CD-rom settings

VMX-file parameters

 

You got more or less 4 different options to use CDs:

 iso-file 
 atapi-cdrom - this is the legacy mode offered by the GUI
 cdrom-raw connected as IDE
 cdrom-raw connected as SCSI

 

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ide1:0.present = "true"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"
ide1:0.filename = "myiso.iso"

ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

This settings allow to boot from the CDrom.

The device will be detected as a VMware CDrom.

This settings are the ones that work troublefree.

Device is detected as:NECVMWar_VMware_IDE_CDR10

ide1:0.present = "true"
ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom "

ide1:0.filename = "E:"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

This mode will detect a VMware CDrom and use a real CDrom drive of your host. Specify which device to use by giving the driveletter on Windows-hosts.

This settings will allow booting from CDrom.
Failsafe option when you need to use a physical CDrom
Device is detected as:NECVMWar_VMware_IDE_CDR10

ide1:0.present = "true"
ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom "

ide1:0.filename = "/dev/hdc"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

This mode will detect a VMware CDrom and use a real CDrom drive of your host. Specify which device to use like /dev/hdc on Linux

This settings will allow booting from CDrom.
Failsafe option when you need to use a physical CDrom
Device is detected as:NECVMWar_VMware_IDE_CDR10

ide1:0.present = "true"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ide1:0.filename = "E:"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

This mode will detect the CDrom like it is detected by your host.
You can specify which device to use by giving the driveletter on Windows-hosts.

This settings will allow booting from CDrom.

ide1:0.present = "true"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

ide1:0.filename = " /dev/hdc"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

This mode will detect the CDrom like it is detected by your host.
You can specify which device to use by useing the Linux-device name like /dev/hdc

This settings will allow booting from CDrom.

scsi0:0.present = "true"
scsi0:0.startConnected = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"

scsi0:0.filename = "E:"

This mode will detect the CDrom like it is detected by your host.
You can specify which device to use by giving the driveletter on Windows-hosts.

This settings will not allow booting from CDrom - but it can be used for CD-writing.

 

Additional settings

ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

This parameter defines wether you want the device connected at boot-time - for performance reasons set to "false" as soon as possible!
ide1:0.exclusive = "TRUE"

This parameter defines wether you want to use the device exclusicely by one VM only. It only makes sense if you don't use Isos. Don't use unless there is no way around it.

ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
You can use autodetect instead of giving the driveletter - but I don't recommend this - it's always cleaner if you assign the device like you want it to be assigned. In case you have problems with detecting daemon-tools or other virtual CD-drives better specify the device you want to use.

ide0:0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "TRUE"

Use to allow control via the vmware-tools from within a guest.

 

 

Server only

ide1:0.clientDevice = "TRUE"

Use this to connect Isos from a remote host.
Looks like current VMserver silently implies
ide1:0.startConnected = "false" when he uses a client device ???

 

Warning

Don't switch from 'raw-device/cdrom-raw' to any of the other settings without thought , as this may also mean that you need different drivers inside your guest.
This may even cause a necessary Reactivation in XP.

Generally speaking try to use Isos whenever possible - as this is the option that uses the smallest amount of host-resources.
Disconnect Isos or CDroms whenever you don't need them anymore.

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