Installing a Windows virtual machine fails with the error: A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing

[msires]

I receive this error trying to install Windows 7 (both 32bit and 64bit) in a VM using Workstation 8 on a Windows Ultimate 64 bit host.  This is from an 'official' Microsoft DVD.  The same DVD installs fine using Workstation 7.1 (on a different machine).  The only help I can find in the knowledgebase indicates the download file is corrupt, but this is obviously not right, since it isn't a download, and installs correctly from the 'corrupt' DVD using workstation 7.1.

This is very annoying.

[a_p_]

Open the VM's settings and enable "Legacy emulation" in the CD/DVD drives advanced settings to see whether this helps

André

[msires]

I did try that, and with Legacy Emulation Enabled, it wouldn't even 'see' the DVD - or at least it wouldn't boot from it. It would immediately go to the network boot attempt, which failed. With Legacy Emulation Enabled, I hit ESC during the 'bios' display, and the CD wasn't an option to boot from.

I also tried switching from IDE to SCSI emulation on the CD/DVD drive, but that didn't work either - same as Legacy Emulation enabled, the DVD drive wasn't visible, at least to boot from.

Mark

[a_p_]

Only to rule this out as a possible cause. When the VM boots to the PXE boot screen, double click the CD icon on the bottom of the window and make sure the CD-ROM drive is "Connected". If not connect it and then warm-boot the VM using CTRL-ALT-INS.

André

[msires]

Good idea, but it didn't work.  With legacy mode enabled, the drive says connected, but it doesn't try to boot from it.  Tried the warm boot in that mode with no improvement either.  Based on other google search for this general problem with Windows 7 install, I also tried moving the CD/DVD drive to the 1st boot device, but that didn't work.  The google search results seem to indicate a SATA CD/DVD seems to give this problem if in IDE mode, but works if changed to AHCI  mode.  VM workstation doesn't give that option unfortunately.

[msires]

I found my laptop's intel SATA was set to RAID mode (makes sense on a laptop with 1 drive bay doesn't it?  Thanks Dell!).  I changed it to AHCI mode, thinking I had found the problem.  Unfortunately, after rebooting 3 times for all the driver changes that required, it didn't change the install for Windows 7 in Workstation 8 at all, still same error message at the same time.

[continuum]

would you mind and post the vmx-file you use ?
looks like WS 8 oftewn creates poor vmx-files and I would like to have a look at it

[msires]

Sure, since the install never works, there isn't anything confidential or proprietary in it.  I don't have the install disks with me today, and I deleted the virtual machine I was trying to create in disgust....  I'll try it again tonight and post the resulting VMX file.

[continuum]

if the drive on the host uses driveletter E: in the vmx you would use

ide1:0.present = "true"
ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom "

ide1:0.filename = "E:"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

atapi-cdrom means "legacy emulation"