VMware Cloud Community
chris0706
Contributor
Contributor

Why doesn´t vmware support Windows 7?

Windows 7 is RTM and available and there is no support for Windows 7?

- VMWare ESX 3.5 doesn´t support Windows 7 / Server 2008 R2

- VMWare ESXi 4 Sphere support Windows 7 / 2008 R2 only "experimental"

- VMWare Infrastructure Client doesn't work with Windows 7.

- VMWare ESX Sphere Client doesn´t work with Windows 7

- VMWare Workstation 6.5.2 doesn´t support Windows 7 > What is with 6.5.3 and official Windows 7 / 2008 R2 Support?

- VMware Player doesn´t support Windows 7

Why does it take so long to support Windows 7?

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35 Replies
RandomJoe
Contributor
Contributor

Thank you Lucas. How about someone who works for VMware who is authorized to give a hint?

The reason I'm asking is that I've got a Win7 RTM host and all my guests have mouse tracking problems so severe that I can't do product demos on the computer anymore (and I'm familiar with the standard tricks of reinstalling the tools, deleting the VMware mouse driver, showing hidden devices in Device Manager, etc.). If these problems aren't resolved within three weeks, when I have job-breaking demo scheduled, I'll have to use VirtualBox or Virtual PC and rebuild my VMs, which I do not want to do, and I'd rather pull my own teeth out than revert back to Vista as the host OS...

(FYI: host is a Dell Latitude D820 with the Quadro NVS 120M nVidia graphics card running Win7 RTM, and guests include Win2003, XP, Win7 and Ubuntu 9.04, all of which ran perfectly in Workstation 6.5.2 on Vista+SP1 but now have severe mouse pointer problems after upgrading to Win7.)

Thanks!

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AsherN
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

RandomJoe,

Mitigate my comments by realizing that I've been criticizing the lack of Win7 support for the vSphere client.

However, I would not expect guest support to be out anytime soon. Win 7 is just RTM. While Technet and Volume License customers have access to it, it is not GA yet. No manufacturer has issued hardware with Win 7 yet. It will take VMware some time to retest the hosts with the RTM version. While I wish a beta of the vSphere client would be out by now, I can fully understand host products not being out until hardrware strats showing up in quantity loaded with Win 7.

If I was in charge of development, I'd release the vSphere client first. Then I would focus my energies on making sure that Win 7 is supported as a guest. Then I'd look at support for non-bare metal hosts.

Reasons for that are:

1) vShpere might very well be the easiest to fix.

2) Win 7 does work reasonably well as a guest at least in ESX. Tools may be the only thing to change.

3) the interaction of a thick OS based host with the underlying OS is very complex. While I'm sure VMware has been working on it since Win 7 beta, all QA testing has to be redone against the RTM. That takes time.

On a personal note, as an IT professional with 30 years in the business, who likes the shinny new toy as much as the next guy, loading bleeding OS on a machine that is mission critical is simply asking for it.

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RandomJoe
Contributor
Contributor

Btw, I just found a prior posting about this mouse problem on Windows 7 hosts:

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1334059

I can confirm that changing the DPI to 100% fixes the mouse problem in guests, both with and without VMware tools installed (including the VMware mouse driver), in Windows XP/2003/2008 and Linux (Ubuntu 9.04 and Backtrack) guests.

To change your DPI in Windows 7, open Control Panel > Display > Set Custom Text Size (DPI) > select 100%. (You can also just choose the "Smaller - 100% (Default)" radio button in the Display applet.)

Windows 7 changes the way DPI is handled:

Cheers,

J.

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LucasAlbers
Expert
Expert

i'd have to agree, demo machines should run conservative versions of the OS.

Perhaps you can get on the vmware workstation or player demo beta.

I am sure they would love to see if this issue is resolved.

I'm on the preview beta.

Just email your sales or support rep.

It is quite annoying to not have windows 7 vsphere client support. I can understand it takes time to qa.

I have not encountered any issues running win7/r2 as a client on esx server.

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chandru10001
Contributor
Contributor

When is windows7 is supported on esx 4.0

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AsherN
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

When is windows7 is supported on esx 4.0

As a guest?

I've had Win 7 as a vSphere guest since RC with no issues. As a host it will take longer. Right now I just wished they fiex the vSphere client.

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TobiasKracht
Expert
Expert

Can say, that Win7 as a guest is almost fully supported, but I recommend you not to install VMTools - you can face with a troubles.

Support of this OS as a host will be implemented after October 22, when it will be able in general access.

StarWind Software R&D

StarWind Software R&D http://www.starwindsoftware.com
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admin
Immortal
Immortal

What is RTM? Release To Manufacturing.

Officially, according to Microsoft, Windows 7 has a Public release on Oct 22. The RTM releases are made available for manufacturers and software developers (usually via services like MSDN and Technet) to finalize their builds on the release code rather than on RC / Beta code. RTM code is the release most software comapnies focus on for developing and test release code of their own. Not having support for RTM upon its release is common. That is why it is RTM.

We will see Windows 7 support by software developers and companies like VMware, but it will take time. This is the pain of being a bleeding edge adopter.

---

Christopher

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yannara
Contributor
Contributor

Any news about Sphere 4 client working on Win7 build 7600?

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StevensDE
Contributor
Contributor

Is there a vSphere Client available for Windows 7 RTM? (build 7600)

GA of Windows 7 is today Smiley Happy

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adza77
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Don't believe that there is (a release yet). Unfortunately from what I can tell VMWare has seemed to be very quiet about where they're at regarding their position with vSphere Client for Windows 7.

Any update would be great please - even if it's telling us that there won't be something until Christmas - at least then we'll have some idea of what to work with. Pretty please? Smiley Happy

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pohlcat01
Contributor
Contributor

I am trying to get a windows 7 enterprise guest built. Every time I install the tools and reboot it wants me to roll back to the previous restore point. Any clues??

ESX server 3.5.0, 176894

-rick

-rick
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shunter86
Contributor
Contributor

You need to disable the SVGA driving in the VMware Tools like a Win Server 2008 installation. That will resolve the resolution issues on the Windows 7 VM.

-Shane

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shunter86
Contributor
Contributor

I guess the question that I would like answered regarding running Windows 7 as a guest OS is when will the template in ESX 4 be moved form experimental to production ready?

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LucasAlbers
Expert
Expert

update 1, December.

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shunter86
Contributor
Contributor

Well Update 1 has been released and so have several other patches and the template is still experimental. I am running ESX 4.0.0, 208167 and still have the template listed as experimental. Does anyone have an update on the status of the Windows 7 template?

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