Installing Windows 2000 into a Virtual Machine

Windows 2000 Professional or Server can be installed in a virtual machine using the corresponding Windows 2000 distribution CD.

Note: Some Microsoft Windows 2000 OEM disks included with new computers are customized for those computers and include device drivers and other utilities specific to the hardware system. Even if you can install this Windows 2000 operating system on your actual computer, you may not be able to install it in a VMware ESX Server virtual machine. You may need to purchase a new copy of Windows to install in a virtual machine.

Before installing the operating system, be sure that you have already created a new virtual machine and configured it using the VMware ESX Server Virtual Machine Wizard.

Windows 2000 Installation Steps

Before starting the installation, use VMware Management Interface to verify the virtual machine's devices are set up as you expect. For example, if you would like networking software to be installed during the Windows 2000 installation, be sure the virtual machine's Ethernet adapter is configured and enabled. VMware also recommends that you disable the screen saver on the host system before starting the installation process.

To install Windows 2000 into a virtual machine:

Insert the Windows 2000 CD in the CD-ROM drive on your VMware ESX Server host.
If you plan to install the guest operating system from a physical CD-ROM disc, be sure the CD-ROM drive is connected to the virtual machine.
Power on the virtual machine to start installing Windows 2000.
If you enabled the virtual machine's Ethernet adapter, a VMware PCI Ethernet Adapter is detected and set up automatically.

VMware Tools

Be sure to install VMware Tools in your guest operating system. After you install VMware Tools, you need to change your Windows 2000 screen area to be greater than 640x480 pixels; if you do not change it, Windows 2000 uses the standard VGA driver, and your performance will suffer.

Enabling Sound After Installing Windows 2000

The VMware ESX Server sound device is disabled by default and must be enabled with the Configuration Editor (Settings > Configuration Editor) after the operating system has been installed.

Known Issues

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.