Windows Server 2012 R2 documentation covers information on how to install the operating system in a virtual machine. For additional information about the operating system, refer to the instructions included in the installation media.
Windows Server 2012 R2 documentation includes the following topics:
- Installation Instructions
- VMware Tools in a Windows Server 2012 R2 Guest
- Knowledge Base Articles for Windows Server 2012 R2
- VMware Compatibility Guide
Installation Instructions
You can install the Windows Server 2012 R2 in a virtual machine using the corresponding Windows Server 2012 R2 distribution CD.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:
- Read General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products.
- Create and configure a new virtual machine.
- Read the Microsoft System Requirements for the recommended storage and memory values.
- Create and configure a new virtual machine with the appropriate virtual storage and virtual memory to support the intended workload.
Installation Steps
- Insert the Windows Server 2012 R2 CD in the CD-ROM drive.
- Power on the virtual machine to start installing Windows Server 2012 R2.
- Select Windows Server 2012. This is option supports Windows Server 2012 R2.
See Knowledge base article 2069889, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 guest operating system option is not available, at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2069889. - (Optional) If you are using VMware Paravirtual as the default SCSI controller, you can install Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit using the pvscsi-windows2008.flp driver.
- Install VMware Tools.
VMware Tools in an Windows Server 2012 R2 Guest
For information on VMware Tools, see Knowledge base article 1014294, General VMware Tools installation instructions, at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1014294.
Knowledge Base Articles for Windows Server 2012 R2 Guest
The following links refer to knowledge base articles on operating system specific issues.
- See knowledge base article 2006859 at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2006859 for more information on how to install and run Windows 8/Windows Server 2012 on ESXi and ESX.
- See VMware Knowledge Base for a list of known issues about the operating system.
VMware Compatibility Guide
The VMware Compatibility Guide Web site lists supported guest and host operating systems and provides related support information.