VMware Workstation

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  • 1.  Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 25, 2023 09:14 PM
      |   view attached

    I run WMware Workstation Player 17 on Windows 11 and each time I launch it I get a warning pop-up to disable side channel mitigations to improve performance and the virtual machine is horribly slow, I very much want to heed this. 

    The pop-up links to an instructive article but this article only provides instructions for Pro and Fusion and even stated point blank that the instructions are not applicable to Player which is accurate as I do not have the listed settings. 

    I read a thread about adding a code to the configuration file but I when I tried this in the only configuration file I found it would not allow me to save it, saying I needed the file owner's permission to open it. This is a personal laptop, I am the owner and admin. 

    Can someone please give me clearer instructions?



  • 2.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 26, 2023 12:00 PM

    You need to open and edit the vmx file with the virtual machine shut down and Player closed.



  • 3.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 26, 2023 04:13 PM

    Can you please be more specific? Where do I find this file? What is it called? As I said I have looked in the VMware folder and seen no vmx file. 



  • 4.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 26, 2023 04:19 PM

    It will be in the folder where the VM resides.  You may have MS's idiotic default setting of "hide extensions for known file types" selected.  Open Explorer, Go to the View Tab, Select Options-->Change folder and search options.  In the Folder Options dialog which appears, go to the View tab, and uncheck the box for hide extensions...



  • 5.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 26, 2023 09:36 PM

    Alright that is done but there is no vmx file. I checked everything in the VMware folder. 



  • 6.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 27, 2023 12:14 PM

    If you don't have a vmx file then you have no virtual machine!  It is the configuration file for the entire thing...



  • 7.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 28, 2023 12:41 AM

    I am confused. My stepfather made me a virtual machine of my old laptop and I have used it before. So how can I not have one?



  • 8.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 28, 2023 11:45 AM

    Post a directory listing of the VM's folder.  Note - this is the folder containing the files for THAT virtual machine, NOT the VMware Player installation folder.



  • 9.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Jul 29, 2023 07:16 AM

    Got it. That cleared it up for me. I found the correct file and added the code successfully. Thank you. 



  • 10.  RE: Disable Side Channel Mitigations

    Posted Dec 21, 2023 04:01 AM

    Could you link me the original article you referenced? I have the same issue but don't know what you edited.

    EDIT: Is this it?

    https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Player/Poor-performance-after-update-with-message-about-side-channel/m-p/2811429