Top 20 VMware Keyboard Shortcuts

Pointing and clicking is great but you can save a lot of time by knowing the keyboard shortcuts
used by VMware. In fact, in some cases, you must know the right keys to push to do what you
need to do. Let's learn more...

What can you do with Keyboard Shortcuts?

So what can you do with these keyboard shortcut keys? Here is a list
of some of the more important functions:

Ungrab your mouse from being synced with the virtual machine and allow you to control it in the
host again (assuming no VMware Tools are installed)

Switch between virtual machines

Leave full screen mode

Send Ctrl-Alt-Del to the virtual machine only (and not to the host machine)

VMware Keyboard Shortcuts you should know

There are some required keyboard shortcuts you need to know just to
use VMware. Then there are other keyboard shortcuts that you must
know. Here's our list:
F11

switches to full-screen mode and back to normal mode

Ctrl-Alt-Insert

sends a Ctrl-Alt-Delete to the VMware Guest OS

Ctrl-Alt

is also used for - exiting full screen mode

Ctrl-Alt-Enter
Ctrl-Alt-Tab
Ctrl-Tab

Ctrl-Alt

Expands the current VM into full-screen. If you have a number of

VMs, this sequence will also move you between virtual machines
switch between VMs when the mouse is grabbed
switch between VMs when the mouse is not grabbed but VMware is
the active window
is used to exit a Virtual machine from having control of your
mouse and return your mouse control to the host machine
will allow you to send a keyboard sequence usually used with

Ctrl-Alt-Space

VMware server to the VMware guest without VMware Server

recognizing it

Now, here are some more that are used just within the VMware Server
application to perform certain functions:
Ctrl-N

create a new VM

Ctrl-O

open a new VM

Ctrl-F4

remove the tab for a VM

Ctrl-D
Ctrl-G

edit the config for a VM

grab the input from your mouse/keyboard on the current VM
(same as clicking on the console of the VM with your mouse)

Ctrl-P

edit VMware Preferences

Ctrl-B

power on a VM

Ctrl-E

power off a VM

Ctrl-R

reset power on a VM

Ctrl-Z

suspend a VM

Modify your Keyboard Shortcuts (Hotkeys)

You can modify your keyboard shortcuts (hotkeys) from the default by
going to the Edit menu, then clicking on Preferences, like this:

On the Preferences menu, click on the Hot Keys tab to customize your keyboard shortcuts:

Summary
In some cases when, using VMware, there may be a keyboard shortcut
you must use. For example, to release your mouse from a VM without
any tools installed, press Ctrl-Alt. However, in most cases, using
keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys are optional but can end up saving
you a lot of time. For tat reason, I suggest you print this list of
shortcuts and keep it handy!