Hyper-V and VMware Workstation on the same computer

Question

 

I have a lot of VM's on VMware today and want to test Hyper-V, but I have only one server.

Is it possible to run VMware Workstation and Hyper-V on the same computer at the same time?

 

Answer 1

 

I don't think you can, and if it can be done it is definately 'Not Supported'.

 

If you were to try you would have to run Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V as the host operating system and install VMWare Workstation on top of that. Becasue both applications would crash and start fighting the OS for system RAM to be allocated to the VM's running both at the same time would give you a BSOD I would think.

 

Cheers,

 

Stephen Edgar

Answer 2

I tried this and it does work - but it is definitely not supported and may cause your computer to crash eventually.

 

Cheers,

Ben

Answer 3

Great!

It will be for a transition face only, so it does not matter if it is not supported.

Answer 4

 

How did you get this to work?

I have installed Windows 2008 Ent. x64 with hyper-v role installed, and vmware workstation 6.02 installed, but when I start a VM with Workstation 6, the windows 2008 HOST crashes with a blue screen! I read here and there that more people have this problem.

Answer 5

I have now installed WS 2008 Ent. x64 on my server. I installed VMware workstation first, then the Hyper-V role. That didn't work so well. The Hyper-V service failed to start and VMware ran 32-bit guests only. I didn't have the time research it, so I uninstalled Hyper-V. Then VMware started running 64-bit guests again.

 

I hope there is a way to at least have the two products installed at the same time. I might do some more testing later.

Answer 6

I too have been trying this, and have a cross-post (I didn't find this post until a recent search) over at the vmware forums.

 

In short, It looks like what is causing the problem might be that Hyper-V is a hyper-visor, and as such the "root partition" AKA "parent partition" is, in some part, virtualized (or at least restricted).

 

I'm currently looking for a way for the parrent partition to either bypass the hypervisor or some way to tell the hypervisor that the parrent partition needs VT support (or at least just 64-bit guest support, which in theory doesn't require VT support).

 

It might be that either the hypervisor or VMware workstation needs to modify the reported CPU features so that either gains access to the functionality or does not attempt to use functionality that conflicts with the hypervisor.

 

I'm no expert in this area, so please forgive me if my terminology or thought process is off-base, if you have any feedback on what the hyper-visor is doing to the parent partition it would be very much appreciated.

 

Cheers!

-Jon

 

Answer 7

Hyper-V needs hardware virtualization support, and VMware need it for 64-bit virtual machines.  Only one solution can use hardware virtualizatin support at a time on the Intel / AMD architecture.

 

Cheers,

Ben

Answer 8

Hi,

 

I just succesfully did install VMWare player 2.0.3 inside my parent partition.

 

I did need it because I cannot install citrix access gateway inside a VPC or Hyper-V machine because it doesn't emulate the e1000 networkcard, I did try but didn't work so I did need a solution. Now I have all my old machines virtualized on one server.

 

I use a core2due E6420 with 4Gb and does run several 2003 sp2 servers, some windows XP systems and now my citrix access gateway on the parent partition :-)

 

It runs stable so far...

 

 

Answer 9

to bad after a few days system suddenly reboots

Answer 10

I had exactly the same problem of not being able to run VMware Workstation machines whilst Hyper-V was running. You will also find problems if trying to run MS Virtual Server 2005 or VirtualPC 2007 at the same time as Hyper-V.

For all these problems I found a simple solution of booting Windows Server 2008 without the hypervisor by creating an extra entry in the boot loader. Here's how:

1. At the command prompt, type the following:
   bcdedit /copy {default} /d "No Hypervisor"
   
2. The above command should say: The entry was successfully copied to {guid}.
   Copy that guid to the clipboard including the curly braces.
   
3. Now, type the following command:
   bcdedit /set {guid} hypervisorlaunchtype off
   
   In the above command, replace {guid} with what you copied in step 2. The
   above command just sets a property in the boot entry that will not load
   the hypervisor on boot.

That's it. If you now boot your machine you will get a boot menu with an extra option.

Credit goes to http://blog.baeke.info/blog/_archives/2007/12/18/3416738.html

Answer 11

Hi,

 

I have a working vmware player now on the parent partition.

 

Make sure USB support and paravirtualization and other VT modes are turned off in de VMX file.

Secondly I have 2 NIC's in my system only 1 NIC is bind to my virtual switch of hyper-v and NO vmdrivers are bind to this NIC. Then bind the vmdrivers to the second NIC and don't bind it to any microsoft virtual switch in hyper-v

 

Now I can run both on my system.

 

Kind regards,

Rene

Answer 12

Rene,

 

you seem to be the only person on the internet who is able to run vmplayer along with hyper-v.  You're running it side-by-side, not inside a hyper-v guest, correct???  Are you still having a good result with it?

 

Steve

 

Answer 13

Hi,

 

I still can run vmware player on the parent partition.

 

You need to disable lot's of features.

 

First of all you need atleast 2 fysical nics.

1 to bind the hyper-v switch and 1 for vmware player don't mix or your system crashes

secondly disable all hardware virtualization options in the vmx file.

You cannot use USB drivers on the parent partition so basicly it's pretty tweaked down. But it works.

 

Inside a VM it didn't work, but the parent partion is a VM right ?? Don't know just works... I don't recommend it unless you really need to run vmware for the hardware support it's giving.

 

I really would like to see that workstation and hyper-v runs together or hyper-v could get usb support ....

 

 

 

 

Answer 14

I tried this and it does work - but it is definitely not supported and may cause your computer to crash eventually.

 

Cheers,

Ben

So not true -.-

Answer 15

helo

 is not supported to use a wmware Workstation installation and acitve in VM the Hyper-V

Answer 16

I couldn't make run Hyper-V and Vmware workstation on the same machine at the same time, but...I have vmware workstation installed on the Windows 2008 R2 with Hyper-V mode enabled. If i need run vmware, i just use it. if i need HyperV, i have to close vmware and than i can use Hyper-V. If i need to use VMWARE after the hyper-v was in user, i have to reboot my machine. Here is a trick, that allows me to have vmware workstation and hyper-v on the same box: http://www.curuit.com/hyper-v:-enable-sleep-%10-hibernate-20100806396/

 

---

CuruIT.com - Clustering, Hyper-V and more IT Knowledge

Answer 17

I installed Hyper-V on the server and when I rebooted I got the blue screen of death.  I think because of the reason above

How can I uninstall/remove hyper-v?  I am sticking with VMWare.  I read you can convert .vhd files to .vmdk. 

Thanks

Answer 18

Hi,

 

I have a virtual machine (using Hyper-V).

I would like to install vmplayer (or vmware) in it (not in the host but in the guest Hyper-V VM).

Is that possible?

Currently I receive

VMware-player-3.1.4-385536: Error: This product can only be installed on Windows XP or later. Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, and 2000 are not supported.

when I try to install VMware-player-3.1.4-385536 which means that Hyper-V role is enabled.

But it is enabled on the host OS. There should be no Hyper-V role enabled in the Gues OS (which is Hyper-V VM).

 

Thanks,

Stanislav

Answer 19

 

Can VMware Workstation be installed withing a Hyper-V Virtual Machine?

Has anyone tried this, what specs for the VM work best? (Windows 7, XP, Server 2008?)

 

(note - I'm not asking about running both on the same physical machine in terms of a node,  I mean running vmware on a virtual machine that runs in a Hyper-V environment)

 

 

Thanks

 

Answer 20

Hyper-V works quite well and even supports
Linux VM's. The main advantage is that if you are already running
Windows server 2008 it comes along for free whereas you have to pay for
VMWare separately. I think that VM ware provides better system
management tools, but that isn't really a big benefit in this particular
case.

I personally have used Hyper-V for development, i.e. running a vista machine for testing on top of a server 2008 box.

And I personally have a hard time trying to use Linux under Hyper-V and having to spend hours of research just to find out that full support won't drop until the new 3.2 kernel, maybe not even until 3.3 (hv_mouse)!

---

Good luck!

Answer 21

plz  ALL COMMENT  what the final result do you can install wmware with hyper-v?

 

Answer 22

plz  ALL COMMENT  what the final result do you can install wmware with hyper-v?

Can't install VMware, Virtual Server and Microsoft Virtual PC on Hyper-V, coz all run inside an ordinary OS

but Hyper-V can run VMware, Virtual Server and Microsoft Virtual PC.

VMware ESX, Xen and MS Hyper-V they are like operating systems but modified to run other operating systems and it must be installed direct to physical HW.

Answer 23

the following might work for you:

http://jorgequestforknowledge.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/using-both-microsoft-hyper-v-and-vmware-workstation-on-the-same-machine/

---

Jorge de Almeida Pinto [MVP-DS] | Principal Consultant | BLOG: http://jorgequestforknowledge.wordpress.com/

Answer 24

Alternatvely, if you don't want to mess up with Boot Configuration Database you could stick to these commands:

Disable Hyper-V layer: 

sc config hvboot start= disabled

Enable Hyper-V layer

sc config hvboot start= boot

Thank you,

EH

P.S.: Since the bcdedit /copy {default} command copies the default boot record saving the same GUID you are using for your main boot, how do you delete the newly created 'Hyper-V Off' boot option without removing your main boot option provided that both will now have the same GUID and bcdedit removes the option using that GUID?

Answer 25

I had exactly the same problem of not being able to run VMware Workstation machines whilst Hyper-V was running. You will also find problems if trying to run MS Virtual Server 2005 or VirtualPC 2007 at the same time as Hyper-V.

For all these problems I found a simple solution of booting Windows Server 2008 without the hypervisor by creating an extra entry in the boot loader. Here's how:

1. At the command prompt, type the following:
   bcdedit /copy {default} /d "No Hypervisor"
   
2. The above command should say: The entry was successfully copied to {guid}.
   Copy that guid to the clipboard including the curly braces.
   
3. Now, type the following command:
   bcdedit /set {guid} hypervisorlaunchtype off
   
   In the above command, replace {guid} with what you copied in step 2. The
   above command just sets a property in the boot entry that will not load
   the hypervisor on boot.

That's it. If you now boot your machine you will get a boot menu with an extra option.

Credit goes to http://blog.baeke.info/blog/_archives/2007/12/18/3416738.html

This one is working. However, if people want to use Windows Phone Emulator (which use hyper-v), it will not work because that command disabled hyperv.  VMWare is good but I have to stop using it until they fixed this problem. Perhaps no solution?

Answer 26

OMG

Virtual PC 2004 supported sound. Why do you idiots keep removing things that work? Hyper-V has no sound.

Bunch of morons.

(dick) Heads of MS need to stop the LCD and get someone from Linux to help direct Windows.