How to Rename the VMware Disk

VMware names the hard drive for a virtual machine automatically.

When you create a new virtual machine in VMware Player, the VMware application automatically names the virtual hard drive based on the name that you give the virtual machine. However, you might prefer to give the hard drive a different name, perhaps because of the organizational scheme that you use on your computer. You can change the name of the virtual machine through VMware Player, but changing the machine name does not change the name of the virtual hard drive. However, there is a workaround for this issue.

Instructions

1. Open VMware Player. Find the virtual machine for which you want to change the hard drive name. Right-click the virtual machine, and then click "Virtual Machine Settings."

2. Select the "Options" tab at the top of the Virtual Machine Settings window. Select "General" on the left side of the window, and record the folder name that you see on the right side of the window under "Working Directory." This is the location of the virtual machine hard drive on your computer.

3. Click the "Hardware" tab. Click "Hard Disk" on the left side of the window, and then click the "Remove" button. This removes the hard drive from the virtual machine, but does not delete it from your computer. Leave this window open.

4. Click the "Start" button, and then click "Computer." Browse to the folder that you found under "Working Directory" in Step 2.

5. Find the file in this folder with the extension "vmdk." For example, if the name of the virtual machine is "Windows XP Professional," the name of the hard drive file might be "Windows XP Professional.vmdk." Right-click this file, and click "Rename." Type the new name that you would like to use for the virtual hard drive, and then press "Enter."

6. Return to the VMware Player window and click the "Add" button. Click "Hard Disk," and then click "Next."

7. Click "Use an existing virtual disk," and then click "Next."

8. Click the "Browse" button. Navigate to the location of the renamed virtual hard disk file, and double click it. Click "Finish," and then click "OK." The virtual machine is reconfigured with the renamed virtual hard disk file.

References

• VMware: Renaming the Virtual Machine Disk File