This guide looks at installation of VMware Workstation Pro on Windows 11 or Windows 10. VMware has recently been acquired by Broadcom and VMware Workstation has been made free for non-commercial use. The previous free lesser products have been depreciated in order to reduce development costs.
Press ⊞+r to bring up the run dialog and input:
appwiz.cpl
Select Turn Windows Features on or off:
Select Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform:
Select Restart Now:
Although a number of improvements have been made in VMware itself. The front-end to the website redirects to the Broadcom website:
There have been a number of issues logging in to the Broadcom website. If there are issues the backend to the software downloads can be used:
Download the compatible version of VMware Workstation Player from VMware. This is in the core folder and has the extensions .bundle.tar.
Extract the .tar to get to the extracted folder with the .exe file:
Launch the setup.exe to begin the install:
Accept the User Account Control Prompt:
Select next:
Accept the License Agreement and select next:
Check add VMware Workstation Tools tools into system path and select next:
Check, check for updates and select next:
Check Start Menu Folder and select next:
Select install:
Select finish:
Instructions are similar for both Ubuntu 24.04 and Ubuntu 24.10 Guests.
To run Ubuntu as a Virtual Machine, the host PC should have a high end 11th generation processor, at least 16 GB of RAM and at least a 512 GB SSD. Press ⊞+r to bring up the run dialog and input:
msinfo32
The Ubuntu 24.10 or 24.04 LTS ISO can be downloaded from Canonical:
Open up VMware Workstation Player:
Select File → Create a New Virtual Machine:
Under select ISO Image, select Browse. Select the Ubuntu 24.10 ISO and select open:
Ubuntu 24.10 will be detected. Input your full name, username and password:
The name and location of the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest will be shown. Select Next:
The default disk size is 20 GB, which is quite restrictive. It is recommended to expand this to 256 GB.
Note the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest won't occupy the full 256 GB. This setting means the disk can reach up to a maximum value of 256 GB.
Select next:
Select Customise Hardware:
Under memory, the default memory is 4096 GB, this should only be increased if the system has >32 GB of RAM:
Under processors, the number of processors is 2, this can be increased if the processor has more cores and threads but increasing this too much can cripple the Windows 11 Host and therefore this will cripple the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest leading to poor performance:
Under CD/DVD, ensure that the Ubuntu 24.10 ISO is selected and that Connect at Power On is checked:
Under Network Adapter, leave the default settings:
Under USB Controller, change the default setting USB 2.0 to USB 3.1:
Under Sound Card, leave the default settings:
Under Display, leave the default settings and select close:
Select finish:
The Ubuntu 24.10 Guest will start booting from the Ubuntu 24.10 Live ISO:
Select your Language:
Select next:
Select your keyboard layout and then select next:
Select use wired connection and select next:
Select Install Ubuntu and select next:
Select Interactive Installation and select next:
Select default installation and select next:
Check Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware and Download and install support for additional media formats and select next:
Select Erase DIsk and install Ubuntu and select next:
Input your full name, computer name*, username* and password:
* These should be lower case characters with no spaces, the - is the only special character allowed. The user name philip becomes the name of the home folder /home/philip which is also represented by ~ in the terminal.
Select next:
Select your time zone and select next:
Select next:
Select reboot now:
Log in:
Select next:
Select next:
Select finish:
Ubuntu 24.10 is now installed in the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest Virtual Machine. The system drivers (open-vm-tools) are included in the Linux Kernel and do not have to be installed. The Ubuntu 24.10 guest can be maximised to full size.
From the all applications screen select software updater:
Select install now:
An authentication prompt displays, the Ubuntu counterpart to the WIndows User Account Control Prompt:
To authenticate input your password and select Authenticate:
Select restart now:
VMware automatically added a floppy drive and second CD/DVD in order to facilitate installation of open-vm-tools. This mechanism is typically used for older Ubuntu versions as Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.10 have open-vm-tools preinstalled.
Ubuntu 24.10 displays mounted drives by default. If the CD/DVD has an ISO image displayed it will display on the panel, the floppy drive will always display whether or not it has an image loaded:
Select Player → Removable Devices → CD/DVD → Settings:
Ensure connected and Connected at Power On are unchecked:
Do the same for CD/DVD 2:
And floppy and then select ok:
Select yes:
The mounted optical drive icon now disappears but the floppy drive icon remains:
Select Player → Floppy → CD/DVD → Settings:
Select remove:
Removal requires the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest to be powered off. Select OK:
Power off the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest:
Select OK:
Select Edit Virtual Machine Settings:
Now select Floppy and remove:
Select ok:
The floppy drive icon is now removed:
Unfortunately VMware doesn't support drag and drop to or from the Ubuntu 24.10 Guests Desktop:
Create a subfolder in the Windows 11 Host Documents folder called:
vmshared
Select Player → Manage → Virtual Machine Settings:
Select Options → Shared Folders and check Always Enabled. Select Add:
Select next:
Select the vmshared folder and select next:
Select enable this share and select finish:
Select OK:
Launch Startup Applications:
Select add:
Create a subfolder in the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest Documents folder called:
vmshared
Under name select VMware Shared Folder.
Under command input the following command
/usr/bin/vmhgfs-fuse .host:/ /home/philip/Documents/vmshared -o subtype=vmhgfs-fuseReplacing philip with your user name and vmshared with the name of the folder.
Select add:
Select close and the restart the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest:
The folder vmshared is now mounted as a shared folder:
And the files can be accessed between the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest and Windows 11 Host:
Note the shared folder needs to be refreshed in the Ubuntu 24.10 Guest in order to view changes made on the Windows 11 Host. This can be done quickly by selecting Documents and then pressing back:
Instructions are similar for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 Guests.
Windows 11 has relatively high system requirements such as an 8th generation processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD boot drive. To run Windows 11 as a Virtual Machine, the host PC should significantly exceed these system requirements and therefore have a high end 11th generation processor, at least 16 GB of RAM and at least a 512 GB SSD. Press ⊞+r to bring up the run dialog and input:
msinfo32
A Windows ISO can be downloaded from Microsoft:
* Microsoft removed old Windows 10 Builds and Windows 8.1 after Windows 8.1 reached end of life.
Select the Windows 11 ISO and select download now:
Select the language and select confirm:
Select 64 Bit download:
The ISO will download:
Select Player → File → Create a New Virtual Machine:
Select installer disc image (ISO) and load the Windows 11 ISO:
Windows 11 will automatically be detected and the default VM settings for the Windows 11 Guest will be applied. The name and location of the Windows 11 Guest will be shown. Select next:
Windows 11 requires an encryption key for the TPM. Input an 8 digit password and confirm the password:
The default disk size is 64 GB which is quite restrictive. It is recommended to expand this to 256 GB.
Note the Windows 11 Guest won't occupy the full 256 GB. This setting means the disk can reach up to a maximum value of 256 GB.
Select next:
Select customise hardware:
Under memory, the default memory is 4096 GB, this should only be increased if the system has >32 GB of RAM:
Under processors, the number of processors is 2, this can be increased if the processor has more cores and threads but increasing this too much can cripple the Windows 11 Host and therefore this will cripple the Windows 11 Guest leading to poor performance:
Under CD/DVD, ensure that the Windows 11 ISO is selected and that Connect at Power On is checked:
Under Network Adapter, leave the default settings:
Under USB Controller, leave the default settings at USB 3.1:
Under Sound Card, leave the default settings:
Under Display, leave the default settings and select close:
Select finish:
The Windows 11 Guest will now launch however a dialog box will display to download VMware tools, select download and install:
Accept the user account control prompt:
The VMware tools ISO will be loaded. However as VMware does not let you click into the Windows 11 Guest at this time, the boot menu will have timed out taking you to the Windows 11 Guest's BIOS setup. Select restart the system:
Click into the Windows 11 Guest and press any key such as h:
The Windows 11 Guest will boot from the ISO. Select your language and select next:
Select the keyboard settings and select next:
Select Install Windows 11 and accept the agreement, then select next:
Select I don't have a Product Key:
Select the Windows 11 Edition and select next:
Select accept:
Select the virtual disk 0: Unallocated Space and select next:
Select install:
Select the country or region and select yes:
Select the keyboard layout and select yes:
Select skip:
Input the name of your Windows 11 Guest and select next:
Select setup for personal use and select next:
A number of updates will download:
After the updates have downloaded, select sign in:
By default you will be unable to create a local account. To get around this select Virtual Machine → Virtual Machine Settings:
Select player → Removable Devices → Network Adapter → Settings...
Select Network Adaptor and uncheck Connected and Connect at power on, then select ok:
Press ⇧+F10 to open up the command prompt:
Input:
oobe\bypassnro
The Windows 11 Guest will reboot. Select the country or region and select yes:
Select the keyboard layout and select yes:
Select skip:
Select I don't have internet:
Input your local account name and select next:
Input your (optional) local account password and select next:
The privacy settings will now display. Select Virtual Machine → Virtual Machine Settings:
Select Network Adaptor and check Connected and Connect at power on and select ok:
Once all the privacy questions have been answered, the Windows 11 Guest will be installed:
VMware tools are essentially the Virtual Machines device drivers. Select Player → Virtual Machine → Install VMware Tools:
If this is grayed out. Manually download the ISO:
Use the latest release for Windows 11. Use 11.0.6 for Windows Vista and Windows 7. Use 10.0.12 for Windows XP.
Mount the ISO in the VM and begin the install as normal.
Launch the setup64.exe:
Accept the User Account Control Prompt:
Select next:
Select next:
Select install:
Select finish:
Select yes:
Now that VMware tools are installed, the Windows 11 Guest can be resized:
Bi-directional drag and drop from the Windows 11 Host to the Windows 11 Guest works:
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