How to Install Windows 8.1 on VMware Workstation 15

By tolqabaqci May 15, 2019 VMware Workstation 0 Comments

In this article, we will examine the steps for installing Windows 8.1 on Windows 10 using the VMware Workstation 12/14/15 virtualization software.

How to Install Windows 8.1 on VM Workstation/Player 15

To set up Windows 8.1 with VM Workstation virtualization on Windows 10, you must first create a new VM. After you create a new virtual machine for Microsoft Win 8.1, you must download the ISO image to your computer and add it to the VM.

If you do not have DVD media for this OS, you can download the ISO image file to your computer by clicking the button at the bottom of the article.

In previous articles, we installed other Windows systems with VMware. You can find our articles in the links below;

How to Run Windows 8 / 8.1 on VMware Virtual Machine

To run the Windows system on your Windows computer, first install VMware 15.

Then, follow the steps below to setup Windows 8 / 8.1 on VMware step by step after downloading the ISO to your computer.

Step 1

Open VM Workstation 15 Pro and click Create a New Virtual Machine.

Step 2

In the New VM Wizard window, select Custom / Advanced, then click Next.

Step 3

Select Workstation 15.x in the Choose the VM Hardware Compatibility window and click Next.

Step 4

In the Guest Operating System window, select I will install the OS later and click Next to add the ISO file to the machine later and start the installation.

Step 5

Select Microsoft Windows for the operating system you will install in the Select a Guest OS window, and then click Next.

Step 6

Type the name of the OS you will set up in the Name the Virtual Machine window, and click Browse to select the installation location because it is useful to store the VM on another disk for performance.

Step 7

Create a new folder for the machine on the external hard disk and select the folder, then click OK.

Step 8

Click Next to continue the installation.

Step 9

Check the UEFI / Secure Boot options in Firmware Type and click Next.

Step 10

Determine the number of processors and cores in the Processor Configuration window according to your computer’s hardware specifications. Then click Next to continue the installation.

Step 11

Likewise, depending on your computer’s RAM capacity, determine a suitable RAM for the machine.

Step 12

When creating a virtual pc in the Network Type window, continue with the NAT selected by default.

Step 13

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

Step 14

Continue installation with SCSI, which is selected by default in the Select a Disk Type window.

Step 15

For the Win8.1 system setup on VMware, you must create a new virtual disk. To create a new disk for setup, select Create a new virtual disk and click Next.

Step 16

In the Specify Disk Capacity window, select Allocate all disk space now and Store virtual disk as a single file for disk performance, and click Next to configure the disk size.

The Allocate all disk space now option allocates space on the disk for the virtual pc.
As a single file option, the virtual disk configures the file as a single file instead of creating the multiple files.

Step 17

In the Specify Disk File window, you can change the name and location of the disk file of the operating system that you will install. Click Next to continue the installation.

Step 18

Click Customize Hardware in the final step of creating virtual machine.

Step 19

After selecting the processor hardware in the machine settings, select Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI from the options on the right.

Step 20

Click on the CD/DVD device to add the ISO file you downloaded to your computer to the VM. Then select Use ISO image file and then click Browse to select the ISO file.

Step 21

Select the ISO file and click Open.

Step 22

Click Close to exit the virtual computer settings.

Step 23

After you complete the steps for creating the virtual machine, click Finish.

Step 24

Wait while the virtual disk is being created. This may take some time, depending on the performance of your pc.

Step 25

Wait while the virtual HDD is being created. This may take some time, depending on the hardware performance of your pc.

Step 26

Now, you can install the operating system on the machine. Press any key on your keyboard to start the system setup.

Step 27

After the VM runs smoothly, you can continue this process by clicking on the image below to make a step-by-step installation on VMware.

How to Install Microsoft 8.1 on PC with VM Workstation/Player ⇒ Video

You can watch the video below to install it on your Windows 10 computer using the VMware virtualization program, and also subscribe to our YouTube channel to support us!

How to Install Microsoft Win8.1 on VMware 14 ⇒ Video

If you have the 14 pro version of VMware virtualization program installed on your computer, you can watch the video below to install it with VMware 14!

How to Create a New Virtual Machine in VM Workstation 12

First, you need to create a virtual machine on VMware to set up Win 8.1. Follow the steps below to create a new VM.

Step 1

After you open the VMware 12 Pro virtualization program, click on File / New Virtual Machine to create a new VM.

Step 2

In the window that opens, select Custom (Advanced) and click Next.

Step 3

In the Choose the VM Hardware Compatibility window, select Workstation 12.0 and click Next.

Step 4

In the Guest Operating System Installation window, select I will install the operating system later and click Next.

Step 5

After selecting the operating system version to install, click Next.

Step 6

Type the name of the operating system to be installed in the Virtual Machine Name window. And then click Browse to select the location of the VM.

Step 7

In the VM Location window, select your external HDD and click OK after creating a new folder.

Step 8

In the Name the VM window, click Next after making the necessary settings.

Step 9

In the Firmware Type window, the BIOS option is selected by default. Click Next to continue creating the VM.

Step 10

In the Processor Configuration window, click Next after configuring the number of processors and cores for the machine.

Step 11

In the Memory for the Virtual Machine window, specify a 2 GB RAM value for the Win8.1 virtual machine, then press Next to continue.

Step 12

In the Network Type window, select NAT and click Next.

Step 13

In the Select I/O Controller window, select LSI Logic SAS and click Next.

Step 14

In the Select a Disk Type window, select SCSI and click Next.

Step 15

In the Select a Disk window, select Create a new virtual disk and click Next.

Step 16

In the Specify Disk Capacity window, configure the disk size for the Win 8.1 X64 operating system and click Next.

Step 17

You can configure 30 GB of disk size to be able to use Windows 8.1 on VMware. Click Next to continue with the steps to create a virtual machine.

Step 18

The Disk File configuration specifies 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 name and location of the disk file at the default setting and click Next.

Step 19

Once you have created a virtual computer, click the Customize Hardware button. Click the Finish button to close the new virtual machine wizard.

How to Setup Windows 8.1 on a Virtual Machine Step by Step

After you create the Win 8.1 machine, you must add the image file that you downloaded to your computer to the virtual machine. Follow the steps below to set up the Windows operating system on a virtual machine.

Step 1

Click CD/DVD (SATA) to add the image file to the virtual machine for installation.

Step 2

In the Virtual Machine Settings window, select Use ISO image file.

Step 3

Click on the Browse button and add the ISO.

Step 4

Start the installation by clicking the Power on this virtual machine button.

Step 5

Wait while the Microsoft operating system opens.

Step 6

In the Setup window, make the language setting, time and currency, and keyboard settings, and then click Next.

Step 7

Click Install Now to start the Windows 8.1 installation.

Step 8

Windows 8.1 Setup is starting …

Step 9

Accept the Windows 8.1 operating system license agreement and click Next.

Step 10

To install a clean it from scratch, click Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).

Step 11

Click the New button in the virtual machine disk configuration.

Step 12

Click the Apply button to use the entire virtual disk.

Step 13

Click OK in the warning window where setup will create additional fields for Windows.

Step 14

Select the drive you want to install Windows 8.1 and click Next.

Step 15

Preparing files for installation …

Step 16

Wait while the files are getting ready for installation …

Step 17

After the setup copies the required files, the virtual machine restarts …

Step 18

Type the computer name for the Microsoft Win8.1 machine and click Next.

Step 19

Click the Use quick settings button.

Step 20

Type the user name and click Finish.

Step 21

Wait while the installation completes your system settings.

Step 22

Please wait while the setup is making settings for you …

Step 23

Windows 8.1 setup process in progress …

Step 24

After installing Win8.1 with VMware 12, the first view of the operating system is as follows!

Step 25

To check the Windows version, right-click on My Computer and click Properties. You can check the Windows 8.1 version in the system tab as follows.

How to Run Win8.1 on VMware Workstation 12 ⇒ Video

You can watch the video below to install Win 8.1 and VMware Tools on PC using VMware 12, and you can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to support us.

Final Word

In this article, we have installed Windows 8 / 8.1 on PC using the virtualization program. Thanks for following us!

If this article is helpful, please send us feedback by commenting…

♦ How to Use the Clone in VMware
♦ Lan Segment Configuration
♦ Bridged Network Configuration
♦ How to Configure Virtual Network Editor
♦ Host-Only Network Configuration

Download Windows 8.1 ISO for VMware Workstation

You can download the Windows 8.1 ISO for VMware Workstation by clicking the button below …

Download ISO

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SYSNETTECH Solutions