How to Boot VMware From a CD

Ruri Ranbe has been working as a writer since 2008. She received an A.A. in English literature from Valencia College and is completing a B.S. in computer science at the University of Central Florida. Ranbe also has more than six years of professional information-technology experience, specializing in computer architecture, operating systems, networking, server administration, virtualization and Web design.

VMware causes Blue Screen on Windows 11/10

If VMware is causing a Blue Screen error on Windows 11/10, the following tips could be handy for you. There are different reasons why your host computer fails to load the VMware virtual machine. This article explains some of the most common causes and solutions to mitigate this issue within moments.

If VMware causes a Blue Screen on Windows 11/10, follow these steps:

To know more about these steps, continue reading.

It is probably the very first thing you need to check. There could be times when VMware might fail to make your virtual machine up and running due to a glitch or bug. If you have recently updated your VMware app, it might come with a bug that could cause the aforementioned issue.

In most cases, companies recognize the bug and roll out an update almost immediately. If the same thing happens with your VMware installation, chances are they have already released an update. That is why it is recommended to check the official statement and install the update if anything has been released.

Although the official statement says something about the 1.3GHz processor and 2GB of RAM, you might not be able to run a virtual machine smoothly or at all, having such resources. It is always recommended to configure much better hardware than the mentioned one.

If you have an old x64 architecture, you might not be able to run VMware virtual machines. In other words, there is a high chance of getting the blue screen error on the host computer while running the virtual OS. That is why it is recommended to have a better hardware configuration to bypass the BSOD

Pro tip: You can open Task Manager alongside VMware to check which app is consuming more RAM and other resources. Then, you can close such unnecessary apps to assign more CPU resources to VMware.

Hyper-V is a Level 1 hypervisor that makes the host computer into a virtual PC. On the other hand, VMware is a Level 2 hypervisor that uses the host computer to build the virtual machine. That is why if you enabled Hyper-V earlier, you might not be able to use VMware or VirtualBox-like virtual machine apps simultaneously. You must disable either of them. In other words, if you want to use VMware, you need to disable Hyper-V.

To disable Hyper-V in Windows 11/10, do the following:

Once done, you will be able to use VMware without any BSOD.

Many people often use multiple virtual machine apps, such as VirtualBox, VMware, etc., simultaneously. In most situations, such workflow might cause a blue screen error on your computer. That is why it is recommended to disable other virtual machine software. For that purpose, you can take the help of the Task Manager to terminate all the dependencies.

If VMware causes a blue screen while installing the virtual machine OS, it is suggested to download the ISO file again. If the ISO comes with some corrupt files, there is a chance of getting BSOD while using that ISO in the virtual machine. You can follow this guide to download Windows 11/10 ISO directly.

Read: How to fix VMware Internal Error while powering on

Yes, VMware can cause BSOD on Windows 11/10 PC. As said earlier, there could be countless reasons why you might get a blue screen error due to having VMware on your computer. For your information, some common reasons are mentioned in this article, and it is recommended to follow them to get rid of this issue.

Yes, VMware is compatible with Windows 11. If you have successfully installed Windows 11 without compromising the official system requirements, you can easily install VMware on your computer. As per the official statement, VMware requires a minimum of 2GB RAM along with 1.3GHz clock speed. On the other hand, it runs on almost all the x64 architecture without any problem.

Read: VMware does not support the user level monitor of this host.

VMware Customers Cautious after Recent Broadcom Actions

VMware

Broadcom, under the leadership of CEO Hock E. Tan, recently closed its $69B acquisition of VMware. Post-acquisition, Broadcom is moving quickly in undertaking several critical initiatives with VMware that, while likely beneficial to Broadcom shareholders over the long term, are causing uncertainty among many VMware customers.

One of Broadcom’s primary strategies to drive revenue growth is shifting VMware's business model from a perpetual license to a subscription-based one. This change aims to provide more predictable and stable revenue streams and aligns with the broader industry trend towards subscription services.

The move, as described by Tom Krause, president of the Broadcom Software Group, during the company’s most recent earnings call, is central to Broadcom’s plan to boost VMware’s contribution to its pro forma EBITDA to approximately $8.5 billion within three years, a considerable increase from VMware’s current production of about $4.7 billion. The emphasis on subscriptions is a key component of this ambitious growth target.

Broadcom's move to subscription models could lead to slower short-term growth for VMware and necessitate restructuring contracts from perpetual to subscription. VMware's strategy includes a trajectory of accelerated growth. The move to higher-value software stacks and subscription sales is expected to drive revenue growth over the next three years.

This transition could also affect VMware's customer relationships, as customers may push back against the shift to subscriptions, which are generally perceived as more expensive than perpetual licenses. VMware's expansion beyond infrastructure management with products like Tanzu could face hurdles if customers pause or reconsider their investments amid these changes.

During its earnings call, the company revealed plans to divest VMware's end-user computing portfolio and its Carbon Black security software unit. This strategic move aligns with Broadcom's stated intent to concentrate VMware's resources and efforts on creating global private and hybrid cloud environments tailored for large enterprises.

The end-user computing portfolio, encompassing desktop virtualization, application publishing, and mobile device management, alongside Carbon Black, a security software unit, are identified as non-core assets and are set to be separated from VMware's main business.

Broadcom expressed a commitment to finding suitable buyers for these units, ensuring they find "good homes," considering that many of their customers overlap with those of VMware's core products. This decision reflects Broadcom's broader strategy to refine VMware's product offerings and focus on areas that align with its vision of developing high-value cloud infrastructure solutions for global enterprises.

The company said that the moves are essential to redirect VMware's efforts towards its primary business of creating private and hybrid cloud environments, which is crucial for large enterprise customers worldwide.

Just days after it closed its acquisition, news emerged that Broadcom is set to lay off at least 2,837 VMware employees. This includes a substantial number at its Palo Alto campus in California, accounting for 1,267 employees, and 577 at its Austin facility.

It's important to note that the actual number of layoffs could exceed these figures since not all layoffs must be reported through WARN notices. The total workforce of VMware globally is around 38,300 employees.

The layoffs are officially attributed to "economic" reasons, although Broadcom has not provided further specifics or justifications. Despite these layoffs, VMware remains a central piece in Broadcom's strategy for its enterprise software segment.

You can look at a company from the perspective of the customer or the stockholder. I’m not a financial analyst, so I’m going to interpret Broadcom’s actions with a view of how those actions might impact an IT organization; after all, the IT practitioner is most directly impacted.

Broadcom's acquisition of VMware represents a strategic pivot that underscores the semiconductor giant's intensified focus on enterprise software. Transitioning VMware towards subscription models is a savvy move that aligns with broader market trends. But this shift may test customer loyalty, as subscription models often imply higher costs over time than perpetual licenses.

The decision to divest VMware's end-user computing and Carbon Black units clearly indicates that Broadcom seeks to sharpen VMware's focus on its core competencies in cloud environments. Such divestitures could streamline operations while also raising questions about future innovation and support for VMware's broader product suite.

Layoffs following the acquisition, while delivering operational cost savings, may have a broader impact on VMware’s innovation trajectory and customer service capabilities. This reduction in force, ostensibly for economic reasons, could introduce risks related to execution and market perception.

Predicting how Broadcom's moves will impact VMware products and services over the long term is impossible. The swiftness with which Broadcom instituted layoffs and product divestitures raises questions about how it will guide VMware forward.

As in any period of uncertainty involving technologies fundamental to critical IT infrastructure, IT organizations are well-advised to comprehensively analyze the risks involved before committing to any significant VMware deployment or renewing long-term license agreements. IT buyers should look to mitigate risks with a dual-vendor approach where feasible.

Many VMware customers are already adopting alternative solutions. Nutanix, VMware’s closest competitor, revealed record growth in its most recent earnings. While much of Nutanix’s growth was driven by its own strategic initiatives, CEO Rajiv Ramaswami acknowledged that the company did “close some additional deals” explicitly because of uncertainty about how the acquisition will unfold.

With the industry watching, Broadcom's stewardship of VMware in the coming fiscal year will be a critical test of its strategic vision for enterprise software dominance. While Broadcom is clearly focused on getting the financial aspects of the acquisition quickly under control, how the company will deliver long-term value to its VMware customers will become clearer.

Until there's clarity, however, IT organizations should continue to act with caution. Mitigating risk, after all, is the number one job for enterprise IT.

Disclosure: Steve McDowell is an industry analyst, and NAND Research an industry analyst firm, that engages in, or has engaged in, research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, which may include those mentioned in this article. Mr. McDowell does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.