first time user - any way to abandon vm session?

[ginahoy]

I just installed my first VMware virtual machine. I used Virtual PC years ago and seems like I recall there being an option to abandon a virtual machine session so that the vdh file reverts to its prior state. Is it possible to abandon a virtual machine session with Workstation Player? I didn't see anything about that in the manual. 

[fabio1975]

Ciao 

I am only aware of the possibility of using linked clones but only with the VMware Workstation version (paid) and not with the free version (Vmware Workstation Player).
What are linked clones:

A linked clone is a reference to the source (parent) VM and virtual disks of the source virtual machine are shared with a VM clone. A snapshot of the parent VM is taken when a linked clone is created. All changes made with a parent VM and VM-clone are written in the appropriate differencing virtual disk. Hence, changes made with a linked clone don’t affect the parent VM and vice versa. A linked clone must have access to the parent VM, otherwise a linked clone cannot be used. The main idea behind using linked clones is saving disk space.

From what I understand you would need an automatism that once the login session ended, the VM would return to its original state. (Such as the instant clone present in VMware's Horizon solution).

I don't know if that's possible.

[scott28tt]

You could do this with Workstation Pro, using either a snapshot or having the virtual disk in non-persistent mode.

[fabio1975]

@scott28tt  Yes, I didn't remember "the disk in non-persistent mode"  Good idea 🙂

[ginahoy]

Thanks for the quick replies! What I was hoping for is an option to abandon any session without forethought, for example, if I accidentally change a document, application or an OS setting that can't be reversed... like an oops!

I would pay for Pro if it can do that, but based on what I read in the Pro 16 manual, the non-persistent setting applies to a given virtual disk (I only have one) and can only be changed when the VM is powered off. And if I understand correctly, if I start a session in non persistent mode, there's no way to retain the changes at the end of the session (the manual says snapshots are disabled for a non-persistent disk). 

It looks like Pro may be able to achieve what I'm looking for with snapshots. According to the manual, I can set up snapshots so that I'm presented with the option of taking a snapshot or reverting to the previous (parent) snapshot when closing a session. However, it's not clear how that might work in practice...

The idea is that 99% of the time I would opt to take a snapshot at the end of a session to preserve the changes. However, once I end the session with this new snapshot, I would not want to retain the parent snapshot file. I suppose I could just delete the parent after each session (unless of course I opted to revert to the parent when closing the session). In other words, I don't want to end up with more than one VM instance after I end a session. Make sense? 

[wila]

Hi,

Why don't you install Pro?
It comes with a 30 day trial license.

This is one of those things that is much easier to understand on how it works by doing than by explaining.

--
Wil

[ginahoy]

Do I need to uninstall WS Player before installing Pro?

[wila]

Hi,

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@ginahoy wrote:

Do I need to uninstall WS Player before installing Pro?

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Yes.
But if that's a concern, VMware Workstation Pro also installs its own copy of VMware Player alongside VMware Workstation Pro.

--
Wil

[ginahoy]

Thanks for replies. When I get some time, I'll give WS Pro a try. 

I have another quick question, not worth starting a new thread... When I hot-cloned my XP machine, I failed to elect to assign a new SID to the guest, so when the vm and physical machine are running at the same time, both throw a network error for duplicates. Is it possible to change the virtual machine's SID without re-converting? 

[scott28tt]

Download and run newsid.exe (Google will help you find it)

[CarltonR]

@ginahoy wrote: 

. . . .both throw a network error for duplicates. Is it possible to change the virtual machine's SID without re-converting? 

 Unfortunately you've not provided the error message  . . . so, are you sure that it's not as mundane as having the same network IP on both !

I had assumed, from your previous posts that the Win XP was standalone, however, if part of an Active Directory Domain then that's slightly different, this might help 'Windows SID needs to be changed after copying a virtual machine directory'

[ginahoy]

Yes, XP is on a standalone machine. The error message is thrown on the physical XP machine before windows fully loads:

A duplicate name exists on the network.

According to SystemInternals site, the developer retired newsid.exe in 2009 because he determined there was no risk in having duplicate SID's. I was able to find the file on another site and will still use it just to suppress the error.

Now that I have the XP machine virtualized, I'll eventually mothball or otherwise dispose of the hardware, but for now, I still need to use it as one of my frequently used programs, MaxThink, won't open on the VM!!  I've been using the program for 33 years (originally DOS based). The Windows version, introduced in 2006, requires reauthorization if it detects different hardware. I've had to reach out to the author twice since then to request an unlock key -- the last time in 2008 when I built my XP box. I contacted him last week but the email bounced and others have reported that he's nowhere to be found (if still alive, he would be in his mid-80's). I guess I'll eventually have to find an alternative outline processor cuz I really don't like sharing my desk with two computers 😉

[CarltonR]

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@ginahoy wrote:

Yes, XP is on a standalone machine. The error message is thrown on the physical XP machine before windows fully loads: A duplicate name exists on the network.

In that case, would suggest that the issue relates to the 'computer name' being the same, can be changed within the 'Control panel - System Properties - Computer Name' Tab.

But, if your unable to acquire the applications authorisation key, then I guess it is all a bit mute.

[ginahoy]

Oh (hits forehead with hand). So I just need to change the name of the VM? Too easy!