Creating a virtual machine (VM) in VMware Workstation involves selecting the operating system, configuring settings, and naming the VM.
Installing a virtual machine (VM) on VMware Workstation allows you to run different operating systems within your existing operating system. This process involves creating a new virtual machine configuration and then installing an operating system onto it.
Steps to Create a Virtual Machine
The process begins with launching VMware Workstation and choosing to create a new virtual machine. You will typically be guided through a wizard.
- Choose Setup Type: You can often choose between Typical and Custom configurations. For most users, Typical is sufficient.
- Select Installer Media: You'll need to specify where the operating system installation files are located. This can be an ISO image file, a physical CD/DVD drive, or you can choose to install the operating system later.
- Select Guest Operating System: Choose the type of operating system and its version you plan to install. Based on the reference provided, you might select an OS like Windows 10 and later x64.
- Name the Virtual Machine: Enter a descriptive name for your new VM. This name will appear in the VMware Workstation library.
- Choose Location: Select where the virtual machine's files will be stored on your computer. By default, the virtual machine files are often created in the Documents folder or a subdirectory within it, as noted in the reference. You can change this location if needed.
- Specify Disk Capacity: Set the size for the virtual hard disk. You can also choose whether to store the virtual disk as a single file or split it into multiple files.
- Customize Hardware (Optional): Before finishing, you can customize the VM's hardware settings, such as RAM, CPU cores, network adapters, etc.
- Finish: Review your settings and click Finish to create the virtual machine configuration.
Once the VM is created, you will typically power it on, and the operating system installation process from your chosen media (like the ISO file) will begin within the virtual machine window. You will then follow the standard installation steps for that specific operating system.
Example Scenario:
Imagine you want to set up a Windows 10 testing environment.
- You would create a new VM in VMware Workstation.
- Select "Typical" setup.
- Point to your Windows 10 ISO file.
- Select "Microsoft Windows" as the Guest OS and "Windows 10 and later x64" as the version, as seen in the reference.
- Name the VM something like "Windows 10 Test VM".
- Confirm or change the default location (which might be in your Documents folder).
- Set the virtual disk size.
- Finish creating the configuration.
- Power on the VM and proceed with the standard Windows 10 installation within the VMware window.
