Missing Multimedia Audio Controller in a Windows Server 2003 Guest

If an Internet connection is not available while installing a Windows Server 2003 guest, the driver for the multimedia audio controller is not installed. The Windows Device Manager indicates that the driver for the multimedia audio controller is missing. To install the required driver, configure an Internet connection, and run Windows Update on the Windows Server 2003 virtual machine.

Windows Server 2003

You can install Windows Server 2003 in a virtual machine using the corresponding Windows Server 2003 distribution CD.

Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:

 Read “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page.

 Create and configure a new virtual machine.

 If you are using the virtual LSI Logic SCSI adapter, Windows Server 2003 installs the SCSI driver when you install the guest operating system. If you are using the virtual BusLogic SCSI adapter, you need a special SCSI driver available from the download section of the VMware Web site at  www.vmware.com/download. Follow the instructions on the Web site to use the driver with a fresh installation of Windows Server 2003.

 If you have a virtual machine with a SCSI virtual disk and an earlier Windows guest operating system and want to upgrade it to Windows Server 2003, install the new SCSI driver before upgrading the operating system.

 Manually configure the e1000 network adapter driver in ESX 3.0.2 to support Windows Server 2003
Datacenter Edition. Refer to knowledge base article 1003020 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003020.

Installation Steps

1. Insert the Windows Server 2003 CD in the CD‐ROM drive.

2. Power on the virtual machine to start installing Windows Server 2003.

3. If you are using the virtual BusLogic SCSI driver downloaded from the VMware Web site, you must add an additional driver.

    a. As the Windows Server 2003 installer loads, press the F6 key.

    This allows you to select the additional SCSI driver required for installation.

    b. Press S to specify the additional driver.

    c. Press Enter to continue with the installation.

4. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

5. Install VMware Tools.

   After installation, consider the following support and configuration issues for a Windows Server 2003 guest.

Screen Resolution in a Windows Vista Guest

After installing VMware Tools on a Windows Vista Service Pack (SP1) virtual machine, the screen resolution does not change to 1024 by 768 pixels automatically. See VMware Knowledge Base article 1004780 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004780 for information on modifying the screen resolution manually.

Missing Multimedia Audio Controller in a Windows Vista Guest

If an Internet connection is not available while installing a 32‐bit Windows Vista guest, the driver for the
multimedia audio controller is not installed. The Windows Device Manager indicates that the driver for the
multimedia audio controller is missing. To install the required driver, configure an Internet connection, and
run Windows Update on the Windows Vista virtual machine.

Windows Vista

You can install Windows Vista in a virtual machine using the corresponding Windows Vista distribution CD.

Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:

 Read “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page.

 Create and configure a new virtual machine.

 Virtual machine. 512MB or more of RAM.

 Host computer. 512MB or more of RAM.

Installation Steps

1. Insert the Windows Vista CD in the CD‐ROM drive.

2. Power on the virtual machine to start installing Windows Vista.

3. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

4. Install VMware Tools.

5. (Optional) On VMware Fusion, install Boot Camp drivers so that the guest operating system can access hardware devices on the physical machine.

Refer to knowledge base article 1012885 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1012885 for more information.
After installation, consider the following support and configuration issues for a Windows Vista guest.

Windows Server 2008

You can install the Windows Server 2008 in a virtual machine using the Windows Server 2008 distribution CD.

Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:

 Read “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page.

 Create and configure a new virtual machine.

 Virtual machine. 512MB or more of RAM.

 Host computer. 512MB or more of RAM.

Consider these support and configuration issues for Windows Server 2008:

 If an Internet connection is not available while installing a 32‐bit Windows Server 2008 guest, the driver for the multimedia audio controller will not be installed. The Windows Device Manager will indicate that the driver for the multimedia audio controller is missing. To install the required driver, configure an Internet connection, and run Windows Update on the Windows Server 2008 virtual machine.

 ESX supports the Server Core role available in the Standard, Datacenter, and Enterprise editions of
Windows 2008 Server. VMware Tools still apply, unless Server Core disables parts of the operating system that are specifically supported by VMware Tools. See the Microsoft Developer Network Web site for more information about Server Core: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en‐us/library /ms723891(VS.85).aspx

Installation Steps

1. Insert the Windows Server 2008 CD in the CD‐ROM drive.

2. Power on the virtual machine to start installing Windows Server 2008.

3. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

4. Install VMware Tools.

Windows Server 2008 R2

You can install the Windows Server 2008 R2 in a virtual machine using the Windows Server 2008 R2
distribution CD.

Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:

 Read “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page.

 Create and configure a new virtual machine.

 Virtual machine. 512MB or more of RAM.

 Host computer. 512MB or more of RAM.

Installation Steps

1. Insert the Windows Server 2008 R2 CD in the CD‐ROM drive.

2. Power on the virtual machine to start installing Windows Server 2008 R2.

3. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

4. Install VMware Tools.

Windows Recovery Environment

Read “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page.

For instructions specific to the Windows Recovery Environment, see the accompanying operating system
documentation.

VMware Tools in Windows Recovery Environment

There is no version of VMware Tools that supports Windows Recovery Environment.

VMware Tools Support in Windows Preinstallation Environment

VMware Tools does not support Windows Preinstallation Environment.

Windows Preinstallation Environment

Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:

 Read “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page.

 Create and configure a new virtual machine. During virtual machine creation, select Windows Vista for
the guest operating system. A Windows PE selection is not available.

 Download and install Windows AIK 1.1 (WAIK1.1) software (build from Windows Server 2008 kernel)
from the Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=94BB6E34‐D890‐4932‐81A5‐5B50C657DE08&displaylang=en

 Create a Windows PE 2.1 ISO image.

Windows 7

Install Windows 7 in a virtual machine using the corresponding Windows 7 distribution CD.
Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:

 Read “General Guidelines for Supported Guests” on page.

 Create and configure a new virtual machine.

 Virtual machine. 1GB or more of RAM for 32‐bit guests and 2GB or more of RAM for 64‐bit guests.

Installation Steps

1. Insert the Windows 7 CD or DVD in the CD‐ROM drive.

2. Turn on the virtual machine to begin installing Windows 7.

3. (Optional) If you are using VMware Paravirtual as the default SCSI controller, you can install Windows 7 32‐bit using pvscsi-windows2003.flp driver and Windows 7 64‐bit using pvscsi-windows2008.flp driver.

4. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

5. Install VMware Tools.

6. (Optional) On VMware Fusion, install Boot Camp drivers so that the guest operating system can access hardware devices on the physical machine.

Windows 7 32‐ bit supports only Boot Camp 3 drivers and Windows 7 64‐bit requires Boot Camp drivers to be installed individually.

Refer to knowledge base article 1012885 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1012885 for more information.

ISO Installation

Rather than booting from a physical CD‐ROM, you can create an ISO image file from the installation CD‐ROM. You can store the ISO file on the host machine or on a network drive accessible from the host machine. Use the configuration tool for your VMware product to connect the virtual machine CD drive to the ISO image file, and turn on the virtual machine.

Using an ISO image file is convenient to install the same operating system in multiple virtual machines. It can also help you avoid a problem in host configurations, in which the virtual machine cannot boot from the installation CD‐ROM.

PXE Installation

If you plan to use a PXE server to install the guest operating system over the network, you do not need the operating system installation media. When you turn on the virtual machine, the virtual machine detects the PXE server.

PXE booting is supported for guest operating systems that are listed in the VMware Guest Operating System Compatibility list and whose operating system vendor supports PXE booting of the operating system.

Typical Installation

The basic steps to install a typical operating system:

1. Start your VMware product and connect to the virtual machine.

2. Insert the installation CD‐ROM or disc of the guest operating system in to the CD‐ROM or disc drive
connected to the virtual machine.

 ESX Server 2.x. You must insert the installation CD‐ROM or disc in the drive on the server where the virtual machine is running. You cannot use the drives on the management workstation.

 GSX Server. If your guest operating system requires a disc, you must insert it in the drive on the
server where the virtual machine is running. You cannot use the disc drive on the management
workstation.

3. Turn on your virtual machine by clicking Power On.

4. Follow the instructions provided by the operating system vendor.

As with physical computers, operating systems require separate licenses for each virtual machine that you run.

Some Microsoft Windows OEM discs included with new computers are customized for those computers and include device drivers and other utilities specific to the hardware system. Even if you can install that Windows operating system on your physical computer, you might not be able to install it in a virtual machine. You might need to purchase a new copy of Windows to install in a virtual machine.

5. Install VMware Tools.

64-Bit Linux Guests and Execute Disable Functionality

When running a 64‐bit Linux guest operating system on EM64T hardware, make sure that you have Execute Disable functionality enabled in the host BIOS. This functionality helps to ensure that the Linux guest operating system runs without interruption.

VMware Tools

VMware Tools must be installed in most guest operating systems. For an overview of VMware Tools and for a list of the manuals that contain installation instructions for VMware Tools, see knowledge base article 340 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/340.

Determining Memory Settings for a Virtual Machine

When you configure the memory settings for a virtual machine, you should consult the documentation for the guest operating system you plan to run in that virtual machine. The user interface of your VMware product provides general guidelines for the amount of memory required. If the interface and the operating system documentation do not agree, you should rely on the operating system documentation.

Using Sound Adapters on GSX and VMware Servers

Sound adapters by default are not installed in a virtual machine for GSX or VMware Servers. To add a sound adapter, use the virtual machine settings editor (VM > Settings) after you have installed the operating system. For instructions on configuring sound for a virtual machine on a GSX or VMware Server, see the
corresponding server documentation.

Running a Guest Operating System

For information about running a guest operating system and using its features, see the documentation
provided by the operating system vendor.

General Guidelines for Supported Guests

Configurations, support, and hardware influence how you install a supported guest operating system.

Operating Systems That the Operating System Vendor No Longer Supports

For operating systems listed in this guide that the operating system vendor no longer supports, VMware
might, at its sole discretion, provide support and fixes to VMware products to address problems that are
exposed by running such operating systems on a VMware virtual machine. VMware is not responsible for
resolving problems with or providing support or fixes to the operating system itself.

Installing Guest Operating Systems

The Guest Operating System Installation Guide includes installation instructions for installing supported guest operating systems on the following VMware products:

 VMware ESX Server 2.0 and later

 VMware ESXi/ESX 3.5 and later

 VMware Workstation 4.0 and later

 VMware Server 1.0 and later

 VMware Fusion1.0 and later

 VMware ACE 1.0 and later

 VMware GSX Server 3.0 and later

If you are using VMware® Workstation 3.x, VMware GSX Server 2.x, VMware ESX Server 1.x or an earlier VMware product, see the user’s manual that came with your product for installation instructions for the guest operating systems supported by that product.

Operating systems that are not included in this guide are not supported.

See “General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products” on page for information that might apply to the guest you are installing and see “Latest Updates” on page 11 for the most recent changes to this guide.

General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products

Installing a guest operating system in a virtual machine is essentially the same as installing it on a physical
computer.

Before installing a guest operating system, create a virtual machine and ensure that its devices are setup correctly. For example, install networking software when you install the guest operating system, and configure and enable the Ethernet adapter for the virtual machine.

The tool or interface you used to configure the virtual machine depends on the VMware product you are
running.

A new virtual machine is like a physical computer with a blank hard disk. Before you can use it, you must partition and format the virtual disk and install an operating system. The operating system installation program might handle the partitioning and formatting steps for you.

NOTE You should disable screen savers that might be running on the host system before you install the guest operating system.

Windows PE 2.1 ISO image Installation Steps

Installation Steps

1. Boot the virtual machine from a Windows PE 2.1 ISO image.

After the boot process completes, a command prompt appears.

2. Use Windows PE to prepare your virtual machine to install a Windows operating system.

To Create a Windows PE 2.1 ISO Image

1. Select Start > All Programs > Microsoft Windows AIK > Windows PE Tools Command Prompt to open the Windows PE Tools Command Prompt.

2. Type one of the following commands to create a Windows PE build environment for an x86 or amd64
machine in the winpe-x86 folder.

         Platform                              Command

         32‐bit                                   copype x86 C:\Winpe-x86

         64‐bit                                   copype amd64 C:\Winpe-amd64

3. Create a Windows PE 2.1 bootable ISO image by entering the following command:

oscdimg -n -h -bc:\winpe-x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe-x86\iso c:\winpe-x86\winpe-x86.iso

Installation Steps

1. Boot the virtual machine from a Windows PE 2.1 ISO image.

After the boot process completes, a command prompt appears.

2. Use Windows PE to prepare your virtual machine to install a Windows operating system.