VMWare Player Tutorial 1 – Installing VMWare Player
VMWare is a free (for non-commercial use only) Virtualization suite. Virtualization software makes it possible to run older operating systems on your current version of Windows, usually either for testing or to allow legacy software to continue to run. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of virtual machines in our article, Are virtual machines for me? So check that article out if you’re unsure.
In this tutorial we’ll look at how to install VMWare Player. First of all, you need to download the program. Use the link here and click on the big blue download button next to “VMWare Player for Windows”. Once the download is complete, choose “Open” or “Run” in your browsers download manager to start the installation process. If you are confident installing software you can skip ahead to the next tutorial here, otherwise read on for a step by step guide. Click on any of the pictures on the page to see a bigger version.
If a Windows User Account Control window appears, be sure to enter your administrator password and/or click “Yes” so that the installation can continue. The following window should then appear.
Click on “Next >”. The following window will then be displayed
Scroll down to read the license agreement and if you agree to the terms, make sure that “I accept the terms of the license agreement” is selected, then clikc on “Next >”. The following window will then be displayed
Here you can choose where on your PC you want to install the VMWare Player software. Note that the virtual machines themselves won’t be stored at this location. The default folder is fine for most users, so simply click on “Next >”. The following window will then be displayed.
Here you can choose if you want to enable automatic updates. It’s always a good idea to run the latest version of the software since the latest versions have the newest bug fixes and features, so ensure this option is ticked or checked and then click on “Next >”. The following window will then appear.
Now you need to choose if you want to send anonymous system and usage data to VMWare. Like most companies, VMWare are curious about how you use their software and collect this information for research and development purposes. The data should be anonymous, but if you are worried that some personal data might accidentally be sent too, you can deselect this option. Click on “Next >” when you have made your decision, the following window will then appear.
You can now choose if you want to make shortcuts to the program. This is entirely up to you, though we stongly advise you made a Start Menu shortcut so that you can launch the program easily. Click on “Next >” when you have made your decision. The following window will then appear.
Click on “Continue” and the installer will start copying and configuring files. When the process is complete, the following window will be displayed.
Click on “Finish”. You can now start VMWare Player from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut and proceed directly to our next tutorial.
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