Windows 7 x64 VM Setup Problem

[NetNathan]

VMware 12.5 Workstation Pro

This seems kind of dumb...but.

I setup my VM for Windows 7 and pointed the install to an iso of Windows 7 Pro x64 on my hard drive.

I start the VM and it starts Windows install... then Windows install freezes wanting me to point to drivers files?

Where are they.?..I sort of thought that the VM tools would handle this, but now I read that I install VM Tools after I get the OS running..

The Windows 7 iso is the one that came with my Dell Precision Laptop.

[dariusd]

The Dell Windows 7 image is designed only to install onto the Dell system for which it was constructed.  A virtual machine will use different drivers compared to the host system, and Dell might have omitted those drivers from the OEM Dell Windows 7 image because they would not be needed on that system.

The same error message you're seeing will sometimes appear if an ISO image is incomplete or corrupt, so obtaining a fresh, complete ISO image might allow you to progress slightly further, but it is somewhat likely that you'll next encounter issues with product activation and/or hardware device drivers with the Dell-specific ISO.

There may also be licensing issues around using a Dell-supplied OEM Windows image within a virtual machine; Take care to comply with any license conditions associated with the OS.

Cheers,

--

Darius

[NetNathan]

That is what I saw after I mounted the iso....it wasn't a complete Win7.. 

I got a new, complete Win 7 x64 iso.

Am I supposed to format the drive?? It shows 60GB unallocated

Shouldn't I format the drive?  It seems unallocated means it does not have a formatted partition....but it does not allow me to do anything to the disk.

I picked next.

It goes into "Copying Windows Files".  Completes

Then it goes to "Expanding Windows Files" (which is SLOW)

Am I headed in the right direction?

Do I install VMware Tools after I get Windows up and running? 

It seems like, from what I read, the Windows VM needs VMware tools to know what drivers to use, yet it also says I can install after I get Windows installed???

[RDPetruska]

Yes, you install the VMware Tools once the guest OS is installed, loaded, and logged in.  The Tools include advanced/improved drivers - the base OS install should use generic drivers for the network and video cards.  Just follow the steps in the Guest OS Installation Guide.

[dariusd]

With a new, complete Win 7 ISO, you should consider simply creating a new virtual machine from it.  When starting a fresh VM, VMware Workstation will be able to use "Easy Install" to install the OS and VMware Tools and get everything set up nicely for you.

But otherwise, it sounds like you're headed in the right direction.  After Windows is installed, you can Install VMware Tools in the Virtual Machine to provide integration features such as copy-and-paste, guest screen resolution setting, shared folders, etc...  VMware Tools drivers are usually not needed for the VM to operate correctly, but will provide those extra features as well as drivers for some optional VMware-specific virtual hardware -- the VMXNET3 virtual Ethernet controller, for example.  (Easy Install, in a fresh VM, would take care of stat step of installing Tools for you.)

Cheers,

--

Darius

[NetNathan]

Yes...setup of Windows worked successfully.

Now I want to make a copy of my "basic" VM with just Windows installed.

This way I can keep a "base" VM with windows and use copies of the "base" VM to install software wihtout having to install Windows 7 over and over again.

How do I make a copy of my Windows VM??

[dariusd · Accepted solution]

There are two possibilities:

Creating snapshots allows you to maintain that base configuration and produce a "tree" of child VMs with separate states that you can switch amongst.  It will save disk space by only storing the changes (the "delta") between the VM's current state and the snapshot.  You can only run one of those VMs at a time.  Documentation: Taking Snapshots of Virtual Machines

Creating a clone of the VM allows you to produce two entirely separate and independent VMs, but will consume more disk space since it's really a full copy of the VM.  Subject to the guest OS's license conditions, you may be able to run them simultaneously.  Documentation: Cloning Virtual Machines

It's probably worth reading the documentation and experimenting with each option to figure out which will best meet your needs.

Cheers,

--

Darius

[RDPetruska]

How do I make a copy of my Windows VM??

To your host, your VM is merely a set of files in a folder.  Treat it exactly as you would a Word document or Excel spreadsheet!  I always just zip up the VM folder, and keep the zip file as a "virgin" installed OS.  If I need another Win7 VM, I just unzip that into a new folder, tweak the name, and open it as a new VM with the OS already installed, ready for my other software installs.

Note:  I use the corporate versions with multiple installs allowed, so licensing is covered. 

[NetNathan]

In reagrds to licensing of Windows..

As I understand I can run up to 3 VMs at once using the license on the pc.

Reading the licensing of VM by Microsoft...see link at bottom of this link..

Microsoft Volume Licensing Brief - Licensing Windows Desktop Operating System for Use with Virtual M...

As you read thru the licensing yes and nos plus all the scenarios....At the bottom of PDf there is this....which indicates to me that I can have up to 4 VMs running at the same time using my existing Windows License.

So I can have multiple VMs on my PC... but I can only run 4 at the same time. (It would be nice to have a laptop powerful enough to handle 4 VMs at once

It states this..

Scenario:

Local Windows

Virtual Machines

Description:

An organization has a group of

developers who need to test an

application across multiple Windows

images running in local virtual machine

on PCs running Windows 10 Pro.

Licensing Solution:

The PC or the primary user of the PC needs

active Windows Software Assurance, which

permits running up to four virtual machines

concurrently.

This is for Windows 10, but I believe it is for Windows 7 also.

Since I had issues with my copy of Windows for my Dell Precision, I bought a new copy of Win 7 and plan on repeating that OS across my VMs on the same pc.

[NetNathan]

Well...

I am up and running and have made a clone.

I can tell right off....I NEED MORE RAM.  The 8GB on my i7 isn't enough. 

Any other tricks to make he VM faster?

In regards to the clone...

It is "Not Running a Certified Version of Windows 7"...Do I just register it again with the same Windows license?

How to shut down guest...

Log off then shut down Windows before using VM to shut diwn of Guest?

Either way shut down from windows or shut down thru VM.

Should I use Windows Update from the guest?

[wila]

Hi,

Your link to the Windows 10 licensing is about "Volume Licenses" these are specific licenses that you can't just buy, you need to get into contact with a Microsoft Licensing expert and buy the licenses once you qualify for it. A huge PITA if you ask me.

Also Windows 10 licensing is not the same as Windows 7 licensing..

I think the following link answers it:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/systemcenter/en-US/a5b982fd-6740-484b-bbc7-6603836e5ec9/...

In short, go to your start menu

Then in the search box type "Winver" then type enter,

Click the link to read the license and item 3 d. has the contents as in the link above, it has the specific details for the current license you are using.

In other words, TL;DR summary, no you are not allowed to run multiple copies of the same license.

--

Wil