Hide VMware Workstation VMs to System Tray - Easy Guide

VMware Workstation: Running Virtual Machines in the Background

A particularly favored capability within the newest release of VMware Workstation is the ability to operate virtual machines completely in the background.

This functionality proves especially beneficial for "appliance" virtual machines, which are typically accessed not directly from the console, but via a web browser or an SSH client.

However, a prompt appears when the VMware window is closed, asking whether to continue running the virtual machines in the background, suspend them, or power them off.

Disabling the Close Confirmation Prompt

For users who consistently prefer background operation, this prompt can be disabled. VMware can be configured to always run virtual machines in the background through the application's preferences.

Navigate to Edit, then Preferences within VMware Workstation to access these settings.

Locate and select the checkbox labeled "Run powered on virtual machines in background after close".

Once this option is enabled, closing the VMware window will automatically minimize the virtual machines to the system tray.

This streamlines the workflow and eliminates the need to repeatedly choose background operation.

The resulting behavior is a more efficient and less disruptive experience when working with background virtual machines.

This feature is particularly useful for server appliances or other VMs that don't require direct user interaction.