Many many versions of VMware Workstation ago I was able to set a Virtual Machine to a date in the past and make it stay there.

[kriemer]

The instructions were pretty simple, add the following VMX entries:

    rtc.startTime = "YourValue"

    tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

    time.synchronize.continue ="FALSE"

    time.synchronize.restore = "FALSE"

    time.synchronize.resume.disk = "FALSE"

    time.synchronize.resume.memory = "FALSE"

    time.synchronize.shrink = "FALSE"

This no longer seems to work (unless it's me).  Is there a new procedure to follow for VMware 12 and greater??

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

I don't use this feature myself, but maybe it's just because "time.synchronize.tools.startup" is missing!?

see http://sanbarrow.com/vmx/vmx-always-start-tonight.html for details

André

[continuum]

In WS 12 this parameters may also need to be disabled:

time.synchronize.tools.startup

time.synchronize.tools.enable

time.synchronize.continue

time.synchronize.restore

time.synchronize.resume.disk

time.synchronize.shrink

time.synchronize.resume.host

[continuum]

and also check these parameters:

time.synchronize.allow

time.synchronize.allow.backward

time.synchronize.continue

time.synchronize.continue.backward

time.synchronize.giveup

time.synchronize.giveup.backward

time.synchronize.restore

time.synchronize.restore.backward

time.synchronize.restoretime.synchronize.resume.disk

time.synchronize.resume.disk

time.synchronize.resume.disk.backward

time.synchronize.resume.host

time.synchronize.shrink

time.synchronize.shrink.backward

time.synchronize.tools.enable

time.synchronize.tools.percentCorrection

time.synchronize.tools.slewCorrection

time.synchronize.tools.startup

time.synchronize.tools.startup.backward

tool.syncTime

[kriemer]

There is a Doh! i need to inject!  I was missing the "time.synchronize.tools.startup" line.  Seems to work now.

Thanks 10^6

[kriemer]

And now it doesn't work.... darnedest thing.

[continuum]

You can do several things inside the guest that may prevent the effectiveness of the vmx-parameters - most obvious one for example: run a ntp-service inside the guest.
So best post your current vmx so I can try them here.

[kriemer]

I have determined with reasonable confidence that the VM is not syncing with the host machine (I changed the date to 5 days ago on the host and the VM starts with the current date).

I turned off the ntp service both in the registry and by the manual "Set Time Automatically"; no joy there.

VMX setting follow:

.encoding = "windows-1252"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "12"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsisas1068"

sata0.present = "TRUE"

memsize = "2048"

mem.hotadd = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.fileName = "Windows 10 x64.vmdk"

sata0:1.present = "TRUE"

sata0:1.fileName = "auto detect"

sata0:1.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000e"

ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

usb.present = "TRUE"

ehci.present = "TRUE"

ehci.pciSlotNumber = "34"

usb_xhci.present = "TRUE"

sound.present = "TRUE"

sound.virtualDev = "hdaudio"

sound.fileName = "-1"

sound.autodetect = "TRUE"

mks.enable3d = "TRUE"

svga.graphicsMemoryKB = "1048576"

serial0.present = "TRUE"

serial0.fileType = "thinprint"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

usb.vbluetooth.startConnected = "TRUE"

sensor.accelerometer = "disabled"

sensor.ambientLight = "pass-through"

sensor.compass = "disabled"

sensor.gyrometer = "disabled"

sensor.inclinometer = "disabled"

sensor.location = "pass-through"

sensor.orientation = "disabled"

displayName = "Windows 10 x64"

guestOS = "windows9-64"

nvram = "Windows 10 x64.nvram"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.powerOn = "soft"

powerType.suspend = "soft"

powerType.reset = "soft"

extendedConfigFile = "Windows 10 x64.vmxf"

gui.lastPoweredViewMode = "fullscreen"

numa.autosize.vcpu.maxPerVirtualNode = "1"

numa.autosize.cookie = "10001"

uuid.bios = "56 4d 2c 17 12 a8 c5 ee-e5 90 11 44 8b 1b 78 0b"

uuid.location = "56 4d 2c 17 12 a8 c5 ee-e5 90 11 44 8b 1b 78 0b"

migrate.hostlog = ".\Windows 10 x64-ee2a830b.hlog"

scsi0:0.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "160"

usb.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "192"

sound.pciSlotNumber = "33"

usb_xhci.pciSlotNumber = "224"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "35"

sata0.pciSlotNumber = "36"

scsi0.sasWWID = "50 05 05 67 12 a8 c5 e0"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:1b:78:0b"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

vmci0.id = "-1961134069"

vm.genid = "-6590852170607577034"

vm.genidX = "9176102060536191425"

monitor.phys_bits_used = "42"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"

vmotion.checkpointSVGAPrimarySize = "33554432"

cleanShutdown = "TRUE"

softPowerOff = "TRUE"

usb_xhci:6.speed = "2"

usb_xhci:6.present = "TRUE"

usb_xhci:6.deviceType = "hub"

usb_xhci:6.port = "6"

usb_xhci:6.parent = "-1"

usb_xhci:7.speed = "4"

usb_xhci:7.present = "TRUE"

usb_xhci:7.deviceType = "hub"

usb_xhci:7.port = "7"

usb_xhci:7.parent = "-1"

sata0:1.autodetect = "TRUE"

svga.guestBackedPrimaryAware = "TRUE"

tools.remindInstall = "FALSE"

toolsInstallManager.updateCounter = "1"

toolsInstallManager.lastInstallError = "0"

rtc.startTime = "1305849600"

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.continue = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.restore = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.resume.disk = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.resume.memory = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.shrink = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.tools.startup = "FALSE"

gui.viewModeAtPowerOn = "fullscreen"

snapshot.action = "prompt"

floppy0.present = "FALSE"

usb_xhci:4.present = "TRUE"

usb_xhci:4.deviceType = "hid"

usb_xhci:4.port = "4"

usb_xhci:4.parent = "-1"

[continuum]

The virtual mainboard without your harddisk starts at 20. May.2011
If it does not work with your virtual harddisk you can deduce that something inside your guestOS itself is responsible.
While troubleshooting this further - lets always use a VM that is powered off completely - lets discuss resuming once we got control of the easier base case.

[kriemer]

One more thought...  I suspect the issue is more a VM Workstation Pro 12 change than a Win 10 issue, but I have no real evidence to support that contention.

Thanks

k

[continuum]

set
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
to scsi0:0.present = "false"
by directly editing the vmx.
Boot into BIOS/firmware.
What time do you get ?

[kriemer]

Hmmmm

When I set scsi0:0.present = "False" the VM will not boot.

You have led me to an interesting discovery though.  When I boot into the bios the bios date/time is as per "rtc.startTime = "nnnnnnnnnn", but when the VM boots up, the VM time is set to pretty much the creation time of the virtual machine.  I turned off time sync with the host machine and time sync on the VM with internet time servers.

I don't know if this behavior is weird or not, but it seems so to me.

Thanks

k

[kriemer]

And another discovery.

Once the VM is activated the VM time syncs with the host machine.  Doesn't matter that tools.syncTime = "FALSE".

k

[kriemer]

A solution.... sort of.

I created "Wayback Machines" using previous versions of Windows and VMware Workstation 12 to see what would happen using the conventional solution.  Works with Win XP and with Win 7.  Does not work with Win 8 or Win 10.  That's seems to be it.  Unless someone comes up with some special switches for the two latest versions of windows I believe that door has been firmly closed.

Thanks for looking and for any comments.

k