Using Virtual Machines Created With Version 3 Under Version 4; Create Everything New From The Start; Use An Existing Configuration File And Virtual Disk; Using Virtual Machines Created With Version 3 Under Version - VMware 4 User Manual

Using Virtual Machines Created
with Version 3 under Version 4
There are, broadly speaking, three approaches you can take to setting up virtual
machines under VMware Workstation 4. Choose one of these approaches.
• Create Everything New from the Start on page 47
• Use an Existing Configuration File and Virtual Disk on page 47
• Use an Existing Virtual Machine and Upgrade the Virtual Hardware on page 48

Create Everything New from the Start

Use the New Virtual Machine Wizard to set up a new virtual machine and install a
guest operating system in the virtual machine as described in
Machine on page 63. If you set up your virtual machines in this way, you will be using
the latest technology and will enjoy the best possible virtual machine performance.

Use an Existing Configuration File and Virtual Disk

Upgrade VMware Tools to the new version following the instructions for your guest
operating system in Installing VMware Tools on page
older version of VMware Tools before installing the new version.
A virtual machine set up in this way should run without problems. However, you will
not have the benefits of certain new features, including improved sound quality,
support for taking a snapshot while the virtual machine is running and improved
virtual disk formats.
Note: The first time you power on the virtual machine under VMware Workstation 4,
Workstation updates the CMOS. As a result, your guest operating system may detect
hardware changes and install new drivers for the new hardware even if you do not
choose File > Upgrade Virtual Hardware. Similarly, if you switch back to VMware
Workstation 3, your guest operating system may detect hardware changes and install
the appropriate drivers. You should expect to see this behavior each time you switch
from one version of VMware Workstation to the other.
Windows hosts: At the time you install VMware Workstation 4, the installer offers to
convert virtual disk .dsk filenames to use the .vmdk extension introduced with
version 3. If you still have virtual disks using the .dsk extension and if you are storing
virtual disk files on a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 host, it is especially
important that you allow VMware Workstation to make this change in order to avoid
conflicts with the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 System Restore feature. The
Creating a New Virtual
77. You should not remove the
C H A P T E R 3 Upgrading VMware Workstation
47