Specifications
Table Of Contents
- Getting Started with VMware Player
- Contents
- Getting Started with VMware Player
- Introduction and System Requirements
- Installing and Using Player
- Creating Virtual Machines
- Understanding Virtual Machines
- Preparing to Create a Virtual Machine
- Create a Virtual Machine
- Use Easy Install to Install a Guest Operating System
- Install a Guest Operating System Manually
- Importing Virtual Machines
- Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
- Installing VMware Tools
- Upgrading VMware Tools
- Configure Software Update Preferences
- Configure VMware Tools Updates for a Specific Virtual Machine
- Manually Installing and Upgrading VMware Tools
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Linux Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a NetWare Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Solaris Virtual Machine
- Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a FreeBSD Virtual Machine
- Start the VMware User Process Manually If You Do Not Use a Session Manager
- Uninstall VMware Tools
- Virtual Machine Files
- Using Virtual Machines
- Starting Virtual Machines in Player
- Stopping Virtual Machines in Player
- Transferring Files and Text
- Using the Drag-and-Drop Feature
- Using the Copy and Paste Feature
- Using Shared Folders
- Mapping a Virtual Disk to the Host System
- Add a Host Printer to a Virtual Machine
- Using Removable Devices in Virtual Machines
- Install New Software in a Virtual Machine
- Changing the Virtual Machine Display
- Download a Virtual Appliance in Player
- Remove a Virtual Machine from the Library in Player
- Configuring and Managing Virtual Machines
- Change the Name of a Virtual Machine
- Change the Guest Operating System for a Virtual Machine
- Change the Working Directory for a Virtual Machine
- Change the Virtual Machine Directory for a Virtual Machine
- Change the Memory Allocation for a Virtual Machine
- Configuring Video and Sound
- Moving Virtual Machines
- Delete a Virtual Machine
- View the Message Log for a Virtual Machine
- Using the VIX API
- Configuring and Managing Devices
- Configuring DVD, CD-ROM, and Floppy Drives
- Configuring a USB Controller
- Configuring and Maintaining Virtual Hard Disks
- Configuring Virtual Ports
- Add a Virtual Parallel Port to a Virtual Machine
- Configure a Virtual Parallel Port on a Linux 2.6.x Kernel Host
- Configure Permissions for a Parallel Port Device on a Linux Host
- Troubleshoot ECR Errors for Parallel Ports
- Add a Virtual Serial Port to a Virtual Machine
- Change the Input Speed of a Serial Connection
- Configuring Generic SCSI Devices
- Configuring Eight-Way Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing
- Configuring Keyboard Features
- Modify Hardware Settings for a Virtual Machine
- Configuring Network Connections
- Index
Change the Guest Operating System for a Virtual Machine
If you upgrade the guest operating system that is installed in a virtual machine, or if you specify the wrong
operating system version when you create the virtual machine, you must change the guest operating system
type that is configured for the virtual machine.
When you change the operating system type, the virtual machine configuration (.vmx) file changes. The
guest operating system itself does not change. To upgrade the guest operating system, obtain the
appropriate software from the operating system vendor.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1 Select the virtual machine and select Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings.
2 On the Options tab, select General.
3 Select the new operating system and version.
4 Click OK to save your changes.
Change the Working Directory for a Virtual Machine
By default, the working directory and the virtual machine directory are the same. You might want to change
the working directory to improve performance. For example, to create a paging file on a fast disk that has 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.
The working directory is where Player stores suspended state (.vmss), snapshot (.vmsn), virtual machine
paging (.vmem), and redo log files for a virtual machine.
Changing the working directory does not change the directory where the virtual machine configuration
(.vmx) file or the log files are stored.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1 Select the virtual machine and select Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings.
2 On the Options tab, select General.
3 Type or browse to the location of the new working directory.
4 Click OK to save your changes.
Change the Virtual Machine Directory for a Virtual Machine
The virtual machine directory is where Player stores virtual machine files, including the virtual machine
configuration (.vmx) file. By default, the virtual machine directory and the working directory are the same.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1 In the host file system, rename the directory where the .vmx file is stored.
Getting Started with VMware Player
68 VMware, Inc.










