Resolving VMware Workstation 17 Pro Issues with Windows 2000 by Installing Older VMware Tools Version

Introduction: When installing legacy operating systems like Windows 2000 in VMware Workstation 17 Pro, you may encounter some unexpected issues, especially with graphics and audio. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through my experience of running into problems with the desktop icon color depth and audio distortion when using the default VMware Tools driver. I’ll also share how I solved it by manually installing an older version of VMware Tools.

The Problem:

I recently decided to install Windows 2000 in VMware Workstation 17 Pro (version 17.6.0 build-24238078) for some legacy software testing. During the installation process, VMware suggested I download the winPreVista.iso file to install the necessary drivers for the operating system. This is where the trouble started.

After installing the drivers from the winPreVista.iso file, I noticed two major issues:

1. Desktop Icon Color Depth Problem: The icons on the Windows 2000 desktop appeared distorted. Their color depth seemed off, with icons looking pixelated and discolored.
2. Audio Distortion: The sound was glitchy, with loud popping and cracking noises occurring when playing any audio.

I quickly realized that these issues were related to the drivers from the winPreVista.iso image, which weren’t fully compatible with Windows 2000.

The Solution:

After some research, I found that the solution was to install an older version of VMware Tools, which includes legacy drivers that are more suitable for older operating systems like Windows 2000.

Here’s the step-by-step process I followed to resolve the issue:

1. Download the Older VMware Tools Version: Head over to VMware’s official packages site to download the older version of VMware Tools that includes the necessary drivers for Windows 2000.
   • Visit: VMware Tools 10.0.0 for Windows
   • Download the appropriate version for your system.
2. Unmount the winPreVista.iso Image: In VMware Workstation, unmount the winPreVista.iso image that was causing the issues.
3. Install the Older VMware Tools:
   • Inside your Windows 2000 virtual machine, run the VMware Tools installer that you downloaded from the link above.
   • Follow the installation prompts and select the components you need (usually the default options work fine).
   • Once installation is complete, reboot the virtual machine.
4. Verify the Fix:
   • After rebooting, the desktop icons should display correctly with the correct color depth.
   • The audio should no longer have any distortion or popping sounds.

Conclusion:

Installing legacy operating systems in VMware Workstation can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to ensuring compatibility with older drivers. In my case, downloading and installing an older version of VMware Tools solved both the color depth and audio issues I encountered with Windows 2000.

If you’re facing similar problems, I highly recommend trying this solution. Hopefully, this guide helps save you time troubleshooting and gets your system running smoothly again.

Additional Tips:

• If you’re running into other compatibility issues with VMware Workstation and older operating systems, checking for older versions of VMware Tools is a great first step.
• Always ensure that your VMware Workstation is up to date, as new releases sometimes improve compatibility with older OSes.