Virtual Printer technology to replicate the host system
printer mapping in the virtual machine. When you enable the virtual machine printer, Workstation Pro
configures a virtual serial port to communicate with the host printers.
Note If any virtual printers are powered on when the Enable virtual printers option is selected, you
must reboot the virtual machines, or suspend and resume them, for the setting to take effect.
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Configuring Virtual Machine
Option Settings 11
Virtual machine options settings control characteristics of individual virtual machines, such as how files
are transferred between the host and guest operating system and what happens to a guest operating
system when you exit Workstation Pro. Some virtual machine options override similar Workstation Pro
preference settings.
To configure virtual machine option settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings and click
the Options tab.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nConfiguring General Option Settings for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Power Settings for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Snapshot Options for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring AutoProtect Options for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Guest Isolation Options for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Tablet Sensor Input Options for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring VMware Tools Options for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server
nConfiguring Unity Mode for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Appliance Details for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Autologin for a Virtual Machine
nConfiguring Advanced Options for a Virtual Machine
Configuring General Option Settings for a Virtual Machine
General option settings include the virtual machine name, the guest operating system type and version,
and the location of the directory where virtual machine files are stored.
To configure general option settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Options tab, and select General.
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nChanging a Virtual Machine Name
You can change the name of a virtual machine. Changing the name of the virtual machine does not
change the name of this directory, nor does it rename the virtual machine files on the host.
Workstation Pro uses the original name of the virtual machine to create the directory where virtual
machine files are stored.
nChanging the Guest Operating System
You can change the guest operating system or operating system version for a virtual machine. You
might want to change the guest operating system for a virtual machine when you upgrade the guest
operating system or if you specified the wrong operating system version when you created the
virtual machine.
nChanging the Virtual Machine Working Directory
You can change the working directory for a virtual machine. The working directory is where
Workstation Pro stores suspended state (.vmss), snapshot (.vmsn), and virtual machine paging
(.vmem) files. By default, the working directory is where the virtual machine files are stored.
Changing a Virtual Machine Name
You can change the name of a virtual machine. Changing the name of the virtual machine does not
change the name of this directory, nor does it rename the virtual machine files on the host.
Workstation Pro uses the original name of the virtual machine to create the directory where virtual
machine files are stored.
To specify a new name for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab, and
select General.
Changing the Guest Operating System
You can change the guest operating system or operating system version for a virtual machine. You might
want to change the guest operating system for a virtual machine when you upgrade the guest operating
system or if you specified the wrong operating system version when you created the virtual machine.
To select a new guest operating system or operating system version for a selected virtual machine, select
VM > Settings, click the Options tab, and select General.
When you change the operating system type, the virtual machine configuration file is changed but the
guest operating system is not changed. To change the guest operating system, you must obtain the
operating system software and upgrade the guest operating system.
The virtual machine must be powered off when you change these settings.
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Changing the Virtual Machine Working Directory
You can change the working directory for a virtual machine. The working directory is where
Workstation Pro stores suspended state (.vmss), snapshot (.vmsn), and virtual machine paging (.vmem)
files. By default, the working directory is where the virtual machine files are stored.
Note You cannot change the working directory for a remote or a shared virtual machine.
To specify a new working directory for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options
tab, and select General.
You might want to change the working directory in the following situations.
nTo organize all of your snapshots in a separate directory, you can create a directory in another
location. If you plan to take many snapshots and use a large amount of disk space, place the working
directory on a disk with a lot of space.
nTo run a virtual machine that is stored on a network share or iPod, which might slow performance,
you can change the working directory to your local hard disk. Then you can take a snapshot, power
on the virtual machine, use it, and discard the snapshot when you are finished. The virtual machine
then reverts to its original state.
nTo create a paging file on a fast disk with a lot of disk space but leave the virtual disk and
configuration file on a different disk, you can change the working directory so that it is located on the
fast disk.
Changing the working directory does not change the directory where Workstation Pro stores the virtual
machine configuration (.vmx) file and log files.
The virtual machine must be powered off when you change this setting.
Configuring Power Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can configure power options and power control settings for a virtual machine.
To change power options and settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Options tab, and select Power.
nConfiguring Power Options for a Virtual Machine
Power options control how a virtual machine behaves after it is powered off, closed, or suspended.
nConfiguring Power Controls for a Virtual Machine
Power control settings affect the behavior of the stop, suspend, start, and reset buttons for a virtual
machine. The behavior that you select appears in a tooltip when you mouse over the associated
button. Power control settings also determine which power options appear in the context menu when
you right-click the virtual machine in the library.
Configuring Power Options for a Virtual Machine
Power options control how a virtual machine behaves after it is powered off, closed, or suspended.
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To configure power options for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab,
and select Power.
Note You cannot configure power options for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Table 11‑1. Power Options
Option Description
Enter full screen mode after powering on The virtual machine window enters full screen mode after it is powered on.
Close after powering off or suspending The virtual machine tab closes after it is powered off or suspended.
Report battery information to guest Battery information is reported to the guest operating system. If you run the
virtual machine on a laptop in full screen mode, this option enables you to
determine when the battery is running low. This option is available only for
Workstation 6.x and later virtual machines.
Configuring Power Controls for a Virtual Machine
Power control settings affect the behavior of the stop, suspend, start, and reset buttons for a virtual
machine. The behavior that you select appears in a tooltip when you mouse over the associated button.
Power control settings also determine which power options appear in the context menu when you right-
click the virtual machine in the library.
You can configure a soft or hard setting for each power control. A soft setting sends a request to the guest
operating system, which it can ignore or, in the case of a deadlocked guest, it might not be able to handle.
A guest operating system cannot ignore a hard power control. Hard power control settings are configured
by default.
To change power controls for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab,
and select Power.
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Table 11‑2. Power Controls
Control Description
Stop Power Off (Hard option) Workstation Pro powers off the virtual machine abruptly
with no consideration for work in progress.
Shut Down Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro sends a shut-down signal to the guest
operating system. An operating system that recognizes the signal shuts
down gracefully. Not all guest operating systems respond to a shut-down
signal from Workstation Pro. If the guest operating system does not
respond to the signal, shut down from the guest operating system as
you would a physical machine.
Suspend Suspend (Hard option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and leaves
it connected to the network.
Suspend Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro suspends the virtual machine and
disconnects it from the network. VMware Tools runs a script in the guest
operating system. On Windows guests, if the virtual machine is
configured to use DHCP, the script releases the IP address of the virtual
machine. On Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris guests, the script stops
networking for the virtual machine.
Start Power On (Hard option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine.
Start Up Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro starts the virtual machine and VMware
Tools runs a script in the guest operating system. On Windows guests, if
the virtual machine is configured to use DHCP, the script renews the IP
address of the virtual machine. On a Linux, FreeBSD, or Solaris guest,
the script starts networking for the virtual machine.
Note You cannot configure this setting for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Reset Reset (Hard option) Workstation Pro resets the virtual machine abruptly with
no consideration for work in progress.
Restart Guest (Soft option) Workstation Pro shuts down and restarts the guest
operating system gracefully. VMware Tools runs scripts before the virtual
machine shuts down and when the virtual machine starts up.
Configuring Snapshot Options for a Virtual Machine
When you take a snapshot, Workstation Pro preserves the state of a virtual machine so that you can
return to the same state repeatedly. A snapshot captures the entire state of the virtual machine at the time
you take the snapshot, including the contents of the virtual machine memory, the virtual machine settings,
and the state of all virtual disks.
To configure snapshot options for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab,
and select Snapshots.
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Table 11‑3. Snapshot Options
Option Description
Just power off Power off the virtual machine without making any changes to snapshots.
Revert to snapshot Revert to the parent snapshot of the current state of the virtual machine. When you
revert to a snapshot, you return the memory, settings, and virtual disks of the virtual
machine to the state that they were in when you took the snapshot.
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 or take a snapshot when the virtual machine is powered off.
Configuring AutoProtect Options for a Virtual Machine
The AutoProtect feature preserves the state of a virtual machine by taking snapshots at regular intervals.
You can also take manual snapshots at any time.
The AutoProtect feature has certain restrictions.
nBecause AutoProtect takes snapshots only while a virtual machine is powered on, you cannot clone
AutoProtect snapshots. You can clone a virtual machine only if it is powered off.
nAutoProtect snapshots are not taken in Workstation Player, even if AutoProtect is enabled for the
virtual machine in Workstation Pro.
nYou cannot configure the AutoProtect feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
To configure AutoProtect options for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options
tab, and select AutoProtect.
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Table 11‑4. AutoProtect Options
Option Description
Enable AutoProtect When you enable the AutoProtect feature, an estimate of the minimum of
amount of disk space used appears in the Virtual Machine Settings window.
The Memory setting for the virtual machine affects this minimum. The more
virtual memory that a virtual machine has, the more disk space is available for
AutoProtect snapshots.
AutoProtect interval Select the interval of time between AutoProtect snapshots.
Half-Hourly Snapshots are taken every half hour.
Hourly Snapshots are taken every hour.
Daily Snapshots are taken daily.
The interval between AutoProtect snapshots is measured only when the
virtual machine is powered on. For example, if you set AutoProtect to take
snapshots hourly and 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 that the virtual machine was
powered off.
Workstation Pro saves only one snapshot per tier, even if a snapshot matches
more than one tier.
Maximum AutoProtect snapshots Select the maximum number of snapshots to be retained. After the maximum
number of AutoProtect snapshots is reached, Workstation Pro deletes the
oldest AutoProtect snapshot each time a new AutoProtect snapshot is taken.
Based on the settings that you enter, Workstation Pro retains a selection of
AutoProtect snapshots over a range of time.
Configuring Guest Isolation Options for a Virtual Machine
With the guest isolation option, you can restrict file operations between the virtual machine and the host
system, and between the virtual machine and other virtual machines.
To configure guest isolation options for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Options tab, and select Guest Isolation.
These restrictions apply:
nVMware Tools must be installed in the guest operating system to use guest isolation features.
nYou cannot configure these options for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Note The drag-and-drop and copy-and-paste operations are enabled by default. You might want to
disable these operations to prevent files from being accidentally transferred between the virtual machine
and the host system.
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Table 11‑5. Guest Isolation Options
Option Description
Enable drag and drop When this check box is deselected, these operations are restricted.
nDrag and drop files from the host system to a Linux, Windows, or Solaris
guest operating system.
nDrag and drop files from the guest operating system to the host system.
nDrag files from a file manager to an application that supports drag and drop,
or from applications such as zip file managers that support drag-and-drop
extraction of individual files.
Enable copy and paste When this check box is deselected, these operations are restricted.
nCopy and paste text and files from the host system to a Linux, Windows, or
Solaris 10 guest operating system.
nCopy and paste from the guest operating system to the host system.
nCopy and paste text and files from one virtual machine to another.
For virtual machines running Windows 8 or later guest operating systems, you can configure the guest
operating system to pass tablet sensor data to a tablet. See Configuring Tablet Sensor Input Options for a
Virtual Machine
Configuring Tablet Sensor Input Options for a Virtual
Machine
You can configure a Windows 8 or later guest operating system to pass tablet sensor data to your host
Windows 8 or later tablet. With this setting, you can use tablet applications inside your virtual machine.
Prerequisites
nPower off a Windows 8 or later virtual machine.
Note Tablet data is available only on guest operating systems and hosts running Windows 8 or later.
Procedure
1Select the Windows 8 or later virtual machine and select VM > Settings > Options > Guest Isolation
2Select the tablet sensor data to be shared with the Windows 8 or later host from the Share sensor
input section.
Option Description
Orientation Detects the orientation of the device. For example in landscape or portrait mode.
Motion Detects changes in physical speed.
Ambient light Checks the available light.
3Click OK.
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Configuring VMware Tools Options for a Virtual Machine
You can configure how VMware Tools is updated on a virtual machine. You can also configure whether
the clock on the guest operating system is synchronized with the clock on the host.
VMware Tools Update Options
The virtual machine VMware Tools update options override the Workstation Pro preferences for
automatically updating VMware Tools on Linux and Windows guest operating systems.
To configure VMware Tools updates for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Options tab, and select VMware Tools.
Note Automatic updates are not supported for versions of VMware Tools included in virtual machines
created with older versions of VMware products, such as Workstation 5.5 and earlier or VMware Server
1.x.
Table 11‑6. VMware Tools Update Options
Option Description
Update manually (do nothing) You must update VMware Tools manually. A message appears on
the status bar of the guest operating system when a new version of
VMware Tools is available.
Update automatically VMware Tools is updated automatically when a new version is
available. The status bar indicates when an update is in progress.
Use application default (currently update
automatically)
Use the default VMware Tools update behavior.
Note You cannot configure this option for a shared or remote
virtual machine.
To install a VMware Tools update, use the same procedure that you used for installing VMware Tools the
first time.
Time Synchronization
If you turn on the VMware Tools time synchronization feature, VMware Tools checks once every minute to
determine whether the clocks on the guest and host operating systems still match. If not, the clock on the
guest operating system is synchronized to match the clock on the host.
Native time synchronization software, such as Network Time Protocol (NTP) for Linux and the Mac OS X,
or Microsoft Windows Time Service (Win32Time) for Windows, is typically more accurate than VMware
Tools periodic time synchronization and is therefore preferred.
Configuring a Virtual Machine as a VNC Server
You can configure a virtual machine so that VNC clients can access it remotely. You do not need to install
specialized VNC software in the virtual machine.
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To configure Virtual Network Computing (VNC) client access for a selected virtual machine, select VM >
Settings, click the Options tab, and select VNC Connections.
Note You cannot configure VNC client access for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Table 11‑7. Remote Display Options
Option Description
Enable VNC VNC clients can access the virtual machine.
Port Select a unique port number for the virtual machine. A unique port number is
required to connect to multiple virtual machines on the same host. Use a port
number in the range 5901 to 6001. The default port is 5900.
Important Make sure that you specify an available port number. The VMware
Management Interface uses ports 8333 and 8222. The VMware Workstation Server
service uses port 443 by default. On Linux, only the root user can listen to ports up
to port number 1024.
Password The password to use to connect to the virtual machine from a VNC client. It can be
up to eight characters long. Because the password is not encrypted when the VNC
client sends it, do not use a password that you use for other systems.
View VNC Connections Click this button to see a list of the VNC clients that are connected to the virtual
machine.
Configuring Unity Mode for a Virtual Machine
In virtual machines that have Windows XP or later guest operating systems, you can switch to Unity mode
to display applications directly on the host system desktop. Open applications in Unity mode appear on
the taskbar in the same way as open host system applications.
To configure Unity mode settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options
tab, and select Unity.
Note You cannot configure Unity mode settings for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Table 11‑8. Unity Mode Options
Setting Description
Show borders Set a window border that identifies the application as belonging to the virtual
machine rather than to the host computer.
Show badges Display a logo in the title bar.
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Table 11‑8. Unity Mode Options (Continued)
Setting Description
Use a custom color in window borders To help distinguish between the application windows that belong to various
virtual machines, use a custom color in window borders. For example, you
can set the applications for one virtual machine to have a blue border and set
the applications for another virtual machine to have a yellow border. On
Windows hosts, click Choose color to use the color chooser.
Enable applications menu The virtual machine Start or Applications menu appears on the host system
desktop.
When you can access the virtual machine Start or Applications menu from
the host machine desktop, you can start applications in the virtual machine
that are not open in Unity mode. If you do not enable this setting, you must
exit Unity mode to display the virtual machine Start or Applications menu in
the console view.
Configuring Appliance Details for a Virtual Machine
You can configure version and author information and enable an HTTP access port inside a virtual
machine.
To configure appliance details for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab,
and select Appliance Details.
The virtual machine must be a Workstation 6.x or later virtual machine.
Note You cannot configure appliance details for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Table 11‑9. Application Details Options
Setting Description
Version (Optional) The virtual machine version, which appears in the upper right corner of the
summary page.
Author (Optional) The virtual machine author, which appears in the upper right corner of the
summary page.
Access port inside virtual machine The HTTP access port. When this check box is selected, the HTTP access port is
enabled inside the virtual machine. You can also change the port number. The default
HTTP port is 80.
Configuring Autologin for a Virtual Machine
You can configure the Autologin feature for virtual machines that have a Windows 2000 or later guest
operating system. To use Autologin, the virtual machine must be powered on, you must have an existing
user account on the local machine, and the latest version of VMware Tools must be installed.
To configure Autologin for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab, and
select Autologin.
Note You cannot configure the Autologin feature for a shared or remote virtual machine.
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When you enable Autologin, you must type your login credentials. If you type an incorrect or expired
password, you must type your login credentials when you power on the virtual machine. To change your
login credentials, select Change User.
Note When you enable Autologin or change your login credentials, Autologin settings are saved
immediately. If you click Cancel in the Virtual Machine Settings dialog box, the changes applied to the
Autologin settings are not affected.
Configuring Advanced Options for a Virtual Machine
Advanced options include process-priority settings, debugging settings, memory settings, an automated
disk-cleanup setting, a virtualization-based security setting, firmware-type settings, and virtual-machine-
file locations.
To configure advanced options for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options
tab, and select Advanced.
nConfiguring Process Priorities for a Virtual Machine
Process priority settings control the priority that the Windows process scheduler gives to the virtual
machine. Process priority settings apply to Windows hosts only. The default settings are specified in
Workstation Pro priority preference settings.
nGathering Debugging Information
When it runs in debugging mode, a virtual machine collects information that helps VMware technical
support resolve problems.
nConfiguring Advanced Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can configure advanced settings for the selected virtual machine to disable memory page
trimming, enable Template mode, enable automated disk cleanup, and enable virtualization-based
security (VBS).
nConfiguring the Firmware Type for a Virtual Machine
You can select the firmware-type options that the guest operating system supports.
Configuring Process Priorities for a Virtual Machine
Process priority settings control the priority that the Windows process scheduler gives to the virtual
machine. Process priority settings apply to Windows hosts only. The default settings are specified in
Workstation Pro priority preference settings.
To configure process priority settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Options tab, and select Advanced.
Note You cannot configure process priority settings for a shared or remote virtual machine.
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Table 11‑10. Process Priority Options
Option Description
Input grabbed Select the priority for the virtual machine when its keyboard and mouse input is grabbed.
The default setting is specified in Workstation Pro priority preference settings.
Input ungrabbed Select the priority for the virtual machine when its keyboard and mouse input is not grabbed.
The Normal setting specifies that processes in the virtual machine contend equally for resources with all
other processes running on the host.
Gathering Debugging Information
When it runs in debugging mode, a virtual machine collects information that helps VMware technical
support resolve problems.
To configure debugging mode for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Options tab,
and select Advanced. The debugging level is set in the Gather debugging information drop-down
menu.
Table 11‑11. Debugging Levels
Option Description
None Normal mode. No debugging information is gathered. When this mode is selected, the
virtual machine runs faster than it does in the other modes.
When the cause and remedy for the problem are found, return to normal mode by
selecting None.
Full Select this mode if the virtual machine crashes and you want to send the debugging logs
to VMware technical support.
Statistics Select this mode if the virtual machine runs very slowly under certain workloads. You can
send the statistics file to VMware technical support.
If you select the Full option, you can select the Gather verbose USB debugging information check box
for USB debugging purposes.
For local virtual machines, you can select Log virtual machine progress periodically to increase
logging information for debugging and troubleshooting purposes. You cannot use this feature for remote
or shared virtual machines. When this setting is selected, you do not need to edit a configuration file or
restart the virtual machine to extract more detailed logging for VMware technical support.
Configuring Advanced Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can configure advanced settings for the selected virtual machine to disable memory page trimming,
enable Template mode, enable automated disk cleanup, and enable virtualization-based security (VBS).
To configure additional advanced options for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Options tab, and select Advanced.
Note You cannot configure these options for a shared or remote virtual machine.
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Table 11‑12. Additional Advanced Options
Option Description
Disable memory page trimming Workstation Pro uses a memory trimming technique to return unused virtual machine
memory to the host machine for other uses. While trimming usually has little effect on
performance and might be needed in low-memory situations, the I/O caused by
memory trimming can sometimes interfere with disk-oriented workload performance in
a guest.
Log virtual machine progress
periodically
When enabled, Workstation Pro includes information about your virtual machine's
virtual CPU state, instruction pointer, and code segment registers in the log file. This is
useful for troubleshooting or optimizing the performance of your virtual machine.
Enable Template mode (to be used
for cloning)
When you create a linked clone of a virtual machine, the clone depends on the parent
virtual machine to function. If a linked clone cannot access the parent virtual machine
or the snapshot on which the clone is based, the clone no longer operates. You can
avoid this problem by designating the parent virtual machine of a linked clone as a
template.
You typically must have write access to a virtual machine to clone it. A virtual machine
that is designated as a clone template can be cloned by users who do not have write
access to the template virtual machine.
To protect linked clones, you cannot delete a template virtual machine. You cannot
delete snapshots of the template.
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Table 11‑12. Additional Advanced Options (Continued)
Option Description
Clean up disks after shutting down
this virtual machine
Instead of performing a manual disk cleanup of a virtual machine, by selecting VM >
Manage > Clean Up Disks, you can configure the automated disk cleanup option.
When selected, this option shrinks and defragments the virtual machine each time you
shut down the virtual machine. Other power-off related operations, such as power off,
suspend, restart, and reset do not trigger the automated disk cleanup.
The automated disk cleanup option is only selectable on Workstation Pro on Windows
host systems and for Windows guest operating systems. Also, the option is only
selectable when VMware Tools is installed on the virtual machine and when the virtual
machine is powered on.
Note This option is not available for shared or remote virtual machines.
With this option selected, when you shut down the virtual machine the first time,
Workstation Pro prompts you to accept the cleanup of the disks on the virtual machine.
If you select Do not show this message again and click Clean Up, Workstation Pro
performs the cleanup this time and in the future without issuing the prompt again.
After the cleanup starts, the progress of the cleanup appears on the left side of the
Workstation Pro status bar. You can terminate the cleanup task by closing the virtual
machine tab and clicking Yes.
After the cleanup finishes, a note appears in the message log and on the right side of
the Workstation Pro status bar that reports the amount of disk space reclaimed.
Enable VBS (Virtualization Based
Security) support
This option is only available for virtual machines that use hardware version 14 or later.
With this option, Workstation Pro provides the technical support for Microsoft VBS
feature in the virtual machine. You can then enable and configure the Microsoft VBS
feature in one of the following supported Windows guest operating systems.
nWindows 10, version 1703 and later, Enterprise, 64-bit
nWindows Sever 2016, version 1607 and later
To use Windows 2016, version 1607 as the guest operating system, apply all
Microsoft updates to the guest. VBS might not function in a Windows 2016 guest
without the most current updates.
VBS reinforces the security of Microsoft Hyper-V. When you enable VBS,
Workstation Pro configures the virtual machine with the following settings.
Option
Required
Setting
Workstation Pro Virtual
Machine Settings
Firmware type UEFI Options > Advanced
Enable secure boot Enabled Options > Advanced
Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPTor
AMD-V/RVI
Enabled Hardware > Processors
Virtualize IOMMU (IO
memory management unit)
Enabled Hardware > Processors
For VBS to run in the guest operating system, you must also perform configurations in
the guest. See Microsoft documentation related to virtualization-based security.
Configuring the Firmware Type for a Virtual Machine
You can select the firmware-type options that the guest operating system supports.
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If selectable, you can choose the BIOS or UEFI firmware type. If you select UEFI, depending on the guest
operating system, you might be able to select Enable secure boot . See Configure a Firmware Type.
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Configuring Virtual Machine
Hardware Settings 12
You can use virtual machine hardware settings to add, remove, and modify virtual devices for a virtual
machine.
To configure hardware settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings and click the
Hardware tab. When you select a device in the left pane, the configuration options for that device appear
in the right pane.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nAdding Hardware to a Virtual Machine
nRemoving Hardware from a Virtual Machine
nAdjusting Virtual Machine Memory
nConfiguring Virtual Machine Processor Settings
nConfiguring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks
nConfiguring CD-ROM and DVD Drive Settings
nConfiguring Floppy Drive Settings
nConfiguring Virtual Network Adapter Settings
nConfiguring USB Controller Settings
nConfiguring Sound Card Settings
nConfiguring Parallel Port Settings
nConfiguring Serial Port Settings
nConfiguring Generic SCSI Device Settings
nConfiguring Printer Settings
nConfiguring Display Settings
nInstalling a Guest Operating System on a Physical Disk or Unused Partition
Adding Hardware to a Virtual Machine
You can use virtual machine hardware settings to add hardware to an existing virtual machine.
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To add hardware to a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware tab, and click
Add.
Note You cannot add hardware to a virtual machine while it is in a suspended state.
The Add Hardware wizard prompts you to select the type of device that you want to add and to specify
device-specific configuration settings. You can modify many of the configuration settings after the device
is created by changing virtual machine hardware settings.
You can add the following types of devices to a virtual machine.
Virtual hard disks A virtual hard disk is a set of files that appears as a physical disk drive to
the guest operating system. You can configure a virtual hard disk as an
IDE, SCSI, SATA, or NVMe device. You can add up to 4 IDE devices, up to
60 SCSI devices, up to 120 SATA devices (4 controllers and 30 devices per
controller), and up to 60 NVMe devices (4 controllers and 15 devices per
controller) to a virtual machine. You can also give a virtual machine direct
access to a physical disk.
CD-ROM and DVD
drives
You can configure a virtual CD-ROM or DVD drive as an IDE, SCSI, or
SATA device. You can add up to 4 IDE devices, up to 60 SCSI devices, and
up to 120 SATA devices (4 controllers and 30 devices per controller). You
can connect virtual CD-ROM and DVD drives to a physical drive on the
host system or to an ISO image file.
Floppy drives You can add up to two floppy drives. A virtual floppy drive can connect to a
physical drive on the host system, to an existing floppy image file, or to a
blank floppy image file.
Network adapters You can add up to 10 virtual network adapters to a virtual machine.
USB controller You can add one USB controller to a virtual machine. A virtual machine
must have a USB controller to use USB devices or smart card readers. For
smart card readers, a virtual machine must have a USB controller
regardless of whether the smart card reader is actually a USB device.
Sound card If the host system is configured for sound and has a sound card installed,
you can enable sound for virtual machines.
Parallel (LPT) ports You can attach up to three bidirectional parallel ports to a virtual machine.
Virtual parallel ports can output to parallel ports or to files on the host
operating system.
Serial (COM) ports You can add up to four serials ports to a virtual machine. Virtual serial ports
can output to physical serial ports, files on the host operating system, or
named pipes.
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Printers You can print from a virtual machine to any printer available to the host
system without installing additional drivers in the virtual machine.
Workstation Pro uses ThinPrint technology to replicate the host machine
printer mapping in the virtual machine. When you enable the virtual
machine printer, Workstation Pro configures a virtual serial port to
communicate with the host printers.
Generic SCSI devices You can add up to 60 SCSI devices to a virtual machine. A generic SCSI
device gives the guest operating system direct access to a SCSI device
connected to the host system. Generic SCSI devices can include scanners,
tape drives, CD-ROM drives, and DVD drives.
Removing Hardware from a Virtual Machine
You can remove certain types of hardware from a virtual machine.
To remove hardware from a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware tab,
select the device, and click Remove.
Note You cannot remove hardware from a virtual machine while it is in suspended state.
You can remove the following types of devices from a virtual machine.
nVirtual hard disks
nCD-ROM and DVD drives
nFloppy drives
nVirtual network adapters
nUSB controllers
nSound cards
nPrinters
nGeneric SCSI devices
You cannot remove the Memory, Processors, and Display device types.
You must power off a virtual machine before you remove a virtual network adapter, sound card, parallel
port, serial port, or generic SCSI device. You must also power off Workstation 5 virtual machines before
you remove a USB controller.
Adjusting Virtual Machine Memory
You can adjust the amount of memory that is allocated to a virtual machine. You must power off a virtual
machine before you change its memory allocation setting.
To adjust the memory allocation for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware
tab, and click Memory.
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The Memory panel includes information to help you select the appropriate amount of memory for the
virtual machine. The high end of the range is determined by the amount of memory that is allocated to all
running virtual machines. If you allow virtual machine memory to be swapped, this value changes to
reflect the specified amount of swapping.
The color-coded icons on the Memory panel indicate the maximum recommended memory, the
recommended memory, and the guest operating system recommended minimum memory amounts. To
adjust the memory, move the slider along the range of values, or type a value in the Memory for this
virtual machine text box.
Note Allocating more than the maximum memory to a virtual machine might cause memory swapping. It
can also negatively affect host system performance, including the ability to run Workstation Pro.
Configuring Virtual Machine Processor Settings
You can configure processor settings for a virtual machine, including the number of processors, the
number of cores per processor, and the preferred execution mode for the virtualization engine.
To configure processor settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware
tab, and select Processors.
Table 12‑1. Processor Settings
Setting Description
Number of processors and Number of cores
per processor
Select the number of processors and the number of cores per processor.
Workstation Pro supports up to 16-way virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing
(SMP) for guest operating systems running on multiprocessor host machines.
You can assign processors and cores per processor to a virtual machine on
any host machine that has at least two logical processors.
Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI Workstation Pro forces the virtual machine execution mode to VT-x/EPT or
AMD-RVI. Physical Address Extension (PAE) mode must be enabled to use
virtualized AMD-V/RVI.
If the execution mode is not supported by the host system, virtualized VT-
x/EPT or AMD/RVI is not available. If you migrate the virtual machine to
another VMware product, virtualized VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI might not be
available.
Note You cannot configure this setting for a shared or remote virtual
machine.
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Table 12‑1. Processor Settings (Continued)
Setting Description
Virtualize CPU performance counters Turn on this feature if you plan to use performance monitoring applications
such as VTune or OProfile to optimize or debug software that runs inside the
virtual machine.
This feature is available only if the virtual machine compatibility is Workstation
9 or later.
Virtualize IOMMU (IO memory management
unit)
Select this feature to provide the Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed
I/O for virtual machines.
Note You cannot configure this setting for a shared or remote virtual
machine.
When you enable virtualization-based security (VBS) for a virtual machine,
Workstation Pro automatically selects the Virtual IOMMU feature for you.
Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks
You can configure virtual hard disk node and mode settings. You can also use command in the Utilities
menu to perform common disk maintenance tasks, such as defragmenting, compacting, and expanding a
disk.
To perform actions on a virtual hard disk for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, and select the virtual hard disk.
nDefragmenting Virtual Hard Disks
Like physical disk drives, virtual hard disks can become fragmented. Defragmenting disks
rearranges files, programs, and unused space on the virtual disk so that programs run faster and
files open more quickly. Defragmenting does not reclaim unused space on a virtual disk.
nExpanding Virtual Hard Disks
Expanding a virtual hard disk adds storage space to the virtual machine.
nCompacting Virtual Hard Disks
Compacting a virtual hard disk can reclaim unused space in the virtual disk. Modern disks and
operating systems are much more efficient at managing disk space than in the recent past.
Therefore, do not expect the compacting procedure to return large amounts of disk space to the host
drive.
nChanging Virtual Hard Disk Node and Mode Settings
You can change virtual hard disk node and mode settings.
Defragmenting Virtual Hard Disks
Like physical disk drives, virtual hard disks can become fragmented. Defragmenting disks rearranges
files, programs, and unused space on the virtual disk so that programs run faster and files open more
quickly. Defragmenting does not reclaim unused space on a virtual disk.
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There must be adequate free working space on the host system to defragment a virtual hard disk. If the
disk is contained in a single file, for example, you need free space equal to the size of the disk file. Other
virtual hard disk configurations require less free space. You cannot defragment a virtual hard disk while it
is mapped or mounted.
To defragment a virtual hard disk for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, select the virtual hard disk, and select Defragment from the Utilities menu.
Note Defragmenting a virtual hard disk can take several minutes.
Expanding Virtual Hard Disks
Expanding a virtual hard disk adds storage space to the virtual machine.
When you expand a virtual hard disk, the added space is not immediately available to the virtual machine.
To make the added space available, you must use a disk management tool to increase the size of the
existing partition on the virtual hard disk to match the expanded size.
The disk management tool that you use depends on the virtual machine guest operating system. Many
operating systems, including Windows 7 and later, and many versions of Linux, provide built-in disk
management tools that can resize partitions. Third-party disk management tools are also available, such
as Symantec/Norton PartitionMagic, EASEUS Partition Master, Acronis Disk Director, and the open-
source tool GParted.
When you expand the size of a virtual hard disk, partition and file-system size are not affected.
To expand a virtual hard disk for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware
tab, select the virtual hard disk, and select Expand from the Utilities menu.
Note As an alternative to expanding a virtual hard disk, you can add a new virtual hard disk to the virtual
machine.
Compacting Virtual Hard Disks
Compacting a virtual hard disk can reclaim unused space in the virtual disk. Modern disks and operating
systems are much more efficient at managing disk space than in the recent past. Therefore, do not expect
the compacting procedure to return large amounts of disk space to the host drive.
You cannot compact a virtual hard disk if disk space is preallocated or if the virtual hard disk is mapped or
mounted.
To compact a virtual hard disk for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware
tab, select the virtual hard disk, and select Compact from the Utilities menu.
Changing Virtual Hard Disk Node and Mode Settings
You can change virtual hard disk node and mode settings.
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To change the node and mode settings for a virtual hard disk on a selected virtual machine, select VM >
Settings, click the Hardware tab, select the virtual hard disk, and click Advanced. By default, changes
are immediately written to the disk. The data on the disk is saved when you take a snapshot of the virtual
machine.
Table 12‑2. Virtual Hard Disk Node and Mode Settings
Setting Description
Virtual device node Select the SCSI, IDE, SATA, or NVMe device identifier to use for the drive. For example, if
you select SCSI 0:2, the guest operating system detects the drive as ID 2 on controller 0.
You determine whether the virtual disk is seen as a SCSI, IDE, SATA, or NVMe device at
the time that you create it.
Independent If the Independent check box is unavailable, the virtual machine might have snapshots.
After you delete the snapshots, the check box becomes available.
Caution Independent disks do not participate in snapshots. Only select Independent
mode for a disk in a virtual machine if you are prepared to give up the ability to take
snapshots of the virtual machine when powered on.
Although independent disks are not commonly used, they are useful in specific situations.
For example, you have a virtual machine with two virtual disks. The second disk is
configured to hold the Linux swap file or the Windows page file. The data on this disk has no
value once the virtual machine is powered off. Therefore, you have no need to save the data
from the second disk in a snapshot of the virtual machine. You can economize host disk
space by not storing that data when a snapshot is taken. Accomplish this economy of host
disk space by making the second disk independent.
Specify independent disks as Persistent or Nonpersistent.
While the virtual machine is running, a non-persistent disk stores all of the changes made to
a disk in a separate file. When the virtual machine is shut down, the changes are discarded.
Discarding the changes is useful in certain situations.
For example, you have a virtual machine configured for a school setting or kiosk. The virtual
machine has all the necessary software loaded, such as browsers, programming tools,
computer-aided learning software, and so on. Students can use the virtual machine normally
during the day. When the virtual machine is powered off at the end of the day, all changes
made are discarded. When the virtual machine is powered on the following day, the non-
persistent disk is exactly as it was at the beginning of the previous day. The disk contains no
new malware or misconfigured software. Students can save their work to a USB thumb drive
or network location as needed.
Configuring CD-ROM and DVD Drive Settings
You can configure CD-ROM and DVD drive settings, including the virtual device node and legacy
emulation modes.
To configure CD-ROM and DVD drive settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click
the Hardware tab, and select the drive.
nConfiguring CD-ROM and DVD Drive Status and Connection Settings
Device status and connection settings control when a CD-ROM or DVD drive is connected to a
virtual machine, whether to use a specific drive or allow Workstation Pro to detect a drive, and
whether to use an ISO image file instead of a physical drive.
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nChanging Virtual Device Node and Legacy Emulation Settings
You can use the advanced settings to change the virtual device node and legacy emulation settings
for a CD-ROM or DVD drive. You must power off the virtual machine before you change these
settings.
Configuring CD-ROM and DVD Drive Status and Connection
Settings
Device status and connection settings control when a CD-ROM or DVD drive is connected to a virtual
machine, whether to use a specific drive or allow Workstation Pro to detect a drive, and whether to use an
ISO image file instead of a physical drive.
To configure device status and connection settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings,
click the Hardware tab, and select the drive.
Table 12‑3. Device Status and Connection Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the drive or ISO image file while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the drive or ISO image path when you power on the virtual machine.
Connection Select the location of the physical drive or ISO image file.
Remote Server (Remote virtual machine only) The physical drive or ISO
image file is located on the remote host.
Local Client (Remote virtual machine only) The physical drive or ISO
image file is located on the local host.
Local (Across
Sessions)
(Shared virtual machine only) The physical drive or ISO
image file can be used across multiple sessions.
Local (Single
Session)
(Shared virtual machine only) The physical drive or ISO
image file can be used only in this session.
Use physical drive Select a specific drive or select Auto detect to allow Workstation Pro to detect a drive
to use.
Use ISO image file Specify or select an ISO image file for the virtual machine to use.
To disable or enable access to a CD-ROM or DVD drive while a virtual machine is running, select the
virtual machine, select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD, and select Disconnect or Connect.
Changing Virtual Device Node and Legacy Emulation Settings
You can use the advanced settings to change the virtual device node and legacy emulation settings for a
CD-ROM or DVD drive. You must power off the virtual machine before you change these settings.
To configure virtual device and legacy emulation settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM >
Settings, click the Hardware tab, select the drive, and click Advanced.
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Use the settings to select which SCSI, IDE, SATA, or NVMe device identifier to use for the drive. For
example, if you select SCSI 0:2, the guest operating system detects the drive as ID 2 on controller 0. You
can select the IDE, SCSI, SATA, or NVMe node options regardless of the physical device type. For
example, if the physical drive is an IDE device, you can select a SCSI node. In this case, the virtual
machine detects the drive as a SCSI device.
If you select the Legacy emulation setting, the virtual hardware works as it did in an earlier release of
Workstation Pro. By default, Workstation Pro attempts to make the advanced features of your drive
available, but sometimes this setting might cause the drive to not work with the virtual machine. Selecting
the Legacy emulation setting reverts Workstation Pro to the previous emulation mode for the drive.
Legacy emulation is helpful for troubleshooting purposes.
Configuring Floppy Drive Settings
You can configure when a floppy drive is connected to a virtual machine, whether to use a specific drive
or allow Workstation Pro to detect a drive, and whether to use an disk drive image file instead of a
physical drive.
To configure floppy drive settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, and select the floppy drive.
Table 12‑4. Floppy Drive Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the drive or floppy image file while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the floppy drive when you power on the virtual machine.
Location Select the location of the physical drive or floppy image file.
Remote Server (Remote virtual machine only) The physical drive or floppy
image file is located on the remote host.
Local Client (Remote virtual machine only) The physical drive or floppy
image file is located on the local host.
Local (Across
Sessions)
(Shared virtual machine only) The physical drive or floppy
image file can be used across multiple sessions.
Local (Single
Session)
(Shared virtual machine only) The physical drive or floppy
image file can be used only in this session.
Use a physical drive Select a specific floppy drive or select Auto detect to allow Workstation Pro to detect
a drive to use.
Use a floppy image file Create or browse to a floppy image (.img or .flp) file. Select Read only to prevent
changes from being made to the file.
To disable or enable access to a floppy drive while a virtual machine is running, select the virtual
machine, select VM > Removable Devices > Floppy, and select Disconnect or Connect.
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Configuring Virtual Network Adapter Settings
You can configure when a virtual network adapter is connected to a virtual machine and the type of
network connection that the adapter provides.
The type of network configuration that you can select depends on whether the virtual machine is a local,
shared, or remote virtual machine.
To configure virtual network adapter settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click
the Hardware tab, and select the virtual network adapter.
nConfiguring Virtual Network Adapter Device Status Settings
Device status settings control when a virtual network adapter is connected to a virtual machine.
nConfiguring a Network Connection
You can configure the type of network connection that a virtual network adapter provides.
nConfiguring Virtual Network Adapter Advanced Settings
You can use the advanced virtual network adapter settings to limit the bandwidth, specify the
acceptable packet loss percentage, and create network latency for incoming and outgoing data
transfers for a virtual machine.
Configuring Virtual Network Adapter Device Status Settings
Device status settings control when a virtual network adapter is connected to a virtual machine.
To configure virtual network adapter device status settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM >
Settings, click the Hardware tab, and select the virtual network adapter.
Table 12‑5. Device Status Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the virtual network adapter while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the virtual network adapter when you power on the virtual machine.
Configuring a Network Connection
You can configure the type of network connection that a virtual network adapter provides.
For a local virtual machine, you can configure bridged, NAT, or host-only networking, or you can select a
custom network or LAN segment. For a shared virtual machine, you can select bridged, NAT, or host-only
networking from a drop-down menu. For a remote virtual machine, you must select a custom network.
To configure a network connection for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, and select the virtual network adapter.
nConfiguring Bridged Networking
When you configure bridged networking, the virtual machine uses physical network adapters on the
host system to connect a network.
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nConfiguring Network Address Translation
When you configure Network Address Translation (NAT), the virtual machine shares the IP address
and MAC address of the host system.
nConfiguring Host-Only Networking
When you configure host-only networking, Workstation Pro creates a virtual private network (VPN)
connection between the virtual machine and the host system.
nConfiguring a Custom Network Configuration
A custom network is a network that you create by using the virtual network editor. You can select a
custom network when you modify the network connection setting for a local virtual machine. For a
remote virtual machine, you must select a custom network. You cannot select a custom network for
a shared virtual machine.
nConfiguring LAN Segments
When you select a LAN segment, the virtual machine uses a private network that can be shared with
other virtual machines. LAN segments are useful for multitier testing, network performance analysis,
and situations where virtual machine isolation are important.
Configuring Bridged Networking
When you configure bridged networking, the virtual machine uses physical network adapters on the host
system to connect a network.
If the host system is on a network, bridged networking is often the easiest way to give a virtual machine
access to that network.
With bridged networking, the virtual machine appears as an additional computer on the same physical
Ethernet network as the host system. The virtual machine can transparently use the services available on
the network, including file servers, printers, and gateways. Physical hosts and other virtual machines
configured with bridged networking can also use the resources of the virtual machine.
When you use bridged networking, the virtual machine must have its own identity on the network. For
example, on a TCP/IP network, the virtual machine must have its own IP address. Virtual machines
typically acquire an IP address and other network details from a DHCP server. In some configurations,
you might need to set the IP address and other details manually.
Users who boot multiple operating systems often assign the same address to all systems because they
assume that only one operating system will be running at the same time. If the host system is set up to
boot multiple operating systems and you run one or more of them in virtual machines, configure each
operating system with a unique network address.
When the Replicate physical connection state option is selected, the IP address is automatically
renewed when you move from one wired or wireless network to another. This setting is useful for virtual
machines than run on laptops or other mobile devices.
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Configuring Network Address Translation
When you configure Network Address Translation (NAT), the virtual machine shares the IP address and
MAC address of the host system.
The virtual machine and the host system share the a single identity that is not visible outside the network.
The virtual machine does not have its own IP address. Instead, a separate private network is set up on
the host system and the virtual machine obtains an address on that network from the VMware virtual
DHCP server. The VMware NAT device passes network data between one or more virtual machines and
the external network. The VMware NAT device identifies incoming data packets that are intended for each
virtual machine and sends them to the correct destination.
With NAT, a virtual machine can use many standard protocols to connect to other machines on the
external network. For example, you can use HTTP to browse Web sites, FTP to transfer files, and Telnet
to log in to other systems. You can also connect to a TCP/IP network by using a Token Ring adapter on
the host system.
In the default configuration, systems on the external network cannot initiate connections to the virtual
machine. For example, the default configuration does not let you use the virtual machine as a Web server
to send Web pages to systems on the external network. This limitation protects the guest operating
system from being compromised before you can install security software.
By default, NAT is used when you use the New Virtual Machine wizard to create a virtual machine.
The virtual machine uses NAT to connect to the Internet or other TCP/IP network by using the networking
connection on the host system. NAT works with Ethernet, DSL, and phone modems. A separate private
network is set up on the host system. The virtual machine obtains an address on that network from the
VMware virtual DHCP server.
Configuring Host-Only Networking
When you configure host-only networking, Workstation Pro creates a virtual private network (VPN)
connection between the virtual machine and the host system.
A VPN is typically not visible outside the host system. Multiple virtual machines configured with host-only
networking on the same host system are on the same network. The VMware DHCP server provides
addresses on the network.
If you install the proper routing or proxy software on the host system, you can establish a connection
between the host virtual network adapter and a physical network adapter on the host system. With this
configuration, you can connect the virtual machine to a Token Ring or other non-Ethernet network.
Configuring a Custom Network Configuration
A custom network is a network that you create by using the virtual network editor. You can select a
custom network when you modify the network connection setting for a local virtual machine. For a remote
virtual machine, you must select a custom network. You cannot select a custom network for a shared
virtual machine.
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A custom network can be connected to one or more external networks, or it can run entirely on the host
system. You can use the virtual network editor to access multiple network cards in the host system and
create multiple virtual networks.
For more information, see Chapter 13 Using the Virtual Network Editor.
Configuring LAN Segments
When you select a LAN segment, the virtual machine uses a private network that can be shared with
other virtual machines. LAN segments are useful for multitier testing, network performance analysis, and
situations where virtual machine isolation are important.
You cannot configure a LAN segment for a shared or remote virtual machine.
If you add an existing virtual machine to a LAN segment, the virtual machine might be configured to
expect an IP address from a DHCP server. Unlike host-only and NAT networking, Workstation Pro does
not provide a DHCP server for LAN segments. You must manually configure IP addressing for virtual
machines on a LAN segment. You can either configure a DHCP server on the LAN segment to allocate IP
addresses, or you can configure a fixed IP address for each virtual machine on the LAN segment.
If you convert a team that was created in an earlier version of Workstation Pro, the LAN segment that was
configured for the team appears in the LAN segment drop-down menu for each virtual machine.
You can click LAN Segments to create new LAN segments or delete and rename existing LAN
segments. Deleting a LAN segment disconnects all virtual network adapters that are configured for that
LAN segment. When you delete a LAN segment, you must manually configure its disconnected virtual
network adapter to reconnect the virtual machine to the network.
Configuring Virtual Network Adapter Advanced Settings
You can use the advanced virtual network adapter settings to limit the bandwidth, specify the acceptable
packet loss percentage, and create network latency for incoming and outgoing data transfers for a virtual
machine.
The advanced virtual network adapter settings allow you to simulate a network environment that differs
from your own.
To configure advanced virtual network adapter settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM >
Settings, click the Hardware tab, select the virtual network adapter, and click Advanced.
Note You cannot configure advanced virtual network adapter settings for a shared or remote virtual
machine.
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Table 12‑6. Virtual Network Adapter Advanced Settings
Setting Description
Bandwidth and Kbps To limit incoming or outgoing data transfers to the data transfer rate for a specific
network connection type, select the network connection type from the Bandwidth
drop-down menu. The value in the Kbps text box changes to the data transfer rate, in
kilobits per second, of the network connection type that you select. For example, if
you select Leased Line T1 (1.544 Mbps), the value in the Kbps text box changes to
1544.
To limit incoming or outgoing data transfers to a specific data transfer rate, select
Custom and type the data transfer rate in kilobits per second in the Kbps text box.
The default bandwidth setting for both incoming and outgoing data transfers is
Unlimited.
Packet Loss (%) The acceptable packet loss percentage for incoming or outgoing data transfers. The
default setting is 0.0%.
Latency (ms) To simulate network latency for incoming and outgoing data transfers, set the number
of milliseconds (ms) of latency. The latency range is 0 to 2,000 ms.
Note Expect actual network latency to be up to 10 ms above the number you set.
For example, if you set latency at 200 ms, expect the actual latency to be between
200 to 210 ms.
MAC Address To assign a new MAC address to the network adapter, either type a new address in
this text box or click Generate to have Workstation Pro generate a new address.
Configuring USB Controller Settings
You can configure whether a USB controller supports isochronous USB and Bluetooth devices and
whether human interface devices (HIDs) appear in the Removable Devices menu. On Linux host
machines only, you can also configure whether a new USB device can be automatically connected to a
virtual machine.
Note You typically cannot configure USB controller settings for a shared or remote virtual machine.
To configure USB controller settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, and click USB Controller.
Table 12‑7. USB Controller Settings
Setting Description
USB Compatibility Selecting USB 2.0 or 3.0 enables support for isochronous USB
devices, including Web cams, speakers, and microphones.
Automatically connect new USB devices
This feature only appears when you use
Workstation Pro on a Linux host.
Connect new USB devices to the virtual machine. If this setting is not
selected, new USB devices are connected only to the host system.
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Table 12‑7. USB Controller Settings (Continued)
Setting Description
Show all USB input devices Human interface devices (HIDs), such as USB 1.1 and 2.0 mouse and
keyboard devices, appear in the Removable Devices menu. Icons for
HIDs appear in the status bar. An HID that is connected to the guest
operating system is not available to the host system. The virtual
machine must be powered off when you change this setting.
Share Bluetooth devices with the virtual machine Enable support for Bluetooth devices.
To connect or disconnect USB devices while a virtual machine is running, select the virtual machine and
select VM > Removable Devices. With the two-port USB controller, you can connect to both USB 1.1
and USB 2.0 devices.
Important Before you unplug a USB device or select a removable device to disconnect a USB device
from a virtual machine, follow the device manufacturer's procedures for safely unplugging the device from
a physical computer.
Configuring Sound Card Settings
You can configure when a sound card is connected to a virtual machine. You can also configure whether
a virtual machine uses a specific sound card or the default sound card in the host system.
To configure sound card settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware
tab, and click Sound Card.
Note You cannot change sound card settings for a remote virtual machine.
Table 12‑8. Sound Card Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the sound device while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the sound device when you power on the virtual machine.
Use default host sound card Make the virtual machine use the default sound card in the host system.
Specify host sound card (Windows hosts only) Select a specific host sound card for the virtual machine to use.
Use physical sound card (Linux hosts only) Select a specific host sound card to for the virtual machine to use.
Enable Echo Cancellation Enable echo cancellation for the sound card.
Configuring Parallel Port Settings
You can configure when a parallel port is connected to a virtual machine and whether to send output to a
physical port or to a file on the host system.
To configure parallel port settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, and select the parallel port.
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Table 12‑9. Parallel Port Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the port while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the port when you power on the virtual machine.
If the guest operating system cannot access the parallel port device when
you power on the virtual machine, deselect this setting. You can use the
Removable Devices menu to enable access to the parallel port after the
virtual machine is powered on.
Use a physical parallel port Select a host parallel port for the virtual machine to use.
Use output file Send output from the virtual parallel port to a file on the host system. Either
locate an existing output file or browse to a directory and type a filename to
create a new output file.
Configuring Serial Port Settings
You can configure when a serial port is connected to a virtual machine. You can also configure whether to
send output to a physical port or to a file on the host system, set up a direct connection between two
virtual machines, and specify whether the guest operating system uses the port in polled mode.
To configure serial port settings for a selected virtual machine, select the virtual machine, select VM >
Settings, click the Hardware tab, and select the serial port.
Table 12‑10. Serial Port Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the port while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the port when you power on the virtual machine.
Use a physical serial port Select a host serial port.
Use output file Send output from the virtual serial port to a file on the host system. Either
locate an existing output file or navigate to the desired directory and type
a filename for the file to create.
Use named pipe or Use socket (named pipe) Set up a direct connection between two virtual machines or a connection
between a virtual machine and an application on the host system.
Yield CPU on poll The guest operating system uses the port in polled mode rather than
interrupt mode. It yields processor time if its only task is to poll the virtual
serial port.
If the guest operating system uses the serial port in interrupt mode, do
not select this setting.
Note This setting is useful for developers who are using debugging tools
that communicate over a serial connection. Selecting this setting can
improve performance when the guest operating system uses the serial
port in polled mode.
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Configuring Generic SCSI Device Settings
You can configure when a generic SCSI device is connected to a virtual machine, specify the physical
SCSI device to connect to on the host system, and select the SCSI identifier to use for the drive.
To configure generic SCSI device settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the
Hardware tab, and select the generic SCSI device.
Note You cannot configure a generic SCSI device for a shared or remote virtual machine.
Table 12‑11. Generic SCSI Device Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the device while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the device when you power on the virtual machine.
Specify the physical SCSI device to connect to Select a host SCSI device.
(Windows hosts) Select a device. The menu shows the SCSI
devices that are available on the host system.
(Linux hosts) Type the name of the /dev/sg entry for the device to
install in the virtual machine. For example, if the device is named
sga, type /dev/sga.
Virtual device node Select the SCSI device identifier to use for the drive. For example, if
you select SCSI 0:2, the guest operating system sees the drive as
ID 2 on controller 0.
The virtual machine must be powered off when you change this
setting.
Note For specific Windows guest operating systems, you might need to perform additional configuration
steps to use a generic SCSI device.
Configuring Printer Settings
You can configure when a printer is connected to a virtual machine.
To configure printer settings for a selected virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click the Hardware tab,
and select Printer.
Table 12‑12. Printer Settings
Setting Description
Connected Connect the printer while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on Connect the printer when you power on the virtual machine.
Configuring Display Settings
You can specify monitor resolution settings, configure multiple monitors, and select accelerated graphics
capabilities for a virtual machine.
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To configure display settings for a virtual machine, select the virtual machine, select VM > Settings, click
the Hardware tab, and select Display (local virtual machine) or Video card (shared or remote virtual
machine).
Note Only Workstation 6.x and later virtual machines support specifying resolution settings and setting
the number of monitors that the guest operating system can use.
Table 12‑13. Display Settings
Setting Description
Accelerate 3D graphics Select this setting if you run applications that use DirectX 9 or DirectX 10
accelerated graphics. Accelerated graphics capabilities apply to Windows XP
or later guests on hosts running Windows or Linux.
The virtual machine must be a Workstation 6.x or later virtual machine and
must have VMware Tools installed from Workstation 7.x or later.
Use host setting for monitors When you select this setting, the SVGA driver uses two monitors, a maximum
bounding box width of 3840, and a maximum bounding box height of 1920. The
virtual machine is configured to have a minimum of two 1920x1200 monitors, in
a side-by-side topology, in both normal and rotated orientations. If the host
system has more than two monitors, the virtual machine uses the number of
monitors on the host system instead. If the host system's bounding box is wider
or taller than the defaults, the virtual machine uses the larger size. You should
select this setting in most cases.
Specify monitor settings Set the number of monitors that the virtual machine will see, regardless of the
number of monitors on the host system. This setting is useful if you use a
multimonitor host system and you need to test in a virtual machine that has
only one monitor. It is also useful if you are developing a multimonitor
application in a virtual machine and the host system has only one monitor. After
you power on the virtual machine, the guest operating system sees the number
of monitors that you specified. Select a resolution from the list or type a setting
that has the format width x height, where width and height are the number of
pixels.
Note You cannot configure the resolution setting for a shared or remote virtual
machine.
Graphics memory Select the maximum amount of guest memory that can be used for graphics
memory using the drop down menu. The default value of video memory varies
by guest OS.
Display scaling
or
Display scaling, Stretch mode
Workstation Pro presents the option that the selected guest operating system
supports.
nThe Display scaling option enables or disables display scaling. Windows 7
or later guests support this feature.
nThe Display scaling, Stretch mode option allows you to set the display
stretch ratio for a virtual machine. Windows guests earlier than Windows 7
and Linux guests support this feature.
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Installing a Guest Operating System on a Physical Disk or
Unused Partition
You can install a guest operating system directly on a physical disk or unused partition on the host
system.
A physical disk directly accesses an existing local disk or partition. You can use physical disks to run one
or more guest operating systems from existing disk partitions.
Workstation Pro supports physical disks up to 2 TB capacity. Booting from an operating system already
set up on an existing SCSI disk or partition is not supported.
Running an operating system natively on the host system and switching to running it inside a virtual
machine is similar to pulling the hard drive out of one computer and installing it in a second computer that
has a different motherboard and hardware. The steps you take depend on the guest operating system in
the virtual machine. In most cases, a guest operating system that is installed on a physical disk or unused
partition cannot boot outside of the virtual machine, even though the data is available to the host system.
See the Dual-Boot Computers and Virtual Machines technical note on the VMware Web site for
information about using an operating system that can also boot outside of a virtual machine.
After you configure a virtual machine to use one or more partitions on a physical disk, do not modify the
partition tables by running fdisk or a similar utility in the guest operating system. If you use fdisk or a
similar utility on the host operating system to modify the partition table of the physical disk, you must
recreate the virtual machine physical disk. All files that were on the physical disk are lost when you modify
the partition table.
Important You cannot use a physical disk to share files between the host system and a guest operating
system. Making the same partition visible to both the host system and a guest operating system can
cause data corruption. Instead, use shared folder to share files between the host system and a guest
operating system.
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Using the Virtual Network Editor 13
You can use the virtual network editor to view and change key networking settings, add and remove
virtual networks, and create custom virtual networking configurations. The changes that you make in the
virtual network editor affect all virtual machines running on the host system.
On a Windows host, any user can view network settings, but only Administrator users can change them.
On a Linux host, you must enter the root password to access the virtual network editor.
On Windows hosts, select Edit > Virtual Network Editor to start the virtual network editor in
Workstation Pro. You can also select Start > Programs > VMware > Virtual Network Editor to start the
virtual network editor from the host operating system.
On Linux hosts, select Applications > System Tools > Virtual Network Editor to start the virtual
network editor. The menu path might be different for your version of Linux. You can also start the network
editor from the command line by using the vmware-netcfg command.
Important When you click Restore Default to restore the default network settings, all changes that you
made to network settings after you installed Workstation Pro are permanently lost. Do not restore the
default network settings when a virtual machine is powered on as this might cause serious damage to the
bridged networking.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nAdd a Bridged Virtual Network
nAdd a Host-Only Virtual Network
nRename a Virtual Network
nChange Automatic Bridging Settings
nChange NAT Settings
nChange DHCP Settings on a Windows Host
Add a Bridged Virtual Network
If you installed Workstation Pro on a host system that has multiple network adapters, you can configure
multiple bridged networks.
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By default, virtual switch VMnet0 is mapped to a bridged network. You can create a custom bridged
network on virtual switches VMnet2 to VMnet7. On Windows, you can also use VMnet19. On Linux, you
can also use vmnet10 through vmnet255.
Important If you reassign a physical network adapter to a different virtual network, any virtual machine
that used the original network is no longer bridged to the external network through that virtual network
and you must change the setting for each affected virtual machine network adapter individually. This
restriction can be especially problematic if the host system has only one physical network adapter and
you reassign it to a virtual network other than VMnet0. Even though the virtual network appears to bridge
to an automatically chosen adapter, the only adapter it can use was assigned to a different virtual
network.
Prerequisites
nFamiliarize yourself with bridged networking. See Configuring Bridged Networking for more
information.
nVerify that a physical network adapter is available on the host system. By default, the VMnet0 virtual
switch is set to use automatic bridging mode and bridges to all active physical network adapters on
the host system. You can make a physical network adapter available by restricting the physical
network adapters that are bridged to VMnet0. See Change Automatic Bridging Settings for more
information.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Click Add Network.
3Select a virtual switch.
Workstation Pro assigns a subnet IP address to the virtual network adapter.
4Select the new virtual network from the list and select Bridged (connect VMs directly to the
external network).
5From the Bridged to menu, select a physical adapter on the host system to bridge to.
Option Description
Automatic Workstation Pro automatically bridges the virtual network to all active physical
network adapters on the host system. The choice of which adapter to use is
arbitrary.
physical_adapter Bridge to a specific physical network adapter on the host system.
6(Optional) If you selected automatic bridging mode and you want to place restrictions on the physical
adapters that the virtual network adapter bridges to, click Automatic Settings and deselect one or
more physical adapters.
7Click OK to save your changes.
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What to do next
If you want to rename the new network to a name that is meaningful to you, see Rename a Virtual
Network.
Add a Host-Only Virtual Network
You can use the virtual network editor to set up multiple host-only virtual networks.
On Windows and Linux host systems, the first host-only network is set up automatically when you install
Workstation Pro. You might want to set up multiple host-only networks on the same computer in the
following situations.
nTo have two virtual machines connected to one host-only network, and other virtual machines
connected to another host-only network to isolate the network traffic on each network.
nTo test routing between two virtual networks.
nTo test a virtual machine that has multiple network interface cards, without using any physical network
adapters.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with host-only networking. See Configuring Host-Only Networking for more
information.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Click Add Network.
3Select a virtual switch.
On Windows and Linux hosts, the VMnet1 virtual switch is mapped to a host-only network by default.
Workstation Pro assigns a subnet IP address to the virtual network.
4Select the new virtual network from the list and select Host-only (connect VMs internally on a
private network).
5(Optional) To connect a physical network on the host system to the network, select Connect a host
virtual adapter to this network.
6(Optional) To use a local DHCP service to distribute IP addresses to virtual machines on the network,
select Use local DHCP service to distribute IP addresses to VMs.
7(Optional) (Windows hosts only) To customize DHCP settings if the network uses a local DHCP
service, click DHCP Settings.
8(Optional) To change the subnet IP address or subnet mask, modify the addresses in the Subnet IP
and Subnet mask text boxes.
9Click OK to save your changes.
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What to do next
If you want to rename the new network to a name that is meaningful to you, see Rename a Virtual
Network.
Rename a Virtual Network
With Workstation Pro on a Windows host system, you can rename a network you previously added to a
name that is meaningful to you.
You cannot change the name of a network in the following situations.
nOn a Linux host
nOn a network Workstation Pro created automatically, such as VMnet0. VMnet1, or VMnet8.
nOn a shared or remote virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Add a virtual network. See Add a Bridged Virtual Network or Add a Host-Only Virtual Network
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Select an added network.
The network must be one you added, not VMnet0. VMnet1, or VMnet8.
3Click Rename Network.
4Enter a new name and click OK.
The network is renamed.
Change Automatic Bridging Settings
When automatic bridging mode is configured, you can restrict the physical network adapters that a virtual
switch bridges to.
Procedure
1Start the virtual network editor on the host system.
Option Description
Windows host Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
Linux host Select Applications > System Tools > Virtual Network Editor. The menu path
might be different for your version of Linux. You can also start the network editor
from the command line by using the vmware-netcfg command.
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2Select the bridged network, and click Automatic Settings.
By default, a virtual switch bridges to all active network adapters on the host system when it is
configured for automatic bridging. The choice of which adapter to use is arbitrary.
To prevent a virtual switch from bridging to a particular physical network adapter, deselect the check
box for that host network adapter.
Change NAT Settings
You can change the gateway IP address, configure port forwarding, and configure advanced networking
settings for NAT networks.
Prerequisites
nOn a Windows host, log in as an Administrator user. Only an Administrator user can change network
settings in the virtual network editor.
nOn a Linux host, log in as root. You must enter the root password to use the virtual network editor.
Procedure
1Start the virtual network editor on the host system.
Option Description
Windows host Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
Linux host Select Applications > System Tools > Virtual Network Editor. The menu path
might be different for your version of Linux. You can also start the network editor
from the command line by using the vmware-netcfg command.
2Select the NAT network, and click NAT Settings.
By default, the NAT device is connected to the VMnet8 virtual switch. You can have only one NAT
virtual network.
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Table 13‑1. NAT Settings
Setting Description
Gateway IP The gateway IP address for the selected network.
Port Forwarding Add a port for port forwarding. With port forwarding, incoming TCP or UDP requests
are sent to a specific virtual machine on the virtual network that is served by the NAT
device.
Host port The number of the incoming TCP or UDP port. For
example, incoming HTTP requests are usually on port
80.
Virtual machine
IP address
The IP address of the virtual machine to which you want
to forward the incoming requests.
Virtual machine
port
The port number to use for requests on the specified
virtual machine. It may be the standard port, such as 80
for HTTP, or a nonstandard port if software running in the
virtual machine is configured to accept requests on a
nonstandard port.
Description (Optional) You can use this text box to identify the
forwarded service, for example, HTTP.
To change settings for an existing port, select its name and click Properties.
Allow active FTP Allow only passive mode FTP over the NAT device.
Allow any Organizationally
Unique Identifier
Select this setting if you change the organizationally unique identifier (OUI) portion of
the MAC address for the virtual machine and subsequently cannot use NAT with the
virtual machine.
UDP timeout (in seconds) Select the number of minutes to keep the UDP mapping for the NAT.
Config port Select the port to use to access status information about NAT.
Important Change this value only under the direction of VMware technical support.
Enable IPv6 Enable NAT to use an IPv6 address.
IPv6 Prefix If IPv6 is enabled, enter the IPv6 prefix that the NAT device uses.
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Table 13‑1. NAT Settings (Continued)
Setting Description
DNS Settings (Windows hosts only) Configure the DNS servers for the virtual NAT device to use.
Auto detect
available DNS
servers
Select this option to detect the available DNS servers. To
add a DNS server to the list, deselect this check box and
enter the IP address of the preferred and alternate DNS
servers in the Preferred DNS server text boxes.
Policy If you have multiple DNS servers, select the strategy for
choosing which server to send a request to. Order sends
one DNS request at a time in order of the name. Rotate
sends one DNS request at a time and rotates through the
DNS servers. Burst sends to three servers and waits for
the first server to respond.
Timeout (sec) Select the number of seconds to keep trying if the NAT
device cannot connect to the DNS server.
Retries Select the number of retries.
NetBios Settings (Windows hosts only) Select NBNS (NetBIOS Name Service) and NBDS (NetBIOS
Datagram Service) timeouts and retry settings.
Change DHCP Settings on a Windows Host
On a Windows host, you can change the range of IP addresses and the duration of DHCP licenses for
NAT and host-only networks that use a DHCP service to distribute IP addresses.
Procedure
1Select Edit > Virtual Network Editor.
2Select the NAT or host-only network, and click DHCP Settings
Table 13‑2. DHCP Settings
Setting Description
Start IP address and End IP address The range of IP addresses that the virtual DHCP service provides on the
selected virtual network.
Default lease time and Max lease time Select the duration of the DHCP leases that the DHCP service provides to
clients on the virtual network.
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Running the Support Script 14
VMware technical support might ask you to run the support script to gather information from the host
system or virtual machines running on the host system. For example, if a virtual machine exits abnormally
or fails, you can run the support script to collect the appropriate log files and system information. You can
run the support script from Workstation Pro, from a Windows command prompt, or from a Linux terminal
window.
Note The support script collects local data only. It does not collect data for remote hosts or for virtual
machines running on remote hosts.
To collect diagnostic information for VMware Tools, you must edit the tools.conf file. See the VMware
knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1010744 for more information.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nRegister and Create a Support Request
nRun the Support Script from Workstation Pro
nRun the Support Script from a Windows Command Prompt
nRun the Support Script from a Linux Terminal Window
Register and Create a Support Request
To report problems to VMware support, you create a support request.
Prerequisites
Locate your Workstation Pro license key. The license key is sent to you in an email message when you
register.
Procedure
1If you do not have a VMware account, select Help > Enter License Key > Register and follow the
instructions on the Web site.
2Select Help > Support > Submit Support Request to create a support request.
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Run the Support Script from Workstation Pro
You can run the support script from Workstation Pro to collect support data from the local host system or
from the local host system and selected virtual machines running on the local host system.
On a Linux host, the script displays messages that indicate that it cannot collect some information
because you are not logged in as root. If VMware technical support needs this information, a support
representative will ask you to run the script from a terminal window as root. See Run the Support Script
from a Linux Terminal Window.
Prerequisites
nCreate a support request. See Register and Create a Support Request.
nIncrease the level of logging. See Gathering Debugging Information.
nIf you plan to collect support data from specific virtual machines, verify that the latest version of
VMware Tools is installed and power on the virtual machines.
Procedure
1On the host system, select Help > Support > Collect Support Data in Workstation Pro.
Option Description
To collect data from the host system
and a virtual machine
Select the virtual machine and click Collect. You can select multiple virtual
machines.
To collect data only from the host
system
Deselect all virtual machines and click Collect.
On a Windows host, the support script creates a .ZIP file of the collected data and displays the file in
an open Windows Explorer window. Choose a directory location for the .ZIP file. On a Linux host, the
support script creates a compressed .TGZ file in your home directory.
2Add the .ZIP or .TGZ file to your support request.
Run the Support Script from a Windows Command
Prompt
On a Windows host system, you can run the support script from the Windows command prompt to collect
support data from the local host system.
Prerequisites
nCreate a support request. See Register and Create a Support Request
nIncrease the level of logging. See Gathering Debugging Information.
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Procedure
1Open a command prompt on the Windows host system and change to the VMware Workstation
directory.
For example: cd C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation
2Run the support script.
cscript vm-support.vbs
The script displays the name of the directory where it stores its output.
3Use a file compression utility to compress the script output directory.
4Include the zip file of the script output directory with your support request.
5If you are reporting a problem that occurred during Workstation Pro installation, include the
installation log file (VMInst.log) with your support request.
The installation log file is located in the Temp directory. On a Windows host, the default location is
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\temp.
Run the Support Script from a Linux Terminal Window
On a Linux host system, you can run the support script from a Linux terminal window to collect support
data from the local host system.
If you do not run the support script as root, the script displays messages that indicate that it cannot collect
some information. If the VMware support team needs this information, a support representative will ask
you to run the script as root.
Prerequisites
nCreate a support request. See Register and Create a Support Request
nIncrease the level of logging. See Gathering Debugging Information.
Procedure
1On the Linux host system, open a terminal window and run the support script as root or as the user
who is running the virtual machine.
vm-support
The script creates a compressed .TGZ file in the user’s home directory.
2Include the .TGZ file with your support request.
3If you are reporting a problem that occurred during Workstation Pro installation, include the
installation log file with your support request.
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Using the vmware Command 15
You can use the vmware command to run Workstation Pro from the command line on a Linux or Windows
host system.
This chapter includes the following topics:
nRun the vmware Command
nIncorporate Workstation Pro Startup Options in a Windows Shortcut
Run the vmware Command
You can run the vmware command on a Linux or Windows host system. You can type the command in a
Linux terminal window or at the Windows command prompt. You can also create scripts to run multiple
commands.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the vmware command options. See vmware Command Options.
Procedure
nTo run the vmware command on a Linux host system, use the following syntax.
/usr/bin/vmware [-n] [-x] [-X] [-t] [-q] [-s variable_name = value ] [-v]
[ path_to_vm .vmx] [http[s]:// path_to_vm .vmx] [X toolkit options]
nTo run the vmware command on a Windows host system, use the following syntax.
C:\Program Files(x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware.exe [-n] [-x] [-X] [-t] [-
q] [-s variable_name = value ] [-v] [ path_to_vm .vmx] [http[s]:// path_to_vm .vmx]
vmware Command Options
When you run the vmware command, you can specify certain options.
Table 15‑1. vmware Command Options
Option Description
-n Opens a new Workstation Pro window.
-t Opens a virtual machine in a new tab in the existing Workstation Pro window.
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Table 15‑1. vmware Command Options (Continued)
Option Description
-x Powers on the virtual machine when Workstation Pro starts. This option is
equivalent to clicking Power On in the Workstation Pro toolbar.
-X Powers on the virtual machine and switches the Workstation Pro window to full
screen mode.
-q Closes the virtual machine tab when the virtual machine powers off. If no other
virtual machine is open, it also exits Workstation Pro. This option is useful when the
guest operating system can power off the virtual machine.
-s Sets the specified variable to the specified value. You can specify at the command
line any variable names and values that are valid in the configuration file.
-v Displays the product name, version, and build number.
path_to_vm.vmx Launches a virtual machine by using the specified virtual machine configuration
(.vmx) file.
On Linux hosts, you can pass X toolkit options as arguments, such as --display and --geometry.
Some options, such as the size and title of the Workstation Pro window, cannot be overridden.
Incorporate Workstation Pro Startup Options in a
Windows Shortcut
The most convenient way to use vmware command options is to incorporate them into the command that
a Windows shortcut generates.
Prerequisites
Familiarize yourself with the vmware command options. See vmware Command Options.
Procedure
1Right-click the Workstation Pro shortcut and select Properties.
2In the Target text box, add any options to use after the vmware.exe command and enclose the entire
command string in quotation marks.
For example:
"C:\Program Files(x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware.exe -X
C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\Windows Me\Windows Me.vmx"
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Using VMware Workstation Pro
REST API 16
VMware Workstation Pro REST API allow you to interact programmatically with the core VMware
hypervisor and virtual machines.
Overview of Workstation Pro REST API
You can send standard GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE requests through HTTP and HTTPS to control
configuration and deployment options. For example, you can use VMware Workstation Pro REST API to
perform clone and power operations. You can perform network-related operations, such as to create and
update virtual NIC configurations and to retrieve IP addresses from the virtual machine. You can also
configure shared folders. Response payloads are delivered in JSON format.
Workstation Pro REST API Considerations
Keep the following considerations in mind when using the Workstation Pro REST API.
nVMware Workstation Pro REST API are available only for Workstation Pro.
nThe Workstation Pro REST API service depends on the vmrest process.
nThe vmrest service runs as the user who starts it. For example, on Windows hosts, as administrator,
you can use a terminal window to start the vmrest service. On Linux hosts, as the root user, you can
use the sudo vmrest command.
Use the VMware Workstation Pro REST API Service
You can access the VMware Workstation Pro REST API from a local machine or a remote machine.
Note To view the Workstation Pro API online, search VMware API Explorer for the appropriate version of
the Workstation Pro API.
Procedure
1Install Workstation Pro on your Windows or Linux host.
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2Before you start the REST API service the first time, set up your credentials.
a In a terminal window, run the appropriate command, depending on the operating system of the
host machine.
nOn Windows, change directories to the Workstation Pro installation folder, and run the
vmrest.exe -C command.
nOn Linux, run the vmrest -C command.
b Enter a user name and password as prompted.
You do not need to set up credentials when you start the REST API on subsequent occasions.
The user name and password are saved to the appropriate file.
Operating System File
Windows %USERPROFILE%\vmrest.cfg
Linux ~/.vmrestcfg
3Configure the REST API service for HTTP and HTTPS access.
You can configure the REST API service to provide HTTP access locally and HTTPS access both
locally and remotely.
nProvide HTTP service.
a In a terminal window, run the vmrest command.
The command returns the IP address and port number from which you can access the HTTP
service. The default IP address is 127.0.0.1:8697.
b Open a web browser and go to http://address-returned-by-vmrest-command.
c Click Authorize in the top-right corner of the Workstation Pro API Explorer page.
d Enter the user name and password you configured in Step 2.
nProvide HTTPS service.
To enable remote access to Workstation Pro REST API, you must configure the REST API
service to provide HTTPS service. In this situation, when you use the vmrest command to start
the REST API service, you must use the -c and -k options together to specify the certificate and
private key.
a In a terminal window, run a command to generate a certificate and a private key.
The example command that follows, generates a self-signed OpenSSL-based certificate and
a private key.
openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout workstationapi-key.pem -out
workstationapi-cert.pem -days 365 -nodes
b To start the Workstation Pro REST API service, run the command that follows. Replace the
placeholders with the full path to the certificate file, full path to the private key file, and the IP
address from which you want to serve the REST API.
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vmrest -c certificate-file -k private-key-file -i ip-address
The command returns the IP address and port number from which you can access the
HTTPS service.
c On a remote machine, open a web browser and go to https://address-returned-by-vmrest-
command.
d Click Authorize in the top-right corner of the Workstation Pro API Explorer page.
e Enter the user name and password you configured in Step 2.
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