Download VMware Player for PC

VMware Player, also called VMware Workstation Player, is a free virtualization software suite that allows its users to run a virtual version of an operating system on emulated hardware: essentially, it allows the user to run a second computer and set of software on their device.

Virtualization software can be used to test unknown applications to determine if they contain malware (such as viruses), as well as to test applications the user has made to ensure they work on different operating systems. It can also be used to try the features of an operating system without installing it on the host computer.

VMware Player itself is safe to use. Certain features, such as file and folder sharing, should be disabled if you are running potentially unsafe software on the virtual machine.

As of this writing, the latest version of VMWare supports various versions of Windows and Linux. Later versions of VMWare may not support certain guest operating systems: for example, Workstation 11 does not officially support Windows XP or Vista, only Windows 7 and later.

VMWare Player allows the user to configure the number of processor cores, amount of memory, and display hardware, among other features, that the host machine has. Much older guest operating systems should be given less powerful hardware, while modern guest operating systems often need more memory than the default settings provide.

A snapshot allows you to save the state of a virtual machine's hard disk and memory. It is similar to a "save state" in some emulators. The toolbar includes Snapshot and Revert buttons which can be used to save and load snapshots.

While the virtual machine is powered off, select Snapshot, then Remove Snapshot. While the virtual machine is powered off, you can also disable snapshots (or change how they are handled when you power off the virtual machine) under Edit -> Virtual Machine Settings -> Options -> Snapshot.

Unity Mode allows certain aspects of the guest operating system, such as windows or the Start Menu, to be displayed in the host operating system. It is available on Version 6 or later, and may be incompatible with certain applications or guest operating systems.

The free version of VMWare Player is only free for personal use. Those using VMWare Player to test the usability of applications they create on guest operating systems should purchase a licence.

Almost all of VMWare Player's features are available free for personal use. A licence simply allows a commercial organization to legally deploy VMWare Player. It also provides compatibility with virtual machines created by VMWare's other enterprise software, and provides a few features to make managing multiple installations simpler.