Vmware Workstation – software, which is most often used to create virtual machines with various operating systems. The capabilities of this program are quite large.
Today we will look at the process of creating a virtual machine with the Windows operating system. A big advantage of the Vmware Workstation program is the ability to launch and work simultaneously with several virtual machines. The number of simultaneously running virtual machines is limited only by the hardware component of your computer and the parameters for allocating computer resources for the operation of these machines.
The program itself is not demanding on the hardware of your computer. 2 will be enough for you nuclear processor and 2 GB random access memory, but if you're going to be running multiple virtual machines at the same time, you might want to consider improving these settings.
Downloading and installing Vmware Workstation
First, we need to download and install the software.
You can download from the official website https://www.vmware.com/products/workstation-pro/workstation-pro-evaluation.html
When you go to the download page, you can choose which operating system you will use this software for.
After downloading, install it. 
After installation, launch the program. 
Now we can begin installing and configuring our virtual machine.
Creating and configuring a virtual machine
First, we need to prepare an image of the desired operating system that we want to install.
To create virtual machine, click on the “File” menu button and select “New virtual machine...”. 
After this, the window for creating and configuring a new virtual machine will open. In the window that opens, select “Custom (advanced)” and click the “Next >” button. 
The next window prompts you to select a version for hardware compatibility. This is necessary for installing long-term tools and programs, and selecting required parameters. We don’t need this, so we don’t select anything and click the “Next” button. 
The next step is to select the source (image) of our operating system.
If you want to install the operating system from a disk that you have, in this case, select the “Installation disk” item.
If you have an operating system image, then select the “Installation image file” item and press the “Browse” button. In the window that opens, select the image you need and click the “Open” button. The image file must be in the .iso extension. In our example we will produce Windows installation XP.
To install Windows 7/8/8.1/10 operating systems, you must enable the hardware virtualization option (Virtualization Technology) in the BIOS. This option is available for AMD and Intel based computers. Without activating this technology, these OSes cannot be launched.
After selecting the method we need, click the “Next” button. 
If you know the product key, then enter it in the window that opens in the line “Key Windows product“If you don’t know it, then simply fill in the fields we need (If a password is not needed, just leave this field empty). After filling in the required fields, click the “Next” button.
If the product key has not been entered, then during the simple installation process the system will prompt you to enter it. 
In the next window we set the name of our virtual machine, which will be displayed in the list of virtual machines. And select the directory where the virtual machine files will be located.
After completing the steps, we move on to the next step. 
The next window will be “Processor Configuration”.
Here you can select the necessary parameters for your processor resources that the running virtual machine will use.
As a standard, the program automatically selects the optimal processor parameters, but if they do not meet your requirements, you can determine them yourself by selecting the desired configuration manually.
After determining the necessary parameters, proceed to the next step and click the “Next” button.
It is worth noting that the more resources you give to a virtual machine, the less of them will be left for the work of other virtual machines or your operating system during its active operation.
In the Network Type window, you can configure the network settings for your virtual machine.
The Vmware Workstatio program allows you to fine-tune network access for a virtual machine.
- If you want to provide access to your machine from the Internet, you should select the first option “Use network bridge”. When using this option, you will need to set an external (white) IP address for your virtual machine.
- In order to use a virtual machine within the network and provide it with access to the Internet, you must select the second option “Use network address translation (NAT)”.
- If you want to limit access to the Internet and use the virtual machine purely on the internal network, you should select the third option “Use only the host network.”
- And the last option is to refuse to use network connection, when you select this item, your virtual machine will not have access to any network.
We need to choose the second option for normal work. After selecting the desired option, proceed to the next step. 
In the controller type selection window, select the driver for the SCSI controller.
To configure these parameters, you must first activate support for SCIS controllers in the BIOS, if it is not activated.
We will be given 3 types of drivers to choose from:
- BusLogic
- LSI Logic
- LSI Logic SAS
If you have knowledge about these drivers, then you should choose the one that supports your operating system. If you are not familiar with them, then we simply do nothing; the Vmware Workstatio program automatically selects the controller driver suitable for your operating system.
After selecting the driver, proceed to the next step. 
In the next window you need to select the type virtual disk.
The system will automatically determine the disk type suitable for your virtual machine and its operating system, but I recommend choosing SATA, since today this disk type is the fastest in comparison with others.
It is worth noting that some types of operating systems (quite old) will not be able to work on a SATA disk; in this case, you should choose another type of virtual disk that suits your OS, or simply trust the program, as it will automatically detect the required type.
After selecting the desired type, proceed to the next step. 
In this window we can select which disk to use to install our virtual machine.
- Create a new virtual disk – when you select this option, you can specify the folder and its size where the operating system of your virtual machine will be installed.
- Use an existing virtual disk – if you have previously created a virtual machine and want to repeat its virtual disk settings or simply reinstall it, then you can select this option and specify the folder of your old virtual machine.
- Use physical disk – this option should be selected if you want to use a separate local HDD for your virtual machine.
In our case, we select the first parameter and move on to the next step. 
In the next window you need to specify the size virtual hard disk.
The program will automatically indicate the appropriate size for your type of operating system, but if you need more or less, then indicate the size we need in the “Maximum disk size” field.
Please note that the size free space on your disk will be reduced by exactly the amount that you specify to reserve for the virtual machine. Make sure you have enough free space for comfortable work with programs and for the correct operation of the operating system.
After determining the size, move on to the next step. 
Specifying the drive file. We select where the file of our virtual disk for the virtual machine will be located. Press the “Browse…” button and specify the folder or create it. 
Now we've moved on to final stage settings of our virtual machine and its operating system.
In this window, we can once again view the list of all the parameters we have selected and, in case of adjustments, use the “Equipment settings...” button.
In the “Hardware Settings...” section, you can fine-tune the hardware parameters for your virtual machine or, if necessary, change previously set ones.
After installation, the system will start on its own.
Now we have a virtual machine to work with the Windows XP operating system. You can install other versions of Windows OS in the same way.
You can observe and launch all installed virtual machines on the left side of the program under the names that you gave them during installation. 
To go to configuring the parameters of an already installed virtual machine and its operating system Click right click mouse over the virtual machine and select “Settings...” from the drop-down menu.
After this, the options window will open. 
Removing a virtual machine
First of all, for this. To delete a virtual machine, you need to end the guest session.
To do this, right-click on the virtual machine, and in the drop-down menu, move the cursor to the “Power” item, then in the drop-down menu, select “Shut down guest OS”. The OS will shut down, after which we right-click on the virtual machine again and select “Delete”, agree to all pop-up windows.
This way you have completely removed the virtual machine and all its files from your computer.
Problems starting a virtual machine
If your virtual machine does not start, you should do the following.
- Examination BIOS settings(activation of virtualization technology and SCSI controller support)
- Reinstalling the operating system.
- Installing the system from another image or disk.
- Checking the virtual machine parameters (perhaps some parameters are not compatible with your OS).
- Examination hard drive for integrity.
- Computer diagnostics for operating system load.
- Disabling the Firewall.
- Check for malware.
If not a single method helps you, then you should carefully read the error that appears when you start the machine and understand what the problem is. Once you understand what the problem is, you can solve it by following the instructions described in the error.
Conclusion
By following the instructions described in the article, you can easily install, configure and run your virtual machine with the desired operating system.
The main thing during installation is to strictly follow the instructions in order to avoid future errors when starting and operating the virtual machine.
Also, do not forget to make preliminary settings in the BIOS for the correct operation of the Vmware Workstation program.
How to configure VMware Workstation and Server virtual machines to start when Windows startsArticle:
Many users of the VMware Workstation desktop platform and VMware Server would like to configure automatic start virtual machines when Windows starts, but before logging in. This is necessary so that if the computer is rebooted, the virtual machines would automatically “rise” and would not require administrator intervention.
To implement this, you will need to configure the virtual machine to run as a service. So, to get started you will need:
- Utility Instsrv.exe.
- Utility Srvany.exe.
All this can be obtained in a package (rktools.exe) downloaded from the Microsoft website.
Install this package and then copy instsrv.exe And srvany.exe to the catalog windows\system32. After this, you need to restart your computer.
Now find executable file VMware Workstation or Server (for example, c:\program files\vmware\vmware workstation\vmware.exe) and main configuration file virtual machine (for example, C:\mymachines\WinXp\winxp.vmx).
Instsrv vmware_winxp C:\windows\system32\srvany.exe, here vmware_winxp is the name of your new service.
After that, go to the registry editor (regedit.exe) and find this key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vmware_winxp
We create new key Parameters(to do this, right-click on the service name, then New->Key).
Create a new type value String Value in the key Parameters, as it shown on the picture:
Name the value Application.
Double-click on the value and in the field Value Data specify the path to VMware Workstation, the virtual machine startup key and the path to the virtual machine vmx file (don’t forget about the quotes):
"C:\program files\vmware\VMware Workstation\VMware.exe" –x "C:\mymachines\WinXp\winxp.vmx"
Now that you have created the service, you need to configure the startup options for it. To do this, run Start->Run and write services.msc.
You will see a list of available services. Find the vmware_winxp service you created and double-click on it. The service properties appear. Install on tab General startup type Automatic, go to the tab Log On. Here set the parameter Log on as meaning Local System account and be sure to check the box Allow service to interact with desktop.
Now you can test the autostart of the virtual machine by selecting from context menu service point Run. When starting a virtual machine, a request to change the unique identifier (UUID) may pop up; you need to select the item Create. In addition, you need to make sure that all unnecessary devices for the virtual machine are disabled (Virtual CD-ROM, floppy). Also add the following line to the vmx file to disable tooltips:
Hints.hideall="TRUE"
Now that's it - restart the computer and test the virtual machine autostart as a service.
Many users of the VMware Workstation desktop platform and the VMware Server server platform would like to configure virtual machines to automatically start when Windows starts, but before logging into the system. This is necessary so that if the computer is rebooted, the virtual machines would automatically “rise” and would not require administrator intervention.
To implement this, you will need to configure the virtual machine to run as a service. So, to get started you will need:
- Utility Instsrv.exe.
- Utility Srvany.exe.
All this can be obtained in a package (rktools.exe) downloaded from the Microsoft website.
Install this package and then copy instsrv.exe And srvany.exe to the catalog windows\system32. After this, you need to restart your computer.
Now find the VMware Workstation or Server executable file (for example, c:\program files\vmware\vmware workstation\vmware.exe) and the main configuration file of the virtual machine (for example, C:\mymachines\WinXp\winxp.vmx).
Instsrv vmware_winxp C:\windows\system32\srvany.exe, here vmware_winxp is the name of your new service.
After that, go to the registry editor (regedit.exe) and find this key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vmware_winxp
Create a new key Parameters(to do this, right-click on the service name, then New->Key).
Create a new type value String Value in the key Parameters, as it shown on the picture:
Name the value Application.
Double-click on the value and in the field Value Data specify the path to VMware Workstation, the virtual machine startup key and the path to the virtual machine vmx file (don’t forget about the quotes):
"C:\program files\vmware\VMware Workstation\VMware.exe" –x "C:\mymachines\WinXp\winxp.vmx"
Now that you have created the service, you need to configure the startup options for it. To do this, run Start->Run and write services.msc.
You will see a list of available services. Find the vmware_winxp service you created and double-click on it. The service properties appear. Install on tab General startup type Automatic, go to the tab Log On. Here set the parameter Log on as meaning Local System account and be sure to check the box Allow service to interact with desktop.
Now you can test the autostart of the virtual machine by selecting the item from the service context menu Run. When starting a virtual machine, a request to change the unique identifier (UUID) may pop up; you need to select the item Create. In addition, you need to make sure that all unnecessary devices for the virtual machine are disabled (Virtual CD-ROM, floppy). Also add the following line to the vmx file to disable tooltips:
Hints.hideall=”TRUE”
Now that's it - restart the computer and test the virtual machine autostart as a service.
In this article you will learn how to install and configure a VMware Workstation Pro virtual machine. Setting up VMware is easy and to the average user It will be easy to install the program and configure the necessary parameters.
Files for downloading - , you can also download from . After downloading and unzipping the program, install it on your PC.
Run VMware as administrator.
Click Install to install the program on your PC. Launch the crack that is in your archive and click "Install".
Click "Create a new virtual machine".
Select a custom installation.
Check the box to install the operating system later. In another tab, select the desired OS for which you want to create a virtual machine.
Set the name of the virtual machine and select the installation location. In the next window, don’t touch anything and click “Next”.
In the first window we distribute the number of cores for the virtual OS, in the second the amount of RAM. Don't allocate more resources than your physical PC's hardware can handle. Try to leave at least 2GB of RAM for your main system.
Leave the “Use network address translation (NAT)” checkbox, in the next window we don’t touch anything, everything will be installed automatically, click “Next”.
“Do not touch the selection of disk type”, select “Create a new virtual disk” in the next window.
We save the disk in one file.
Open the "Hardware Settings" tab.
Go to the "Processor" menu - check the "Virtual Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI" item.
Go to the "New CD/DVD" menu and check the "ISO image file" item, click "Browse" and select the one downloaded from the Internet ISO image operating system.
VMware Workstation is a virtual machine for running operating systems installed on a computer. Virtual VMware machine emulates Hardware computer, allows you to create virtual machines, run one or more operating systems running in parallel with Windows installed on the computer.
The VMware Workstation Pro program emulates computer hardware and allows you to run software on your computer in an isolated environment. You can install operating systems on a virtual machine (for example, Linux on Windows, or vice versa) to work in a virtual environment without affecting the real system.
Check unfamiliar or suspicious software, test a new antivirus without installing it on your computer, try it on a different operating system, etc. In this case, the real operating system will not be affected in the event of dangerous actions performed on the virtual machine.
The actual operating system installed on the computer is called the host, and the operating system installed on the virtual machine is called the guest operating system.
The American company Vmware is the largest manufacturer of virtualization software, produces programs for personal computers: paid VMware Workstation Pro and free VMware Player with reduced capabilities.
VMware Workstation Pro (there is a review of this program in the article) supports the installation of several different (or identical) operating systems: various distributions of Windows, Linux, BSD, etc.
Please note that the guest operating system consumes computer resources. Therefore, while the virtual machine is running, real computer You should not run resource-intensive applications, or open several virtual machines at once. The more powerful the computer, the more comfortable it is to work on a virtual machine. On powerful computers Several virtual machines will work simultaneously without problems, but on a weak one, only one virtual machine.
Install VMware Workstation Pro on your computer. By default, the program runs on English language, there is a good Russification on the Internet from Loginvovchyk, which needs to be installed after installing the program. After this, the VMware Workstation Pro virtual machine will work in Russian.
After launch, the main VMware Workstation window will open. At the top of the window there is a menu for managing the program. On the left is the “Library”, which will display the virtual machines installed in VMware. The “Home” tab contains buttons for performing the most frequently required actions: “Create a new virtual machine”, “Open a virtual machine”, “Connect to a remote server”, “Connect to Vmware vCloud Air”.
Creating a new virtual machine
To create a virtual machine (VM), click on the “Create a new virtual machine” button, or go to the “File” menu, select “New virtual machine...”.
The New Virtual Machine Wizard will open. In the first window, select the configuration type “Typical (recommended)”, and then click on the “Next” button.
The next window prompts you to select the type of installation of the guest OS; three options are available:
- installation from installation DVD disc inserted into the computer's disk drive
- use to install a system image file in ISO format from a computer
- installing the operating system later
If you select the first two options, after selecting the settings, the installation of the operating system on the virtual machine will begin. In the third case, the installation of the guest OS can be started at any other convenient time, after completing the setup of the virtual machine.
If installing later, select the guest operating system. If it is not in the list, select “Other”. Then select your OS version. A large selection of versions is offered for each system (more than 200 OS are supported); there is also an Other option of various bit depths (34-bit and 64-bit).
If you are installing a guest system while creating a virtual machine, then a window will open with information about quick installation. You do not need to enter a Windows product key or password; you only need to select the Windows version.
If your computer has more than one logical drive, then I recommend changing the location where the virtual machine files are stored in the user profile (default setting) to another drive on your computer.
What is it for? If Windows installed on your computer fails, you will need to reinstall the system. After reinstalling the operating system, the VMware virtual machine file saved in the user profile on system disk, will be lost. If the virtual machine is not located on the system disk, then reinstalling Windows will not affect it.
To reuse, you will need to install the VMware Workstation program and then connect the virtual machine. You don't have to install and configure everything again.
Therefore, on drive “E” (in your case, it will most likely be drive “D”) of my computer, I created a folder “Virtual Machines”, in which folders with files of virtual machines installed on my computer are saved.
For a new virtual machine, create a folder with the name of this VM in order to separate its files from other VMs.
Next, you need to select the maximum disk size occupied by the virtual machine (by default - 60 GB, the size can be changed), the type of saving the virtual disk: in one file, or in several files. This size will be taken from your computer's hard drive for the virtual machine's needs.
When saving a virtual disk in one file, the VM works more efficiently than when divided into several files.
In the final window, click on the “Finish” button. After this, the installation of the guest operating system will begin.
If you selected the option to install the operating system later, then in this window there will be no option “Enable this virtual machine after it is created”, and therefore the installation of the guest system will not begin.
Setting up a VMware virtual machine
By default, the virtual machine is configured optimally for most cases. If necessary, you can change some settings and also add shared folders.
In the settings, in the “Hardware” tab, you can change the amount of memory for this virtual machine, the number of processor cores, and the amount of hard disk occupied by the virtual machine. In the “CD/DVD (SATA)” section, you can select a disk drive or operating system image file for installation (if you select installation later), and make other settings.
In the “Settings” tab, in the “Shared folders” section, select the “Always on” setting, activate the “Connect as” option network drive in guest Windows."
Next, click on the “Add…” button in the Add Shared Folder Wizard window, create a shared folder for exchanging data with the real system and other guest systems. Shared folder It is advisable to create it not on the system disk for the reasons described above.
I already have such a folder on my computer (Data Sharing). I chose this folder for the new virtual machine. Next, enable this resource.
The default settings allow dragging, pasting and copying of files from real to virtual system, and in the opposite direction.
Opening a virtual machine
After Windows reinstallation(my case), you can open previously created virtual machines saved on your computer. In the main window of VMware Workstation, click on the “Open virtual machine” button, or in the “File” menu, select “Open...”.
Select the file (on my computer, virtual machines are in the “Virtual Machines” folder) of the virtual machine, and then click on the “Open” button.
On my computer, I opened previously saved virtual operating systems: Windows 10 x64, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Mac OS X.
Running a Guest OS in VMware Workstation
To launch a guest operating system, in the VMware Workstation Pro program window, select the tab with the desired OS (if several guest OSes are installed), and then click on the “Enable virtual machine” button. You can turn on the system from the menu “Virtual machine”, “Power”, “Start virtual machine”.
Installing VMware Tools
VMware Tools is a package of drivers and services that improve the operation of the virtual machine and its interaction with peripheral devices. Immediately after installing the operating system on the virtual machine, you need to install VMware Tools. A reminder about this will appear in the program window.
In the “Virtual Machine” menu, select “Install VMware Tools package...”. Next, open Explorer and run the installation of VMware Tools from the CD-ROM drive. Once the package installation is complete, reboot the guest operating system.
Guest OS Snapshots
In VMware Workstation, you can create a snapshot of the guest OS. After creating a snapshot of the system state, in case of failures in the guest OS, you can return to the previous operating state of the system.
In the “Virtual Machine” menu, click on the “Create Snapshot” item. Next, give the photo a name and add a description if necessary.
To restore the state of the guest OS at the time the snapshot was taken, select “Return to snapshot: Snapshot N” from the context menu. Next, restore the system state. The current state of the OS will be lost.
The created snapshots can be managed through the Snapshot Manager: create, clone, delete snapshots. The menu bar has three buttons for managing system snapshots.
Disabling a virtual machine
To exit the virtual machine, in the “Virtual Machine” menu, click on the “Power” context menu item, and then select “Shut down guest OS”. The operating system will shut down as if you were shutting down your computer normally.
When you select the “Suspend guest OS” option, the system will pause its operation without disabling services and applications.
Removing a virtual machine
To remove a virtual machine, open the tab for that virtual machine in VMware Workstation Pro. In the “Virtual Machine” menu, select the “Manage” context menu item, and then select “Remove from disk”. In the warning window, agree to deletion (this is an irreversible action).
After this, all files of the guest virtual machine will be deleted from the computer.
Conclusion
VMware Workstation Pro virtual machine is a powerful application for creating guest virtual operating systems that run on a computer along with the real OS. The guest operating system will be isolated from the Windows installed on the computer.