install Windows Server on VMware Workstation

I will explain to you How to install Windows Server on VMware Workstation

If you are a Windows Server administration student, one of the best ways to get hands-on practice is by installing the operating system on a virtual machine. In this post, we will see how to install Windows Server on VMware Workstation to experience Windows Server without creating a separate partition.

How to install Windows Server on VMware Workstation

Install Windows Server on VMware Workstation

If you want to install Windows Server on VMware Workstation, follow these steps.

1] Install VMware Workstation on your computer

First, install VMware Workstation on your computer. For this, go to support.broadcom.com. You may need to register and create an account. Once done, go back to this link and open the download portal. Go to VMWare Workstation Pro 17.0 for Personal Use. Since we are on a Windows computer, we will use the same, but if you are using another operating system, select the appropriate option.

We recommend that you download the latest version from the list as it includes all the latest features. Older versions may ask you to enter a key.

After downloading the utility, double-click on it to install it. Then, when you open VMware Workstation for the first time, you will get a welcome message where you need to select Use VMware Workstation 17 for personal use and click Continue.

2] Download Windows Server ISO

Next, download the Windows Server ISO file. For this, we need to visit microsoft.com. When you visit the website, click on Evaluate Now associated with Windows Server 2022, then click on Download ISO, enter your details to register for the free trial and then click on Download Now. Then download the ISO file for the language of your choice. Wait for a moment as the ISO file will take some time to download.

3] Create the Virtual Machine

Now that we have both the programs required to create a virtual machine, let's create one and prepare the environment for the installation of the operating system. To do this, follow these steps.

Workstation Open VMware.
Click on File > New.
Keep Typical selected and click Next.
Select the installer disk image (iso) file, click Browse, select the ISO file, and then attach it. You will see that VMware has automatically detected “Easy Install,” an option that automatically detects the operating system in the ISO file. This feature optimizes the virtual machine for the OS, reducing manual configuration during installation. While not all operating systems support it, the most commonly used ones do.
Click Next.
Since we don’t have a product key, skip it and the password. If you don’t want to configure it now, click Next.
Edit the virtual machine name and location; click Next.
You will be prompted to allocate system resources such as storage and memory. After doing that, finish your machine.

This will create and start the virtual machine.

4] Install Windows Server

Once you start the virtual machine, the installation process will automatically start. However, there is a high chance that you will receive the following error message during installation.

Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms. Make sure the installation sources are valid and restart the installation.

To resolve this, remove the disk drive. Your machine thinks it contains the product key, which it does not.

To do this, follow these steps.

Click the cross icon to close the error message.
Next, right-click on your virtual machine tab and select Shut Down > Shut Down.
After shutting down the machine, right-click on it and select Settings.
Click Floppy Disk > Remove.
Click OK Now.

Once done, start your virtual machine again and press any key when prompted.

Select your preferred language and region, then click Next and Install Now.

When prompted to choose a server version, select Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Evaluation (Desktop Experience) > Next. Skipping this step will install Server Core, which does not have a graphical user interface. Read and accept the license terms, then click Next. Choose the Custom installation type and select “Drive 0”, then click “Next” and wait for the installation to complete. Once finished, the virtual machine will reboot. You may need to enter an administrator password. Then press Ctrl+Alt+Insert to log in or select Send Ctrl+Alt+Del from the VMware menu.

Once done, you can use your VMware Windows Server virtual machine.

How did I install Windows Server on VMware ESXi?

First, I need the Windows Server ISO file, which I can get from the link mentioned abovego, just follow the steps I mentioned earlier.

Open VMware ESXi, go to Virtual Machines and click on Create Virtual Machine/Register Virtual Machine.
Click on Create a new virtual machine option and enter the name and other details
Then type a disk library, click Next.
Configure the CPU counter and enable Hardware Virtualization and Performance counters if needed.
Next, you need to set CD/DVD Drive 1 to Datastore ISO File.
Then, select the ISO file that you downloaded.

Finally, follow all the on-screen instructions and complete the whole process.