Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: Getting error The CPU has been disabled by the guest operating system. Power off or reset the virtual machine

Error The CPU has been disabled by the guest operating system. Power off or reset the virtual machine in VMware Workstation.

Quick Answer: Check if the VM's CPU settings match the host machine's CPU settings, and ensure that the number of cores assigned to the VM does not exceed the available cores.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🔍 Why This Happens
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The error 'The CPU has been disabled by the guest operating system. Power off or reset the virtual machine' is encountered when VMware Workstation encounters an issue with the assigned CPU resources to a virtual machine (VM). This error affects users who are running VMs on their Windows-based workstations, causing them to lose productivity and potentially leading to data loss.

This error can be frustrating for users as it prevents them from accessing their applications or files stored within the affected VM. However, by following the steps outlined in this troubleshooting guide, you should be able to resolve the issue and regain access to your VM.

🔍 Why This Happens

  • The primary reason for this error is that the assigned CPU resources are not compatible with the guest operating system of the VM. The error message indicates that the guest operating system has disabled the CPU due to an incompatibility, prompting the user to power off or reset the virtual machine.
  • Another possible cause could be a misconfiguration of the VM's CPU settings within VMware Workstation.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Verify and adjust CPU allocation

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Open VMware Workstation and select the affected VM from the list. Click on the 'Edit Virtual Machine Settings' button to access the VM's configuration.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: In the 'Processors' section, review the assigned CPU resources to ensure they match the specifications of the guest operating system. If the allocated resources do not match, adjust them accordingly.
  3. Step 3: Step 3: Save and apply the changes to the VM's configuration.

Check for compatibility issues

  1. Step 1: Step 1: Research the specifications of the guest operating system installed within the affected VM to determine the compatible CPU architecture.
  2. Step 2: Step 2: Review the 'Processors' section in VMware Workstation's configuration to ensure that the allocated resources match the compatible architecture. If necessary, adjust them accordingly.

✨ Wrapping Up

By following these steps and verifying the compatibility of the assigned CPU resources with the guest operating system, you should be able to resolve the error and regain access to your VM.

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