Introduction
VMware is a software company that provides virtualization solutions for desktops, servers, and cloud computing. Virtualization is a technology that allows you to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single physical machine, by creating virtual machines that emulate the hardware and software of a real computer. Virtualization can help you save time, money, and resources, by enabling you to test, develop, deploy, and run software in different environments without affecting your main system.
VMware Workstation is one of the most popular products from VMware, designed for desktop users who want to create and use virtual machines on their PCs. VMware Workstation allows you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on the same PC, such as Windows, Linux, macOS, or Android. You can also use VMware Workstation to access remote virtual machines hosted on VMware vSphere or other platforms.
download vmware 12
In this tutorial, we will focus on VMware Workstation 12 Pro, which is the version released in 2015. We will show you how to download, install, and configure VMware Workstation 12 Pro on your Windows PC, and how to create and run virtual machines with different operating systems. We will also compare VMware Workstation 12 Pro with VMware Workstation 15 Pro, which is the latest version released in 2018, and highlight some of the features and benefits of each version.
Downloading VMware 12
To download VMware Workstation 12 Pro, you need to visit the official website of VMware at [4]( You will need to log in with your My VMware account or create one if you don't have one already. You will also need to provide your license key or purchase one if you don't have one already. The license key for VMware Workstation 12 Pro costs $199 for new customers or $99 for existing customers who want to upgrade from a previous version.
After you enter your license key, you will be able to select the relevant installation package for your operating system. The installation package for Windows is about 300 MB in size. You can either download it directly from the website or use a download manager tool to speed up the process. You can also download the documentation and user guide for VMware Workstation 12 Pro from the same page.
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Installing VMware 12
To install VMware Workstation 12 Pro on your Windows PC, you need to run the installation package that you downloaded from the website. You will see a welcome screen that asks you to accept the license agreement and choose the setup type. You can either select Typical or Custom setup type. Typical setup type will install all the default components and settings for VMware Workstation 12 Pro, while Custom setup type will allow you to customize some of the options such as installation location, shortcuts, network settings, etc.
After you choose the setup type, you will be asked to enter your license key again and choose whether you want to check for product updates automatically or not. You will also be asked whether you want to join the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) or not. CEIP is a voluntary program that collects anonymous data about how you use VMware products and helps improve them. You can opt out of CEIP at any time by changing the settings in VMware Workstation 12 Pro.
Finally, you will see a ready to install screen that shows you the summary of the installation options. You can review them and click Install to start the installation process. The installation process may take a few minutes, depending on your system configuration and speed. You will see a progress bar that shows you the status of the installation. When the installation is complete, you will see a finish screen that asks you to restart your computer or not. You need to restart your computer to complete the installation and use VMware Workstation 12 Pro.
Configuring VMware 12
After you restart your computer, you can launch VMware Workstation 12 Pro from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. You will see a welcome screen that shows you some of the features and benefits of VMware Workstation 12 Pro. You can also access the help menu, the user guide, the online resources, and the settings from this screen.
To configure VMware Workstation 12 Pro, you need to click on the Edit menu and select Preferences. You will see a preferences dialog box that allows you to customize various options for VMware Workstation 12 Pro, such as display, keyboard, mouse, updates, network, shared folders, etc. You can change these options according to your needs and preferences. For example, you can change the default location for storing virtual machines, enable or disable drag and drop and copy and paste between host and guest systems, configure proxy settings for updates, etc.
Some of the preferences may require you to restart VMware Workstation 12 Pro or your virtual machines to take effect. You can also restore the default preferences at any time by clicking on the Restore Defaults button at the bottom of the dialog box. After you finish configuring VMware Workstation 12 Pro, you can click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.
Creating virtual machines
To create a new virtual machine with VMware Workstation 12 Pro, you need to click on the File menu and select New Virtual Machine. You will see a new virtual machine wizard that guides you through the steps of creating a virtual machine. You can either select Typical or Custom configuration type. Typical configuration type will create a virtual machine with recommended settings for most users, while Custom configuration type will allow you to specify more advanced options such as hardware compatibility, processor, memory, disk size, etc.
After you choose the configuration type, you will be asked to select the guest operating system for your virtual machine. You can either install from a disc or an ISO image file, or use an existing operating system installation on another disk or partition. You can also choose from a list of supported operating systems such as Windows, Linux, macOS, or Android. You will need to provide the installation media or the path to the existing operating system for your virtual machine.
Next, you will be asked to name your virtual machine and choose a location for storing it. You can also specify whether you want to store your virtual machine as a single file or multiple files. Storing as a single file may improve performance but increase disk space usage, while storing as multiple files may reduce disk space usage but decrease performance. You can also encrypt your virtual machine with a password if you want to protect it from unauthorized access.
Finally, you will be asked to review the settings for your virtual machine and customize them if needed. You can change the hardware settings such as processor, memory, disk size, network adapter, sound card, display, etc. You can also add or remove devices such as CD/DVD drive, USB controller, printer, etc. You can also enable or disable features such as shared folders, drag and drop, copy and paste, etc. After you finish customizing your virtual machine settings, you can click Finish to create your virtual machine.
Using virtual machines
To use your virtual machine with VMware Workstation 12 Pro, you need to start it from the main window of VMware Workstation 12 Pro. You will see a list of all your virtual machines on the left pane of the window. You can select any virtual machine and click on the Play button to start it. Alternatively, you can right-click on any virtual machine and select Power On from the context menu.
When you start your virtual machine for the first time, you may need to complete some initial setup steps such as installing VMware Tools (a set of drivers and utilities that enhance the performance and functionality of your virtual machine), activating your guest operating system (if required), configuring your network settings (if needed), etc. After that, you can use your virtual machine as if it were a real computer.
You can also perform various actions on your virtual machine such as stop it (by clicking on the Stop button or selecting Power Off from the context menu), pause it (by clicking on the Pause button or selecting Suspend from the context menu), resume it (by clicking on the Resume button or selecting Resume from the context menu), or reset it (by clicking on the Reset button or selecting Reset from the context menu). You can also take snapshots of your virtual machine (by clicking on the Snapshot button or selecting Take Snapshot from the context menu), which are point-in-time images of your virtual machine that you can restore later if needed. You can also clone your virtual machine (by clicking on the Clone button or selecting Clone from the context menu), which creates a copy of your virtual machine that you can use independently or share with others.
You can also switch between different views of your virtual machine such as full screen, windowed, or tabbed. You can also use the toolbar at the top of the window to access various options and features such as settings, devices, tools, view, etc. You can also use the status bar at the bottom of the window to see information such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk usage, network activity, etc. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts to perform common tasks such as Ctrl+Alt+Del, Ctrl+Alt+Enter, Ctrl+Alt+Ins, etc.
VMware 12 vs VMware 15
VMware Workstation 12 Pro is a powerful and reliable virtualization software that allows you to create and use virtual machines on your Windows PC. However, it is not the latest version of VMware Workstation. VMware Workstation 15 Pro is the latest version released in 2018, which offers some new and improved features and benefits over VMware Workstation 12 Pro. Here are some of the main differences between VMware Workstation 12 Pro and VMware Workstation 15 Pro:
Feature
VMware Workstation 12 Pro
VMware Workstation 15 Pro
Supported host operating systems
Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10; Linux distributions based on kernel version 2.6.32 or later
Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10; Linux distributions based on kernel version 4.0 or later
Supported guest operating systems
Windows XP or later; Linux distributions based on kernel version 2.6.x or later; macOS 10.11 or later; Android 4.x or later
Windows XP or later; Linux distributions based on kernel version 2.6.x or later; macOS 10.14 or later; Android 7.x or later
Maximum virtual machine hardware compatibility
Version 12
Version 15
Maximum number of virtual CPUs per virtual machine
16
32
Maximum memory per virtual machine
64 GB
128 GB
Maximum disk size per virtual machine
2 TB
8 TB
Graphics support
D3D10 with OpenGL 3.3 support; up to 2 GB video memory per virtual machine; up to two monitors with a resolution of up to 4096x2160 pixels per monitor; DirectX Shader Model 5 support for Windows guests only; no support for Vulkan API
D3D10.1 with OpenGL 4.1 support; up to 3 GB video memory per virtual machine; up to four monitors with a resolution of up to 7680x4320 pixels per monitor; DirectX Shader Model 5.1 support for Windows guests only; Vulkan API support for Windows and Linux guests only
Networking support
NAT network configuration with IPv4 support only; up to 20 virtual networks; no support for IPv6 NAT network configuration; no support for Jumbo Frames; no support for Virtual Network Simulation (packet loss, latency, bandwidth)
NAT network configuration with IPv4 and IPv6 support; up to 20 virtual networks; IPv6 NAT network configuration support for Windows hosts only; Jumbo Frames support for Windows hosts only; Virtual Network Simulation (packet loss, latency, bandwidth) support for Windows hosts only
USB support
USB 2.0 and 3.0 support for Windows and Linux hosts and guests; no support for USB 3.1
USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 support for Windows and Linux hosts and guests
Other features
Support for virtual TPM (Trusted Platform Module) for Windows guests only; support for virtual NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) devices for Windows and Linux guests only; no support for REST API; no support for Microsoft Hyper-V mode; no support for Linux Secure Boot
Support for virtual TPM (Trusted Platform Module) for Windows and Linux guests; support for virtual NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) devices for Windows and Linux guests; REST API support for Windows hosts only; Microsoft Hyper-V mode support for Windows hosts only; Linux Secure Boot support for Linux hosts and guests
As you can see, VMware Workstation 15 Pro offers some advantages over VMware Workstation 12 Pro, such as higher hardware compatibility, better graphics and networking performance, more USB support, and more features. However, VMware Workstation 12 Pro is still a viable option for users who have older hardware or software requirements, or who do not need the latest features. You can also upgrade from VMware Workstation 12 Pro to VMware Workstation 15 Pro at a discounted price of $149.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we have learned how to download, install, and configure VMware Workstation 12 Pro on your Windows PC, and how to create and run virtual machines with different operating systems. We have also compared VMware Workstation 12 Pro with VMware Workstation 15 Pro, the latest version of the software, and highlighted some of the features and benefits of each version. We hope that this tutorial has helped you understand the basics of virtualization with VMware Workstation 12 Pro, and that you will enjoy using it for your personal or professional needs.
If you have any questions or feedback about this tutorial, please feel free to contact us at [5](mailto:support@vmware.com). We would love to hear from you and help you with any issues or queries that you may have. Thank you for choosing VMware Workstation 12 Pro as your virtualization solution!
FAQs
Q: How can I update VMware Workstation 12 Pro to the latest version?
A: You can update VMware Workstation 12 Pro to the latest version by using the built-in update feature. To do this, you need to click on the Help menu and select Software Updates. You will see a dialog box that checks for available updates and prompts you to download and install them. You may need to restart your computer or your virtual machines to complete the update process.
Q: How can I share files between my host system and my virtual machines?
A: You can share files between your host system and your virtual machines by using the shared folders feature. To do this, you need to enable shared folders for your virtual machine in the settings dialog box. You can then specify which folders on your host system you want to share with your virtual machine, and assign a drive letter or a mount point for them. You can also enable or disable read-only access, auto-mounting, or mirroring options for your shared folders. You can then access your shared folders from your virtual machine as if they were local folders.
Q: How can I transfer files between my virtual machines?
A: You can transfer files between your virtual machines by using the drag and drop or copy and paste features. To do this, you need to enable drag and drop or copy and paste for your virtual machines in the settings dialog box. You can then drag and drop or copy and paste files between your virtual machines as if they were on the same system. You can also use the network connection between your virtual machines to transfer files using FTP, SMB, SSH, or other protocols.
Q: How can I backup or restore my virtual machines?
A: You can backup or restore your virtual machines by using the snapshot feature. To do this, you need to take a snapshot of your virtual machine at any point in time that you want to preserve. You can then restore your virtual machine to that snapshot later if needed. You can also manage your snapshots by deleting, renaming, or merging them. You can also clone your snapshots to create new virtual machines from them.
Q: How can I troubleshoot problems with my virtual machines?
A: You can troubleshoot problems with your virtual machines by using the tools menu. To do this, you need to click on the Tools menu and select Troubleshoot. You will see a troubleshoot dialog box that allows you to perform various actions to diagnose and fix problems with your virtual machines, such as collecting support data, checking for VMware Tools updates, reinstalling VMware Tools, running memory tests, etc. You can also access the log files and the event viewer for your virtual machines from this dialog box.
This is the end of the article. I hope you have learned something useful and enjoyed reading it. If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please feel free to contact us at [5](mailto:support@vmware.com). We would love to hear from you and help you with any issues or queries that you may have. Thank you for choosing VMware Workstation 12 Pro as your virtualization solution! 44f88ac181
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