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How to Boot VMware from a USB drive
A comprehensive step-by-step guide to boot via USB
2 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
If you’re wondering how to boot from a USB drive in VMware, you’re very close to finding a definitive answer. All you need to do is read through this article to find it.
Being able to boot from a USB drive inside VMware is extremely important, allowing you to access your VM even if the virtual system becomes corrupted.
Is it safe to boot a VM from USB?
It is worth mentioning that booting from a USB device is not part of the VMware characteristics of the older versions, as it is considered a possible threat to the integrity of your system.
Even though that is the case, there is a trick that you can apply to get access to this feature even with an older version of VMware.
If you want to find out the trick mentioned above and the updated steps you need to take in order to boot from a USB device inside VMware’s latest release, read on.
Check out our dedicated article to find outhow to use dual monitors in VMware.
How can I boot from USB in VMware?
1. Boot VMware from USB using Plop Boot Manager
As you cannot directly boot from USB in VMware, you need to use a trick. The workaround for this is using a dedicated third-party tool called Plop Boot Manager.
The tool is free and easy to use, and can do the job for you in a few simple clicks. This is the only method that works for VM versions that came out before VMware 11.
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Download the latest version ofPlop Boot Managerfrom the official website. The downloaded file will be in ZIP format and contain an .ISO file, which is the one we need.
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Plug the USB drive in a USB port on your PC.
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Open VMware, clickFileand selectNew Virtual Machine. This will start theNew Virtual Machine Wizard.
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Choose theTypicaloption and then clickNext.
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Now it’s time to navigate to the location of your ISO file.
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ClickInstaller Disc Image File (ISO)and then pressBrowse.
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In theBrowsewindow, navigate to the location ofPlot Boot Manager.
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Select the .ISO file and clickOpen.
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Set theguest OSasLinux, then, under theVersionsection, chooseUbuntuand clickNext.
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Choose a name for your virtual machine and clickNext.
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Select the desired disk size and clickNext.
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Click theCustomize Hardwarebutton and selectUSB Controllerfrom the left side menu.
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Tick the box next to the optionAutomatically connect new USB devicesand then clickFinish.
2. Boot VM from USB using the Boot with EFI option
This method is recommended to use with newer VMware versions. On them, you do not need to rely on third-party apps.
In today’s article, we explored the best methods that allow you to boot from a USB drive inside VMware. But did you know that it’s possible toaccess files on USB from Hyper-V using passthrough?
If these methods helped you answer your question, please let us know. You can share your thoughts with us by using the comment section below.
More about the topics:vmware
Vladimir Popescu
Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related.
With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing Windows-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information.
When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.
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