Software Update: VMware Workstation 7.0.1

VMware has released an update to version 7.0 of its Workstation virtualization software. With this program it is possible to create one or more virtual computers on which a large number of different operating systems can be installed. That way they can be used side by side, as opposed to a dual boot setup where one or the other has to be chosen. Vmware Workstation is available for Windows and Linux and a license costs about 155 euros. More information about the possibilities of this package can be found at this page are being found. Version 7.0.1 adds support for new operating systems and fixes some issues:

What’s New

New Support for 32-Bit and 64-Bit Operating Systems

• Windows 2008 R2 – Host and guest
• Windows Vista SP2 – Host and guest
• Ubuntu 9.10 – Host and guest
• RHEL 5.4 – Host and guest
• CentOS 5.4 – Guest
• Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.4 – Guest

Resolved Issues

Installation, Upgrade, and Compatibility

• When installing FreeBSD 8.0 from an ISO image or a DVD drive, the New Virtual Machine Wizard fails to recognize the DVD file or ISO image as FreeBSD.
• After installing the guest operating system and VMware Tools using the easy install feature, the CD-ROM drive fails to disconnect from the guest installation ISO image.
• After installing or uninstalling Workstation 7.0, the Windows Firewall service restarts automatically regardless of the previous startup setting.
• Importing a Windows 7 XP Mode virtual machine fails if you install VMware Workstation in a directory path that contains non-ASCII characters.

Display

• When switching from quick switch mode to full screen mode on Ubuntu 9.04 or 9.10 hosts, you might experience display problems.
• When using multiple monitors, if you switch from full screen mode to quick switch mode, the quick switch mode display might get positioned on the wrong monitor.

VMware Tools

• In some instances, if you choose not to download VMware Tools automatically, the virtual machine becomes unresponsive when you install VMware Tools manually using VM > Install VMware Tools.
• On Windows guests, attempting to use mapped drives to open shared folders and files with long names on the host, might cause the application to fail.
• Creating virtual machines on shared folders with SAMBA/CIFS protocol on Windows XP, 2003, Vista, and Linux guests and running these virtual machines on Windows XP, Vista, and 7 hosts, results in an Insufficient permissions/Access denied error message.
• Enabling scanning for network files in the ZoneAlarm Security Suite application, and attempting to use shared folders in the guest might result in a blue screen.
• On Windows 7 guests, saving Microsoft Office files on shared folders multiple times, causes the files to become inaccessible.

miscellaneous

• In some instances on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 hosts, when you create a virtual machine the Next button in the Select a Disk Type dialog box is disabled.
• On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.3 guests, printers configured on the host do not appear in the guest.
• Virtual printers might fail to work on Ubuntu 9.10 hosts.
• The Collect support data feature, might fail on a powered on Windows 7 Japanese guest with the latest VMware Tools installed.
• When you enable, disable, and re-enable AutoProtect, the Maximum AutoProtect snapshots option is disabled.
• In some instances, running third-party anti-virus applications such as, Trend Micro Internet Security might cause the virtual machine to fail.