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Asked: 2026-05-11T11:43:42+00:00

I have an older server (retired database box in fact) that doesn’t fit the

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I have an older server (retired database box in fact) that doesn’t fit the requirements for VMware ESX/ESXi or Microsoft’s Hyper-V but runs VMware Server 2 just fine. The host OS is currently Windows 2003 Standard. While it does the job just fine, I could hope for something a bit more ‘svelte’ out of the box. Thus Windows 2008 Server Core caught my eye.

Granted, I’ve never actually built a server core box, but it sounds like it might make a great host for VMware Server. I’ve yet to find an instance of anyone who’s done it though. So, before I pervert a workstation for testing I figured I’d ask here:

Anyone tried VMware Server on 2008 server core? Anything to be aware of or gotchas?

(yes, I could also go with Linux for a thinner host, but this seems like a great excuse to bring up a 2008 server core box!)

Edit: I guess I should mention this server hosts our development environments.

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1 Answer

  1. It won’t work. This is answered on VMware’s FAQ for VMware Server 2:

    Can I install VMware Server 2 on a Core installation of Windows Server 2008 host operating system?

    No, VMware Server 2 can only be installed on a Full installation of Windows Server 2008 host operating system. However, both Core and Full installations of Windows Server 2008 are supported as guest operating systems.

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