The Windows Server 2025 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 2025 documentation includes the following topics:
- Installation Instructions
- Installing VMware Tools in a Windows Server 2025 Guest
- Knowledge Base Articles for Windows Server 2025
- VMware Compatibility Guide
Installation Instructions
You can install Windows Server 2025 in a virtual machine using the corresponding Windows Server 2025 distribution CD.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, verify that the following tasks are complete:- Read General Installation Instructions for All VMware Products.
- Read the Microsoft System Requirements for the recommended storage and memory values.
- To support the intended workload, create and configure a new virtual machine with the appropriate virtual storage and virtual memory. During the guest OS configuration process, for virtual machines with hardware versions 19, 20, and 21, the Windows Server 2025 option is not available. Select Windows Server 2022 (64-bit).
Installation Steps
- Insert the Windows Server 2025 CD/DVD into the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive.
- Start the virtual machine. This begins the Windows installation.
Note: The VMware PVSCSI driver is contained in Windows Server 2025, if you are using VMware Paravirtual as the default SCSI controller, no need to select or install the pvscsi driver from additional media now. - Follow the prompts to complete the installation.
- Install VMware Tools.
VMware Tools in a Windows Server 2025 Guest
For information on VMware Tools, see the knowledge base article 1014294, General VMware Tools installation instructions.
Knowledge Base Articles for Windows Server 2025 Guest
The following links refer to knowledge base articles on operating system specific issues.
- See Knowledge base article 371344 for the guest operating system option.
- See the Broadcom Support Portal for a list of known issues about the operating system.