Configuring a CD-ROM or DVD Drive or ISO Image

Select: VM > Settings > Hardware > CD-ROM

Each virtual machine can access a physical DVD or CD-ROM drive on the VMware Server host or an ISO image file.

Multiple virtual machines can connect to the DVD or CD-ROM drive on the VMware Server host at the same time.

To disable or enable access to a CD-ROM or DVD drive while a virtual machine is running, choose the drive from the VM > Removable Devices menu.

You can change some configuration settings for a CD-ROM or DVD drive while the virtual machine is running. Some settings can be configured only when the virtual machine is powered off, and you must power off the virtual machine if you want to remove a CD-ROM or DVD drive. You cannot configure or remove the drive while the virtual machine is suspended.

You can set the following options under Device status:

Connected — Check or uncheck this option to connect or disconnect the drive while the virtual machine is running.
Connect at power on — Check this option if you want the drive to be connected automatically whenever you power on the virtual machine. You can change this setting when the virtual machine is powered on or powered off.

You can set the following options under Connection:

Use a physical drive — Select this setting if you want the virtual machine to use a physical drive on the host computer. Use the drop-down list to specify whether you want to use a specific drive or let VMware Server auto-detect the drive to use.
Location: Host/Client — Specify whether you want the virtual machine to access the DVD or CD-ROM drive on the VMware Server host or the drive on a client machine. To use the client CD-ROM drive, you must connect to the virtual machine with the VMware Virtual Machine Console on that client. This is a convenient way of installing software remotely if you don't have access to the host.
All virtual DVD or CD-ROM settings — like using legacy emulation and exclusive connections — apply except that the drive on a client cannot start connected.
If you want to boot the virtual machine from the DVD or CD-ROM drive in a client system, complete the following steps.
1. When you first begin booting the guest operating system, press the Esc key. A boot menu appears.
2. Open the virtual machine settings editor (choose VM > Settings) and select the CD-ROM drive. Select Use physical drive, then next to Location, select Client.
3. Return to the boot menu in the guest operating system. Select the CD-ROM drive, then press Enter to boot the virtual machine from the CD-ROM drive of the client on which you are running the VMware Virtual Machine Console.
Legacy emulation— checking this option causes the virtual hardware to work as it did in VMware GSX Server 2. By default, VMware Server attempts to make available the advanced features of your drive, but in some cases this may cause the drive to not work with your virtual machine. Checking this option reverts VMware Server to the prior emulation mode for CD-ROM drives.
Note: This option is not available for ISO images.
Use ISO image — select this setting if you want to use a CD-ROM image file. Click Browse and locate the ISO image file you want to use in the virtual machine.

Under Virtual device node you can select which SCSI or IDE device identifier to use for the drive. For example, if you select SCSI 0:2, the guest operating system sees the drive as ID 2 on controller 0. It does not matter whether the physical drive is IDE or SCSI. For example, if your physical CD-ROM drive is an IDE device, you may still select a SCSI node. In that case, the virtual machine sees the drive as a SCSI device.

If you are adding a new CD-ROM or DVD drive, click Add to install the device.

To remove an existing drive, select that drive, then click Remove.

Click OK to save the configuration and close the virtual machine settings editor.