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IanG
Contributor
Contributor

How do I force VMware to boot from the host's CD-ROM?

I am running VMware Workstation 6.0.0 build-45731 on host Windows XP, service pack 2, with guest OS RedHat linux (RHEL 4).

I have been practicing my linux sys admin skills in this configuration for several months now without any problems.

Now I want to practice booting linux from (the host's) CD-ROM, in which

I have inserted an ISO image of RHEL 4. This is how one would begin the

process to recovery the linux environment should it not boot.

The problem I am having is that whenever I start the virtual machine

it boots linux from the virtual hard drive and I don't know how to force it

to boot from the CD.

How do I force (interrupt) VMware to boot from the CD?

Thanks in advance.

Ian

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17 Replies
esiebert7625
Immortal
Immortal

fyi...this topic has been moved to the VMware Workstation forum.

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Aldebaran
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

\[See KevinG's response. Mine was incomplete when compared to his, and I have removed it.]

Jeff

Message was edited by:

Aldebaran

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KevinG
Immortal
Immortal

When you power on the virtual machine and see the black screen with the VMware logo, click your mouse in this window so it has the keyboard focus.

Now you can press the "Esc" key or press "F2" to change the boot order.

Select the CD-ROM as the first boot device.

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mikefoley
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

As an aside, it would be nice to be able to configure how long that VMware Logo BIOS screen remains active. I've had to reset, click, hit F2 a number of times before it timed out and started booting. Smiley Happy Smiley Happy

An alternative would be a check box that said "Boot into the BIOS on next power on". That would be cool.

thanks,

mike

mike
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IanG
Contributor
Contributor

It did not work.

I changed the boot order from:

+Removable Devices

+Hard Drive

CD-ROM Drive

Network boot from AMD Am79C970A

to:

CD-ROM Drive

+Removable Devices

+Hard Drive

Network boot from AMD Am79C970A

and still it boots from the virtual hard drive (with the RHEL 1st installation CD in the CD-ROM drive).

Are there any other changes I need to make?

Thanks.

Ian

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Is the virtual CD-ROM device set to be connected at power-on, and have you configured your virtual CD-ROM device to use your host drive?

Are you the sure that the CD-ROM you're using is bootable? Can you boot from it with a physical machine?

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IanG
Contributor
Contributor

You led me right to the solution...

The virtual CD-ROM device was set to "Connect at power on". Also 'Connection' was set to "Use physical drive" and "Auto detect" was selected from the drop down menu. This is the way it has always been and I have been able to boot from the CD-ROM drive as recently as a month ago. So I was really puzzled.

This time, after the system once again booted from the virtual hard drive instead of the virtual CD-ROM drive, and [u]while[/u][/b] the system was up, I checked the virtual settings.

...and there it was..."Auto detect" now read "Auto detect(E)". Well I know my CD-ROM is drive 'D' not 'E'. Then it hit me...it was trying to boot from the USB flash drive. So I changed the virtual setting from "Auto detect" to "D", booted and walla...it worked!

You see, two weeks ago I connected my flash drive and never removed it, as I usually do. It had never been connected before when I have booted from the CD-ROM drive. Just as important, the virtual setting changes from "Auto detect(E)" when the system is up, to "Auto detect" when it's been halted. Since I was not checking the setting while the system was up, I missed an important clue.

Thanks all for you help.

Regards,

Ian

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SpencerM
Contributor
Contributor

There is some serious problem with VMWare workstation these days, I am having the same exact problem regardless of all the setting that's telling it to boot from the CD.

  • The BIOS boot sequence is set to boot from CD

  • CD setting is set to "CD" drive letter and NOT "auto detect"

  • CD is connecting at boot

  • I pressed the "ESC" button on flash and told it to boot from CD

  • I even set the CD to boot from an ISO file

  • My XP CD is definitely bootable and the host os boots with it fine

VMWare Workstation has become a pain in my rear trying to build an OS, a tast that doesn't take much of time, but now I'm having to figure out what is wrong with Workstation. Had I built this on a physical, I would have been long done by now. :smileyangry:

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continuum
Immortal
Immortal

some more tips for booting from CD/ISO

http://sanbarrow.com/workstation-faq.html#p2




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- VMware-liveCD - VM-Sickbay


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

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SpencerM
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the link, but it's pretty much what I've already done and tried but still no luck. Are you able to create a new VM image now? Can you try it for a test?

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continuum
Immortal
Immortal

I develope LiveCDs and I can assure you that Workstation 7 behaves as every other version before - have not seen a problem so far




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- VMware-liveCD - VM-Sickbay


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Are you booting from a physical CD or from an ISO image?

Have you tried other ones?

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SpencerM
Contributor
Contributor

I've tried both CD and ISO, neither worked. I have tried other CDs including Win 2003 and Win 2008 servers still the same issue.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

An alternative would be a check box that said "Boot into the BIOS on next power on". That would be cool.

Check out VM > Power > Power On to BIOS Smiley Happy

There was another thread where this functionality, though greatly appreciated, went unnoticed by users who desired it. What good is a feature if it's harder to find than my waist after Thanksgiving dinner?

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Bernd_Nowak
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

An alternative would be a check box that said "Boot into the BIOS on next power on". That would be cool.

Check out VM > Power > Power On to BIOS Smiley Happy

There was another thread where this functionality, though greatly appreciated, went unnoticed by users who desired it. What good is a feature if it's harder to find than my waist after Thanksgiving dinner?

While I found it I believe there are some usability questions.

From my VMware Workstation handling I would like to see the same navigation options I have when using VM> when I select the VM in the left navigation pane and use the context menu there. Even with Unity not working for me the Unity entry should be in the context menu too. From my view I should be able to reach all VM specific functions through the context menu of the VM Smiley Happy

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jspron000
Contributor
Contributor

Try this article:
VMware Knowledge Base

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cheeweng
Contributor
Contributor

Power On To Firmware. Access Bios and change CD rom as first boot

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