Virtualize Windows XP to make it fluid with VMware Workstation 16 and 15.5

2. Manually install Windows XP and VMware Tools

If you want to install Windows XP manually to customize settings during installation (for example) or because you don't want to directly integrate the service pack into your Windows XP iso, here's how.

2.1. Create the virtual machine

To begin, create the virtual machine by selecting "Typical (recommended)".

Select "I will install the operating system later" to not use the "Easy Install" feature of VMware Workstation Pro.

Select the version of Windows XP that you want to virtualize :

Windows XP Home Edition : the 32-bit version of Windows XP Home
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition : the 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Professional : the 32-bit version of Windows XP Professional

Note that you most likely have the 32-bit version of Windows XP. Indeed, the majority of Windows XP PCs are in 32 bits.

Provide a name for your virtual machine.

Specify a size for the virtual hard disk.
Default : 40 GB.

Click : Customize Hardware.

Select the CD/DVD drive and choose the iso file from Windows XP.
Since we will manually install Windows XP, we can use any version of Windows XP (with or without an integrated service pack).

2.2. Install Windows XP

Start the virtual machine.

Press Enter when this menu appears and install Windows XP as you wish.

With this manual installation, you can customize all settings during installation.
But you will lose time compared to the automated (unattended) installation supported by VMware with the Easy Install.

Open the system properties of Windows XP.

As you can see, for the moment, the service pack 1 of Windows XP is installed.

Since VMware Tools requires at least Windows XP service pack 2, you will need to download SP2 or SP3 from the Internet or transfer it from your host PC to the virtual machine.
Except that without VMware Tools, you will not be able to transfer the installation file by copying/pasting, dragging/dropping, or transferring the file through the shared folders of VMware Workstation Pro.