We are in need of a desktop virtualization platform, I am currently testing VM Player. What I would like to do is make a "desktop package", meaning create a Virtual Desktop that has the Win 7 OS, and includes all the 3rd party programs we install on our employee desktops (Microsoft Office, Win 7, Adobe Reader, .NET, Flash, and several other 3rd party programs we use on a daily basis.)
Right now I am creating a Virtual Machine with Win 7, then I go to that enviroment and run some installations like a normal desktop, long tendious procedure.
Is VM Workstation capable of creating these desktop enviroments one time and having me deploy them and 1 complete package instead of needing to create these enviroments 1 by 1?
hope this make sense, please ask me questions to clarify. We have enterprise licenses for our products and dont need to input a license for each and every installation.
yes - if licensing issues are out of the way - just create a VM with all the apps and setting you want.
When satisfied set the network card inside the guest to use DHCP
Finally shrink the VM to produce a small package.
then zip the VM and give it your users
thanks for the response.... when you say "shrink the package" is that a standard function in VM Workstation? can you be more specific? thanks again...
once you have the windows7 installed inside the VM and once you have installed the vmware-tools "shrink" is avilable from a systray icon.
Thats a tool that will reduce the size of the virtual disks
Thank, I created a Fresh Machine with Win 7 and installed and my 3rd party programs. I shunk the VM as well. I am now back in VM Player.
Lets say I want to create a new VM with this desktop I created what are the steps? If I go to "File", "Create new Virtual Machine" I only get the option of Installer Disc and Installer Disc Image file (iso). Whats the proper way to create a new desktop with this VM I shrunk?
thanks again
unzip the archive with the complete VM-directory
doubleclick the vmx-file
done