Clean install of W10 not possible in Virtual Machine.

Hi there

did you do THIS :

1) Use MEDIA CREATION TOOL (from Ms) to create windows installation media for installation on another machine
2) create an ISO when it asks for a USB or an ISO image

Now in the VM settings - set the ISO image as a CD device and ensure connect at power on is enabled
Power on to firmware to ensure the GUEST boots from the ISO file

(you must already have a formatted Virtual disk prepared to receive Windows - either your previous Windows installation or a newly created virtual HDD. Use GPARTED or similar to create an initial partition if starting with an empty HDD - same methodology boot the VM from an ISO image.

If your old key was blocked you'll have to re-install W7 again and get the key unblocked and then go through the upgrade again or use another valid key from W7 / W8 / W8.1 --Those "activated keys" on torrents will usually be blocked so don't go that route.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

did you do THIS :

1) Use MEDIA CREATION TOOL (from Ms) to create windows installation media for installation on another machine
2) create an ISO when it asks for a USB or an ISO image

Now in the VM settings - set the ISO image as a CD device and ensure connect at power on is enabled
Power on to firmware to ensure the GUEST boots from the ISO file

(you must already have a formatted Virtual disk prepared to receive Windows - either your previous Windows installation or a newly created virtual HDD. Use GPARTED or similar to create an initial partition if starting with an empty HDD - same methodology boot the VM from an ISO image.

If your old key was blocked you'll have to re-install W7 again and get the key unblocked and then go through the upgrade again or use another valid key from W7 / W8 / W8.1 --Those "activated keys" on torrents will usually be blocked so don't go that route.

Cheers
jimbo

Now, I have:
1) a running, activated, updated Windows 10 x64 as VM, being an upgrade from a Windows 8.1
2) have a Windows 10 x64 DVD created by Media Creation Tool

Have set:
- VM Settings CD/DVD : Use ISO Image (.iso selected)
- Power->Power on to Firmware (right click on VM tab)
- After booting I ended up in the BIOS
- Set boot prio to CD-ROM
- rebooted
- press space bar to launch the DVD with Windows ISO


Installer starts..

Then what...?

If I format the partition, I will NEED to enter a prod.key
or
(after format) I can skip it once (in the very beginning), but during the setup there will be a 2nd screen (blue) where the key must be entered, or 'Do this later'.

The Windows 8 key will not work there.

Or.. maybe it simply isn't possible..?

Thanks
=

halasz said:

The most likely reason for this is that VMWare is caching memory to disk. The fastest way is for the assigned memory to be only in RAM. To do this edit you .vmx file and add (or if already exist change) the following line.

mainmem.useNamedFile = "FALSE"

It will then not write the whole contents of your memory to the .vmem file in the VM directory. Unfortunately this only works in Workstation, not in Player which always creates the memory swap file.

VMware Continuum - Tuning guide - setup the host for expected usage ...
Performance Tweaks VMware Workstation 10 — Virtualization Howto

Thanks.
Actually I have a fairly 'sufficient' amount of RAM

Host Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
CPU Intel Core I7 5820k
RAM 32,0GB
Mobo Asustek Computer Inc. X99-Deluxe (Socket 2011)
Video 4095mb Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 (Asustek Computer Inc)
(Workstation v12)
To speed up things both vmware and virtual machines are on a Samsung Pro 850 SSD.

mainmem.useNamedFile = "FALSE"

Didn't try it yet though.
Is this Linux related?

=

tfwul said:

Then what...?

If I format the partition, I will NEED to enter a prod.key
or
(after format) I can skip it once (in the very beginning), but during the setup there will be a 2nd screen (blue) where the key must be entered, or 'Do this later'.

The Windows 8 key will not work there.

Or.. maybe it simply isn't possible..?

It certainly is possible. If you are installing on the same VM that was already activated (you haven't created a new one) then "skip" at the beginning and "Do this later" later on.

The exact questions vary by build but never enter your key. Once you get to the desktop and internet is connected it will activate.

tfwul said:

mainmem.useNamedFile = "FALSE"

Didn't try it yet though.
Is this Linux related?

No, not Linux related - any VM will be faster if the host doesn't have to write memory to disk. The improvement is greater on HDD but SSD is still far slower than memory. Actually I did it as I didn't have space on my host SSD for this file rather than for performance reasons.