VMware ESXi and vSphere Cluster Management

Add a CD/DVD Drive to a VMware Workstation Player Virtual Machine

Learn how to add and configure a virtual CD/DVD drive in VMware Workstation Player using a host optical drive or an ISO image.

A virtual machine can use one or more virtual CD-ROM or DVD drives. These drives give the guest operating system—the operating system running inside the virtual machine—access to optical media without requiring a permanently installed physical drive inside the guest.

VMware Workstation Player can connect a virtual optical drive to either a physical optical drive in the host computer or an ISO image. The host computer is the physical computer running VMware Workstation Player. An ISO image is a single file containing the filesystem and boot data from an optical disc.

Common uses include installing a guest operating system, booting installation media, running disc-based software, and reading files from a CD or DVD.

Choose the Media Source

Before changing the virtual machine, decide whether the media will come from a disc inserted into the host or from an ISO file stored on the host.

Physical drive: host optical drive -> virtual CD/DVD drive -> guest operating system
ISO image:      ISO file on host   -> virtual CD/DVD drive -> guest operating system
Physical Drive vs. ISO Image Connection

Connection type | Media source                  | Best use cases                  | Configuration choices                         | Considerations
Physical drive  | Disc in a host optical drive | Existing discs, legacy media   | Specific drive or Auto detect; connect at power on | Requires a working host drive and inserted disc
ISO image       | ISO file on the host         | OS installation, repeatable media workflows | Browse to ISO; connect at power on              | Does not require a physical disc or optical drive

ISO mode is usually the better choice for operating system installation. It is repeatable, does not depend on a physical drive, and makes it easy to reuse installation media. Physical-drive mode is useful when the source is an actual disc or when software requires access to a disc that has not been converted to an ISO file.

Prepare the Virtual Machine

  1. Identify the correct virtual machine before editing its hardware. Check its name and guest operating system so that you do not modify another machine accidentally.
  2. Make sure the intended ISO file is available locally if you will use ISO mode.
  3. If you will use physical-drive mode, connect the host optical drive and insert the CD or DVD when appropriate.
  4. Save work in the guest and shut down the virtual machine before changing its virtual hardware whenever possible.

VMware Workstation Player commonly allows virtual hardware settings to be opened while a machine is powered off. Some connection changes may be possible while the guest is running, depending on the Player version, guest, and device state. Powering off the guest is the safest approach when adding a new device or changing its virtual controller assignment.

Open Virtual Machine Hardware Settings

  1. Start VMware Workstation Player.
  2. Select the target virtual machine in the Player interface.
  3. Open Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings.
  4. Open the Hardware tab.
  5. Select Add to start the Add Hardware workflow.

The Hardware tab lists the virtual machine's devices, such as memory, processors, virtual disks, network adapters, and any existing optical drives. Review this list before adding another device. A virtual machine may already have a CD/DVD drive that only needs to be configured rather than duplicated.

Add a CD/DVD Drive

  1. In the Add Hardware wizard, select CD/DVD Drive as the hardware type.
  2. Continue through the wizard.
  3. Complete the wizard to create the virtual optical device.
  4. Return to the Hardware tab and confirm that the new CD/DVD drive appears in the hardware list.

A CD-ROM drive is an optical drive intended for compact-disc media. A DVD drive can read DVD media and typically can also read CDs. In VMware, the virtual device is commonly labeled CD/DVD even when its purpose is to read installation media or data from either format.

To add another optical device, repeat the Add Hardware workflow. Multiple virtual CD/DVD drives can be useful when a guest must access more than one disc source at the same time.

Configure the Connection Method

Select the newly added CD/DVD device in the Hardware list. Its configuration page provides a choice between using a physical drive and using an ISO image. The exact wording can vary slightly between VMware Workstation Player versions, but the two connection types have the same purposes.

CD/DVD device
  Connection source: Physical drive | ISO image
  Connection state:  Connected or disconnected
  Startup behavior: Connect at power on
  Virtual device type: IDE or SCSI

Configure a Physical Host Drive

  1. Select the option to use a physical drive.
  2. If the host has more than one optical drive, choose the specific drive to pass through to the guest.
  3. Choose Auto detect when VMware should select an available host optical drive automatically.
  4. Enable Connect at power on if the guest should receive the drive automatically whenever it starts.
  5. Apply or save the settings.

Auto detect lets VMware select an available host physical optical drive. Selecting a specific drive is preferable when the host has multiple drives or when automatic detection chooses the wrong one.

In physical-drive mode, the guest receives access to the selected host drive and the disc currently inserted in it. The host drive must be recognized by the host operating system, and the disc must be inserted and readable. The guest-visible virtual device can be configured as IDE or SCSI regardless of whether the host's physical drive uses an IDE, SATA, USB, or another physical interface.

Configure an ISO Image

  1. Select the option to use an ISO image file.
  2. Choose Browse or the equivalent file-selection control.
  3. Locate and select the intended ISO file.
  4. Confirm that it is the correct bootable installation image or data-disc image.
  5. Enable Connect at power on when the guest must boot from the ISO during startup.
  6. Apply or save the settings.

Mounting an ISO does not extract its files into a normal host folder. VMware presents the ISO as virtual removable media, preserving the disc filesystem and, when present, its boot data. This is important for operating system installation because simply copying the files from an ISO into a folder does not necessarily create bootable media.

For an installation, mount the ISO before powering on the virtual machine and enable connection at power on. If the guest does not start the installer, verify both the ISO's bootability and the virtual machine's boot order.

Choose IDE or SCSI for the Virtual Drive

The virtual CD/DVD drive can be assigned to an IDE or SCSI virtual controller. IDE is a storage-controller interface commonly supported by older guest operating systems. SCSI is another storage-controller interface often used in virtual hardware designs and supported by many newer guests.

This is a virtual hardware setting. It is independent of the physical interface used by a host optical drive. For example, a host drive connected through IDE or SATA can be exposed to the guest through a virtual SCSI CD/DVD device.

Use the guest operating system's compatibility requirements and the existing virtual hardware layout as your guide. When adding a device to an established virtual machine, matching the controller style already used by its compatible virtual hardware can reduce detection problems. Older guests may require an IDE optical device, while a newer guest may work correctly with either IDE or SCSI.

CD/DVD Drive Configuration Options

Option                 | Possible values          | Purpose                              | When to use it
Media source           | Physical drive, ISO      | Selects where media comes from      | Choose based on the available media
Host drive selection   | Specific drive, Auto detect | Selects a physical host drive    | Use a specific drive when several exist
Connect at power on    | Enabled, disabled        | Attaches the connection at startup  | Enable for bootable installation media
Connection state       | Connected, disconnected  | Controls current guest access       | Connect when the guest needs the media
Virtual device type    | IDE, SCSI                | Selects the guest-visible controller | Follow guest compatibility and design

Verify the Connection in the Guest

  1. Start or restart the virtual machine if required by the hardware change.
  2. In VMware, check that the CD/DVD device is present and marked as connected.
  3. In the guest operating system, open its device-management or file-management interface.
  4. Confirm that an optical-drive entry appears.
  5. If media is mounted, open the drive and verify that the expected disc or ISO contents are visible.

The expected result is an optical-drive entry in the guest, followed by accessible files from the inserted disc or mounted ISO. During an operating system installation, the expected result may instead be a boot menu or installer screen.

If the device appears but no media is shown, the virtual drive was probably added successfully but is disconnected, pointed at the wrong source, or connected to an empty physical drive.

Practical Configurations

Install a Guest Operating System from an ISO

  1. Power off the target virtual machine.
  2. Add a CD/DVD Drive through the Hardware tab.
  3. Select ISO-image mode and browse to the operating system ISO.
  4. Enable Connect at power on.
  5. Save the settings and start the virtual machine.
  6. If necessary, select the virtual CD/DVD device in the boot menu or adjust the virtual machine boot order.

The guest should boot from the ISO and display the operating system installer. After installation, disconnect or remove the ISO so that the guest boots from its virtual disk on later starts.

Use a Disc Inserted in the Host

  1. Insert the disc into the host optical drive.
  2. Add a CD/DVD Drive, or select an existing one.
  3. Select physical-drive mode.
  4. Choose the correct host drive or Auto detect.
  5. Connect the device and optionally enable Connect at power on.

The guest should see the inserted disc through its virtual optical drive. This setup is useful for legacy installation discs, audio or data discs, and other media that is not available as an ISO file.

Use an IDE Host Drive with a SCSI Virtual Drive

Select the host optical drive as the physical media source, then configure the guest-visible virtual CD/DVD device as SCSI when that matches the guest and virtual hardware design. The host's physical interface and the guest's virtual controller type are separate layers.

Troubleshooting

Common Detection and Playback Issues

Symptom                         | Likely cause                         | Verification step                         | Resolution
No optical drive in guest       | Device absent or not connected       | Check Hardware list and connection state | Add the device, connect it, then restart if needed
Drive exists but is empty       | Wrong source or no media             | Check ISO path or inserted disc          | Select the intended ISO or correct host drive
ISO will not boot               | Non-bootable ISO or wrong boot order | Test image and check startup boot device | Use a bootable ISO, connect at power on, adjust boot order
Host drive unavailable          | Host does not recognize the drive    | Check the host operating system          | Repair host connection or select a specific available drive
DVD movie displays incorrectly  | Player requires video overlay        | Check the guest player's requirements    | Use a player that works without video overlay

The Guest Does Not Show the New Drive

  • Confirm that the CD/DVD device appears in the virtual machine's Hardware list.
  • Confirm that the virtual machine was started or restarted after the hardware change.
  • Check that the device is connected, not merely present in the configuration.
  • Use the guest operating system's device-management tools to check for detection problems.

The Guest Sees a Drive but Not the Disc or ISO

  • In physical-drive mode, verify that the selected host drive is the one containing the disc.
  • Confirm that the disc is inserted and readable by the host.
  • In ISO mode, verify the file path and select the intended ISO again if necessary.
  • Check the device's connection state and the Connect at power on setting.

The Virtual Machine Does Not Boot from the ISO

  • Verify that the selected file is a bootable ISO, not an unrelated data image.
  • Mount the ISO before powering on the guest.
  • Enable Connect at power on.
  • Check the virtual machine's boot order or use its startup boot-device selection.
  • After installation begins, remove or disconnect the ISO when the installer instructs you to reboot from the new virtual disk.

The Host Optical Drive Is Unavailable

  • Check whether the host operating system recognizes the physical drive.
  • Select a specific host drive instead of relying on Auto detect.
  • Check for host access conflicts or a loose physical connection.
  • Use an ISO image instead if the physical drive cannot be made available.

DVD Movie Playback Limitation

Accessing DVD files is different from reliably playing DVD movies. Some guest DVD-player applications depend on video overlay, a graphics capability used to display video through a specialized rendering path. The required overlay support may not be available in the virtual machine.

A guest may therefore be able to browse DVD files or run installation media while still displaying a movie incorrectly or failing to play it. If movie playback is required, use a guest player that can operate without the needed video overlay support and check the player's virtual graphics requirements.

Key Points

  • A virtual machine can have one or more virtual CD/DVD drives.
  • The media source can be a physical optical drive on the host or an ISO image file.
  • Use Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings > Hardware > Add, then select CD/DVD Drive.
  • Adding the device and connecting media are separate operations.
  • ISO mode is generally preferable for repeatable operating system installation workflows.
  • Enable Connect at power on when the guest must access or boot from the media during startup.
  • The virtual controller can be IDE or SCSI independently of the host drive's physical interface.
  • Verify both VMware's connection state and the guest operating system's device and media detection.
  • DVD movie playback may fail when the guest player requires video overlay support.