Workstation Pro
Leading Edge PC Virtualization
VMware Workstation Pro transforms the way technical professionals develop, test, demonstrate and deploy software by running multiple x86-based operating systems simultaneously on the same PC. Built on 15 years of virtualization excellence and winner of more than 50 industry awards, Workstation Pro gives users unmatched operating system support, a rich user experience and incredible performance.
Workstation Pro Overview
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Read the LatestWHAT'S NEW
Built for Microsoft Windows 10 And More
Workstation 12 Pro is the best way to evaluate and test Windows 10 with your existing Windows or Linux PC. In a few simple steps, you can easily install Windows 10 in a virtual machine from a disk or ISO image using the Workstation Virtual Machines Wizard. With Workstation 12 Pro, you can start taking advantage of new features like Cortana the personal digital assistant, inking capabilities in the new Edge web browser, or even start building Universal Apps for Windows 10 devices. You can even ask Cortana to launch VMware Workstation right from Windows 10.
Ready for the Latest Hardware
Take advantage of the latest Intel based tablets with Workstation virtual tablets sensors. Leverage the latest Microsoft Surface tablets with Workstation’s virtual accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and ambient light sensor to enable applications running in the virtual machines to respond when a user moves, rotates and shakes their tablet. Whether you are running on a laptop, tablet, or desktop, Workstation 12 Pro supports the latest Intel 64-bit x86 processors, including the Broadwell and Haswell microarchitecture for maximum performance.
State of the Art Performance
Display Powerful 3D Graphics
Workstation 12 Pro now supports DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3, delivering a more fluid and responsive experience when running 3D applications. You now have access to all the applications that require Direct X10 such as Microsoft’s Power Map tool for Excel, allowing you to visualize data in a whole new dimension. In addition, Workstation makes running highly demanding 3D applications like AutoCAD or SOLIDWORKS a snap in a virtual machine.
Enhanced Connectivity
Workstation 12 Pro takes advantage of the latest hardware supporting HD audio with 7.1 surround sound, USB 3.0, and Bluetooth devices making it easy to get your new webcam, headset, or printer connected in a virtual machine. Workstation 12 Pro now supports USB 3.0 in Windows 7 besides Windows 8 for ultra-fast file transfers with external storage devices. In addition Workstation 12 Pro improves performance of Skype or Lync conference calls within guest virtual machines so you can conduct crystal clear conference calls from your virtual machines.
Ready for High Resolution Displays
Workstation 12 Pro has been optimized to support high resolution 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) displays for Desktops and QHD+ (3200x1800) displays used in laptops and x86 tablets providing you with a crisp and detailed experience. Workstation 12 Pro now supports multiple monitors on the host with different DPI settings so you can run your brand new 4K UHD display along with your existing 1080P HD display.
Build Virtual Networks
With improved IPv6 support, including IPv6-to-IPv4 Network Address Translation (6to4 and 4to6), users can create more complex networking topologies. Add and remove virtual IPv4 or IPv6 networks and create custom virtual networking configurations, ideal for testing and demonstration environments that don’t impact the PC’s network configuration.
User Interface
Get powerful control over how to set up and interact with virtual machines whether running them locally on your PC or in the cloud. The Workstation 12 Pro interface includes simplified menus, live thumbnails, tabs, preferences screens and a virtual machine library with search capability allowing you to quickly view and access you virtual machines. Tear away a virtual machine tab to the desktop and create a whole new Workstation instance to work with multiple virtual machines.
Expiring Virtual Machines
For workers assigned to short-term projects, temporary employees, or for a software evaluation, create restricted virtual machines that can expire at a predefined date and time. When powered on, the virtual machine will query the server at specified time intervals, storing the current system time in the restricted virtual machine's policy file as the last trusted timestamp. An expired virtual machine will automatically suspend and will not restart without administrator intervention.
Create Powerful Virtual Machines
With Workstation 12 Pro, you can create virtual machines with up to 16 vCPUs, 8 TB virtual disks, and 64 GB of memory to run the most demanding desktop and server applications in a virtualized environment. Give graphics-intensive applications an additional boost by allocating up to 2GB of video memory to a virtual machine.
Leverage the Power of vSphere and vCloud Air
Workstation 12 Pro provides connections to VMware vSphere and vCloud Air service allowing you to extend and scale your virtual machines in the cloud. Work with local and server-hosted virtual machines side by side for optimal flexibility and leverage resources beyond the power of a single PC. Seamlessly drag and drop virtual machines between your PC and your internal cloud running vSphere, ESXi or another instance of Workstation. Connect to vCloud Air and upload, run and view virtual machines right from the Workstation 12 Pro interface. You can even power on/off or suspend/resume virtual machines, saving extra steps and time.
Protect Your Work and Save Time
The Snapshot feature preserves the state of a virtual machine so you can return to it at any time. Duplicating Workstation virtual machines is easy using the clone feature, which allows you to make unlimited copies of a virtual machine right from the baseline installation and configuration. Linked clones are an even quicker, easier and more efficient way to duplicate complex setups for testing and custom demos. Linked clones make a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine and take significantly less disk space than a full clone.
Run Restricted Virtual Machines
Create and control policies around your virtual machines and deliver applications to end-users in a Workstation 12 restricted virtual machine container. Protect corporate content by restricting access to Workstation virtual machine settings like drag and drop, copy and paste, and connecting USB devices. Additionally virtual machines can be encrypted and password-protected to ensure that unauthorized users are unable to tamper with the corporate virtual machines settings. Workstation 12 Pro improves the performance of encrypted VMs during suspend and resume operations with up to 3x faster performance over previous versions of Workstation.
Virtual Machine Cross Compatibility
Workstation 12 Pro provides compatibility across the VMware product portfolio and across different platforms. With Workstation 12 Pro you can create virtual machines that can run across the VMware product portfolio or create restricted virtual machines that can be used in Horizon FLEX, Fusion Pro, and Workstation Player.
FEATURES
Desktop Virtualization for Windows and Linux
VMware Workstation Pro replicates server, desktop and tablet environments in a virtual machine. Run applications on multiple operating systems including Linux, Windows and more at the same time on the same PC without rebooting. Evaluate new operating systems like Windows 10, test software applications, patches and reference architectures in an isolated and safe environment.
Create Powerful Virtual Machines
With the ability to allocate multiple processor cores, gigabytes of main memory, and graphics memory to each virtual machine, Workstation Pro maximizes your computer’s resources to run the most demanding applications in a virtual environment. Workstation Pro even lets you run virtual ESXi hosts and vSphere appliances, letting you create an entire Software Defined Data Center right on your desktop.
From the PC to the Cloud
Seamlessly access all the virtual machines you need, regardless of where they reside, from the PC to the cloud. Simply drag and drop to move your virtual machines from your PC to the private cloud with VMware vSphere or the public cloud with vCloud Air. By leveraging the hybrid cloud you can quickly migrate and scale your workloads while reducing complexity and maintaining compatibility.
Take Control of Your Virtual Machines
Workstation Pro gives technical professionals powerful controls over how to set up and interact with virtual machines. Choose from a wide variety of options for installing, protecting, connecting, sharing and viewing virtual machines to save valuable time. You can even create virtual machines that are encrypted, require a change of password and expire at a predefined date and time. Use the virtual network editor to build up to 20 custom virtual networks for connected multi-tier applications. Leverage the Snapshot feature to preserve the state of a virtual machine so you can return to it at any time.
Share Your Virtual Machines
Sharing a virtual machine is the quickest way to share and test applications with your team in a more production like environment. Run VMware Workstation Pro as a server to share a repository of pre-loaded virtual machines in every desired configuration with your teammates, department or organization.
VMware Workstation is Designed For
IT professionals to safely test patch deployments, system upgrades and migrations in isolated sandbox environments on a single PC. Systems engineers and other technical sales professionals because it gives them the power to demonstrate an entire virtual network environment—including clients, servers and database virtual machines—all on a single PC. Software developers rely on Workstation Pro integration with Visual Studio, Eclipse and other tool suites to streamline the development and debugging of their applications in multiple operating systems and environments.
RESOURCES
Technical Resources
Workstation Community
TECH SPECS
Host Operating Systems (64-bit)
- Windows 10
- Windows 8
- Windows 7
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows Server 2008
- Ubuntu 8.04 and above
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 & above
- CentOS 5.0 and above
- Oracle Linux 5.0 and above
- open SUSE 10.2 and above
- SUSE Linux 10 and above
Guest Operating Systems
- Windows 10
- Windows 8.X
- Windows 7
- Windows XPUbuntu
- RedHat
- SUSE
- Oracle Linux
- Debian
- Fedora
- openSUSE
- Mint
- CentOS
- Solaris, FreeBSD, & various other Linux Distros
FAQS
Product
See AllHow does VMware Workstation Pro work?
VMware Workstation Pro works by creating fully isolated, secure virtual machines that encapsulate an operating system and its applications. The VMware virtualization layer maps the physical hardware resources to the virtual machine's resources, so each virtual machine has its own CPU, memory, disks, and I/O devices, and is the full equivalent of a standard x86 machine. VMware Workstation Pro installs onto the host operating system and provides broad hardware support by inheriting device support from the host.
What types of applications can I run in a virtual machine?
Any application that will run on a standard PC will run inside a virtual machine on VMware Workstation Pro. VMware Workstation Pro is the equivalent of a full PC, with full networking and devices — each virtual machine has its own CPU, memory, disks, I/O devices, etc. This allows you to run any application that runs on the supported guest operating systems, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Apache Web Server, Microsoft Visual Studio, Kernel debuggers, Firewalls, VPN software and much more.
Do I need to dual boot or repartition the disk?
No. VMware Workstation Pro uses your computer's file system and creates files that map to a virtual machine's disk drives, so there is no need to create a partition for each operating system. If you already have another operating system with dual boot installed on your computer, you can use VMware Workstation Pro to run the other operating system in a virtual machine on your host operating system. Instead of dual booting, you can run both operating systems simultaneously and seamlessly switch from one operating system to another with a click of your mouse.
How is each operating system installed?
Once you have installed VMware Workstation Pro, you "configure" a virtual machine by assigning it memory, disk, ports, and networking. You then power on that virtual machine with the operating system installation CD or ISO image. The virtual machine will boot, and the operating system will start its normal install procedure.
Installation
See AllWhat kind of hardware do I need to run VMware Workstation Pro?
VMware Workstation Pro runs on standard x86-based hardware with 64-bit Intel and AMD processors and on 64-bit Windows or Linux host operating systems. VMware recommends 1.2 GB of available disk space for the application. Additional hard disk space required for each virtual machine. Please refer to vendors recommended disk space for specific guest operating systems.
Does Workstation 12 Pro support 32-bit operating systems?
Workstation 12 Pro requires a 64-bit operating system on the host PC. You can still run your favorite 32-bit Windows and Linux guest operating systems inside a virtual machine on Workstation 12 Pro. If you plan to run 64-bit virtual machines with VMware Workstation Pro, please refer to the Knowledge Base article on compatible 64-bit CPUs.
What if I still need to run Workstation on a 32-bit Host?
Workstation 10 is the last version that supports either a 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems running on the host PC. However you can purchase Workstation 12 and downgrade to Workstation 10 via the My VMware Portal - please reference knowledge base article "How to downgrade license keys in My VMware"
What guest operating systems are supported by VMware Workstation Pro?
VMware Workstation 12 Pro supports hundreds of 32-bit and 64-bit guest operating systems from Microsoft DOS through Windows 10, Windows NT Server through Windows Server 2012 R2, Ubuntu 15.04, various other flavors of Linux. See the VMware Compatibility Guide for a complete list of supported host and guest operating systems.
Downloads and Trials
See AllHow can I download VMware Workstation Pro?
You can download VMware Workstation Pro software from the Workstation Pro Download page.
Can I convert my trial license to a permanent license?
After the evaluation period has expired, you will be prompted to enter a license key. If you have purchased the product you will have received a new license key. Enter the purchased license key when prompted to unlock the full "unlimited" version of the software. To take advantage of complimentary email support for up to 30 days, your license key must be registered. If you purchased the product from the VMware Online store, your license key is automatically registered. If you purchased from a reseller, you need to manually register your license key in My VMware. Please consult this KB article for detailed instructions on license key registration.
Licensing and Upgrades
See AllWhat if I purchased VMware Workstation 11 without a Support and Subscription (SnS) contract before July 29, 2015?
Customers who purchased VMware Workstation 11 before July 29, 2015 without an SnS contract are not eligible for a complimentary upgrade to VMware Workstation 12 Pro and need to purchase an upgrade to Workstation 12 Pro to fully enjoy the benefits of the latest version of the product.
How do I purchase Workstation 12 Pro upgrades?
VMware Workstation 12 Pro upgrades are available for purchase on the VMware online store or through VMware resellers.
IMPORTANT: When you install a new version of Workstation, the previous version will be uninstalled from your system. Therefore, we recommend that you proceed with the upgrade only if you have a new license key. Your existing virtual machines will not be affected.
I have an active SnS contract for VMware Workstation. When can I expect to receive the new version?
Customers with an active support and subscription (SnS) contract with an end date on or after General Availability are eligible for a free upgrade. Follow the instructions provided in this KB article to upgrade your license key(s).
After receiving your new license key(s), you can download VMware Workstation 12 Pro from the Workstation Pro Download Page.
Upgrades will be available on My VMware shortly after VMware Workstation 12 Pro becomes publicly available.
What if I have an older version of VMware Workstation, am I eligible to buy an upgrade?
Customers with older VMware Workstation versions (1.x through 9.x) will need to purchase a new license.
Support
See AllWhen does complimentary support start?
Complimentary support starts when your VMware Workstation Pro license is registered. Registration takes place automatically if you purchase your product from the VMware Online store. If you purchased from a reseller, you need to register your license in My VMware. Please consult this KB article for detailed instructions on license key registration.
What is the support period for VMware Workstation Pro?
VMware Workstation follows the Personal Desktop lifecycle policy. Please refer to our lifecycle policies for detailed information and end of support dates.