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

Learn how to add a virtual CD/DVD drive in VMware Workstation Player, use a physical disc or ISO image, configure connection settings, and boot or access media in the guest.

A virtual machine can use one or more virtual CD/DVD-ROM drives. A virtual CD/DVD-ROM drive is a software-defined optical device that exposes either a disc in the host computer or an ISO image to the guest operating system.

The host computer is the physical computer running VMware Workstation Player. The guest operating system is the operating system installed inside the virtual machine.

When to use a virtual CD/DVD drive

Install a guest operating system from a bootable installer ISO.
Start a recovery environment from bootable recovery media.
Install software from an ISO, CD, or DVD.
Read files from a physical data disc inserted in the host computer.
Give a legacy guest operating system access to optical media.

VMware Workstation Player can expose a host computer's physical optical drive or mount an ISO disk-image file. An ISO image is a file containing the contents and structure of an optical disc. When mounted, it behaves to the guest much like an inserted CD or DVD.

Plan the configuration first

Identify the target virtual machine and confirm that it is available in VMware Workstation Player. Power the virtual machine off before changing its virtual hardware whenever possible. Some connection and disconnection actions may also be available while the virtual machine is running, but hardware changes are most predictable when the guest is shut down.

For ISO media, verify that the ISO exists, is completely downloaded, and is readable by your host user account.
For physical media, verify that the host has a recognized optical drive and that a readable disc is inserted.
For an operating system installation, use a valid bootable installer ISO rather than a compressed download or a folder containing installer files.
Expect menu names and locations to vary slightly between VMware Workstation Player releases and host operating systems.

Open the virtual machine hardware settings

Open VMware Workstation Player and select the target virtual machine.
Open the Player management menu and choose the virtual machine settings command.
Open the Hardware section. This section lists the virtual devices assigned to the machine.
Locate and select Add to start the Add Hardware workflow.

Player > Manage > Virtual Machine Settings > Hardware > Add > CD/DVD Drive

If the hardware list already contains a CD/DVD device, you can usually select that device and edit its media source instead of adding another one.

Add a virtual CD/DVD device

In the Add Hardware wizard, choose CD/DVD Drive as the device type.
Continue through the wizard and finish the operation.
Confirm that the new CD/DVD device appears in the Hardware list.
Select the device to configure its media source and connection state.

Adding the virtual device and connecting media are separate actions. The device can exist in the virtual machine hardware configuration without currently exposing a disc or ISO to the guest.

Choose a physical drive or an ISO image

Media source	Best use cases	Requirements	Advantages	Limitations
Physical drive	Reading a data disc, using a physical installer, or accessing media that exists only on a disc	A recognized host optical drive and readable media	Uses the actual disc and does not require an ISO file	The drive may be unavailable, locked by a host application, or absent from newer computers
ISO image	Operating system installation, recovery media, software installation, and repeatable testing	An accessible, valid ISO file	Convenient, fast to reuse, and independent of a physical optical drive	A damaged or non-bootable ISO will not work as expected

Connect a physical host optical drive

In the CD/DVD device settings, select Use physical drive.
Select a named host optical drive if more than one drive is available.
Alternatively, choose Auto detect. This lets VMware select an available host optical drive automatically and is useful when the host has a single drive or its drive assignment changes.
Insert a readable CD or DVD into the selected host drive.
Enable Connect at power on if the guest should receive the drive automatically whenever it starts.

Use physical drive: [named host drive or Auto detect]
Connect at power on: enabled when the guest should receive the drive at startup

The host drive is presented inside the guest as a virtual CD/DVD device. The guest does not directly see the host's physical hardware layout; it sees the virtual optical drive that VMware provides.

Connect an ISO image

In the CD/DVD device settings, select Use ISO image file.
Browse to the ISO location.
Select the intended ISO file and confirm the selection.
Enable Connect at power on when the guest must see the ISO as soon as it starts.

Use ISO image file: [path to the operating-system-installer.iso]
Connect at power on: enabled for installation or boot media

An operating system installer ISO should contain bootable installation media. Selecting an ordinary archive, compressed download, or collection of extracted files does not create bootable optical media.

Configure connection and startup behavior

Setting	What it controls	Recommended use	Potential issue if misconfigured
Connected	Whether the virtual CD/DVD device is currently attached to the running guest	Enable when the guest needs to read the disc or ISO now	The device may appear with no media if it is disconnected
Connect at power on	Whether VMware connects the device automatically when the virtual machine starts	Enable for an installer or bootable recovery image	The guest may start without seeing the intended media
Use physical drive	Passes a host optical drive through to the guest	Use for a disc inserted in the host	The drive or disc may be unavailable to the guest
Use ISO image file	Mounts an ISO as virtual optical media	Use for installation and recovery images	An inaccessible, incomplete, or incorrect ISO produces no usable media
Auto detect	Lets VMware choose an available host optical drive	Use when the correct physical drive does not need to be fixed manually	A different available drive may be selected than expected

When supported by the Player interface, you can connect or disconnect the CD/DVD device manually from the Player window while the virtual machine is powered on. Use this when changing media during a session. For installation or boot media, connecting at power on is usually safer.

IDE and SCSI virtual interface types

The virtual CD/DVD device may be configured with IDE or SCSI emulation. IDE is a legacy virtual storage interface. SCSI is another virtual storage interface that may be appropriate for particular guest compatibility or specialized configurations.

This selection describes the virtual controller presented to the guest. It is independent of the physical host drive's interface. A host drive connected through one type of physical hardware does not require the virtual CD/DVD device to use the same IDE or SCSI setting.

The default or most compatible setting is normally appropriate. Select a particular interface only when the guest operating system or a specialized virtual hardware configuration requires it. If the guest does not recognize the device after a manual change, try the default interface type.

Verify the drive in the guest operating system

Start or restart the virtual machine as needed.
Confirm that the CD/DVD device is connected in VMware Workstation Player.
Open the guest's file manager or device-management tools.
Check that an optical drive appears and that the mounted disc or ISO is visible.

In a Windows guest, check File Explorer for a CD/DVD drive and use Device Manager if the drive is not detected.
In a Linux guest, check the file manager's devices list and the system's mount information or storage-device list.
If the media is bootable, remember that the guest may need to boot from the virtual optical device rather than detect it after the normal operating system starts.

Boot a virtual machine from optical media

A connected bootable ISO or disc is only one part of the boot process. The virtual machine firmware checks devices according to its boot order, which is the sequence used to search for bootable media.

Attach a valid bootable ISO or physical disc.
Enable Connect at power on.
Start or restart the virtual machine.
If it boots from another device, open the virtual firmware settings or a one-time boot menu and select the virtual CD/DVD drive.
Leave the ISO connected throughout installation until the installer indicates that it is safe to remove the media.
After installation, disconnect or remove the ISO so the virtual hard disk boots normally.

Practical configurations

Read files from a physical CD or DVD

Insert a data disc into the host optical drive.
Configure the virtual CD/DVD device to use that named physical drive or Auto detect.
Connect the device to the running guest, or restart the guest with Connect at power on enabled.
Open the disc from the guest operating system's file manager.

Use two optical devices

Add another CD/DVD device when the virtual machine needs separate installation and data media at the same time. Assign each virtual device to its own ISO or applicable physical-drive source, then verify that the guest sees both optical drives.

Support a legacy guest

If a legacy guest requires a particular controller, configure the CD/DVD device as IDE or SCSI according to that guest's compatibility requirements. The virtual choice does not need to match the host drive's physical interface.

DVD playback limitations

Attaching an optical device successfully does not guarantee that commercial DVD movies will play in the guest. Data-disc access and operating system installation are different from DVD video playback.

Some DVD playback applications depend on video overlay, a graphics feature that places video frames directly into a display surface. Video-overlay support may be limited in the virtual graphics environment. If DVD video playback is required, use a guest media player that is compatible with virtualized graphics and treat playback compatibility as a separate issue from optical-drive attachment.

Troubleshoot common problems

Symptom	Likely cause	Resolution
The guest does not show a CD/DVD drive.	The device was not added, the guest needs a restart, or the guest has a driver or detection problem.	Confirm the device appears in VMware hardware settings and is connected. Restart the guest and check its device list or file manager. Try the default virtual interface type.
The ISO is selected but no media appears.	The device is disconnected, the wrong file was selected, or the ISO is inaccessible or invalid.	Connect the device manually or enable Connect at power on. Browse again for the intended .iso file. Confirm that the host account can read it and that the download completed correctly.
The virtual machine does not boot from the installer ISO.	The ISO is not bootable, the device was not connected at startup, or another device has priority.	Verify the ISO is bootable installation media. Enable Connect at power on. Use firmware boot settings or a one-time boot menu to select the CD/DVD device.
The physical optical drive is unavailable.	The host has no recognized drive, another host application is using it, or access is restricted.	Use Auto detect or choose the correct available drive. Close host applications using the disc and confirm the host operating system can access it. Use an ISO as an alternative.
DVD data is visible but movie playback fails.	The media player requires video-overlay support or is incompatible with virtualized graphics.	Use a guest media player compatible with virtualized graphics. Treat data access and DVD video playback as separate compatibility concerns.
The VM repeatedly starts the installer after installation.	The ISO remains connected or the optical device remains first in boot priority.	Disconnect or remove the ISO and restart so the virtual hard disk can boot.

Exam-relevant points

A virtual CD/DVD drive can use either a physical host optical drive or an ISO image.
Adding a virtual device is different from connecting media to that device.
Connect at power on controls automatic connection at virtual-machine startup.
IDE and SCSI describe virtual device emulation and do not have to match the host drive's physical interface.
A bootable ISO may require a boot-order change or one-time boot-menu selection.
Disconnect installation media after setup to prevent the installer from starting again.
Optical-device attachment does not ensure commercial DVD movie playback because guest graphics and video-overlay support can differ.

For broader context, see Virtual Machine Explained, Starting a Virtual Machine, Configuring a Virtual Machine for Compatibility, and Adding a New Virtual Hard Disk.