In-Depth

VMware Workstation 25H2 -- A New Name and Era for VMware Workstation

• By Tom Fenton
• 10/27/2025

I am a big fan of VMWare Workstation, and the release of VMware Workstation Pro 25H2 marks a significant moment for this underappreciated desktop hypervisor, as it not only includes a host of new features but also represents a fundamental and long-overdue shift in its naming convention.

The Workstation Legacy
This continuous evolution of Workstation is a testament to its enduring relevance within the IT community, a topic that I cover extensively in Virtualization & Cloud Review. For instance, in my November 2024 article, "Take 5 with Tom Fenton: 5 Things You Can Do with VMware's Free Workstation Desktop Hypervisor" I highlighted some of the overlooked strengths of Workstation, such as its built-in support for Linked Clones, its command-line manageability via its new vmrun command, and its often overlooked ability to connect to vCenter Server and ESXi Hosts. Features like Linked Clones, which allow rapid deployment of testing environments with minimal disk space, continue to be a crucial component for Workstation users. But the feature that I find most useful is its ability to Replicate Poor Network Conditions as this is not something that I have found in any other hypervisor, and I find indispensable when working testing applications or EUC solutions.

A Shift to Calendar Versioning
The most visible change to Workstation is the name itself, moving past traditional numbers like 17.x. to a Year/Half-Year format. Its latest version (25H2) is named for the second half of 2025 and is a clear response to the need for a more predictable and easy-to-track version release naming convention.

This streamlined approach, which brings it in line with the naming scheme of other major software platforms, makes it simpler for developers and administrators to quickly understand the age of their installed software and plan for maintenance or upgrades. The fact that VMware has made its desktop hypervisors (Fusion as well as Workstation) available as free software underscores a commitment to making virtualization more accessible to the community.

Innovations in Workstation 25H2
Browsing the release notes shows that beyond the name, Workstation 25H2 delivers new tools and capabilities focused on compatibility, performance, and automation. One long overdue addition is the inclusion of USB 3.2 Support, which will drastically improve data transfer speeds and provide compatibility with modern peripherals inside virtual machines.

This release also includes Hardware Version 22, ensuring that VMs can fully leverage the latest virtual hardware advancements for improved performance and compatibility with ESXi 9.0. The platform also expands its support for newer operating systems and CPUs, including the latest Intel Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake architectures, as well as new guests like Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.

A Boost for Automation and Developers
The 25H2 update brings a new utility to the command line for power users and developers: dictTool. This utility allows you to inspect and edit VMware configuration (vmx) files from the command line without using the graphical user interface. This capability provides users the flexibility for automation, scripting, and configuration management, eliminating the need for manual text editing of crucial files. Although many users have created scripts to do this, the community still requested an "official" and supported way, to do this.

VMware does have a document that covers how to use the dictTool. However, it is very sparse.

To use the dictTool, I needed to include the path to the executable ("C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\dictTool.exe").

I was then able to supply the command with a vmx file location to display the vmx files contents, which is a list of key pairs.

I was also able to use the query switch to display a specific value of a key (numvcpus) in the vmx file, and then use the set switch to change the value of it.

It looks like the dictTool is from VMware's SALT product, so I am hopeful that Workstation will become a more integral part of VMware's automation focus.

Enhanced Hardware and Operating System Support
Compatibility has always been a strong suit in Workstation, and 25H2 continues that tradition. It not only updates virtual hardware but also incorporates essential features like Hyper-V/WHP Detection. This tool reports the status of the underlying Windows hypervisor, helping users to identify potential virtualization conflicts.

VMware has also expanded its support of new host and guest operating systems, including Fedora Linux 42, Debian 13, and even nested ESXi 9.0, making this version a platform that can be used testing the latest OSes.

Updating to Workstation 25H2
To update my existing Workstation 17.6 version to 25H2, I selected Software Updates from the Help dropdown menu.

But got a message stating "Not connected to the update server."

This is a well-known and documented issue that VMware is working on. Until it is resolved, you will need to download and install Workstation 25H2 manually. is a link to download the install bits.

Workstation is still free, but you will need a Broadcom account to get it.

The install package was very small (278 MB), and it just took a few seconds to download.

The installer detected that I had a previous version Workstation already installed and then updated it to 25H2 in less than a minute.

Looking Ahead
VMware Workstation 25H2 is more than just a routine update; it demonstrates that VMware remains committed to Workstation, as this is a strategic rebranding for it. With its clearer versioning scheme, new utilities like dictTool, and support for the latest hardware and OS, Workstation remains an excellent tool for students, developers, and IT professionals. The commitment to performance and automation ensures that this platform, which I have so often praised for its utility and power, is well-equipped for the demands of modern application development and multi-platform testing.