how to: snapshots or do-overs with the free versions

[Jackie_Treehorn]

I'm using converter and player. Just the free stuff while testing. What is the easiest way to create a snapshot, or a go-back point for a virtual machine. I'd like to test some virus, windows updates, etc., but I really don't want to have to make a new virtual machine after I get done trashing it up.

Thanks for helping the noob.

Jackie

[skrodahl · Accepted solution]

You can set your disk mode to "independent-nonpersistent".

This means that any changes made to your virtual machine will be discarded when it's restarted.

In your config file (the one ending with .vmx), locate the line containing 'ideX:X.mode = persistent"'or 'scsiX:X.mode = "persistent"', and change it to "independent-nonpersistent", like this:

ide0:0.mode = "independent-nonpersistent"

This post gives this link for more info on disk modes:

http://www.vmware.com/support/gsx25/doc/disks_modes_gsx.html

[Jackie_Treehorn]

thank you for this information.

[Jackie_Treehorn]

oops.

on closer inspection, i do not have the lines you are refering to in my config file. should i just ADD it in notepad?

here is what my config file contains:

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "6"

memsize = "512"

MemAllowAutoScaleDown = "FALSE"

MemTrimRate = "-1"

displayName = "XP"

guestOS = "winXPPro"

numvcpus = "2"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.fileName = "XP.vmdk"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0.virtualDev = "buslogic"

buslogic.noDriver = "FALSE"

[Jackie_Treehorn]

when reading further on the link you sent above, it looks as if the 'undoable' disk state would be great for checking things out...almost like taking snapshots.

however, i get an error telling me something is wrong with the config file when i change the disk mode to undoable in the config file.

can i do this with vmplayer?

[skrodahl]

I'm not sure if undoable is supported in VMware Player.

The player may lack the tools to handle the redo-logs.

[skrodahl]

Yes, you can add this line with Notepad:

scsi0:0.mode = "independent-nonpersistent"

[continuum]

On Windows-hosts you can also create snapshots with vdk.exe - check vmdk section of my site for more details