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davebarnes
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Auto launch of Windows

When I click on the VMware Fusion icon in my Dock, VMware Fusion launches and then presents a choice of Windows machines to launch.

I have one machine.

I will never have more than one.

What I want is that my click on VMware Fusion results in Windows XP appearing on my monitor.

One click, not two.

How do I make this happen?

thanks,

dave

Dave Barnes +1.303.744.9024 sitting in my basement with my Mac
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BP9906
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VMX file is the config file for all VMware VMs (including Fusion). If you create an alias to your Fusion VM, you can put that in OSX's startup folder to auto start it on login in OSX.

I'm hoping since your a Mac user, you're familiar w/ the term "alias" and that you know the auto startup folder is located in /Library/Startup Items.

Hope this helps. Smiley Happy

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Rzn8tor
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Drag the vmx file to the dock and click on that.

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davebarnes
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Elucidation would be appreciated.

VMX file?

I have no clue what you are referring to?

I use Fusion blindly to get me into Windows XP.

Dave Barnes +1.303.744.9024 sitting in my basement with my Mac
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BP9906
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VMX file is the config file for all VMware VMs (including Fusion). If you create an alias to your Fusion VM, you can put that in OSX's startup folder to auto start it on login in OSX.

I'm hoping since your a Mac user, you're familiar w/ the term "alias" and that you know the auto startup folder is located in /Library/Startup Items.

Hope this helps. Smiley Happy

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davebarnes
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I think both of us are confused.

I don't want to autostart Fusion.

I want the Windows machine WITHIN Fusion to autostart when I click on the Fusion icon in my Dock.

I want to click on the Fusion icon in the Dock and have Windos XP appear. One click, not two.

And, I still don't know where the VMX file is located. Nor am I certain that it pertains to my question.

Dave Barnes +1.303.744.9024 sitting in my basement with my Mac
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Welles
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Hi Dave,

Look in User > Documents > Virtual Machines. In that folder will reside a file called Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm or something like that. That's the actual virtual machine. Take that and place it in the dock on the Trash side of the dock divider. In the future, clicking on that will launch Fusion and that virtual machine.

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RDPetruska
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No, we're not confused. If you launch a document (which is essentially what a virtual machine is, to your host), your OS will automatically load the appropriate application to view/edit that document, and open the document. Same thing here... if you open the vmx file directly, Fusion will load, and open that virtual machine which the vmx file is the configuration for. If you have the appropriate settings in the file, it should even automatically power on when it is opened.

The vmx file is conveniently hidden inside the "xyz.vmwarevm" folder which looks like one file, thanks to your dumbed-down OS which thinks it knows better than you about how you should view files on your computer. Browse to the folder, then open that renamed folder... inside are all the files which make up your virtual machine.

Rzn8tor
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I think this is the simplest way to explain it:

1. Open up the virtual machine library, either by starting Fusion if it is not running, or by clicking on Window/Virtual Machine Library if it is already running.

2. Hover the cursor over the name of the VM you want to start (in your case, the only VM).

3. Note the path and name of the vmx file that will be displayed.

4. Navigate to that file in the finder.

5. Drag the file icon to the dock, on right side or lower side depending on orientation (apps go to the left/top).

Hope that helps.

enucho
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Hello Welles,

Had the same issue and saw yur answer. Thanks. It helped. I dragged the icon you mentioned into the area of the Trash bin. However, this raised a new question: If I click on that icon, it dows exactly what you said it would, BUT, it also pops open another VMWare icon on the other side of the "barrier", bouncing up and down in the Dock. Then, whether I power off VM or suspend, I en up with the black window that has the big white arrow in the middle and the newly introduced VMWare icon in the dock. To get rid of the black window, I have to click on the little red x in the orner and the point at the icon in the doc and tell it to quit. It's a three step operation.

Any ideas, please?

Emile

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Welles
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Hi Emile,

Yes, it works that way for me, too. What's happening is that, to the Mac OS, the virtual machine which you linked to by placing it in the dock is just a document. When you click on the document in the dock it launches the application (VMware Fusion) which then opens the virtual machine. That's the second icon on the left hand side of the dock which you see. When you shut down Windows, that's all you've done and the (watch out editorial comment coming *<;o) ugly black window with the big button appears. I don't close the black window at that point, I just quit Fusion and it disappears.

There isn't any one click open and close of a specific virtual machine. What I've described is as close as you can come AFAIK. That's understandable considering Fusion is used by people who run multiple vms.

Does that make sense?

Cheers!

W

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admin
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Note that if you always suspend or always shut down the virtual machine, you can set the appropriate setting under Preferences and close the virtual machine by quitting Fusion, thus saving a step.

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enucho
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Hi Emile,

Yes, it works that way for me, too. What's happening

is that, to the Mac OS, the virtual machine which you

linked to by placing it in the dock is just a

document. When you click on the document in the dock

it launches the application (VMware Fusion) which

then opens the virtual machine. That's the second

icon on the left hand side of the dock which you see.

When you shut down Windows, that's all you've done

and the (watch out editorial comment coming *<;o)

ugly black window with the big button appears. I

don't close the black window at that point, I just

quit Fusion and it disappears.

There isn't any one click open and close of a

specific virtual machine. What I've described is as

close as you can come AFAIK. That's understandable

considering Fusion is used by people who run multiple

vms.

Does that make sense?

Cheers!

W

Yes, thanks Welles. It helped.

I do have another question to which I have received a couple of answers that I was not able to understand due mostly to my technical ignorance: How can I share VMware/XP with my wife who has a separate user account? Or do I have to reinstall the whole thing on her side? (the disc is not partitioned). Both of us have Admin priviledges.

Emile

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admin
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How can I share

VMware/XP with my wife who has a separate user

account?

You don't need to do anything to share Fusion with your wife; Fusion is installed in /Applications/ so any user can use it. To share the same XP install, you might want to read the following thread: Accessing a VM from different user accounts

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