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Created November 1, 2012 13:02
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Maximize VMWare images performance
Insert the following code into the *.VMX file:
sched.mem.pshare.enable = "FALSE"
mainMem.useNamedFile = "FALSE"
prefvmx.minVmMemPct = "100"
prefvmx.useRecommendedLockedMemSize = "TRUE"
mainMem.partialLazySave = "FALSE"
mainMem.partialLazyRestore = "FALSE"
priority.grabbed = "high"
priority.ungrabbed = "normal"
* sched.mem.pshare.enable = "FALSE", by disabling memory sharing your guests will not share common memory blocks. Your VMware product will also stop comparing memory blocks
* mainMem.useNamedFile = "FALSE", doesn't use named-file - use for VMs on USB-disks or other slow disks. On Windows: useNamedFile= "FALSE" causes memory to be backed by the host's swap space.
* prefvmx.minVmMemPct = "100", fit memory into RAM. Whenever possible, avoid settings lower 100%.
* MemTrimRate = "0" , by disabling MemTrimRate, memory allocation inside the guest is faster because it doesn't take and give memory to the host os upon all requests.
* prefvmx.useRecommendedLockedMemSize = "TRUE" , this tells VMWare whether to use a fixed sized memory chunk or balloon and shrink memory as needed.
* mainMem.partialLazySave = "FALSE" , do not take snapshots in background
* mainMem.partialLazyRestore = "FALSE" , do not restore snapshots in background
* priority.grabbed = "high" , sets the priority for the VM in grabbed state
* priority.ungrabbed = "normal" , sets the priority for the VM in ungrabbed state.
@dragon788
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If a user would like these settings to be global, they can edit the config.ini in either of the following locations (I'm not sure how it inherits and which is the "master").

Windows Host:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini

Another copy located at C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini

@nponeccop
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It is the same location. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data is a symlink (technically an NTFS junction)

@jellard1
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I believe your explanation for prefvmx.useRecommendedLockedMemSize = "TRUE" is misleading or inaccurate. Granted, I am trying to change VMware workstation preferences, not individual .vmx files.
I was trying to change to the setting below. (It required editing the /etc/vmware/config file or launching vmware via sudo -i vmware command to change preferences; but that's another issue.)

The center radio button was the setting that WAS selected:

Allow some virtual machine memory to be swapped

It was slowing down my VMs and couldn't disable it via Edit -> Preferences, so I had to edit the config.
So.. to the point:
"Fit all virtual machine memory into reserved host RAM" == prefvmx.useRecommendedLockedMemSize = "TRUE"
"Allow some virtual machine memory to be swapped" == prefvmx.useRecommendedLockedMemSize = "FALSE"

screenshot from 2016

@mhtvsSFrpHdE
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Hi, I made a vmx automatically editor for you

https://github.com/mhtvsSFrpHdE/vmware-vmx-editor

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