How to run VMware on 2000 server as scheduled task? on boot?

[sillyVM]

Dear all,
I have setup a Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 as a virtual machine on a Windows 2000 advanced server as a host.

They share one ethernet card using bridge mode.
192.168.x.104 Win2000 Host
192.168.x.105 Linux VM

Everything runs fine. But when I tried to schedule the VM to start automatically on system start up. It give me the error says It had failed to lock write access to configuration file of the Virtual Machine file. I am running VMware Workstation Beta 6.0.

The path of my VMworkstation is
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\VMware.exe
The path to my VM Linux is
D:\Virtual Machines\linux_edi_50\Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.vmx

the command I had in my scheduled task (on system start up is)
"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware.exe" "D:\Virtual Machines\linux_edi_50\Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.vmx" -x
I can mannually execute this task in windows as long as I close all the VM applications on boot. But after I reboot it, it will say it can not lock write access to configuration. And in my task manager there is a "VMtray" running. I couldn't get it to disable. What can I do to make my virtual server start when the physical server start?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[Roadki11]

If you use the free version of VMWare Server you can configure the VM to start on boot with in the VMWare software. Works great i have 3 different hosts that start 12 VM's after the hosts reboot. I now this doesnt address your specific issue with beta 6 but its a free work around if you dont get a better answer.

RoadKi11

 

[sillyVM]

Can you give more insight on how did you configure your VMware Server to start after host reboot? I had Run this virtual machine as This User, On host startup: Power on virtual machine. Which didn't do anything after I rebooted my machine. I think you are talking about after you start VMserver and connect to the local host, the VM will start itself. But I am kinda of wishing for something that will start VMserver after my dell server restart.

 

[sillyVM]

Thanks RoadKill,
I am running my virtual machines on VMware Server now. Everything runs fine, I can't believe it's free. @_@

 

[Roadki11]

You are welcome. Did you figure out how to start the VM's after a host boot? it looks like you did. if you didnt, set the guests to run as local system account not as a specific user.

RoadKi11

 

[sillyVM]

Yep it did boot fine, pretty fast too after the host machine was booted. Now I am adding two more virtual servers on there. Thanks for the help!