Using vmrun.exe to manage VMs on VMware Workstation
List all running VMs
C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware VIX>vmrun list Total running VMs: 1 F:\VMs\rhel8\rhel8.vmx
Get guest's IP Address
C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware VIX>vmrun -T rhel8 getGuestIPAddress "f:\VMs\rhel8\rhel8.vmx" 192.168.64.79
Start the set of 3 Photon OS 3.0 VMs using FOR command
C:\Users\Tuyen>FOR /L %i IN (1,1,3) do vmrun start f:\VMs\photonos3-%i\photonos3-%i.vmx C:\Users\Tuyen>vmrun start f:\VMs\photonos3-1\photonos3-1.vmx C:\Users\Tuyen>vmrun start f:\VMs\photonos3-2\photonos3-2.vmx C:\Users\Tuyen>vmrun start f:\VMs\photonos3-3\photonos3-3.vmx C:\Users\Tuyen>
Stop all running VMs
FOR /F "usebackq tokens=* skip=1" %i IN (`vmrun list`) DO @vmrun stop %i
vmrun usage
C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware VIX>vmrun.exe /? vmrun version 1.17.0 build-7528167 Usage: vmrun [AUTHENTICATION-FLAGS] COMMAND [PARAMETERS] AUTHENTICATION-FLAGS -------------------- These must appear before the command and any command parameters. -T(ws|fusion||player) -vp -gu -gp POWER COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION -------------- ---------- ----------- start Path to vmx file Start a VM or Team [gui|nogui] stop Path to vmx file Stop a VM or Team [hard|soft] reset Path to vmx file Reset a VM or Team [hard|soft] suspend Path to vmx file Suspend a VM or Team [hard|soft] pause Path to vmx file Pause a VM unpause Path to vmx file Unpause a VM SNAPSHOT COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION ----------------- ---------- ----------- listSnapshots Path to vmx file List all snapshots in a VM [showTree] snapshot Path to vmx file Create a snapshot of a VM Snapshot name deleteSnapshot Path to vmx file Remove a snapshot from a VM Snapshot name [andDeleteChildren] revertToSnapshot Path to vmx file Set VM state to a snapshot Snapshot name GUEST OS COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION ----------------- ---------- ----------- runProgramInGuest Path to vmx file Run a program in Guest OS [-noWait] [-activeWindow] [-interactive] Complete-Path-To-Program [Program arguments] fileExistsInGuest Path to vmx file Check if a file exists in Guest OS Path to file in guest directoryExistsInGuest Path to vmx file Check if a directory exists in Guest OS Path to directory in guest setSharedFolderState Path to vmx file Modify a Host-Guest shared folder Share name Host path writable | readonly addSharedFolder Path to vmx file Add a Host-Guest shared folder Share name New host path removeSharedFolder Path to vmx file Remove a Host-Guest shared folder Share name enableSharedFolders Path to vmx file Enable shared folders in Guest [runtime] disableSharedFolders Path to vmx file Disable shared folders in Guest [runtime] listProcessesInGuest Path to vmx file List running processes in Guest OS killProcessInGuest Path to vmx file Kill a process in Guest OS process id runScriptInGuest Path to vmx file Run a script in Guest OS [-noWait] [-activeWindow] [-interactive] Interpreter path Script text deleteFileInGuest Path to vmx file Delete a file in Guest OS Path in guest createDirectoryInGuest Path to vmx file Create a directory in Guest OS Directory path in guest deleteDirectoryInGuest Path to vmx file Delete a directory in Guest OS Directory path in guest CreateTempfileInGuest Path to vmx file Create a temporary file in Guest OS listDirectoryInGuest Path to vmx file List a directory in Guest OS Directory path in guest CopyFileFromHostToGuest Path to vmx file Copy a file from host OS to guest OS Path on host Path in guest CopyFileFromGuestToHost Path to vmx file Copy a file from guest OS to host OS Path in guest Path on host renameFileInGuest Path to vmx file Rename a file in Guest OS Original name New name typeKeystrokesInGuest Path to vmx file Type Keystrokes in Guest OS keystroke string connectNamedDevice Path to vmx file Connect the named device in the Guest OS device name disconnectNamedDevice Path to vmx file Disconnect the named device in the Guest OS device name captureScreen Path to vmx file Capture the screen of the VM to a local file Path on host writeVariable Path to vmx file Write a variable in the VM state [runtimeConfig|guestEnv|guestVar] variable name variable value readVariable Path to vmx file Read a variable in the VM state [runtimeConfig|guestEnv|guestVar] variable name getGuestIPAddress Path to vmx file Gets the IP address of the guest [-wait] GENERAL COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION ---------------- ---------- ----------- list List all running VMs upgradevm Path to vmx file Upgrade VM file format, virtual hw installTools Path to vmx file Install Tools in Guest checkToolsState Path to vmx file Check the current Tools state deleteVM Path to vmx file Delete a VM clone Path to vmx file Create a copy of the VM Path to destination vmx file full|linked [-snapshot=Snapshot Name] [-cloneName=Name] Template VM COMMANDS PARAMETERS DESCRIPTION --------------------- ---------- ----------- downloadPhotonVM Path for new VM Download Photon VM Examples: Starting a virtual machine with Workstation on a Windows host vmrun -T ws start "c:\my VMs\myVM.vmx" Running a program in a virtual machine with Workstation on a Windows host with Windows guest vmrun -T ws -gu guestUser -gp guestPassword runProgramInGuest "c:\my VMs\myVM.vmx" "c:\Program Files\myProgram.exe" Creating a snapshot of a virtual machine with Workstation on a Windows host vmrun -T ws snapshot "c:\my VMs\myVM.vmx" mySnapshot Reverting to a snapshot with Workstation on a Windows host vmrun -T ws revertToSnapshot "c:\my VMs\myVM.vmx" mySnapshot Deleting a snapshot with Workstation on a Windows host vmrun -T ws deleteSnapshot "c:\my VMs\myVM.vmx" mySnapshot Enabling Shared Folders with Workstation on a Windows host vmrun -T ws enableSharedFolders "c:\my VMs\myVM.vmx" C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware VIX>