VMware Workstation Player Home Screen: Interface and Controls

Learn how to use the VMware Workstation Player home screen, Player menu, toolbar, Library, workspace, power controls, and display modes.

What the VMware Workstation Player Home Screen Does

The VMware Workstation Player home screen is the default management interface shown when Player opens. It is the central place for creating virtual machines, opening existing virtual machines, selecting a virtual machine, starting it, and accessing management actions.

A virtual machine, or VM, is a software-defined computer that runs on a physical computer. The physical computer uses the host operating system. The operating system inside the VM is the guest operating system.

The home screen has two important views:

Home view: Displays common starting actions, such as creating a new VM or opening an existing one.
Selected-VM view: Displays information and actions for the VM selected in the Library, such as starting the VM or editing its configuration.

Selecting a VM does not start it. It only changes the information shown in the working window. You must use a start or power-on action to boot the guest operating system.

Main Areas of the Interface

The exact layout and icon appearance can differ by Player release and host operating system. The main areas normally include the Player menu, action icons, Library, Home entry, and working window.

Interface component — Primary purpose — Typical actions — When it is available

Player menu — Application-wide commands for files, VMs, display, and management — Create or open a VM, change power state, enter full screen — Generally available; commands vary with selection and VM state.

Power action icon — Controls the VM power state — Power on, suspend, shut down, restart, power off, or reset — Usually useful when a VM is selected; individual actions depend on its state.

Send Ctrl+Alt+Del icon — Sends the key sequence to the guest — Open a Windows security or login screen inside the VM — Usually available only when an appropriate VM is running and focused.

Horizon FLEX connection icon — Connects to a VMware Horizon FLEX Server where supported — Access managed or restricted local VMs — Only available in supported releases, editions, and managed environments.

Full-screen icon — Makes the VM occupy the screen — Use the guest without normal application-window borders — Available when a VM is open or running, subject to product state.

Unity Mode icon — Integrates supported guest applications with the host desktop — Display guest application windows alongside host applications — Requires feature, guest, and integration support.

Library — Lists VMs known to Player — Select a VM to inspect or manage it — Empty until a VM is created or opened.

Home entry — Returns to the welcome and common-actions page — Leave the selected-VM view without closing Player — Available as a navigation entry in the Library.

Working window — Shows content for the current selection — Home actions or selected-VM details and controls — Changes according to the selected Library item.

The Player Menu

The Player menu is the primary menu area for VMware Workstation Player actions. It commonly contains commands in several groups:

File actions: Start the new-VM workflow or open an existing VM.
Virtual machine actions: Start, suspend, shut down, restart, power off, reset, or edit the selected VM when those actions are supported.
Display actions: Enter full-screen mode and access other available display integrations.
Management actions: Access commands related to the selected VM or supported managed environments.

Menu labels can differ between releases. A command may also be unavailable when no VM is selected, when the VM is suspended, or when the VM is already powered off or running. A disabled command is usually a state restriction rather than a damaged installation.

Create a Virtual Machine

Return to the Home view if necessary.
Choose the new virtual machine option from Home or the Player menu.
Follow the VM creation wizard to select installation media, a guest operating system, storage, and other basic settings.
Finish the wizard. The new VM should be added to the Library.

For broader setup guidance, see VMware Workstation Player Course.

Open an Existing Virtual Machine

Open the Player menu.
Choose the option to open a virtual machine.
Browse to the VM's configuration file and select it. Do not select only a virtual disk file unless the workflow specifically asks for one.
Confirm the selection. Player should add the VM to the Library.

The configuration file describes the VM's virtual hardware and references its virtual disks. Learn more in Virtual Machine Files Overview.

Action Icons and Toolbar Controls

Power Control

The power control icon starts a selected VM and may expose other power-state actions. Power on starts the guest as if a physical computer were switched on. The available choices depend on whether the VM is powered off, running, or suspended.

Use the guest operating system's own shutdown or restart command whenever possible. Forced actions should be reserved for an unresponsive guest or another recovery situation.

Send Ctrl+Alt+Del

Ctrl+Alt+Del is a key sequence commonly used by Windows for security, sign-in, task, or recovery functions. When pressed on a physical keyboard, the host operating system may intercept it. Player therefore provides a dedicated Send Ctrl+Alt+Del control that directs the sequence to the guest instead.

Start the VM and click inside its display so it is the active VM.
Use the Player toolbar control or its menu command for Ctrl+Alt+Del.
Verify that the Windows guest, rather than the host, responds.

Horizon FLEX Connection

The Horizon FLEX connection option is associated with VMware Horizon FLEX Server environments. Where supported, it provides access to managed or restricted local virtual machines. It is not a general-purpose connection button for every VM, and it may be absent from ordinary Player installations.

Full-Screen Mode

Full-screen mode expands the VM display to occupy the entire screen. This can make the guest feel more like a separate physical computer. The host is still running underneath, but normal host window borders and controls are hidden or reduced.

Use the Player full-screen control or the corresponding menu command to enter the mode. Use the visible Player control, the applicable release-specific shortcut, or the command that exits full screen to return to windowed mode. The precise shortcut can vary, so rely on the controls shown by your installation.

Unity Mode

Unity Mode is a display integration feature intended to show supported guest applications as windows alongside host desktop applications. Instead of displaying the entire guest desktop in one window, Unity can make individual guest applications appear integrated with the host desktop.

Unity Mode is optional and may not be available in every Player release, edition, guest operating system, or VM state. Guest integration software and guest operating system support may also be required. If it is unavailable, use windowed or full-screen mode.

See Unity Mode for related concepts and limitations.

The Virtual Machine Library

The Library is the navigation pane containing virtual machines that have been created in or opened with Player. It is a list of VMs known to this Player installation, not necessarily every VM stored on the host's disks.

Click a VM in the Library to select it. The working window then shows its summary, virtual hardware information, and available management actions. Selecting a VM does not change its power state.

When the Library Is Empty

A new installation, or an installation with no registered VMs, may show an empty Library. This is normal. From Home, create a VM or open an existing VM configuration file. After the workflow finishes, the VM should appear in the Library.

If an existing VM does not appear, confirm that you opened its VM configuration file rather than only its virtual disk. The configuration file is normally the file used to describe the complete VM.

Returning to Home

Select the Home entry in the Library to return from a selected-VM view to the main welcome and common-actions page. This does not close, delete, suspend, or power off the selected VM.

The Working Window and Contextual Content

The working window is the central pane that changes according to the selected item in the Library.

When Home is selected, it exposes common starting actions such as creating or opening a VM.
When a VM is selected, it presents details and controls for that VM, such as starting it or editing its configuration.
When a VM is running, the workspace can display the guest's active screen and in-guest activity.

Editing configuration and running a VM are separate activities. Settings are generally changed before startup, while applications and other activity inside the guest occur after the VM is powered on. Some hardware settings are locked while the VM is running or suspended. Power off the VM before changing a setting that Player marks as unavailable.

Power and Session Actions

Action — Result — Recommended use — Risk or caution

Power on — Starts the VM and boots the guest — Use when the VM is powered off — Confirm that the VM has enough host resources.

Suspend — Saves the active VM state so it can resume later — Use for a temporary pause when preserving the current session is useful — A suspended state depends on its saved files and may not be as robust as a clean shutdown.

Guest shutdown — Requests that the guest operating system shut itself down — Use for normal daily shutdown — The guest must respond to the request.

Guest restart — Requests a guest operating system reboot — Use when restarting from inside the guest is appropriate — Unsaved guest work can still be lost if applications do not save.

Power off — Stops the VM immediately, like cutting power to a physical computer — Use only when normal shutdown is unavailable or recovery requires it — Can lose unsaved data and damage the guest filesystem.

Reset — Abruptly reboots the VM — Use only when the guest is stuck and a reboot is necessary — Treat it like pressing a physical reset button; data loss is possible.

Basic Navigation Workflow

Open VMware Workstation Player. The Home page and Library appear.
If the Library is empty, choose the create-VM workflow or open an existing VM from the Player menu.
Locate the new or opened VM in the Library.
Select the VM and inspect its summary in the working window.
If configuration changes are needed, open the edit or configuration action while the VM is powered off.
Use the start or power control to power on the VM.
Interact with the guest in the VM window. Use the Player Ctrl+Alt+Del command when the guest needs that key sequence.
Choose windowed, full-screen, or Unity display behavior when supported.
Shut down or restart the guest normally when finished. Return to the Home page by selecting Home in the Library.

For a focused startup procedure, see Starting A Virtual Machine.

Display Modes

Mode — What the user sees — Typical use case — Requirements or limitations

Windowed mode — The guest appears inside a normal application window — Switch frequently between host and guest — Host and guest focus must be managed; keyboard input goes to whichever display is active.

Full-screen mode — The guest occupies the entire screen — Work primarily inside the guest — Host controls are less visible, and an exit command or release-specific shortcut is needed to return.

Unity Mode — Supported guest applications appear alongside host applications — Use individual guest applications without showing the complete guest desktop — Requires compatible guest integration and product support; it may be unavailable.

Display mode changes affect presentation and input, not the VM's underlying files or operating system. Full screen does not transfer the VM to another computer, and Unity Mode does not turn guest applications into native host applications.

Troubleshooting Common Interface Problems

The Library Is Empty

Likely cause: No VM has been created or opened in this Player installation.
Resolution: Create a VM from Home or use the Player menu's open-VM workflow.
Check: Select the VM configuration file, not just a virtual disk file.

Toolbar Buttons Are Unavailable

Select a VM in the Library; many controls are disabled when nothing is selected.
Check whether the VM is powered off, running, or suspended. The requested action may not be valid in its current state.
Check the menu as well as the toolbar. Some releases expose an action in one location but not the other.
Consider whether the feature is supported by the installed Player release, edition, guest, or VM configuration.

Ctrl+Alt+Del Affects the Host

This usually means the physical keyboard sequence was used. Use Player's Send Ctrl+Alt+Del toolbar control or menu command instead, with the running VM selected or focused.

Unity Mode Is Missing or Does Not Work

Verify that the guest operating system and installed VMware integration components support Unity.
Check whether the installed Player edition and version expose the feature.
Make sure the VM is running in a suitable state.
Use windowed or full-screen mode if Unity is unavailable.

The VM Does Not Shut Down Cleanly

First attempt an in-guest shutdown or a guest-aware Player power command. If the guest is unresponsive, forced power-off may be necessary, but it can lose unsaved data and leave filesystem operations incomplete. Use reset only when an abrupt reboot is the remaining recovery option.

Version and Feature Considerations

Screen layout, menu names, licensing, and available controls can differ between VMware Workstation Player releases and host operating systems. Unity Mode and Horizon FLEX-related functions are not applicable to every installation. Use the controls visible in your installed version rather than relying on an icon that may not be present.

Display integration also depends on the guest operating system and its VMware integration components. If a feature is missing, first check product support, guest support, VM power state, and integration software before treating the interface as faulty.

Key Points to Remember

Home is the default management page; selecting a VM changes the working window to that VM's details and actions.
The Library contains VMs known to Player, not every VM file stored on the host.
The Player menu and action icons provide overlapping access to common VM and display commands.
Power on starts a VM, suspend preserves active state, and guest shutdown is safer than forced power-off.
Use Player's dedicated Ctrl+Alt+Del command to send the sequence to a guest instead of the host.
Full-screen and Unity Mode change how the guest is displayed; availability depends on product and guest support.