WinXP won't run after installed in workstation 12 player

[DCSware]

My computer has Win7 pro on it. I've downloaded Workstation 12 player. I installed winXP into the workstation. I installed another program into winXP and the program worked fine.

I turned off the workstation with winXP. A few days later now I turn on workstation 12. Select on the existing winXP virtual machine. Select play virtual machine. Click ok for the various devices to be connected.  And I get a blank black screen and winXP doesn't load.

Any idea what I'm missing?

Thanks

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

can you please provide some more details for:

Click ok for the various devices to be connected.

The VM's vmware.log (in the VMs folder) might also contain some helpful hints.

André

[DCSware]

Not sure what else to say.

When I turn on the vm for a moment I see the winXP splash screen then black screen.

Then a moment later I hear the chiming sound of the operating system loading after it loads. Then the screen is completely black without going to the windows desktop.

I have access to the top bar but nothing in it indicates why I don't see the desktop.

when I run my curser over the black screen it turns from an arrow to a pointing hand but nothing happens.

I'm using win7 with 8MB memory and allocated the recommended 521MB to the Guest OS

Thanks

Dwight

[a_p_]

Do you have VMware Tools installed in the guest OS (WinXP)?

In case it's the Pro edition you may want to try to access it through RDP, to find out whether it's just e.g. a display driver issue which can be resolved by installing VMware Tools.

In case of Host-Only, or NAT networking, you can find out the VM's IP Address from the vmnetdhcp.leases file in C:\ProgramData\VMware.

André.

[DCSware]

I did have VM tools installed. I went into Player - down to Manage and clicked on re-install VM tools. I think it starts but then I’m asked to continue through the operating system which I can’t get to because the screen is all black.

In case what is the Pro edition? XP pro or VM pro or win7 pro? Not trying to be smart here.

What is RDP to access through?

It may be a display driver issue.I’m running 4 screens with 2 graphics cards.

I replaced my hard drive a week or so back and updated the graphics cards software a couple times. Since then randomly my screens will go black and then the graphics will recover and I’ll get the screens back to normal. Thought I’m might be a bug in the updates. But now that you mention display this comes to mind.

I went to C:\Program Files\VMware|VMware Player|VMnetDHCP clicked to try to open it and a what looks like a dos black screen flashes for a moment the it’s gone. Don’t know how to keep it open to read the IP Address.

Thanks

[a_p_]

In case what is the Pro edition ...

I'm talking about the guest OS, i.e. Windows XP. The Pro edition allows RDP - Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc.exe) - access.

I went to C:\Program Files\VMware|VMware Player|VMnetDHCP clicked to try to open ...

vmnetdhcp.leases is a text file which you can open with a text editor, e.g. Notepad.

André

[DCSware]

it is winXP pro on the guest OS. Would I access it through my win7 main computer operating system?

When I followed the path in notepad I couldn't find the file VMnetDHCP.

You spoke about C:\ProgramData.

I don't have ProgramData just have Program Files and Program Files(x86)

The VMware file is in Program Files(x86)

Thanks

[wila]

Hi,

Do you have 3D graphics acceleration activated on the display in the virtual machine settings? if so try to disable that.

Also note that there are reports here about users that have a VPN in the guest where it triggers a black screen.

Lastly it might be that the graphics driver of VMware Tools is causing issues.

Try booting in safe mode (if you can) using the function key F8, very early in the boot process, and uninstall VMware Tools.

(You really want VMware Tools installed, but would have to look for an older version of VMware Tools, one that does not have this particular issue, IF this is what is causing your troubles.)

--

Wil

[DCSware · Accepted solution]

Thanks Wil,

Turning off the 3D graphics acceleration did the trick.

Thanks