VMware Workstation Player 12.0.1
[Includes direct link]
neowin.net/news/vmware-workstation-player-1201
pubs.vmware.com/Release_Notes/en/workstation/12player/player-1201-release-notes.html
In case you hadn't spotted yet Chris.
New Version VM Player Available
(26 posts) (4 voices)-
ChrisS
AdministratorThanks Mikiem. Not only hadn't I noticed it, I wasn't even aware that it was now free for personal use. From the FAQ: "VMware Workstation Player (formerly known as Player Pro) is a desktop virtualization application that is available for free for personal use."
I've been using the free VMWare Player (my version is 7.12 but it now shows version 12 is also available).
The specifically noted free Player was a stripped down version of the Workstation and was numbered differently. When they introduced the "Player Pro" a few years ago I thought that meant they were phasing out the free product, and maybe they still are, but it resulted in a confusing product line.
For any interested parties: VMWare Player version 7 and above require a 64-bit OS on your physical machine. If you're running a 32-bit OS on your physical machine then you can still download and use VMPlayer 6.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberMy thanks to both mikiem & ChrisS for this information! I have Windows 7 64-bit Home Edition, and have wanted to "virtualize" my older Windows XP 32-bit Home using either VMWare or VirtualBox so I could use it on my Win7 computer.
I had created a .vhd of my WinXP, and first tried VirtualBox, but I have to say that the instructions seemed to be written by techies for techies. And even though I started out as a COBOL (!) Programmer once upon a time, it was still a challenge for me. I think I'll try VMWare this time, and hope I have an easier go of it ;-)
What, if any, preference is there for using VMWare Workstation Player over Player??
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorI had created a .vhd of my WinXP, and first tried VirtualBox, but I have to say that the instructions seemed to be written by techies for techies.
IMHO, FWIW & all that, VBox is a figure out how to do what you want, & ignore everything else, including docs, program. Feedback, help, & any sort of interaction is with other users in their forum, very often dealing with advanced installations rather than typical users. Two pluses for me are it's ability to use Microsoft format .vhd files, & the portable launcher @ vbox.me -- once set up, on start the portable launcher installs needed drivers, then uninstalls them when shut down. The main negative is that I no longer trust updates -- I won't install a newer version without backing up 1st.
I would guess that for those who want/need such a thing, the lightweight Cloudready Chromium live image running in VBox using the portable launcher would be a decent way to avoid some of the hazards of a public or school PC, assuming you could access a USB port.
VMWare is IMHO much more professional. With VBox it can be hard sometimes to get away from the impression that a lot of stuff is [albeit sophisticated] hacks -- I've never gotten that impression from VMWare.
That said, Microsoft has been hard at work with their VM tech, & it looks like they may have some nice stuff in the pipeline that will be available to individuals -- not just big buck IT dept.s. Since they've not released most of it yet, no idea on if it will suffer from really low efficiency like their Virtual PC.
Likewise I haven't seen if it has the same limitation regarding guest OSes -- Virtual PC uses Remote Access, so drives & folders on the host PC appear in the VM as if they were native, BUT, Microsoft has the support you need for remote access to work turned off in home versions of Windows. There are supposed to be hacks that can get around that, but I haven't tried them -- because of the speed issues I just went with VBox instead.
Win7's Virtual PC is easier to use than VBox &/or VMWare, but the same VM that performs well in VBox will barely run in that VPC host it's so slow. They modified the version of XP that's used in Win7's XP Mode VM so it's not bad at all, but a regular copy of XP Pro, or copies of 7-8 are just terrible. In fact I wound up taking the XP apps I really needed that wouldn't run in 7, & moved them to my XP Mode VM -- there everything runs faster than regular XP in VBox.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberMicrosoft has been hard at work with their VM tech, & it looks like they may have some nice stuff in the pipeline that will be available to individuals --
It will be very interesting to see what Microsoft has to offer, and when.
I can't use Win7's Virtual PC as I have Win7 Home Edition, so I am limited to either VBox or VMWare. My WinXP was an OEM so I don't even have an install CD, hence creating a .vhd.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ChrisS
AdministratorWhile I haven't installed it yet, I suggest going with the Workstation Player Version 12 option. As I understand the releases, Workstation Player 12 is roughly equivalent to Player Pro 7 (the free Player 7 with some additional features) which would have previously cost $125-$150.
It has always been difficult to tell what features were in each of the different versions but a quick glance at the manual states that Workstation Player will open a VHD, which as a big plus:
On Windows hosts, Workstation Player can run Microsoft Virtual PC and Virtual Server virtual machines. When you open a Virtual PC virtual machine in Workstation Player, Workstation Player creates a configuration file that is VMware product compatible and that has a .vmx file extension. Workstation Player preserves the original Virtual PC configuration file and gives the file a .vmc file extension. You can save the VMware product-compatible virtual machine without changing the original Virtual PC configuration file.
(However, as the manual talks about the "original Virtual PC configuration file" you might still have an issue opening the VHD).
The free VMPlayer 7 (and earlier) can use VHD files but you must first create a vmx configuration file (generally by just creating a new VM with your installation disks) and then change the hard drive name to your VHD (example: ide0:0.fileName = "XP Machine.VHD"). If you simply tried to use the "Open Existing Virtual Machine" option the VHD wouldn't be listed as a viable VM.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ChrisS
AdministratorSuze, if Workstation Player needs a configuration file the minimum starting contents of a usable vmx file for WinXP, if it's the same as VMPlayer, are:
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "7"
guestOS = "winxppro"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "XP.VHD"
bios.bootDelay = "30000"
memsize = "512"Copy the above and paste to a text file and save it as XP.vmx in the same directory as your VHD (the vmx file name, and the name in "fileName=" should match the name of your VHD but, if they don't, you'll get to browse and find the correct name of your VHD). Start VMPlayer, select "Open Virtual Machine", browse to the directory where your VHD is stored, click on the VMX file and it will be added to your library. You can then change any of the parameters as desired via "edit machine settings" (display name, number of processors, memory, shared folders, etc), save the changes and start the VM.
Two of the lines are not actually needed (memsize), which must otherwise set in the settings or the VM won't start, and (bios.bootDelay), which pauses the startup so you can change the configuration of your VM or boot it from a CD or other device. Once you get the VM running you can either delete the Delay or set it to a smaller number (it's in milliseconds so the Delay above is 30 seconds).
Any other needed changes to the configuration file will be made as the program runs.
Also, once you get it running it's vital that you install the VMWare tools as they greatly enhance the ability of the player. There should be an "install tools" item in the menu.
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorHi Suze, I just posted a bit about VHDs, virtual hard disks in general, & *maybe* more important to you right now, something about static vs. dynamic VHDs & compacting them.
When you're setting up a VM, the 1st thing you do is set up the VHD that will hold the VM's OS [in your case Windows XP]. I have the disk space, so I use Dynamically Expanding VHDs to keep the size down to make copying easier/faster, & store multiple copies of the same VHDs. I don't add a lot of software or data to them, so the slower speed [when a VHD needs to grow] doesn't bother me. Your situation may be different.
I have win7's VPC installed -- BTW, anyone can install it for free, regardless the version of win7, & likewise the XP Mode VM, though if it doesn't come with your version of win7, you need to come up with a key [many use it in V/Box & VMware]. Anyway, because I have VPC I tend to use .vhd format drives, because to me it's easier to compact them with VPC in the background while doing something else. Otherwise I'm not sure the .vhd format would be worth it, as unless you've got the Hypervisor tools, compacting the virtual drives is IMHO easier with VBox or VMware.
One other note...
Your copy of XP Home will have to be activated in whatever VM Host you wind up using. On the one hand Microsoft doesn't seem to be that concerned with XP activation & deactivation anymore -- it's gone through on-line when I really expected to have to make a phone call. On the other hand you have an OEM license, which means that Microsoft may not activate it on any other hardware, including in a VM.While *to me* it would be worth a try, I wish I had thought of that earlier in this thread [sorry]. On another related note, assuming you get it set up & activated in a VM, be careful about using the VM Host's tools to copy or clone or anything like that. I copy the virtual disks with the VMs on them outside of any host software, so nothing but the content of those disks changes, e.g. software I installed to try is no longer there. Many VM Host tools OTOH will change the disks ID & possibly things like the MAC address, so as not to get confused about which disk is which. That's exactly the sort of thing that gets software, including Windows deactivated.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberHi mikiem2 -- thank you for your additional information & suggestions. Indeed, I do have an OEM license on my XP (and the 25-digit key), and was able to activate it the one time I was successful installing it as a .vhd on VBox. I then screwed up the guest OS setup somehow, and so ended my attempt with VBox.
I will take your suggestions (and warnings) into account when I get up the courage to try again with VMWare ;-)
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorI then screwed up the guest OS setup somehow, and so ended my attempt with VBox.
If you've still got the .vhd file you used, you **might** & **if interested** try the portable vbox launcher with the newer version of VBox using that same .vhd file. Or upgrading the VBox version if it's still installed. Since they made the leap to VBox v. 5 there have been a few, sometimes nasty hiccups, so it may not have been you at all.
The reason I say the portable launcher is that if it doesn't work, nothing to uninstall. And that's not to say that VMware might not be the better overall choice -- just that trying the newer version of VBox might mean less work, if it worked.
If you do try the newer version, please remember to update the Extension Pack as well as the Additions in the VM if it works.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberAs I recall, I uninstalled VBox v4.3.2 and deleted leftover drivers, although I still have my WinXP.vhd on my desktop. It was that older version that I had used, so I think it *was* me ;-)
I had downloaded VBox v5 a while ago, but haven't installed or tried it, as I then decided to try another VM option first.
If I do decide to try VBox v5, I'll definitely try the portable launcher and update as you suggested.
Thanks again, mikiem, for your input and suggestions, which I value!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredI have also never tested the VM Player. For two reasons:
a) it was not clear to me which version would be appropriate for me;
b) the pricing was exorbitant for me as a hobbyist.Instead, I have been using VirtualBox for many years now. On 4, 6 and 8 GB RAM machines. Mostly XP, although I have built a virtual W7 Starter and upgraded it to a virtual W10 32 Home. The XP is based on the official "giveaway" of Microsoft: anybody with an official Windows 8/8.1 key can download it, together with a key.
The only bug I experience with VBox is that a virtual machine sometimes refuses to start. When it does not start after several tries, I just configure a new virtual machine, based on the .vhd file. That takes a few minutes. I use the same .vhd file on several real computers and for several virtual machines with different settings. But never simultaneously.
The nice thing about VBox is that you can make snapshots: when doen with testing the giveaway of the day, I just stop and restore the current snapshot with a single click. On the next startup I have a clean machine once more.
Defining a virtual machine is not so difficult. You can use the default settings 90% of the time.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberThanks, krypteller, for sharing your own [good] experience with VBox; that's encouraging.
This all started because HP built in obsolescence on [at least] one of its laser printers, and the only way that I can still use it with my new Win7 HE is if I create a VM on which to run my OEM WinXP Home as a guest OS . . .
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorI started out years ago using the full version that VMware offered for free -- back then the player was much more limited I think. I wanted something portable, & the VBox launcher was all there was [still is], so I started playing with VBox. I like some aspects of VPC, but as I mentioned it's just too inefficient unless you're using the [I suspect highly tweaked] XP Mode VM. My win8->8.1 install mainly sat ignored for years, so I never explored its VM stuff, but I'm hopeful regarding 10's.
... anybody with an official Windows 8/8.1 key can download it, together with a key.
I knew anyone could download & use the XP Mode VM, but I'd always read that you had to supply a key if you didn't have a version of 7 that included it -- I had planned on using my old XP Pro key with it in 10. Could you please provide any more info on downloading XP with a key? I have 3 valid win8 licenses, so that's not a problem.
RE: VBox, there have been a few problem builds that mainly didn't work with my win7 installation, e.g. the VBox drivers of one build a few versions back caused a BSOD every few days when VBox wasn't running. I've also had 2 or 3 times, over the course of years, where the C:\Users\[UserName]\.VirtualBox folder had to be replaced from backup. And once after installing a problem build I found that VBox had started using a new name for the program's folder [Oracle VM VirtualBox], which required a bit of fiddling to get everything working again. I may be jinxing myself by saying this, but I've never had a VBox VM not start.
I generally don't use snapshots or clones or anything like that -- I have a folder on one partition that I copy/paste the .vhd & .vdi files into. On a 2nd hard drive I have a folder where I store the last copy [before updates] of those files along with the current copy, & I store a copy of that on external drives as further backup. If/when I want to run a VM on another Windows installation [which I don't do very often nowadays], I just copy the relevant [xml] VBox files & or settings over so I don't have any Windows activation issues.
That said, I do use win7's VPC's Hibernate feature quite often with the XP Mode VM -- it freezes the state of the OS, so when I start it the monitoring app I use is running just like I left it. It only saves a few seconds, but I get easily spoiled I guess. ;)
Defining a virtual machine is not so difficult. You can use the default settings 90% of the time.
I've found VBox quite forgiving in that respect. I'll often take one of the machines that's been set up, change the drives in storage, & install &/or run a different OS install or copy of an OS install etc. One example, to a win8.1 or win10 machine I'll remove the existing drives, then I attach a WinPE.vhd 1st, an empty .vhd 2nd, & a Windows setup ISO as DVD. Then I can use WinPE's DISM to apply the win10 install to the empty .vhd. The somewhat time consuming process happens in the background, & later I mount the new .vhd in Windows, & can copy or backup/restore that to a disk/partition or use the .vhd file as-is for a 10VM.
Configuring the machines themselves, I like to use a couple of GB of RAM & 2 CPU cores, but that's me, as I'm not doing anything else too resource intensive when a VM's running. It works for me, though I've read of problems with the VM rather than the host when trying to allocate too much memory.
Suze may be correct that the original XP VM for VBox had broken. I don't know if it's VBox that has changed, or Windows through continual Windows updates, but I've tried creating new VMs from running copies of Windows, where I'd already done the same exact conversion a couple of years ago -- the new VMs were very problematic where the older ones worked [work] fine(?). [I had hoped it would be quicker than bringing the older VMs up to date, with software that had been added since the 1st VMs were created.]
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorThis all started because HP built in obsolescence on [at least] one of its laser printers, and the only way that I can still use it with my new Win7 HE is if I create a VM on which to run my OEM WinXP Home as a guest OS . . .
Microsoft's been increasing the number of generic printer & scanner drivers, 1st in 8, then increasing the number in 8.1 & further in 10. If you haven't already, Google/Bing with the make/model of printer to see if 8-10 includes anything others have found to work?
Maybe the biggest problem converting a working Windows install to a VM is the drivers -- the old drivers have to go away, & the new drivers for the VM Host's drivers have to be installed. The biggest problem with that is, especially with an older version of Windows, an awful lot of related driver files & registry entries have accumulated, & it can be difficult to get rid of their influence.
The easy solution if you mainly need the printer driver, would be a fresh install of XP to a new VM, but you already posted you've no install disc. If you find an ISO online, assuming you could find a clean one, there's no guarantee it would work, since OEM keys did/do not always work with regular setup ISOs. With your suspected broken VM, I don't know if running a repair install using a regular ISO would work or not -- you'd attach the ISO to the XP VM so it would boot to the ISO, then run the repair install option.
The 2 solutions to not having a setup disc that used to be common, were either contacting the manufacturer, who may even legally have to supply one, or looking at the hidden OEM partition that was often present on PCs/laptops, & often had the makings for a setup disc. You might even find the contents of that partition posted online.
Don't know that any of that will help or not -- just more-or-less brainstorming in case it sparks any ideas.
Posted 9 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratorthis all started because HP built in obsolescence
If that's all you need then try Free Virtual Machines From Microsoft wherein Mikiem provides a link to existing downloadable VMs. Just download one for XP (or Vista, or 8 or 10 if you're feeling frisky) and you're done. Well, you'd still need to have some software to run it but you've got a number of platforms to choose from.It's a temporary solution but if you can limp along for the rest of the month then there should be printer deals galore on Black Friday / Cyber Monday where you can get a printer and toner for less than the normal price of a toner cartridge.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberDon't know that any of that will help or not -- just more-or-less brainstorming in case it sparks any ideas.
Indeed, I've been through many searches and possible solutions that you mention here (e.g., ISO, hidden OEM partition), so I'm pleased to know that I'm on the same page as you :)
I suspect my "broken VM" was my fault, and that's why I'm willing to try again with VMWare.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
Memberexisting downloadable VMs
Thanks for the link, Chris -- this could be a good alternative.
I really like this laser printer, and really don't want to buy a new one. It was given to me because its former owner couldn't use it on his 'new' Vista machine, and so he gave it to me for my XP.
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
Moderator"this all started because HP built in obsolescence"
It's a temporary solution but if you can limp along for the rest of the month then there should be printer deals galore on Black Friday / Cyber MondayI resisted saying anything earlier, but we gave up on HP entirely more than a decade ago. 1st was a laser printer costing more than $1000 that only lasted a few years. 2nd was a 2 year old $300+ inkjet that literally spit out parts! Customer complaints were all over the web -- HP's response to us was pay an initial $50, send it in, & we'll give you a repair estimate! Yeah, maybe they'd decide is was a free fix, but any trust we might have had in HP was gone for good by that time. The only thing we've bought since with an HP label on it was paper when it was on sale dirt cheap. Customer reviews I've read have only reinforced our poor opinions of the company.
That rant out of the way [Sorry], the consistently cheapest source of printers I'm aware of in the US is Canon's factory store online, particularly with remans, & especially when they're running specials. I *suspect* they're product dumping, as Japanese companies can import products much cheaper if they use a reman label, which they sometimes do with new products because of that. Occasionally Walmart will also have the same deals, I assume buying Canon's overstock. We've bought something like 8 of them in the past, all were brand new, despite the reman label & box, & all were 1/2 the price of the ink cartridges -- bought them instead of ink. That said, Canon printers are not color accurate -- they add a warmer tint that often makes pictures look better, but that's not accurate if that's what you want/need.
We have had problems with Canon inkjet printers clogging when you use cheap ink, but we don't print that much, so we tend to get more clogs anyway. We have had problems with Epson printers accepting new cartridges, even OEM, & electronic failures. The Brother inkjet I use now makes prints that somehow don't look quite as good as the Epsons & Canons we have & have had, but I bought a 3+ years supply of aftermarket ink cartridges for something like $15, & as of the 3rd or 4th set they still work fine.
One thing I'm fond of is the networking features built into many [most?] new printers. Don't have or don't want to install drivers? In many cases print via the web, using either the manufacturer's app &/or site, or Google Cloud Print. That said, if you have a network enabled printer, dive into the docs & such -- my Brother printer essentially operates a web server that's pretty insecure at factory default settings.
I really like this laser printer, and really don't want to buy a new one.
Laser printers start in the US on sale at about $30 -- don't know if that matters or not. Another idea *might* be a cheap print server. AFAIK HP's had the same printer language for decades with their lasers.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberNot to turn the main topic into another [;-)], I'll just say that, so far, I've had very good luck, and use, with HP products, including inkjet printers, a fax machine, and a desktop (plus its predecessor, Compaq). But thank you for the options, and vendors, that are available should I decide to look elsewhere ;-)
Posted 9 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorPlease pardon the brain fog -- it's been fairly prominent the last couple of days...
When I saw that the printer was an HP laser, that right away triggered the memory that HP laser printers use the same printer language -- something I dealt with a decade plus ago, along with postscript & other ancient trivia. I'm ashamed to say it was almost an hour later that the memories started to trickle in, & a quick Google confirmed that HP has a universal laser printer driver. You'd have to check that it supports your model, but pretty sure it [or something similar] will.
Don't doubt you've had decent luck with HP BTW -- I simply won't deal with a company that that behaves the way they did when/if one of their products has a problem. We have an ancient Compaq laptop that still runs -- they were a decent company, HP bought them [something folks in the US are hearing lots about since HP's CEO at the time is now running for prez].
Posted 9 years ago # -
Suze
MemberNo need for the pardon . . . I really appreciate your mentioning that HP has a universal laser printer driver!
That's an potential option I knew nothing about and will pursue, and see if it supports my printer. If it does, than that may be a better, and quicker, way to go.
I don't blame you for not dealing with a company that doesn't support its products. And speaking of Compaq, I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation for 10 years total, prior to leaving the industry in 1988 . . .
Off to do a little 'Googling' . . .
Posted 9 years ago #
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