VMware Workstation Pro (known as VMware Workstation until release of VMware Workstation 12 in 2015) is a hosted (Type 2) hypervisor that runs on x64 versions of Windows and Linux operating systems. It enables users to set up virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical machine and use them simultaneously along with the host machine. Each virtual machine can execute its own operating system, including versions of Microsoft Windows, Linux, BSD, and MS-DOS. VMware Workstation is developed and sold by VMware, which has been owned by Broadcom since November 2023. In May 2024, Workstation Pro became free of charge for personal use, with paid subscriptions available for commercial use, while the free restricted VMware Workstation Player (formerly known as VMware Player), included in Workstation, was dropped as a separate product. In November 2024, VMware Workstation was made free for commercial use, with paid subscriptions and support no longer available.
VMware Workstation Pro can save the state of a virtual machine (a "snapshot") at any instant. These snapshots can later be restored, effectively returning the virtual machine to the saved state, as it was and free from any post-snapshot damage to the VM.
VMware Workstation includes the ability to group multiple virtual machines in an inventory folder. The machines in such a folder can then be powered on and powered off as a single object, useful for testing complex client-server environments.
History
VMware was first released on 15 May 1999.
Company restructuring and product development (2016)
VMware Workstation versions 12.0.0, 12.0.1, and 12.1.0 were released at intervals of about two months in 2015. In January 2016, the entire development team behind VMware Workstation and Fusion was disbanded and all US developers were immediately fired. The company said that "the restructuring activities will not impact the existence of any current product lines", that "roles and responsibilities associated with particular businesses will be moved to other regions and office locations", and that investment would continue "with emphasis on our growth products", but the future of Workstation and Fusion became uncertain by that point. On 24 April 2016, maintenance release 12.1.1 was released. Later in September of the same year, the company announced that "we’re very much alive and well". Consequently, on September 13, Workstation 12.5 and Fusion 8.5 were released as free upgrades which added support for Windows 10 Anniversary Update and Windows Server 2016. Since then, active development resumed.
Transition to freeware (2024)
In May 2024, VMware Workstation Pro became free for personal use, with only commercial use requiring a paid license, and free VMware Workstation Player was discontinued as unnecessary.
In November 2024, Workstation Pro became free for all users, including commercial and educational users. Technical support for Workstation by Broadcom was discontinued, with help now available only from documentation and the user forum on Broadcom's Web site.
Improved compatibility with some AMD Piledriver CPUs
Easy Install support for Windows 8.1 RTM and Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM
Fixes for certain hangs and freezes
Unsupported: 10.0.2
17 April 2014
The compatibility and performance of USB audio and video devices with virtual machines has been improved.
Resolved an issue that prevents a USB device from being connected to Linux RHEL 5 guest operating system.
Easy installation option supports Windows 8.1 Update 1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 as a guest operating system.
openSUSE 13.1 is now supported as a host operating system.
Resolved an issue causing burning CDs with Blu-ray drives to fail while connected to the virtual machine.
Resolved an issue that caused using Microsoft Word and Excel in unity mode causes a beep.
Resolved an issue causing host application windows to be blanked out in the UAC dialog on the Linux host of the Windows 8 virtual machine.
Resolved an issue that prevented the Sound Card from being automatically added to the VM when powering on the virtual machine on a Linux host.
Resolved an issue that could cause a Windows 8.1 guest operating system to display a black screen when launching Metro style applications in the launch menu.
Resolved a hotkey conflict in the Preference dialog of the KVM mode.
Resolved a compatibility issue of GL renderer with some new Nvidia drivers.
Resolved graphics errors with for Solidworks applications.
Resolved an issue causing virtual machines imported from a physical PC to crash on startup.
Resolved an issue about shared folder when the user read and write file using two threads.
Resolved an issue that caused Linux virtual machines to see stale file contents when using shared folders.
Resolved the virtual machine performance issues when using the E1000e adapter.
Resolved an issue preventing Workstation from starting on Ubuntu 14.04.
Unsupported: 10.0.3
1 July 2014
VMware Workstation 10.0.3 has been updated to the OPENSSL library version openssl-0.9.8za where necessary to address CVE-2014-0224,CVE-2014-0198,CVE-2010-5298,CVE-2014-3470.
Unsupported: 10.0.4
30 October 2014
Fixes memory issue in Workstation on Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012.
Unsupported: 10.0.5
27 January 2015
Bug fixes
At power-on, a virtual machine hangs and a .dmp file is created.
The VideoReDo application does not display the video properly and parts of the application's screen are scrambled.
Copying and pasting a large file from host to guest may fail.
Memory leak in the HGFS server (for shared folders) causes VMware Tools to crash randomly with the error: Exception 0xc0000005 (access violation) has occurred.
New VMs have the same location UUID and MAC address so that the UUID and MAC address are not unique. This problem occurs with WS 9 and WS 10 VMs but not WS 7 and WS 8 VMs.
On RHEL 6.6, vmmon cannot be loaded due to incompatible kernel symbol versions. With gcc, kernel-headers, kernel-devel installed, vmmon module will be recompiled automatically.
Memory leak by the process vmtoolsd.exe when the guest NIC is disabled causes memory consumption by Workstation processes to increase over time.
When USB devices are autoconnected with a hub to a Renesas host controller, the devices are not redirected to the guest.
WS 11 license is accepted by WS 10.0.5 and future 10.0 updates.
When WS is installed on Linux in a non-default location, the Virtual Network Editor fails to run.
Unsupported: 10.0.6
5 May 2015
Fixed a problem when uploading a virtual machine with Workstation 10.0.x to ESXi 6.0.
Added support for VMware vCloud Air Virtual Private Cloud OnDemand
Bug fixes:
A Linux guest OS booted on EFI firmware sometimes failed to respond to the keyboard and mouse if any mouse motion occurred during a short window of time during OS boot.
Outlook 2010 would occasionally crash when running in Unity mode.
You could not compact or defragment a persistent disk.
The UI sometimes crashed when a user copied and pasted a file between two Windows guests.
Rendering corruption in UI elements in Fedora 20 guests with 3D enabled.
When creating a new virtual machine with SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) 12, the Easy Install path was not available.
VMware Workstation and Horizon Client TPView.ddl and TPInt.dll incorrectly handle memory allocation. On Workstation, this may allow a guest to execute code or perform a Denial of Service on the Windows OS that runs Workstation.
Unsupported: 11.1.2
15 June 2015
Security Issues
VMware Workstation 11.1.2 has been updated to OpenSSL library version openssl-1.0.1m.
Bug Fixes
Two interface items on the Access Control screen used the same hot-key combination.
Attempting to suspend a Windows virtual machine with the Sensor Diagnostic Tool running caused the virtual machine to become unresponsive.
Using audio conferencing software on a Windows 8 guest operating system caused a severe echo during both video and audio calls.
On the Windows 95 guest operating system, the mouse cursor jumped.
Symbolic links created within a Windows guest operating system on a Linux host did not list files under subdirectories.
Workstation did not display Regions in the VMware vCloud Air Subscription node.
Workstation could not automatically detect the Fedora 21 ISO when creating a new Fedora 21 virtual machine.
Under specific conditions, when the alipaybsm.exe file was installed on the Workstation host, network service was disrupted.
After connecting to vCloud Air from Workstation, no virtual machines were listed in the Workstation virtual machine library.
Using Easy Install for the Ubuntu 15.04 guest operating system with kernel 3.19.0-15-generic prevented you from enabling folder sharing.
Reverting to a snapshot failed following a specific set of steps.
A Windows 10 guest operating system running idly caused Workstation to crash.
Using the Easy Install option to install the Ubuntu 14.04 or Ubuntu 15.04 guest operating system failed to install VMware Tools.
Unsupported: 12.0.0Pro
24 August 2015
The following features have reached end of life in Workstation 12 Pro and have been removed:
Unity mode on Linux guest and host operating systems
Virtual Debugger Visual Studio
Connection to the VMware vCloud Air subscription service
Added support for, amongst other things:
Later operating system versions, including Windows 10
DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3
IPv6 NAT
Unsupported: 12.0.1Pro
29 October 2015
Bug fixes
Unsupported: 12.1.0Pro
8 December 2015
Unsupported: 12.1.1Pro
21 April 2016
Unsupported: 12.5Pro
13 September 2016
The announced release date of 8 September 2016 was missed due to a nasty bug
Compatible with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (v1607)
Unsupported: 12.5.1Pro
27 October 2016
Bug fixes, security updates for undisclosed vulnerabilities and performance improvements.
Unsupported: 12.5.2Pro
13 November 2016
This release of VMware Workstation 12 Pro addresses an out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability related to the drag-and-drop feature. This may allow a guest to execute code on the operating system that runs VMware Workstation 12 Pro.
Unsupported: 12.5.3Pro
9 March 2017
Bug fixes, security updates, and performance improvements.
Workstation Pro fails to launch on a Linux platform that uses kernel 4.9.0
Occasionally, the Workstation Pro user interface crashes in Workstation 12 Pro version 12.5 and displays an error
When you use a USB device that does not follow USB specifications in a virtual machine in USB passthrough mode, the guest becomes unusable
You cannot connect a parallel port to a virtual machine
Connecting an Active Braille device to the virtual machines fails
After users execute Active FTP in the guest operating system, the vmnat.exe process continues to use a TCP port of the host
ThinPrint technology does not work in a Windows XP guest operating system with VMware Tools 10.0.10
VMware Tools service is not started in Ubuntu 16.10 guest
You cannot use shared folders in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3 virtual machine
Unsupported: 12.5.4Pro
14 March 2017
This release addresses an out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability related to the drag-and-drop feature. This vulnerability might allow a guest to execute code on the operating system that runs VMware Workstation 12 Pro.
Unsupported: 12.5.5Pro
28 March 2017
This release of VMware Workstation Pro addresses the following issues:
VMware Workstation Pro has a heap buffer overflow and uninitialized stack memory usage in SVGA. These issues might allow a guest virtual machine to execute code on the host. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifiers CVE-2017-4902 (heap issue) and CVE-2017-4903 (stack issue) to these issues.
The VMware Workstation Pro XHCI driver has uninitialized memory usage. This issue might allow a guest virtual machine to execute code on the host. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2017-4904 to this issue.
VMware Workstation Pro has uninitialized memory usage. This issue might lead to an information leak. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2017-4905 to this issue.
Unsupported: 12.5.6Pro
18 May 2017
This release includes the following highlights:
Day 0 support of the Windows 10 Creators Update (v1703)
Bug fixes and security updates
Unsupported: 12.5.7Pro
22 June 2017
This release of VMware Workstation Pro includes some bug fixes and security updates.
Unsupported: 12.5.8Pro
16 November 2017
Support added for:
RHEL 7.4
Oracle Linux 7.3
Unsupported: 12.5.9Pro
10 January 2018
This update of VMware Workstation Pro exposes hardware support for branch target injection mitigation to VMware guests. This hardware is used by some guest operating systems to mitigate CVE-2018-5715 (also called by the name "Spectre").
Unsupported: 14.0.0Pro
26 September 2017
This major version release includes the following highlights:
Updated to support the newest versions of MicrosoftWindows 10 (including Enterprise), and Windows Server editions, as well as various Linux distributions
Updated support for the latest Intel and AMD processors and limited or no support for pre-2011 CPUs
Improved virtual firmware support, such as UEFI, and new Secure Boot support
This release delivers improved guest support of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (v1709)
Unsupported: 14.1.1Pro
9 January 2018
This update of VMware Workstation Pro exposes hardware support for branch target injection mitigation to VMware guests. This hardware is used by some guest operating systems to mitigate CVE-2018-5715 (also called by the name "Spectre").
Unsupported: 14.1.2Pro
21 May 2018
This update delivers guest access to the SSBD feature in IA32_SPEC_CTRL.
This release delivers improved guest support of Windows 10 Spring Creators Update (v1803)
Ubuntu 18.04 support as host and guest
Unsupported: 14.1.3Pro
14 August 2018
Unsupported: 14.1.4Pro
11 September 2018
VMware Workstation Pro has an uninitialized stack memory usage vulnerability in the vmxnet3 virtual network adapter that might allow a guest to execute code on the host. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2018-6981 to this issue.
Unsupported: 14.1.5Pro
23 November 2018
VMware Workstation Pro contains an integer overflow vulnerability in the virtual network devices which may allow a guest to execute code on the host. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2018-6983 to this issue.
Unsupported: 14.1.6Pro
14 March 2019
This release of VMware Workstation Pro addresses the following issues:
Workstation does not handle paths appropriately. This may allow the path to the VMX executable, on a Windows host, to be hijacked by a non-administrator leading to elevation of privilege. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2019-5511 to this issue.
COM classes are not handled appropriately. This may allow hijacking of COM classes used by the VMX process, on a Windows host, leading to elevation of privilege. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2019-5512 to this issue.
Unsupported: 14.1.7Pro
29 March 2019
Workstation contains an out-of-bounds read/write vulnerability and a Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) vulnerability in the virtual USB UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface). These issues may allow a guest to execute code on the host. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifiers CVE-2019-5518 (out-of-bounds read/write) and CVE-2019-5519 (TOCTOU) to these issues.
Unsupported: 14.1.8Pro
12 November 2019
This release of VMware Workstation Pro addresses the following issue:
VMware Workstation Pro and Player versions 14.x and earlier failed to launch on Windows 10 1903 after Windows 10KB updates were applied.
Unsupported: 15.0.0Pro
24 September 2018
This major version release includes the following highlights:
Support for new MicrosoftWindows 10 builds (including Enterprise) as well as various Linux distributions
Last version for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on hosts. Note: If version 16 did not drop Windows 7 support until version 16.2.5, it would not require Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 8 or later.
Unsupported: 16.0Pro
15 September 2020
This major version release includes the following highlights:
Last version for Windows 8.1 on hosts. Note: If version 16 did not drop Windows 7 support until this version, it would not require Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 8 or later.
There used to be freeware-based version of VMware Workstation with a limited feature set. This version was at first known as VMware Player until VMware Player v7 (released at the same time as Workstation 11). In 2015 the two packages were combined as VMware Workstation 12, with a free VMware Workstation Player version which, on purchase of a player license key granted commercial use along with commercial support, while the purchase of a pro license key became the higher specification VMware Workstation Pro (which also included commercial support). VMware Workstation Player, like VMware Player before it, was free of charge for non-commercial use, or for distribution or other use by written agreement. VMware Workstation Player was discontinued in 2024 due to redundancy after VMware Workstation Pro was made free for personal use. Before discontinuing VMware Workstation Player in 2024, VMware's website used to list the differences between VMware Workstation Player and Pro.
VMware Tools
VMware Tools, a package with drivers and other software available for the various guest operating systems VMware products support, installs in guest operating systems to add functionality. Tools is updated from time to time, with v13.0.5.0 on 26 September 2025. It has several components, including the following:
Drivers for emulated hardware:
VESA-compliant graphics for the guest machine to access high screen resolutions and/or special window effects such as Windows Aero/Desktop Window Manager
Support of shared folders and drag-and-drop file transfer between host and guest. This functionality is described as HGFS (Host Guest File System), and may be disabled by default for security; it may be enabled by changes to the .VMX configuration file
Clipboard sharing between host and guest
Time-synchronization capabilities (guest synchronizes with host machine's clock)
Support for Unity, dropped for Linux from v12 and for Windows from v17.6, a feature that allowed seamless integration of applications with the host desktop by hiding the monitor of the Virtual Machine and drawing the windows of applications running in the virtual machine on the host.
Third-party resources
Ready-to-use virtual machines
Many ready-made virtual machines (VMs) which run on VMware Workstation Player, VMware Workstation Pro, and other virtualization software are available with software for specific purposes ready-installed, either for purchase or free of charge. As one among many examples, there are free Linux-based "browser appliances" with the Firefox or other browser installed which can be used for safe Web browsing; if infected or damaged the VM can be discarded and replaced by a clean copy. Or the appliance can be configured to automatically reset itself after each use so that no changes, including personal information, modified files, damage, etc. are stored. VMs distributed legally only have freely distributable operating systems, as operating systems on VMs must be licensed; ready-to-use Microsoft Windows VMs, in particular, are not distributed, except for evaluation versions.
Other tools
PowerWF - Provides a visual representation of VMware VIX scripts, converting them into workflows, or converting workflows into Powershell cmdlets and modules. VIX is VMware's addition to Microsoft's Powershell for automation of the VMware Player.
↑Michael Roy (26 September 2017). "Workstation 14 Pro and Player Now Available!". VMware Workstation Zealot - Official blog of VMware Workstation. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017. VMware Workstation v14 (September 2017) continued to be free for non-commercial use.
↑"VMware Player Pro: Compare to VMware Workstation 11". Vmware. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Version archived 11 October 2016 compares Workstation 12 Player to Player 7 Pro; Workstation 12 Player (Unlicensed) to Workstation 12 Player (Licensed); and Workstation 12 Player to Workstation 12 Pro. Page is updated; as of October 2017 compares Workstation Player and Workstation Pro, only
↑"Use Unity Mode". VMware Workstation 9 Documentation Center. VMware. Archived from the original on 2015-02-28. Retrieved 2015-08-25. In Unity mode, virtual machine applications appear on the host system desktop
12"Browser Appliance". Archived from the original on 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-31. Includes brief documentation, including "autoRevert on shutdown"
/ 3 September 2026