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 Installing VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine

Installing VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine

VMware Tools for Windows guest operating systems supports Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

The details of how you install VMware Tools depends on the version of Windows you are running. The following steps show how to install VMware Tools in a Windows 2000 guest operating system. Some steps that are automated in newer versions of Windows must be performed manually in Windows 9x and Windows NT.

Note: If you are running GSX Server for Windows and your virtual machine has only one CD-ROM drive, the CD-ROM drive must be configured as an IDE or SCSI CD-ROM drive. It cannot be configured as a generic SCSI device.

To add an IDE or SCSI CD-ROM drive, see Adding, Configuring and Removing Devices in a Virtual Machine. For information about generic SCSI, see Connecting to a Generic SCSI Device.

Installing VMware Tools in a Windows Guest Operating System

Installing VMware Tools in a Windows Guest Operating System

  1. Power on the virtual machine.

  2. When the guest operating system starts, prepare your virtual machine to install VMware Tools.

    Choose Settings > VMware Tools Install.

    The remaining steps take place inside the virtual machine.

  3. If you have auto-run enabled in your guest operating system (the default setting for Windows operating systems), a dialog box appears after a few seconds. It asks if you want to install VMware Tools. Click Yes to launch the InstallShield wizard.

    If autorun is not enabled, the dialog box does not appear automatically. If it does not appear, run the VMware Tools installer. Click Start > Run and enter D:\setup\setup.exe where D: is your first virtual CD-ROM drive.

    Note: You do not use an actual CD-ROM to install VMware Tools, nor do you need to download the CD-ROM image or burn a physical CD-ROM of this image file. The GSX Server software contains an ISO image that looks like a CD-ROM to your guest operating system and even appears as a CD-ROM in Windows Explorer. This image contains all the files needed to install VMware Tools in your guest operating system. When you finish installing VMware Tools, this image file no longer appears in your CD-ROM drive.

    Click to see full-size image

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

  5. On Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 guests, the SVGA driver is installed automatically and the guest operating system uses it after it reboots.

Additional Steps for Some Versions of Windows When Migrating from Old Disk Versions

Additional Steps for Some Versions of Windows When Migrating from Old Disk Versions

If you are migrating a GSX Server 1 disk to GSX Server 2 and your guest operating system is Windows NT, Windows Me, Windows 98 or Windows 95, you need to configure the video driver by hand. Instructions open automatically in Notepad at the end of the installation process. If the Notepad window is hidden, bring it to the front by clicking the Notepad button on the Windows taskbar.

For details, see the steps that correspond to your guest operating system.

Windows NT

Windows NT

  1. After installing VMware Tools, click Finish. The Display Properties dialog box appears.

  2. Click the Display Type button. The Display Type dialog box appears.

  3. Click the Change button. The Change Display dialog box appears.

  4. Select VMware, Inc. from the Manufacturer list.

  5. Select VMware SVGA II as the display adapter and click OK.

  6. Click Yes in response to the on-screen question about third-party drivers to install the driver, then click OK to confirm the drivers were installed.

  7. Click Close from the Display Type dialog box, then click Close from the Display Properties dialog box.

  8. Click Yes to restart Windows NT and start using the new video driver.

  9. The VMware Tools background application is launched automatically when you reboot your virtual machine.

Windows Me

Windows Me

  1. After installing VMware Tools, click Finish. The Display Settings dialog box appears.

  2. Click the Advanced button.

  3. Click the Adapter tab.

  4. Click the Change button. This starts the Update Device Driver Wizard.

  5. The wizard presents two options. Choose the second option to Specify the location of the driver.

    Click Next.

  6. Check the Specify a location checkbox. Enter the following path:

    D:\video\win9x

    D: is the drive letter for the first virtual CD-ROM drive in your virtual machine.

    Click OK.

  7. Windows Me automatically locates your driver.

  8. Select the VMware SVGA II display adapter and click Next.

  9. Click Next to install the driver.

    If you are upgrading a virtual machine created under GSX Server 1, you may see a dialog box that warns, "The driver you are installing is not specifically designed for the hardware you have.... Do you wish to continue?" Click Yes.

    After the driver is installed, click Finish.

  10. Click Yes to restart Windows Me and start using the new video driver.

  11. The VMware Tools background application starts automatically when you reboot your virtual machine.

Windows 98

Windows 98

  1. After installing VMware Tools, click Finish. The Display Settings dialog box appears.

  2. Click the Advanced button. The Standard Display Adapter (VGA) Properties dialog box appears. If you are upgrading from a previous version of the VMware drivers, this dialog box is titled VMware SVGA Properties.

  3. Click the Adapter tab.

  4. Click the Change button. This starts the Update Device Driver Wizard. Click Next.

  5. The wizard presents two options. Choose the option to Display a list of all drivers in a specific location. Click Next.

  6. Select Have Disk. The Install From Disk dialog box appears.

  7. Enter the following path:

    D:\video\win9x

    D: is the drive letter for the first virtual CD-ROM drive in your virtual machine.

    Click OK.

  8. Select VMware SVGA II display adapter and click OK.

  9. Answer Yes to the on-screen question, then click Next to install the driver. After the driver is installed, click Finish.

  10. Click Close in the SVGA Properties dialog box, then click Close in the Display Settings dialog box.

  11. Click Yes to restart Windows 98 and start using the new video driver.

  12. The VMware Tools background application starts automatically when you reboot your virtual machine.

Windows 95

Windows 95

  1. After installing VMware Tools, click Finish. The Display Settings dialog box appears.

  2. Click the Advanced Properties button. The Advanced Display Properties dialog box appears.

  3. Click the Change button. The Select Device dialog box appears.

  4. Select Have Disk.

  5. Enter the following path:

    D:\video\win9x

    D: is the drive letter for the first virtual CD-ROM drive in your virtual machine.

    Click OK.

  6. Click OK again to install the driver.

  7. Click Close from the Advanced Display Properties dialog box, then click Close from the Display Setting dialog box.

  8. Click Yes to restart Windows 95 and start using the new video driver.

  9. The VMware Tools background application starts automatically when you reboot your virtual machine.

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