How to install Windows 8 on VMware virtual machineWindows 8 Beta

We have seen couple of Windows 8 leaks by now and most of you may like to test it.Installing and reinstalling may be a tedious task so today we would like to write a tutorial as how to install Windows 8 on VMware virtual machine which would ease your work.

First of all the minimum system configuration of Windows 8 is similar to Windows 7 so you should atleast have the following configurations-

1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

Here are the steps to install Windows 8 on VMWare Virtual machine-

First of all you need to have Windows 8 build which you have to install on virtual machine.
Download VMware player from here or from here. After downloading VMWare player just install it.VMWare can be installed on Windows XP,Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Select Create a New Virtual Machine option from the list

Now choose Installer disk image file (iso) and browse for the Windows 8 image file

In the next menu select Microsoft Windows as operating system and Windows 7 x64 if you are installing Windows 8 x64 or select Windows 7 if installing 32 bit version.

In the next menu leave the Windows Product key empty and just enter the name and password (optional).

Set the name of the Virtual machine and browse the location where you want to install it ( select where you have average 40 GB free when installing Windows 8 x64)

In the next menu enter the maximum disk-size, prefer to keep it minimum as 40 GB

In the next menu click on Customize Hardware and modify the memory if installing Windows 8 x64. Keep the memory minimum as 2 GB. You could also change the number of cores depending on your processor.

Finally click on Finish button and your Windows 8 installation on Virtual machine would start

Penhoat

Any hint as of where one would find such a leak?
- 3.14159
  
  The pirate bay :)
  - Amiitbatt9
    
    is windows 8 have any pro
- Ochimo
  
  Must be a MAC user. Waiting for someone to point to it.
  - ondonge
    
    Its being installed in a Windows System. Mac has VMware Fusion not Player.
    - Godz_Computer_Tech
      
      I got windows 8 from microsoft , try to install it in vmware8 It keeps rebooting syaing it cannot find any key during the install even when i do not choose any keys, I extracted win 8 to a file then found inside the sorces file the product.ini with tons of keys in it. , Tried installing from iso, from dvd, extracted file, and nothing is working cause it keeps asking for a key. Whats going wrong?
Penhoat

Yeah my bad, I thought it was a leak of the version Microsoft demonstrated, not just a slightly different version of Windows 7
http://www.facebook.com/Dr.CLoNY Taher Eldemerdash

faild……Windows could not display the images avalible for installatition
i can make solution for this proplem now
- Iceyd
  
  if you get this error like i did to get round it instead of selecting windows 7 x64 as the os select other 64 then set up the space and the ram and you should be fine
  - Jason
    
    I am getting the same error as TAher Eldemerdash above. Tried your solution, doesnt seem to work. Any thoughts?
  - http://www.youtube.com/user/MisterDeathPixel DeathPixel
    
    Thanks :)
Fabio Di Peri

it’s because of vmware’s Easy Install… i’m trying with easy install disabled right now, i’m actually at the “expanding windows files” phase
http://www.facebook.com/people/Nirav-Patel/509883334 Nirav Patel

how to block easy install because im also getting the same error
Kirill Shilov

sooo, whats the website for the leaked windows
- http://www.facebook.com/PetoD Peter Danyi
  
  Dream Further DOT Com
  lmao
Carlofabyss

for those having problems with installing (cannot display images message) I disabled floppy and it seems to be installing seemlessly :)
Cpt.Derp

I thought you cant install Windows 8 in VMware as it requries ACPI 2.0 :S
Mr.perfect

i tried to install the amd64 build 7989, it installs and when it restarts,i see the fish screen then it gives me an error which has a huge link and halts abruptly.. i tried all that i know or might cause the problem
any solution guys….
Brandon

i suggest using oracle virtualbox to install it. it’s a lot easier and im pretty sure it works, im at the expanding windows thing right now…
0mo 3997

Can you Just install it onto a hard disk? I’m going to try it as soon as it finishes downloading.
Plas

I download Windows 8 build 6.2.8011.0.winmain.110520-1745 but the zipfile have a password, can you help me?
- sonicdude558
  
  You got a fake build. get 7989.
- sonicdude558
  
  You got a fake build. get 7989.
Michael B.

Doesn’t work. Nice error: vcpu-0:NOT_IMPLEMENTED vmcore/vmm/intr/apic.c:1903
TTTT

Nice way to gloss over an actual running system. VMWARE PLAYER does not work with Win8 at this time. You need to have VMWARE WORKSTATION 8 to get it to work.
- Michael York
  
  FYI – Though there could be a change since this post was made, as of today the VMWare Player does work for the Windows 8 Community Preview. VMWare Workstation 8 is not/no longer requred.
Adam

Tried the developer preview version, but no matter what settings I try I always get:
vcpu-0:NOT_IMPLEMENTED vmcore/vmm/intr/apic.c:1903
- Guest
  
  Only VMware workstation 8 supports windows 8 right now. Older versions will result in the error you described.
  - Scot trodick
    
    That seems correct. I get the vcpu-0:NOT_IMPLEMENTED when I try to install in VMware Player.
Jessy Marker

you know i find it REALLY funny how your last screen in the shots is a WIndows 7 install screen. Windows 8 just says: “Loading Files…….” in the bottom left hand corner. QUIT BEING A FAKE!!! :)
Thank You
- Anonymous
  
  You know, I find it REALLY funny that you’re wrong and yet so indignant. Windows 8 – the recently released developer preview, x64, does NOT show that. It gives the above screen then – if the install has no issues – says “Windows 8 Developer Preview.”
Anix

yee… thats true it should be loading files… and just after that it given a big blue screen…. Error :(
- http://twitter.com/c0353 Corsin Maag
  
  You need the newest version of VMWare. Had the same problem and now I’m downloading VMWare Workstation 8, should work with that…
Ads

how to delete the virtual windows 8 after I don’t want to use it???
dadidudedo

very very misleading article…what a pity
Djl12328

It says I need a product key. It says unattended in file, or something like that.
Rich

keep getting a long mode error using the 4.0 version on 2 different machines
jaime alexandre duarte chiquit

It says I need a product key. It says unattended in file, or something like that.
http://www.techlila.com/ Rajesh Namase

This is what I really want, trying this. Thanks for posting this tutorial. Now I can use Windows 8 on VMware.
tpham

It works with VMware Player.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1710932522 Richard J Sawyer

says it can not read the product key then starts it new
- Michael York
  
  I got the same error. I attempted the install again without using VMWare’s “easy install” feature and it worked. Basically just start with a clean VM, then mount the iso for Windows 8. Start the VM and the install should work.
Henry Li

You noob they just posted a Windows installation anyone, as you can see the VM name is Windows 7 x64 and he named it Windows 8, alos he did not stamp it with Windows 8 beta logo like in previous Screenshots

1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)