16 Run Windows 2008R2 VHD under VMware Player

I download the Windows 2008R2 trail VHD file from Microsoft and like to play around with it by using the VMware player.

My first two attempts fail miserably and google does not help me to find the solutions. I fix it on the 3rd trial but I like to write it here in case I forgot it one day..

First attempt:  I tried to open the VHD file as open new virtual machine. This will fail definitely because VHD file is virtual disk not the VM.

Second attempt:  I create the new VM and mount it as the disk. This seems to be better. The OS is booting up but …. BLUE SCREEN in a flash.. too fast I can not even take a screenshots … 

I recall I face the similar issue last year when I tried to do with Virtual box. Something with the interface with the VHD file. The VHD that Microsoft provided is created from IDE device but my VM is mount under SCSI. VMware player does not allow me to change the device type from SCSI to IDE…  It does support IDE device thought because CD-ROM is set as IDE device. I can not really use CD-ROM to read the VHD file …

The solution is simple .. Each VM has its own hardware configuration file.  It is under the same VM folder. The file name is called “YOUR VM NAME”.vmx. VMX extension stands for VMware Virtual machine configuration. When you open it, you probably will see

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = "Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Evaluation (Full Edition).vhd"

Change it to

scsi0:0.present = "FALSE"
ide1:1.present = "TRUE"
ide1:1.fileName = "Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Evaluation (Full Edition).vhd"

Now, your VHD is mount as IDE device.

Enjoy your new VM…