List of Drives Blank During Windows Installation under VMWare Player under Ubuntu

[parkernathan]

I'm trying to install Windows 7 in a VM under VMWare Player under Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS 64 Bit. However, when I get to the portion of the screen to select the drive to install Windows on, the list of drives are blank. The VM did successfully create a virtual drive when creating the VM.

How can I get the virtual drive to appear under Windows so I can proceed with the installation?

Thanks!

Nathan

[WoodyZ]

Archive (compress) the vmware.log file and the .vmx configuration file for the target VM into a single .zip archive file and attach it to a reply,

NOTE: DO NOT copy and paste the contents of the .log or .vmx files into the body of a reply!  Use the "Use advanced editor" link in the upper right corner of the normal reply window to bring up the Advanced Editor where you'll be able to attach files via the Choose File button or Browse button (depending on the Browser) above the Post Message button!

[parkernathan]

Here's my VM info you wanted. Thanks!

[parkernathan]

Also, side question. When I try to increase the cores of the VM to 2, I get this error message. I'm on a quad-core system, so it should work.

[WoodyZ]

Well everything looks right in the VM's configuration so going to need a screenshot of the issue.

[parkernathan]

OK so you need me to boot into Windows and show you what's going on when I attempt to install Windows?

[WoodyZ]

parkernathan wrote: OK so you need me to boot into Windows and show you what's going on when I attempt to install Windows?

In you OP you state, "I'm trying to install Windows 7 in a VM ... . However, when I get to the portion of the screen to select the drive to install Windows on, the list of drives are blank." and based on the .vmx and .log files things are as they should be and Windows 7 should have no problem seeing the virtual hard disk.  So at this point I'm at a loss except to see exactly what it is you were looking at, as the saying goes a picture worth a thousand words...    In doing so it might help to further diagnose the issue.

[parkernathan]

Sure thing. Here's what the Win 7 installer looks like. Hitting refresh doesn't help me either.

[parkernathan]

I was able to post the picture, as well as I also posted a picture above about an error I'm getting when I increase the processor count in the VM to 2 processors (I'm on a quad core system, so it should work). Do you know what I could do to resolve that issue as well?

Thanks!

[WoodyZ]

Well this is a case where picture isn't worth a thousand words...   As far as the .vmx and vmware.log files you posted earlier I see no reason why a Windows 7 Install DVD/ISO Image should not see the virtual hard disk other then there be something wrong with the "GRMCPRXFRER_EN_DVD.iso" file you're using.  From where did you acquire it and have you validated it against its published checksums?

Have you booted that Virtual Machine with any other ISO Images, like GParted Live, to see if it can see the virtual hard disk?  If not that is what I'd try and keep in mind that when booting a VM configured for Windows from a Linux Live OS there may be mouse tracking issues and I usually will just temporarily remove the USB Controller, boot from the Linux Live OS and add the USB Controller back when finished.

[parkernathan]

Sorry it took me so long to respond. I've had Internet outages.

This was definitely a new one for me as well. I've never seen this happen on any platform or any VM software.

I imaged the ISO file from my Windows 7 installation CD (since my machine doesn't have an optical drive in it) using another machine (with an optical drive). I also tried an image of my 32 Bit Windows 7 installation CD and even a Windows 8 installation image with no luck either.

Bad news is, I chatted with my hardware manufacturer, and they don't support virtualization under Ubuntu. My processor supports hardware virtualization (over VT), but under Ubuntu, hardware virtualization isn't enabled.

So I may have to forgoe the VM route and simply dual boot Windows and Ubuntu. A little clunkier, but it seems like the most solid way to go. I could possibly reverse my setup, but since I want to spend more time in Ubuntu and less time in Windows, I really don't want to virtualize Ubuntu on Windows. Either the other way around or just dual boot.

Thanks for your help though! I appreciate it and wish I had better news.