In order to get the best performance from your virtual machines, you should disconnect the CD-ROM device. You can reconnect it whenever you want to access or install software from a CD-ROM. To disconnect the device, highlight the applicable virtual machine in the VMware Control Center and choose the VM | Settings | Hardware tab and select CD-ROM from the menu bar. Next, deselect Connect at Power On and make sure Connected is deselected as well. If Connected is dimmed out, it is because the applicable virtual machine is powered off. Figure A provides an example of how to deselect the device status.
Figure A
