{"id":5451,"date":"2018-03-02T08:17:14","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T08:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/?p=5451"},"modified":"2023-04-12T09:07:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T09:07:26","slug":"boot-virtual-machine-from-usb-cd-on-vmware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/boot-virtual-machine-from-usb-cd-on-vmware\/","title":{"rendered":"Boot a Virtual Machine from USB\/CD\/DVD on VMware Workstation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What we need to know before USB\/CD boot a VM in VMware?<\/h2>\n<p>Why we need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/boot-virtual-machine-from-usb-cd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>boot a virtual machine from USB or CD on VMware<\/strong><\/a>, such as boot Windows 10 or Mac OS X from USB or CD on VMware Workstation?<\/p>\n<p>Virtual machine is an effective solution to improve system performance. By installing or running rarely-used programs on virtual machine but not your host machine, you can release the space the programs occupy while you close the apps or virtual machine. And the most attractive feature of virtual machine is that you can run it as you are using host machine.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you can run <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/windows-password-genius.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iSunshare Windows Password Genius<\/a>\u00a0on Windows 10 to reset Windows password in VM Workstation. Firstly make sure whether the third-party Windows password recovery tools really works. And then take it to unlock your computer when it is locked because of incorrect login user or password.<\/p>\n<p>But there are still some differences between them, such as <strong>booting virtual machine from external drive<\/strong>, USB drive or CD\/DVD-ROM(ISO image) is different from booting host physical computer from USB or CD.<\/p>\n<p>However, the virtual machine is still set to boot from hard disk at first by default, and then CD\/DVD-ROM. So, in order to boot Virtual Machine from specified device, such as USB flash drive, you have to add the removal device, USB flash drive as hard disk on specified virtual machine.<\/p>\n<p>How to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/boot-virtual-machine-from-usb-cd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>boot a VM virtual machine from external drive<\/strong><\/a>, such as USB or CD(ISO image)? Follow the introductions in this article.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#section1\">Section 1: Boot a Virtual Machine from USB on VMware<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"#section2\">Section 2: Boot a Virtual Machine from CD\/DVD(ISO Image) on VMware<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After successfully booting virtual machine from USB\/CD, you will be able to run OS or programs from USB\/CD to install\/reinstall\/repair Windows system, or reset Windows password on VMWare workstation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section1\">Section 1: Boot a VMware virtual machine from a USB drive<\/h2>\n<p>Open VMware workstation and choose the virtual machine you want to change boot order.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1: Open target virtual machine you need to boot from USB on VMware.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2: Add a hard disk to virtual machine via VM &gt; Settings.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/add-hard-disk-to-vm-via-vm-settings.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"641\" height=\"362\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5470\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/add-hard-disk-to-vm-via-vm-settings.png\" alt=\"add usb disk to vm via vm settings\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/add-hard-disk-to-vm-via-vm-settings.png 641w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/add-hard-disk-to-vm-via-vm-settings-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>1. Open <strong>VM settings &gt; Memory &gt; Add<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-to-add-hard-disk.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"582\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-to-add-hard-disk.png\" alt=\"choose to add hard disk\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-to-add-hard-disk.png 650w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-to-add-hard-disk-300x269.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>2. Select a virtual disk type: <strong>Recommended<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-virtual-disk-type.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"385\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-virtual-disk-type.png\" alt=\"choose virtual disk type\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-virtual-disk-type.png 442w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/choose-virtual-disk-type-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>3. Use a physical disk (for advanced users).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/use-a-physical-disk.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"385\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/use-a-physical-disk.png\" alt=\"choose to use a physical disk\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/use-a-physical-disk.png 442w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/use-a-physical-disk-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>4. Select a physical disk for this virtual machine to use and use entire disk.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-to-use-entire-physical-disk.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"385\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5474\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-to-use-entire-physical-disk.png\" alt=\"confirm to use entire physical disk\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-to-use-entire-physical-disk.png 442w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-to-use-entire-physical-disk-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: How can you make sure which physical disk is the USB disk?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Run Command Prompt as administrator and type &#8220;<strong>diskpart<\/strong>&#8221; in CMD window to confirm the disk name of flash drive on your computer.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-the-physical-disk-name.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"282\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5475\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-the-physical-disk-name.png\" alt=\"confirm the physical disk name\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-the-physical-disk-name.png 650w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/confirm-the-physical-disk-name-300x130.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>5. Click Next and a physical disk is created. Tap on <strong>Finish<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/finish-creating-physical-disk-on-vm.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"385\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/finish-creating-physical-disk-on-vm.png\" alt=\"finish creating physical disk on vm\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/finish-creating-physical-disk-on-vm.png 442w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/finish-creating-physical-disk-on-vm-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: Power on to Firmware and change boot order.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1. Connect <strong>USB flash drive\u00a0<\/strong>to virtual machine.<\/p>\n<p>Remember firstly click USB drive at the right-bottom side to connect from host, because USB flash drive is usually connected to host but not virtual machine b default.\u00a0Follow the same steps on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/mac\/connect-usb-iphone-to-mac-os-x-on-vmware.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to connect USB to Mac OS X on VMware<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>2. Click virtual machine and right-click <strong>Power &gt; Power on to Firmware<\/strong> to open computer boot order settings.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/access-boot-settings-on-vm.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/access-boot-settings-on-vm.png\" alt=\"access boot settings on vm\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/access-boot-settings-on-vm.png 640w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/access-boot-settings-on-vm-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>3. Move to <strong>Boot<\/strong> option, and use arrow key to choose boot device (USB drive). Now it is set as a hard disk, so please expand the hard disk and choose the USB disk from it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/set-usb-as-first-boot-device.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/set-usb-as-first-boot-device.png\" alt=\"set usb as first boot device\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/set-usb-as-first-boot-device.png 640w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/set-usb-as-first-boot-device-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>4. Use the &#8220;<strong>+<\/strong>&#8221; key to move the USB disk to the first place in the hard disk boot device.<\/p>\n<p>5. Press <strong>F10<\/strong> to save boot order changes in virtual machine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4: Boot virtual machine from USB drive.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While a virtual machine boots on VMware station, and prompt that you are using a SCSI physical disk, please click <strong>OK<\/strong> and it will continue to boot from USB flash drive.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/boot-vm-from-usb.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"389\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/boot-vm-from-usb.png\" alt=\"boot virtual machine from usb\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/boot-vm-from-usb.png 620w, https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/boot-vm-from-usb-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section2\">Section 2: Boot a VMware Virtual Machine from CD\/DVD(ISO Image)<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"SLRMjdFB1s\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/how-to-set-vmware-boot-from-iso-image-file\/\">How to Set VMware to Boot from ISO Image File<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;How to Set VMware to Boot from ISO Image File&#8221; &#8212; \" src=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/how-to-set-vmware-boot-from-iso-image-file\/embed\/#?secret=fEVAHKZ93G#?secret=SLRMjdFB1s\" data-secret=\"SLRMjdFB1s\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> The steps may be different if you use another virtual machine software, but not VMware virtual machine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Articles:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/windows-10-password\/reset-remove-windows-10-administrator-password-with-usb.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3 Ways for Windows 10 Administrator Password Reset\/Remove with USB<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/windows-password\/how-to-set-your-computer-to-boot-from-usb-drive.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Set Your Computer to Boot from USB Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/create-windows-10-password-reset-usb-on-mac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Great Tips to Create a Windows 10 Password Reset USB on Mac<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/how-to-reset-windows-8-password-on-vmware-if-forgot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Reset Windows 8 Password on VMware If Forgot It<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/create-bootable-usb-for-windows-10-reinstall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Create a Bootable USB for Windows 10 Reinstall on Windows<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What we need to know before USB\/CD boot a VM in VMware? Why we need to boot a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":126128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vmware"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5451"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6824,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5451\/revisions\/6824"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isunshare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}