ESC key gets you to VMWare boot device options screen where you have choice, but you need to be quick when pressing ESC key or you can add a delay to config.ini file in which is located in C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation . Code: bios.bootDelay = "10000" this example is for 10 seconds. Searchengines VMware bios patcher also give you the choice to add boot delay And Yes I never let VMware setup default OS I also use I will setup the os later. In doing that it will then use winnt.sif file or autounattend.xml for xp and vista , seven e.c.t.
I would like to thank you guys again for actually taking the time and helping me out. I managed to get the VMware Multi Brand Bios Installer to work and I am able to change the manufacturer. I put the 10 second relay so that I am able to see the boot screen and the logo changes to the one I selected. Now I am using the HewlettTattoo and pressing the command 4 to go to dos prompt. After that I enter DMI and once I input a command for example dmi /ss 012345678, Here's the screen I get : By the way, I already used OEMBIOS installer and I figured out the files I needed. I downloaded the required .bi_ , ca_ , da_ , si_ and put them in the compressed file and ran the program while installing the Windows XP Professional. Everything went ok. I ran this program after installing Maher's version and asking me for a CD key so I don't know if it has something to do with it. Also, in the OEMBIOS file I downloaded (Acer_700A8481) because it's the one it said to download after running the program, there is a file called SLP that I do not know what to do with it. I'm pretty sure that's my mistake. This is what's in the SLP file: [OEMBIOS] BIOS=F000,0000,FFFE,Acer TravelMate BIOS0=F000,0000,FFFE,TravelMate Thanks. P.S I am a noob so I'm sorry for the noob things that I writing I am slowly but surely learning.
It seems that you are booting the dmi boot cd in vmware, and trying to use it to add Hewlett Packard dmi string. I'm pretty sure that will never work.
Yes thats exactly what I am doing. What am I suppose to do to make it work and be able to configure dmi parametres if it's the wrong way I am doing it?
I managed to get that part working but with the Vmware Multi Brand BIOS installer, I cannot configure DMI settings, at least not that I know of, which is the main important thing.
Thank you very much for the information. I know I am getting you confused on what I am trying to achieve. Basically, it was given to me as a homework to figure out how to change DMI parameters in VMware. That's all. From what I learned I do not need to mod the BIOS, I just need to figure out how to change those parameters such as manufacturer, vendor, keys, CPUID, and more. I was reading somewhere that someone had made a script where you would put the vmware-vmx.exe path along with the virtual computer name and it just spoofs everything for you to make the virtual machine look completely new. This is what I am trying to achieve. I don't think I need to make pre-activate with OEM Bios files since it's just a spoof and it's made to be changed often. Any clues? Also, urie, thanks so much for taking the time to post this, I am going to try this and I am sure you have helped a lot of other people.
I'm pretty sure the Phoenix BIOS ediotr does the same thing as the VMware multi brand installer just way longer. It still doesn't give the option to change DMI parameters...
You are Wrong it has whole DMI editing window. Also are you certain the instructor means for you to actually modify the DMI bios strings officially it is not allowed. But what is permitted is to add SMBIOS.reflecthost = "TRUE" to .VMX config file then VMWare should take DMI settings e.c.t. from host machine.
I figured it out! Thanks so much for the help. I used the Phoenix Editor and followed the instructions and managed to change all the DMI parameters. Not only you guys are really smart and know your things, but you take the time to help out.
Really Glad you got thing sorted out. I would really like to know what you did achieve, for 1 you would have needed to extract bios file from vmware-vmx.exe using a resource editor to actually load it into Phoenix Bios Editor to edit DMI strings and then either add it back via resource editor or via editing the VMX config file to load bios example Code: bios440.filename = "D:\Virtual Machines\HP.rom"
That's exactly what I did. I'm basically booting the 6006 file from the vmx folder after editing it with the Phoenix Editor. UUID is a bit more complicated to modify because I think you need to know how to input the right format or else you can't change it. Other then that, it was pretty straight forward after reading around on the forum and the links posted here. Does it make a difference if the windows I am using has a VLK? From what I understood if it's VLK it doesn't use the DMI string that I have modified? Can you confirm this?
I don't know what more to say on my first reply I did say you were using a VLK i,e, volume licensed cd it would activate if vlk key was not blacklisted. So from what I can grasp you have modified VMWare bios, added manufacturer strings,UUID e.c.t. that mean nothing unless you had modified your ISO to make it oem and added the four oem bios files and oem:slp 1.0 key post a screen shot from vmware my computer system properties, does it say OEM or 670 ?