How to Install Windows 8 & 8.1 on VMware Workstation 17

In this article, I will show you how to install Windows 8 and 8.1 OS on VMware Workstation 17 Pro as a virtual machine. Here, I explained the detailed setup process for both Windows 10 and 11 users.

Plus, I shared some practical tips such as performance. Say you want to test software that is supported on Windows 8. With this guide, you will now be able to create a virtual machine without any issues.

How to Install Windows 8 & 8.1 on a Virtual Machine with VMware Workstation 17 Pro

With virtualization programs like VMware Pro software, we can easily install different operating systems. For example, this software works perfectly with systems like Linux, Windows, and macOS.

However, the VMware Workstation program is sadly paid. Still, there is of course a free version like Player. Pro offers strong features, while the other one is a bit more limited.

Also, Workstation Pro is one of the most widely used programs today. On top of that, I can say it runs more stable compared to other software.

For example, let’s compare Workstation Pro with VirtualBox. We can look at price as the biggest difference. Plus, Workstation is paid, while they offer the other one completely free. So, if you don’t want to pay, you can choose VirtualBox instead.

From a professional viewpoint, large corporate networks use VMware Workstation more widely. And, if you are a system administrator, I strongly suggest using this program.

That way, you can manage your work processes better and produce ideal solutions for system topics.

In short, after you install Windows 8 or 8.1 with VMware, you also need to install VM Tools software. This tool boosts your guest machine’s performance and integrates better with your host.

Plus, if you need file transfer, you can turn on the needed feature. That means you will have smooth communication between host and guest machines.

Creating a New Virtual Machine for Windows 8.1

First, install the latest version of Workstation Pro on your computer. Next, download the Windows 8/8.1 ISO file for VMware to your computer, and then follow the steps below in order.

Step 1

Begin by launching the VMware Pro program. Next, select the Create a New Virtual Machine option found on the home screen. As soon as the VM creation wizard appears, click Next with the Custom (Advanced) option chosen.

Step 2

For the Windows 8 virtual machine hardware compatibility setting, select 17, which is the latest version of Workstation. If your program version is old, you can choose the relevant version in this window and continue.

Step 3

Go to the Guest Operating System Installation window. Add the Windows 8 ISO file later. To do this, select the I will install the operating system later option.

Step 4

Open the Select a Guest Operating System window. Choose Microsoft Windows as the operating system. Then, from the Version section, select the Windows 8.x x64 option.

Step 5

Go to the Name the Virtual Machine screen and type the operating system’s name. If your computer has an SSD or NVMe disk, do not change the installation location.

Virtual Machine Hardware Configuration

Step 1

For Firmware Type, mark one of the BIOS or UEFI / Secure Boot options.

Step 2

Based on your computer’s hardware specs, you need to set the processor and core count in the Processor Configuration window. Here, setting 1 processor and 4 or 8 cores will be enough for you.

Step 3

In the same way, based on your host computer’s RAM capacity, set a suitable RAM value for the Windows 8 virtual machine.

Step 4

In the Network Type window, select NAT, which is chosen by default when you create a virtual PC.

Step 5

In the Select I/O Controller Types window, configure the SCSI controller type as LSI Logic SAS.

Virtual Disk and Hardware Customization

Step 1

In the Select a Disk Type window, pick the SATA or NVMe disk type. Windows 8/8.1 runs smoothly on an NVMe disk structure, but for Windows 7, you need to install the required Windows hotfixes.

Step 2

Create a new disk for the virtual operating system. To do this, choose the Create a new virtual disk option.

Step 3

In the Specify Disk Capacity window, you can choose the Allocate all disk space now option for guest machine disk performance, but it will take up quite a lot of space on your host’s storage unit.

• The Allocate all disk space now option reserves disk space equal to the disk size you set aside for the VM.

Configure the virtual disk size at 30 GB or higher, and store the virtual disk as a single file.

Step 4

In the Specify Disk File window, you are asked where to save the virtual disk. If you want to store the virtual disk in a different location, you can change this setting with the Browse button. Leave the disk file’s name and location at the default setting.

Step 5

In the final step of guest machine creation, click Customize Hardware to add an ISO file, adjust graphics memory, or make any change you want after creating the virtual computer.

Step 6

Pick the processor hardware in the guest machine settings. Next, go to the Virtualization Engine part. There, mark the Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI, Virtualize CPU Performance Counters, and Virtualize IOMMU options.

Adding the Windows 8 ISO File

Step 1

To add the Windows 8 ISO file you downloaded to the VM, click the CD/DVD device. Then, after you select the Use ISO image file option, click Browse and pick the ISO file’s location.

Go to the location where you downloaded the Windows 8.1 Professional x64 ISO file, select the file, and press the Open button.

Step 2

For the USB Controller hardware, enable USB 3.1 and mark the Show all USB input devices option.

Step 3

First, click the Display hardware. Then, turn on 3D graphics acceleration from the options on the right. Finally, set the Graphics Memory size to a suitable value.

Final Hardware Settings and Startup

Step 1

After you complete the virtual computer creation steps, click Finish.

Step 2

To run the Microsoft Windows 8 & 8.1 VM and start the installation, click the Power on this virtual PC option.

Installing Windows 8 with VMware

After you create, prepare, and start a new virtual machine for Windows 8 installation, the setup screen will start as shown below. From this step on, the installation steps apply to both VMs and physical computers.

Step 1

In the setup window, configure the system display language, time zone, and keyboard layout you want to use, and move forward.

Step 2

I suggest you press Install Now to start the installation.

Step 3

To activate Windows, type the product key shown on the setup media you bought. If you don’t have the product key that you are asked to enter during setup, you can find one quickly by searching Google for it.

Step 4

Accept the operating system’s license agreement and click Next.

Step 5

To perform a clean Windows 8.1 install from scratch, select Custom: Install Windows Only (Advanced).

Step 6

First, in the Windows 8 virtual disk settings, press the New button. Next, leave the Size value unchanged to use all the space, and then click the Apply button. Finally, in the warning window about extra spaces for Windows, click OK.

Step 7

Select Drive 0 Partition 4 to install Windows 8.1.

Step 8

Wait while the files are being prepared for installation.

Step 9

After the setup copies the needed files, press Restart Now to reboot the guest machine right away.

Step 10

Wait while the setup prepares the VM for initial configuration.

Post-Installation Configuration

Step 1

Type a computer name for the Windows 8 guest OS and click Next.

Step 2

Continue by using the express settings.

Step 3

If you want to sign in to your virtual system with a Microsoft account, type your personal info in the Email and Password fields. If you want to use a local user account instead, press Create a new account.

Step 4

In this step, you can create a new Microsoft account through the operating system. You may not want to use a Microsoft account for the new user account. So, continue with Sign in without a Microsoft account.

Step 5

Set a username and password for your local user account and click Finish.

Step 6

While the installation is running, the needed apps for your system are being installed. After this step, the Windows 8.1 desktop screen will appear within a few minutes.

Step 7

Finally, to check the Windows version, right-click on My Computer. After that, click the Properties option, and you can check the system version from the window that opens.

Installing VMware Tools on Windows 8

After you install any operating system on a virtual machine with VMware, one of the software tools you must install is VMware Tools. With this tool, you can use the virtual computer more effectively and efficiently. It lets you use hardware on your host device such as USB and web cameras.

Step 1

To install your guest operating system’s drivers, click VM / Install VMware Tools from the tools menu.

Step 2

After the VMware Tools setup image file is mounted to the system on its own, select the DVD drive. Pick Run Setup64.exe from the image file on the DVD drive.

Step 3

Click Next in the Windows 8 VM Tools screen wizard.

Step 4

Open the “Choose Setup Type” window. You can also use the virtual computer you installed with other VMware products. To do this, mark the “Complete” option.

Step 5

Click Install to start loading the Windows 8/8.1 drivers.

Step 6

Wait while the needed drivers are being installed to the VM so you can use external devices like a USB mouse or keyboard on your host more effectively.

Step 7

After the needed drivers for the virtual system are installed, click Finish. Then, restart your VM so the changes take effect. After your system restarts, you can check the version by clicking the VMware Tools icon in the bottom right corner.

Step 8

From the VMware tools menu, press View / Full Screen to check that your guest system runs at full screen resolution.

Step 9

After the VM Tools installation, file transfer from the host machine to the virtual PC works smoothly via the drag-and-drop method.

Creating and Configuring a Shared Folder

After you install Windows 8/8.1 with VMware, you can use the Shared Folder feature to create a common folder between the host and VM that you will keep using.

Step 1

To create a Shared Folder in Windows 8.1, first click VM / Settings. Select Shared Folders from the virtual machine settings, and mark Always Enabled in the Sharing section.

Next, if you want the common folder you will create to show up as a network drive on My Computer, also mark the Map as a network drive in Windows guest option, and click the Add button to pick and add the shared folder.

Step 2

Click the Browse button, pick the folder you chose, type the name of the host folder that will show up in the VM in the Name field, and then click Next.

Step 3

In the Additional Attributes section, mark the Enable this share option to activate the shared folder.

Step 4

Open the Network/Network connections and check whether the vmware-host computer is there. When you click VMware-Host, you can see that the Shared Folders feature works and that you can reach it over the network.

Using a USB Flash Drive

If you want to transfer files to your guest OS via a USB flash drive or a portable HDD, you need to plug your USB into one of the host ports based on the controller type in the VM settings.

Step 1

After you plug your USB drive into your PC, create a folder inside it as an example called Backup.

Step 2

To connect your USB to your VM, press VM / Removable Devices / Your USB’s Name / Connect from the tools menu.

Step 3

When your flash drive is mounted to your virtual system on its own, you can view the disk’s content and transfer your files quickly.

Deleting the Windows 8 Virtual Machine

If you want to delete the Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 operating system you created with the Workstation Pro program, right-click your VM in the program’s left panel and select Manage / Delete From Disk.

In the This action is irreversible warning window that opens, click Yes to confirm that you want to fully delete your VM from your host disk.

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Installing Older Versions

You can also install and run Windows 8.x versions on your host computer using older versions 12, 14, 15, and 16 of Workstation Pro.

FAQ About Using Windows 8 with VMware

Conclusion

In short, you can quickly install Windows 8 or 8.1 with VMware Workstation 17 Pro. Plus, with this process, you can use older versions next to your current system.

Also, all these processes are very simple as you saw. With all the screenshots I provided for the installation steps, you can complete your work without any issues. On top of that, you can make the configuration settings more professional too.

Plus, do not forget VMware Tools. With it, you will be able to install your virtual system’s drivers. Meanwhile, you improve both usability and compatibility with your host.

In this guide, we ran Windows 8.1 smoothly and flawlessly. If you need to work with older versions, Windows 7 virtual machine setup has quite similar steps. On the other hand, if you want a more up-to-date environment, you can check out the Windows 10 installation on a VM guide. That way, you can shape your test environment based on what you need.