Solved The New VMware Workstation Pro 17 - My Personal Opinion

spapakons · Nov 22, 2022

You don't need to wait until it fails. If you download the ISO and start Setup from there, replace the .DLL file with a dummy and disconnect from the internet. Then you may proceed. If you successfully bypass compatibility check you should see the option to upgrade and keep both your apps and data. Stay offline until the first restart, or even better until you see the desktop again. Running winver command should confirm you have upgraded successfully. Running all the rest Windows updates doesn't check compatibility and they all install without any issue.

gmcgee78 · Nov 22, 2022

I have used Virtualbox for a long time and find it easy to use. I have tried Vmware player a couple of times and never liked it. I recently downloaded Vmware player 17 and installed it on my laptop. I tried to install Linux Pop and it would not install. I could use it live but when I tried to install it would lockup. I did get Linuxmint installed but I could not install the tools. I find it to hard to use and have trouble finding information about how to use it. I removed it from my machine and will never try it again. I have never had trouble installing Windows or Linux Distros as guest on Virtualbox. In my opinion Virtualbox is far more advanced than Vmware player.

spapakons · Nov 22, 2022

Virtualbox has fewer features than VMWare Workstation.

jimbo45 · Nov 23, 2022

Hi folks
I keep usually at least 3 Windows VMs running on a Linux NAS server (KVM/QEMU) - and rarely need to logon to the HOST. The VM's can be accessible to anybody who has a Windows account on the VM (although being Windows it's a single user system so only 1 user can access the VM at a time).

The Host is just sitting away quietly in the background just supplying a few services like SAMBA, OPENVPN, and some multi-media files (ascessible to a number of Firestick TV devices and the VM's as well).

If using VMWare on say a Windows HOST and it logs off when the user logs off the host it rather reduces the functionality and capability of what the VM could do -- for example say you wanted to test several concurrent users on a LINUX VM or a WINDOWS SERVER VM (W22 Server available for 180 day free trial so worth "a go with it") - then you are stymied if you have to stay logged on to the HOST.

cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 · Nov 23, 2022

spapakons said:
Virtualbox has fewer features than VMWare Workstation.

But it's FREE -- VMWare workstation is certainly well more than 100 USD these days.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 · Nov 23, 2022

f14tomcat said:
Ok, so that implies any VM cumulative or feature update must be done with an ISO, an MSU, or other hard local source. A standard Check for Updates is out of the question. IMO, that constitutes a massive PITA. But thanks for the info, do appreciate.

Hi there
I'm at a loss to understand why Windows on ANY VM - the main ones here being HYPER-V, VBOX, VMWare and KVM/QEMU as HOST VM software--. system needs an ISO etc to install updates.

Surely just the "Bog standard" Windows update from settings etc should work just as it does on Native hardware.

I've run zillions of W10 and W11 updates on VM's - in any case on decent VM systems you can emulate a TPM V2.0, specify graphics and even mess around with the virtual CPU topography so running on "Unsupported hardware" should be a doddle.

cheers
jimbo

spapakons · Nov 23, 2022

Don't confuse standard updates with upgrading to a higher version. All computers can download and install all standard updates, including the optional updates from Windows Update as it never checks compatibility. Unsupported computers are not offered the upgrade to a new version through Windows Update. To upgrade to a new version (such as from v21H2 to v22H2) you have to manually download the latest ISO and bypass compatibility check to proceed with the upgrade.

hsehestedt · Nov 23, 2022

spapakons said:
Don't confuse standard updates with upgrading to a higher version. All computers can download and install all standard updates, including the optional updates from Windows Update as it never checks compatibility. Unsupported computers are not offered the upgrade to a new version through Windows Update. To upgrade to a new version (such as from v21H2 to v22H2) you have to manually download the latest ISO and bypass compatibility check to proceed with the upgrade.

Correct answer

Rahulji · Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29: Update for VMware Tools 12.1.5 was released
VMware Tools 12.1.5 Release Notes

ish4d0w · Dec 4, 2022

hsehestedt said:
they enforce encryption for Win 11 VMs.

They don't enforce anything. As you wrote, you can just choose "Windows 10" as the guest OS type and proceed to install a tricked out Windows 11. This is fairly easy, for example, popular USB diskmaker RUFUS can do this. But you can also do it manually. This way you don't need encryption.

Besides, don't forget that VMWare Workstation, and VMWare Player are consumer-grade tools. For your needs, ESXi seems to be a better choice. Or any type 1 hypervisor in particular, which includes Hyper-V as well but since you made this a VMWare topic, you're getting a VMWare product suggestion. That is ESXi.

jimbo45 · Dec 4, 2022

hsehestedt said:
Correct answer

Not quite - as on some VM platforms the "Virtual Hardware" even if run on "Natively unsupported systems" will pass the W11 compatibility check and therefore should (and is) offered appropriate updates.

Some VM systems particularly KVM/QEMU allow a "TPM emulator", graphics configuration and even the CPU topography for the virtual cpu to be specified -- making a VM actually quite simple to run even on quite ancient MBR (non UEFI) hardware without native secure boot. If the CPU has enough horsepower there's no reason why a proper "Up to date" W11" can't be run as a VM on any capable machine.

TPM emulation :

Video :

CPU :

@ish4d0w

Running Esxi on consumer grade equipment isn't so straight forward -- in addition with the Non enterprise version you need to have a separate box to logon on the the VM - otherwise you need something expensive like vSphere.

If you want this sort of flexibility with essentially a Type 1 Hypervisor you are far better off using HYPER-V on a Windows host or KVM/QEMU and Libvirt on a Linux host.

Cheers
jimbo

martyfelker · Dec 23, 2022

My experience with VMware WS 17 running under Manjaro was more positive. I could not get around MS's absurd restrictions on the "hardware." WS 17 handles the TPM stuff admirably, and I was able to install Windows 11 latest dev build. There are improvements in speed and stability over WS 16 - whether it is worth the money, only you can decide. The first software I have bought an upgrade for in many months

Cheers

martyfelker · Jun 21, 2024

If youi use Linux you can install virt-manager, gnome-boxes (underrated for quick prototyping) or even Virtualbox

spapakons · Jun 22, 2024

Can you please tell which features version 17 has that 16 hasn't? Is there an improvement in speed or compatibility? With hardware acceleration or without? Thanks.

jimbo45 · Jun 22, 2024

spapakons said:
Can you please tell which features version 17 has that 16 hasn't? Is there an improvement in speed or compatibility? With hardware acceleration or without? Thanks.

Isn't it FREE now ??? or is that rel 18-- that should be a big difference between the builds.

Note though using VmWare workstation on a Linux host can raise problems if the kernel headers aren't at the same release as the kernel which can happen in some distros. If using a Linux host stick to VBOX or KVM/QEMU. (Debian based Linux distros usually keep kernel etc in proper order so no problem there. Fedora has been known to have glitches but since IBM have taken over RedHat it seems more reliable these days).

Mind you with decent hardware Hyper-V on a Windows Host or KVM/QEMU on Linux one beats VMWare workstation by a galaxy.

With moderate or poor hardware which shouldn't really be used for VM's there's probably not much difference since any efficiencies in the VM system will be loast in the poor hardware.

Cheers
jimbo

spapakons · Jun 22, 2024

I am using my main PC (3rd generation Intel Core-i7, 16GB RAM, see 2nd system specs) to run Windows XP and Windows 7. I think these guests are no problem. I occasionally test a new Windows 11 version before upgrading to that. I only assign 4-6 GB to the guest and run only one guest at a time. Even running two guests and doing some other processing in the background my system is quite responsive.

jimbo45 · Jun 22, 2024

spapakons said:
I am using my main PC (3rd generation Intel Core-i7, 16GB RAM, see 2nd system specs) to run Windows XP and Windows 7. I think these guests are no problem. I occasionally test a new Windows 11 version before upgrading to that. I only assign 4-6 GB to the guest and run only one guest at a time. Even running two guests and doing some other processing in the background my system is quite responsive.

W7 and XP guests -- no problem at all even on 3rd generation Intel Core-i7 and RAM requirements for those guests aren't large -- XP even runs decently in 512MB ram and on more modern hardware the host CPU usage barely even registers for that Guest even when doing file transfers / vinyl and Minidisc recording etc.

W11 requirements especially on insider builds are a different story though -- those things not being "productive" OS'es probably have all sorts of data collection things measuring hardware / software etc which while providing useful stats for Ms etc on OS performance will inhibit the actual user end experience to some degree compared with evenm the standard RTM version of W11.

Just comapare W11 Pro Canary build performance with the Free 180 day evaluation (standard not an insider build) of Windows 2021 LTSC Server with desktop GUI. The server runs rings around W11 Pro!!!

Cheers
jimbo

spapakons · Jun 22, 2024

I had tested Windows Server 2016 which is similar to Windows 10, and managed to make it play some light games. Two in one OS, desktop and server.

jimbo45 · Jun 22, 2024

spapakons said:
I had tested Windows Server 2016 which is similar to Windows 10, and managed to make it play some light games. Two in one OS, desktop and server.

Very easy to convert any Windows server edition into a "typical home user type workstation".

Simply mess around with a few registry things --e.g disable ctrl-alt-delete for logon, disable nag screen prompting reason for shutdown when you want to re-boot or shut down, change password restriction length etc, enable audio and wifi, change ownership to your user, don't show user names on logon screen (on 2021 LTSC you get prompted after the fix to enter your user name and password without showing other accounts anywhere on the login screen), and add desktop customisation to taste as per W11.

99% of programs including Office will install without needing a "Server" version too. Photoshop and classic lightroom work perfectly too BTW.

Some drivers also might be missing -- just use the latest W11 ones from a W11 install- that seems to fix those problems for "Unknown hardware", enable SMB1, OpenSSH server, remote desktop and "You are in business" with a great fast lean mean desktop OS.

BTW it also installs to and boots from an external device. Set the windows registry key "portableoperatingsystem" to '0'.

The initial evaluation period is 180 days - but /slmgr rearm works at least 5 times so one can consider this as a perfect enough "Daily desktop OS". Beats poor old W11 hands down if you do the appropriate reg fixes.Plus Networking actually works properly (Windows RECORD !!!!).

Cheers
jimbo

spapakons · Jun 22, 2024

Tested and confirmed:
All Windows 11 drivers work in Windows Server 2016, so use those if server versions not available.
The first you have to do is to add the Desktop role, so you can customize the desktop, then enable audio etc.
In Microsoft Edge there is a certain security warning, I don't remember details, which you can disable to browse all sites without restriction.
Almost all applications should work, except some third-party Antivirus that would demand a server version.

So, at least for the evaluation period, you can setup a server at home to act as a media server, storage server and whatever else. There was Microsoft Home Server based on Windows 7 but it is now discontinued and obsolete.