Problems Installing Windows Vista RC1 on VMware Workstation?

Ok, so you finally downloaded the latest build of Microsoft’s Windows Vista only to find that you are having problems installing it inside of your VMware Workstation 5.5.2 virtual machine.

Evidently, there is a bug with the Vista pre-RC1 (build 5536) and RC1 (build 5600) that causes interaction problems with VMware’s Workstation 5.5.2. During the operating system installation, the system seems to hang at the text mode screen “Windows is loading files”.

Screams were heard around the world, or at least across the VMware VMTN forums. But as usual, VMware forum users were on top of things, and immediately started posting helpful workarounds to get people up and running. Some solutions were easier than others, but all were equally clever and well received:

• A few users posted a “blind install” method, where they listed the specific key strokes in a step-by-step fashion that needed to be entered to continue through the install. This method works, but is not recommended.
• Another user recommended installing the Vista operating system into a VMware Server virtual machine, then install the VMware Tools to get the correct graphic driver installed, and then migrate the virtual machine back to VMware Workstation. Again, this method works, but an easier method exists.
• Currently, the easiest workaround for this installation bug is to add the following lines to your virtual machine’s configuration file (.vmx) before installing the operating system: svga.maxWidth = “640”

  svga.MaxHeight = “480”

  After the operating system is installed, install the VMware Tools and then shutdown the virtual machine. Remove the added lines from the configuration file and then power the virtual machine back on.

Thanks to the VMware VMTN forum users for these great solutions!