When you connect to a virtual machine through a local or remote console, it behaves much like a physical computer that runs in a window on your computer's desktop.
Instead of using physical buttons to turn this computer on and off, you use buttons in the toolbar at the top of the VMware GSX Server console window.
The power button is labeled Power On or Power Off, depending on whether your virtual machine is running or not. There are special power options available on the Power menu.
A note in the bottom bar of the VMware GSX Server console window alerts you when your virtual machine is not running the version of VMware Tools that matches your version of VMware GSX Server. To launch the VMware Tools installer, choose Settings > VMware Tools Install….
Note: Your guest operating system must be completely installed and running when you install VMware Tools.
Once you power on the virtual machine, you can interact with it just as you do with a physical computer. In addition, you can take advantage of the special capabilities specific to virtual machines.
When you connect to a virtual machine with a local console, you have exclusive access to the virtual machine. As long as you stay connected with the local console, no one else can connect to it, either with another local console, a remote console or VMware Scripting API, nor can you change its power state (power it on or off, suspend or resume it) with the VMware Management Interface. Remote management is not possible when you are connected through the local console.
You can power on a virtual machine headless; that is, without
the local console. From a command prompt, type:
vmware -x
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