VMware Player/Windows 7

[eticket]

I am using a Windows 7 Professional on a stand-alone (i.e., NOT networked) PC. After installing VMware Player & creating a Windows 7 Guest OS, I receive the following error: BOOTMGR is missing Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

Can anybody help me resolve this issue?

Thanks!

eticket

[Tom2k8]

First of all: happy 2011

Dit you get this fatal error in the guest or in the host?

I don't expect the error in the host, since you successfully installed a guest. Or something must have gone totally wrong at the host.

[eticket]

Hi, Tom. HNY!

You are correct. I receive the error when I open the Guest (Open a Virtual Machine).

eticket

[a_p_]

Did you setup the VM using the "Easy Install" feature (i.e. selecting the Windows 7 ISO in the wizard) or did you instll the OS manually after the VM has been created?

André

[eticket]

I installed the Win 7 OS manually after I created the VM. I don't recall seeing the Easy Install/ISO option.

[a_p_]

Not sure what happened, however you may be able to re-create the boot sector. see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us for details

André

[eticket]

According to the link you provided (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us), running the Bootrec.exe tool requires starting Windows Recovery Environment (WRE). In turn, starting WRE requires booting Windows from the CD/DVD drive. Apparently, it is not possible to access the CD/DVD drive with VMware Player.

After opening my virtual machine, from the menu, I selected Virtual Machine, Send Ctrl+Alt+Del. The bottom of the ensuing screen read, "Press F2 to enter SETUP" - the BIOS setup. Once in Setup, I arrowed over to the BOOT menu; however, the CD-ROM Drive was not selectable. From what I've read on the Internet, Player does not enable access to the CD-ROM drive.

Thanks for your efforts, Andre, but the BOOTMGR error message remains.

eticket

[a_p_]

In the VM's settings, either set the CD/DVD-ROM drive to the host drive or select the Windows 7 ISO image. Make sure it is configured to "Connect at Power On". After powering on the VM, click into the boot screen and press "ESC" to get the boot menu, from there select the CD-ROM to boot from.

I just tested it with VMware Player.

André

[eticket]

Andre:

As you can see from the attached .png, my VM is configured to use the Host "D:" drive, and it is set to "Connect at power on."

As far as the ISO, as I mentioned in my original post, my PC is not networked. P. 12 of the Guest Operating System Installation Guide discusses the creation of an ISO image in the context of the Microsoft Windows AIK and Windows Server 2008 environment. Because I am not operating in a server environment, but on a stand-alone PC, the AIK/ISO installation discussion seems like it is non-applicable. If I am mistaken, I would appreciate learning how to get around it.

Thanks again for you help.

eticket

[a_p_]

You can create an ISO image of any non protected CD/DVD using e.g. a CD/DVD burning application. An ISO image is unrelated to networking.

In your screenshot there is a floppy image (autoinst.flp) attached to the VM. This is created when you choose to use the "Easy Install" feature during creation of the VM!? VMware will automatically default to "Easy Install" if either an OS setup CD is in the hosts's drive or an ISO is chosen while creating the VM.

I'd suggest you create a new VM. On the first page of the wizard, select "I will install the operating system later". After you created the new VM, boot it from either your host's CD/DVD drive or an ISO image (which is a lot much faster).

André

[eticket]

Andre:

Thanks for the assistance. As I always say, computers are great - when they work!

Unfortunately, after 2 days of reading about Windows AIK, and studying about how to implement an .iso file as the OS for VMware Player, I've had it! I'm not interested in the endless amount of study required to figure out how to use a program, like Player, just to perform a simple task...SHEESH!

I'll say one thing - keeping things as COMPLEX as possble is a great way for all these IT companies to ensure that the cash cow stays PLUMP. Sayonara, VMware!

Thanks again, Andre, for your kind assistance.

eticket

[kevinau]

Hi,

I tested run the vmware player 3 on win 7 but found  that it mess up the networkinghood. It no longer can discover my other pc in the  workgroup via wi-fi. I have to manually input it, such as \\pc2 . Also my other pc (xp+sp3) cannot find it  displayed in the networkinghood. I had found that it have a lot of problem. Can  this be solved?

any help?

thanks

also how can I start a new thread in the discussion  forum?