How To Install Virtual Machine Additions for MS Virtual Server 2005 R2
Installing Virtual Machine Additions (VMA) for Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is a two step process. The first step is to install the VMA software on the host server. The second step is to install the VMA drivers on the guest operating system.
Installing the VMA Software on the Host Server
1. Log on to the host server as an administrator.
2. Insert the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 CD into the CD-ROM drive.
3. If the Autorun dialog box appears, click Cancel.
4. From the Start menu, click Run.
5. In the Run dialog box, type X:\Support\VMA\Setup.exe, where X is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive.
6. In the Virtual Machine Additions Setup Wizard, click Next.
7. Read the license agreement, and then click I accept the terms in the license agreement.
8. Click Next.
9. In the Ready to Install Virtual Machine Additions page, click Install.
10. In the Completing the Virtual Machine Additions Setup Wizard page, click Finish.
Installing the VMA Drivers on the Guest Operating System
1. Start the guest operating system.
2. Log on as an administrator.
3. Insert the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 CD into the CD-ROM drive.
4. If the Autorun dialog box appears, click Cancel.
5. From the Start menu, click Run.
6. In the Run dialog box, type X:\Support\VMA\Setup.exe, where X is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive.
7. In the Virtual Machine Additions Setup Wizard, click Next.
8. Read the license agreement, and then click I accept the terms in the license agreement.
9. Click Next.
10. In the Ready to Install Virtual Machine Additions page, click Install.
11. In the Completing the Virtual Machine Additions Setup Wizard page, click Finish.
Reboot the guest operating system for the changes to take effect.
What are Virtual Machine Additions?
Virtual Machine Additions are a set of tools and drivers that improve the performance and compatibility of a virtual machine. They allow the guest operating system to better use the virtual hardware resources of the host, and provide added features such as time synchronization, mouse pointer integration, and support for additional storage devices.
How to install Virtual Machine Additions for MS Virtual Server 2005 R2
1. Start the virtual machine in which you have installed Windows Server 2003 R2.
2.Log on to the virtual machine as an administrator.
3. Insert the Virtual Server 2005 R2 installation CD into the CD-ROM drive of the virtual machine.
4. From the Start menu, choose Run.
5. In the Run dialog box, type D:\setup.exe, where D is the letter of the CD-ROM drive.
6. Press Enter. The Virtual Server 2005 R2 Setup Wizard appears.
7. On the Welcome to Virtual Server 2005 R2 page, click Next.
8. On the License Agreement page, read the license agreement, and then click I accept the terms in the license agreement.
9. Click Next.
10.On the Customer Information page, enter your user name, organization, and product key, and then click Next.
11. On the Installation Type page, click Custom installation, and then click Next.
12. On the Components page, click Virtual Machine Additions, and then click Next.
13. On the Ready to Install page, click Install.
14. When Setup is complete, click Finish.
How to install Virtual Machine Additions for MS Virtual Server 2005 R2
1. Start the virtual machine in which you want to install the Virtual Machine Additions.
2. On the Virtual Server host, open the Remote Desktop Connection program.
3. In the Remote Desktop Connection dialog box, type the name or IP address of the virtual machine in which you want to install the Additions, and then click Connect.
4. When prompted, enter the user name and password of an account that has administrator privileges on the virtual machine.
5. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
6. In the Computer Management console, expand Local Users and Groups, and then click Users.
7. In the Users pane, right-click the account of the user who will be using the virtual machine, and then click Properties.
8. In the Properties dialog box for the user account, on the Member Of tab, click Add.
9. In the Select Groups dialog box, type Administrators in the Enter the object names to select box, and then click OK.
10. In the Properties dialog box for the user account, click OK.
11. In the Remote Desktop Connection window, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
12. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press Enter:
msiexec /i vs2005r2-kb952627-x86-enu.msi
This command installs the Virtual Machine Additions for Windows Server 2003 R2 on the virtual machine.
13. When the installation is complete, restart the virtual machine.
Conclusion
Installing Virtual Machine Additions for Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is a relatively easy process that can be completed in just a few minutes. The first thing you need to do is download the appropriate files from the Microsoft website. Next, unzip the files and copy them to a folder on your hard drive. Once the files are in place, open the Virtual Server 2005 R2 console and select the virtual machine you want to install the additions on. From the Actions menu, select Install or Upgrade Virtual Machine Additions. This will launch the Additions installation wizard. Simply follow the prompts and within a few minutes, the process will be complete.
Further Reading
Assuming you have already installed Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, the next thing you need to do is install the Virtual Machine Additions. The Additions consist of a set of device drivers and system applications that optimize the performance of the virtual machine and improve integration between the guest operating system and Virtual Server.
The Additions are designed to be installed within the guest operating system and they are different for each supported guest operating system. You can find the Additions on the installation disc or ISO image for your guest operating system. For example, the Additions for Windows XP are located in the \Additions\Drivers\Vmadd folder on the Windows XP installation disc.
Once you have located the Additions for your guest operating system, copy them to the guest operating system. You can do this by mounting the disc or ISO image on the host operating system and using it as a shared drive within the guest operating system.
Once the Additions are copied to the guest operating system, open the Additions folder and double-click the autorun.exe file to start the Additions installation wizard.
Follow the instructions in the wizard to complete the installation. Once the installation is complete, you will need to reboot the guest operating system for the changes to take effect.
