Need help with VMware Player

[FireFox]

Hi people

Are any of you familiar with VMware player? I want to run it on my one pc that is the "workhorse" but I'm struggling to get it running.

VMware Player 3.1.3
OS Win 7 Ultimate
Motherboard MSI 790FX-GD70
Phenom II X2 BE with cores unlocked
RAM 4GB

Before anyone suggest I use Windows XP Mode with Windows Virtual PC, it stopped working on the system and only ran in 16bit color that defied the purpose I intended its use for

First I couldn't install VMware but found the bypass to get the program installed

* renamed the exe
* launched it with dos cmd myexe.exe /z "action"="install"

Now I'm sitting with VMware player installed but it still doesn't want to startup so that I can convert XP Mode into it

[EDIT] Okay this part is sorted after re-initiating XP Mode in VMware and getting the same problem it would seem that I only needed to reboot the pc [/EDIT[
I know that this works as I've done this on my Gaming pc as a test and I got everything up and running real easy, that is until I told the Virtual system to power down. Now when it starts up XP and gives me the login screen and I can't log in as the keyboard and mouse doesn't seem work . In this regards it would seem I have two options to try.

1) get the update for VMware Tools for Windows 2000 and later version 8.4.5 but the download always seem to bail out after 30% or so as this will allow me to enter the autologin credential.
2) reinstall XP mode into VMware player and just let it hibernate on exit till I can get the above sorted

BTW gaming machine details

VMware Player 3.1.3
OS Win 7 Ultimate
Motherboard ASUS P7P55D-E
Core i7 860
RAM 4GB

I'll continue google'ing this and see if I can't find some more info but I just thought I'd asked in the meantime as well as I'm yet to get this working and its getting frustrating.

Thanks in advance

[captain_twinkie]

I use VMware player all the time.

Have you tried opening your VM in full screen? I have seen sometimes that the if its windowed it may not work, also are you using a wireless mouse and keyboard? There might be a chance it may not be working.

And just to make sure I am understanding correctly, did you create a new VM? or did you try to import your virtual pc install into vmware player? if that is the case, you may need to attempt to load into safe mode and remove any tools or drivers from virtual player. Which to me its just easier to create a new VM.

[FireFox]

Okay this is annoying as I'm stuck again with no keyboard and mouse when I enter the Virtual machine.

I know I managed to get into full screen mode before, by accident, but for the life of me I can't find the setting to open VMware run in full screen mode. Please bare in mind I'm totally new to this program. BTW I managed to fubar everything so I'm currently reintegrating XP mode My first two attempts I was stuck as the keyboard and mouse didn't want to work but the third time round I found a setting under Virtual Machine Settings > Options > Virtual Keyboard (use enhanced virtual keyboard). I ticked that and low and behold the keyboard and mouse now works on my attempt at "reloading" XP Mode.

What I'm doing is I'm integrating XP Mode that you download from microsoft that you get when you want to run their Virtual PC but I'm just using VMware instead.

So it would seem I'm good to go on the this again for now

But any idea as to why VMware doesn't want to work on my other PC, the one I actually want it installed on?

[fliptw]

Virtual Box and a clean install of xp would be much easier.

[FireFox]

Okay I'm going to download Virtual Box now and try that then on my other PC that doesn't want to run VMplayer and see if I can't get it running on that PC instead as I would like to do or if all else fails and VMware manages to fubar this virtual XP again I'll try Virtual Box instead on this system too.

[captain_twinkie]

When it comes to your full screen, when you launch the VM, there is a drop down menu, I think its the machine drop down menu, I would look but I am on my mac right now, but its in one of the drop down menus to do full screen, and then once your in full screen you can mouse over to the the top of the screen and then undo the full screen.

I overall prefer VMware player then VirtualBox because it has better 3D acceleration support. I have been able to play UT2K4 in a VM.

[TechPro]

VMWare and XP mode?

Just let VMWare make a VM using a standard (traditional) XP install CD. Boom. You're done (usually).

Personally, I prefer to leave XP mode clear away from the Win7 OS and just use XP install CDs when making a VM using VMWare. Why complicate a simple thing?

[FireFox]

I think I'll try that next time that this VM goes fubar again but for now the XP mode conversion is running again touch wood

I think I narrowed it down to when everything goes fubar to when I use VMwares unity mode to run applications within the host OS instead of through VMware player. Once I exit unity mode bam nothing responds within VMware player and I loose keyboard and mouse functions within VMware player so for now I'll rather stick to running the programs through VMware player

Just a stupid noob question too, but is it necessary to install your Anti virus and similar programs on the VM as well or will the hosts' installations catch the malicious stuff if it gets accessed by the VM?

[fliptw]

that might be overkill

[TechPro]

It might be overkill if you're running the VM with "Host-only" networking ... but if you're running it in "Bridged" mode you really should run an anti-virus because in bridged mode the VM is connecting directly to the network hardware and appears as a separate system to all other computers. The same applies to NAT with the exception that you have the extra layer of the NAT translation for anything to get in/out of the VM.

If you run the VM often and it's in bridged mode, I'd say absolutely slap a good anti-virus on it. You don't want to be hanging your "computer derriere" out for all to infect.

[FireFox]

Thank you sir

Installing the Anti Virus as we speak! Rather safe than sorry I say

[captain_twinkie]

What I normally do with my VMs is I do most of my Torrents in VMs, and test any app or movie in it, also run a virus scan on the downloads I do before I transfer them to my PC.

I also usually run any apps I havent used before in a VM just to make sure it works and if its something I want installed.

[FireFox]

Yes that is in principle almost the same idea I have with my VM's, torrents, testing the unknown before fubaring my main OS and "experimentation"

[snoopy]

I feel the need to point out that pirating software and other intellectual property is both illegal and means that the creator of said property isn't getting paid for his work.

.....Usually people aren't so concerned about viruses/etc. on the legitimate torrents, especially when the publisher provides MD5 sums. I'm making assumptions, but I figured that I'd throw it out there.

[FireFox]

I feel the need to point out that pirating software and other intellectual property is both illegal and means that the creator of said property isn't getting paid for his work.

.....Usually people aren't so concerned about viruses/etc. on the legitimate torrents, especially when the publisher provides MD5 sums. I'm making assumptions, but I figured that I'd throw it out there.

Yes pirating software is illegal and not my intention at all but a valid point none the less it's just me being a paranoid nut for those jerks out there who's goal is to screw with you, that and like I said this is an great why to experiment with things in an "fresh OS" without fubaring your main system ironing out possible hick ups before you do the main install. Oh and running those hardware and application that doesn't run in Win 7 64-bit

[Foil]

FF, I think snoopy was responding to captain_twinkie's post, which referred to using torrents and movies/apps.

[flip]

Pirating software is illegal? Whoda thunk it

[Krom]

VMs are good for a whole lot more than "pirating software", for instance I test ran the DBBs conversion to phpbb 3.x in a virtual machine. A VM makes a good test environment/sandbox for almost anything software related. I also use VMs to isolate the host from applications that I only have a one time use for but require an install to function anyway. Or to install a particular application once and then use it continually across multiple formats and hardware changes, since you can take the VM image with you anywhere. Or to use multiple versions of the same program that cannot coexist on one computer (such as how I have office 2007 installed on my host, and office XP installed in XP mode).

[captain_twinkie]

VMs are good for a whole lot more than "pirating software", for instance I test ran the DBBs conversion to phpbb 3.x in a virtual machine. A VM makes a good test environment/sandbox for almost anything software related. I also use VMs to isolate the host from applications that I only have a one time use for but require an install to function anyway. Or to install a particular application once and then use it continually across multiple formats and hardware changes, since you can take the VM image with you anywhere. Or to use multiple versions of the same program that cannot coexist on one computer (such as how I have office 2007 installed on my host, and office XP installed in XP mode).

X2 I use VMs all the time to test out software, server config's, installs of Linux, now that it is fairly cheap to get 4 GB of RAM, there isn't really no reason to use VMs pretty regularly, its very nice if your considering making a big change to a server setup, but don't want to break your current server just to see if it will work.

Alot of people give me crap because I say "Test it in a Virtual Machine". But I found that is one of the best ways to learn. When I was studying for my A+ in 2003. I installed 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 all in Virtual Machines just so I could do side by side comparison's of each OS, which made studying ALOT easier.

I also like the private network ability of VMs, if you wanted to you can even go as far as learning how to use a Linux Firewall/Router using a VM. Having it as DHCP, DNS etc server. It makes it rather nice, if you screwed up somewhere, just nuke the VM and start over.