This guest operating system is supported on the following VMware products:
Note: If you are installing a guest operating system through VMware VirtualCenter, be sure it is supported under the VMware product - ESX Server or GSX Server - on which you are running the virtual machine.
Be sure to read General Guidelines for All VMware Products as well as this guide to installing your specific guest operating system.
You can install Windows 98 in a virtual machine using the standard Windows 98 CD. If your VMware product supports it, you may also install from a PXE server.
Before installing the operating system, be sure that you have already created and configured a new virtual machine.
Note: Some Windows 98 packages require that you boot from a floppy disk. If you have such a package, insert the boot floppy in the floppy disk drive. Follow the on-screen instructions. Be sure to run FDISK and FORMAT when the installer prompts you to do so.
Be sure to install VMware Tools in your guest operating system. For details, see the manual for your VMware product or follow the appropriate link in the knowledge base article at www.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=340.
If networking was disabled at the time you installed Windows 98, you can enable it after the operating system has been installed. To set up networking for a virtual machine, power off the virtual machine and add a network adapter to the configuration. When you power on the virtual machine, Windows 98 automatically detects an AMD PCNET Family Ethernet Adapter (PCI-ISA) and prompts for the Windows 98 CD-ROM to install drivers. The default Ethernet adapter settings should work well and do not need to be changed. Use the Network icon in the Windows 98 Control Panel to view or change network settings. For example, you may want to add the TCP/IP protocol since Windows 98 does not install it by default.
VMware GSX Server: The sound device is disabled by default and must be enabled with the virtual machine control panel (VM > Settings) after the operating system has been installed. To set up the virtual machine to play sound, see Configuring Sound in the GSX Server documentation.
After Windows 98 has been installed, you may notice COM5 and COM6 devices exist within the Windows Device Manager. These devices do not actually exist and are not consuming IRQ or other resources. You may remove them using the Windows device manager if you like.
On a Linux host with an XFree86 3.x X server, it is best not to run a screen saver in the guest operating system. Guest screen savers that demand a lot of processing power can cause the X server on the host to freeze.