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VMware Player is an application that opens and plays virtual machines created
with VMware Workstation 4 and Workstation 5, GSX Server, and ESX Server. On
Windows hosts, the player also opens and plays Microsoft Virtual PC and
Virtual Server virtual machines and Symantec LiveState Recovery system images.

Setting Up Virtual Machines for Use with VMware Player

If you want to connect a physical device to a virtual device, always use the
autodetect option when configuring the virtual machine. The autodetect option
allows the virtual machine to adapt to the user's system, and works whether
the host operating system is Windows or Linux. Note that users who actually
have no physical device at all, will receive a warning message.

If you want to connect a CD-ROM or floppy to an image file that you ship with
the virtual machine, make sure the image file is in the same directory as the
virtual machine and that the virtual machine uses a relative path to access
the image file. Absolute paths will probably not work on a user's machine and
vary depending on the host operating system.

If you want both a physical CD-ROM and an image, you should provide two
virtual CD-ROM devices in the virtual machine. VMware Player does not provide
a way in the user interface to switch a single CD-ROM device between a
physical CD-ROM and an image. This also means that, in the unlikely case that
you want to ship multiple images, the user will not be able to switch between
them.

Be sure to install VMware Tools in the virtual machine. VMware Tools
significantly improves the user's experience working with the virtual machine.

Some host operating systems do not support CD-ROMs in non-legacy mode. To
ensure that CD-ROMs work properly in virtual machines that you intend to be
distributed and played on VMware Player, you should configure CD-ROM devices
in legacy mode.

Shared folders should not be enabled. VMware Player does not support shared
folders.

Make sure all of the power options are turned off in the virtual machine
settings editor (VM > Settings > Options > Power > Power options). These
options are:
	• Power on after opening this virtual machine
	• Enter full screen mode after powering on
	• Close after powering off or suspending

Make an appropriate setting in VM > Settings > Options > Snapshots > When
powering off. You should set this option to Just power off, Revert to
snapshot, or Ask me. The option Take a new snapshot is inappropriate for
virtual machines running in VMware Player, because the player does not
provide a way to access the resulting snapshot. The option Revert to
snapshot is useful if you want to distribute a demo that resets itself to
a clean state when powered off. If you select Ask Me, Workstation will
prompt you to choose among these options each time you power off.