VMware Workstation 11 on Windows Vista

[WinClient5270]

As some of you may know, VMware's latest version of their VMware Workstation product, VMware Workstation 11, is not supported on Windows Vista, and running the installer will nag you to upgrade to Windows 7 in order to use the product.

Bearing in mind that Vista bears close resemblance to Windows 7 under the hood, is compatible with the latest version of Microsoft .NET Framework (Version 4.5.2), and even received a platform update that ported a bunch of Windows 7 features and APIs to Windows Vista, I've come to believe that VMware Workstation 11 would have no issues running under a fully updated copy of Microsoft Windows Vista, and choosing not to support it is just a marketing decision on VMware's part.

I've seen people on here work wonders with getting modern software that requires Windows XP or later, to function on Windows 2000, since it, too bears a close resemblance with its successor under the hood, much like the relationship between Vista and 7.

So, I would like to ask, would there be any way possible, to get VMware Workstation 11 to install and function on Windows Vista? I know that getting unsupported software to work on Windows 2000 was as simple as modifying Windows XP dlls to work with Windows 2000, and I was wondering if the same could possibly be done with Windows 7 DLLs, for Windows Vista?

 

If anyone knows anything about how this could possibly be done, please let me know.

 

Thanks in advance, 

~2008WindowsVista.

[smeezekitty]

Does the installer let you install it?

 

If not, I would try to crack it open with universal extractor and see if it can be manually installed

[11ryanc]

Well VMware does claim to have support for Windows Server 2008 on their support page, though it doesn't specify wheather or not it needs R2+. Wouldn't hurt to try using Application Verifier, and trick the installer into believing you are using Windows Server. Server2k8 is just Vista's server counterpart. I doubt it would work, but it just might. Same method applies, vice versa.

In the long run support is becoming a problem though. Drivers typically aren't too much of a fuss to get modded for Vista, but enterprise software is. Even Vegas 13 dropped us out. Yes I do wish somebody here was generous enough to "work wonders" with Vista, as seen with Win2k and Win9x. lol

Edited January 4, 2015 by 11ryanc

[WinClient5270]

Does the installer let you install it?

 

If not, I would try to crack it open with universal extractor and see if it can be manually installed

The installer will not run. I did extract it with universal extractor, but I got these two strange files, as seen in this screenshot here:

http://prntscr.com/5ooqd6

Any ideas as to what I should do now?

[smeezekitty]

34 KB each?

 

Sounds like Universal extractor couldn't break it.

Is it a web installer (Relatively small installer size) or a full installer (big installer)?

[11ryanc]

34 KB each?

 

Sounds like Universal extractor couldn't break it.

Is it a web installer (Relatively small installer size) or a full installer (big installer)?

I too posess the installer file. It's about 307 MB in size. So it does appear to be an offline image, 10 and older was from my usage. Looks like VMware has thsir stuff sealed up tight.

[smeezekitty]

If anybody knows of a way to fake a different windows version and run the installer, you could try it.

Unfortunately I don't know of such a tool but it probably exists.

 

The problem for me is I don't have a 64 bit Vista system to test with so I can be of limited help

[WinClient5270]

If anybody knows of a way to fake a different windows version and run the installer, you could try it.

Unfortunately I don't know of such a tool but it probably exists.

 

The problem for me is I don't have a 64 bit Vista system to test with so I can be of limited help

I've gotten extremely close to getting it to run.

You see, I am dualbooting Windows Vista and Windows 8.1, and here's what I did:

I installed VMware Workstation on Windows 8.1, and rebooted into Vista. Then, I ran VMware from the VMware folder in the Windows 8.1 Program Files folder, and VMware Player version 7, which is also unsupported on Vista, ran without absolutely any issues. Workstation, on the other hand, was stuck on the "enter your product key or enter an email address to begin a 30 day trial" message.

First I entered a valid product key, but it complained that I didn't have permission to enter a product key. And I tried using an email address to start a 30 day trial, it gave me the same message, despite the fact that I never entered a product key.

It's a start though, and at least VMware Player 7 now works for those that need/want it on Vista.

Any ideas?

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Enter the key in via a reg file

[11ryanc]

Enter the key in via a reg file

How would one go about compiling this?

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Register it in a vm system of win7 and grab the reg section for it by exporting to a reg file. Then run that in the Vista system

[WinClient5270]

Register it in a vm system of win7 and grab the reg section for it by exporting to a reg file. Then run that in the Vista system

Sorry to bother, but could you elaborate a bit on how this could be done? I have no experience with this kind of stuff, lol.

Thanks to everyone that has helped so far though, it is much appreciated.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

goto regedit and navgate to the following area:

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\]

 

There you'll find a number entry like so:

 

License.ws.10.0.e2.201303

 

(The numbers will be different of course then the ones here.)

 

 You'll need to copy those and add them to the following code (Replace the one there)

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\License.ws.10.0.e2.201303]"Serial"="*****-*****-*****-*****-*****"

And add your serial to it. Save as a reg file and run it. This will register it and that SHOULD bypass the popup.

 

 

 

[WinClient5270]

Thanks for the help, I followed your instructions. However the problem still persists. I believe this is happening because I simply copied the VMware program files installation directory from my 7 partition to Vista, and I think running the installer is necessary for VMware to work properly, as certain services are required for virtual machines to launch and operate properly, and only running the installer can provide those services. VMware Player 7 does run at least though, however launching VMs doesn't work. 
I think the key culprit here is the version check found in the VMware installer exe file. 

Does anyone here know how to bypass the common OS checks found in software? I'm willing to bet it most likely checks the mere NT version number (in this case, NT 6.0) and it refuses to run if NT number= <6.1. Would anyone here have any idea on how to overcome this?

Any information or help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks everyone for your input so far, it is very much appreciated. 

-2008WindowsVista

 

goto regedit and navgate to the following area:

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\]

 

There you'll find a number entry like so:

 

License.ws.10.0.e2.201303

 

(The numbers will be different of course then the ones here.)

 

 You'll need to copy those and add them to the following code (Replace the one there)

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\License.ws.10.0.e2.201303]"Serial"="*****-*****-*****-*****-*****"

And add your serial to it. Save as a reg file and run it. This will register it and that SHOULD bypass the popup.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2015 by 2008WindowsVista

[bphlpt]

I would think that the installer might make other entries to the registry, and if you simply copied the program folders over then it's missing that.  I would think that Kel's example above is just one of the registry entries that are made.  And what about anything relevant from the profile or common folders.  Did you copy those over as well?  Just guessing since I've not tried to do what you're trying.

 

Cheers and Regards