How to add a Physical DVD for use with a virtual machine ?

[Zoid]

Virtual Machine Settings Hardware ADD > Hard Disk > Use a physical disk (for advanced users)

There option isn't present to do the same for Adding a CD/DVD Drive. Is there a way to do this for CD/DVD using the .vmx file or another way !

[wila]

Hi,

Not sure why you are not seeing this? What product are you using?

Using VMware Workstation 12.0.1

I choose "Add" with Virtual Machine shut down and get this:

and the next screen is:

Which pretty much is what you asked for.

Note that my original VM already had a CD/DVD, but it would be the same for the first DVD.

--
Wil

[Zoid]

Add - CD/DVD Drive

Use A Physical Drive

Auto

Host DVD Drive Volume Letter

Add - HDD

Use A Physical Disk (For Advanced Users)

PhysicalDrive0

PhysicalDrive1

PhysicalDrive2

PhysicalDrive3

The difference between the above Add CD/DVD and Add HDD is that CD/DVD is been added Logically and the HDD are been added Physically.

How to add CD/DVD physical drive by not using host logical drive letter !

Or if the above isn't possible or not known. Or is it possible after removing the Host DVD logical volume drive letter to use the DVD drive in a virtual machine !

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Hmm.. I see you are the person who earlier on posted about the seek load retries for trying to create a VM that is able to recover from broken CD/DVDs.

I'm sorry, but personally I don't think that virtual machines are the best match for that.

If you want physical access to a CD/DVD player then you can try to use an external USB CD/DVD player and directly connect that to the VM, but I do not think you can setup a Raw Device Mapping (RDM) for a CD/DVD player. I might be wrong on that though.

--

Wil

[Zoid]

What it seems I am asking for a way to configure the virtual machine so it will un-mount the host DVD and connect it to virtual machine for guest use only. Even if user has to un-mount the dvd first makes no difference. When exclusive access for the virtual machine is needed as can be done with HDD.

USB maybe able to do so without the host interference since they are removable devices will try this now with sata and ide.

This has got it working after removing the drive volume letter with disk manager. The guest os has exclusive access. I have tried with both IDE and SATA via USB controller and they both work the same thanks for your help with this.