How to Create a Virtual Machine in VMware Player 2.5.5

The world of technology is constantly evolving, and virtualization has become an essential tool for many businesses and individuals. If you’re new to the virtual machine game, fear not!

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through creating a virtual machine in VMware Player 2.5.5 – one of the most popular software solutions for running multiple operating systems on one physical machine.

We promise it’s easier than you think, so grab your coffee and let’s dive right into it!

What is VMware Player 2.5.5?

VMware Player is a free virtualization program that makes creating and running virtual machines on your computer easy. With VMware Player, you can run multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and more, side by side on the same computer without rebooting.

You can even use VMware Player to run different versions of the same operating system, which is perfect for testing software or trying out new features.

You must download and install the program on your computer to create a virtual machine in VMware Player. Once you have VMware Player installed, launch the program and click “Create a New Virtual Machine.”

You’ll be prompted to select an ISO file or installation disc for your operating system. If you have an ISO file, select it and click “Open.” If you’re using an installation disc, insert it into your computer’s CD/DVD drive and click “Use physical drive.”

Next, you’ll need to choose a name and location for your virtual machine. We recommend keeping the default location, which is usually in your “My Documents” folder. Once you’ve chosen a name and location, click “Next.”

Now you’ll need to specify the amount of memory (RAM) you want to allocate to your virtual machine. The default is 512 MB, but we recommend increasing this to 1 GB or more if you have enough RAM available on your computer. Once you’ve chosen an amount of memory, click “Next.”

On the next page, you can select a network configuration for your virtual machine. If you want to enable networking, select “Bridged” mode so your virtual machine can connect to the internet.

Click “Next,” and then on the following page, review your settings and click “Finish” to create the virtual machine.

With VMware Player 2.5.5, you can run multiple operating systems side by side in their dedicated environments. This makes it easy to experiment with new software or try different configurations without disrupting your computer setup.

Setting Up Host Machine

Assuming you have already installed VMware Player, launch the program and click “Create a New Virtual Machine.” You will have two options for creating your virtual machine:

“I will install the operating system later” and “Install the Operating System from a bootable disk.” Choose the former option and select the version of Linux you wish to install on the virtual machine.

Now select the amount of memory you want to allocate to the virtual machine. VMware Player recommends 512MB for Linux systems, but you can increase this if you think your system will need more memory.

Next, select the hard disk type. If you want to create a new virtual disk, choose “Create a new virtual disk” and click Next.

If you want to use an existing physical disk or partition as your virtual disk, choose “Use an existing virtual disk” and browse for your VMDK or VHD file. Please select it and click Next.

Finally, choose whether you want to create a custom network configuration or use the default settings provided by VMware Player. If unsure, leave the settings at their defaults and click Finish.

Allocating Resources to the Virtual Machine

Now that you have VMware Player installed, it is time to create your first virtual machine. Before you can create a virtual machine, you must allocate resources. Resources include the following:

CPU: This is the number of cores you want to assign to the virtual machine. The more cores you assign, the faster the virtual machine will be.

Memory: This is the amount of RAM you want to assign to the virtual machine. The more RAM you assign, the faster the virtual machine will be.

Hard disk space: This is the amount of storage space you want to assign to the virtual machine. The more hard disk space you assign, the more room you will have for storing files and installing programs.

To allocate resources, open VMware Player and click “Create a New Virtual Machine.” Then, select “Custom” and click “Next.” Select “I will install the operating system later” on the next screen and click “Next.”

Select “VMware Workstation 10” from the drop-down menu on the following screen and click “Next.”

Now, you will be prompted to allocate resources to your new virtual machine. Make sure to allocate enough resources for your virtual machine to run smoothly.

Installing a Guest Operating System

• Before installing a guest operating system, you must create a virtual machine in VMware Player.
• To create a virtual machine, launch VMware Player and click “Create a New Virtual Machine.”
• Select “I will install the operating system later.”
• Choose the type of guest operating system you want to install from the drop-down menu and click “Next.”
• Allocate enough memory for your guest operating system and click “Next.”
• You can also specify how much memory to allocate for your virtual machine when you create it. The default is 512 MB, which is acceptable for most purposes.
• However, if you plan to run resource-intensive applications in your virtual machine, you should allocate more memory. You can do this by clicking the “Customize Hardware” button and adjusting the Memory slider.
• Select “Create a new virtual hard disk” and click “Next.” This will be the virtual disk on which you will install your guest operating system. It will be empty when you create it, so you must install an operating system before using it.
• You can also specify the size of your virtual hard disk when you create it. The default is 8 GB, which is plenty for most purposes. However, if you plan to store a lot of data or install resource-intensive applications in your virtual machine, you may want to allocate more disk space. You can do this by clicking the “Customize Hardware” button and adjusting the Hard disk slider.
• Choose how to install your guest operating system and click “Next.” You have three options: Installer Disc, ISO Image File, or Network Install. If you have an installation disc or a bootable ISO image file, select the appropriate option and provide the path to the media. Alternatively, if you plan to install over the network using PXE, select “Network Install” and provide the URL of your PXE server.
• Choose a name for your virtual machine and specify where you want to save it. Then click “Finish” to create your virtual machine.
• Now that you’ve created a virtual machine, you can install a guest operating system. Double-click on your new virtual machine in VMware Player and follow the instructions to install and configure your operating system as usual. Once installed and configured, you can use it just like any other computer!

Configuring Virtual Machine Settings

You’ll need to configure a few things before you can start using your new virtual machine. Firstly, you’ll need to specify the amount of memory (RAM) you want to allocate to the VM.

This can be done by opening the VM’s settings window and selecting the “Memory” tab. You should allocate at least 4GB of RAM to the VM for the best performance.

Next, you’ll need to specify the virtual disk size that will store the VM’s operating system and files. This is done by selecting the “Storage” tab in the VM’s settings window and clicking the “Add New Disk” button. You should allocate at least 40GB of space for the virtual disk.

Once you’ve allocated enough memory and storage space for the VM, you can install an operating system.

Using Shared Folders and Connecting Devices

You can use shared folders and connecting devices if you need to share files or connect devices between your host computer and virtual machine.

Shared Folders:

You’ll need to create a shared folder to share files between your host computer and virtual machine. To do this, open the VMware Player application and click “Player” in the menu bar. Then select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu.

Select “Shared Folders” from the left sidebar in the preferences window. Then click the blue “+ Add…” button in the right pane.

In the “Add Shared Folder” window, browse to the location of the folder you want to share. Then give the folder a name and select whether you want it available on your host computer or both your host computer and virtual machine. Finally, click on the “OK” button.

The shared folder will now appear in the list of shared folders. You can access it from your virtual machine by selecting “Removable Devices” > “Share Folders” > “[name of shared folder].”

Connecting Devices:

If you need to connect a device (e.g., a USB drive) to your virtual machine, click “Removable Devices” in the VMware Player menu bar and select the device you want to connect from the list.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you’re having trouble creating a virtual machine in VMware Player, here are some troubleshooting tips that may help:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of VMware Player installed. You can download the latest version from the VMware website.
2. If you’re using Windows, ensure you have installed the latest updates for your operating system. You can check for updates by opening the Control Panel and going to System and Security > Windows Update.
3. Select the correct operating system and version you want to install when creating a new virtual machine. For example, if you want to install Windows 10, select Windows 10 from the list of operating systems.
4. Ensure you have enough storage space on your computer for the virtual machine. The amount of storage space required depends on the operating system and applications you plan on installing on the virtual machine.
5. If you’re still having trouble, contact VMware Support for assistance.

Conclusion

Virtual machines can be a great way to run applications that are incompatible with your current system or even run multiple operating systems on the same machine.

With VMware Player 2.5.5, creating a virtual machine from scratch is relatively easy and straightforward.

Following these steps should help you start creating your own virtual environments quickly and easily so that you can start enjoying the benefits these useful tools provide for productivity, collaboration, and entertainment!