How do I enable Ethernet wifi access within VMware for Windows 7?

You're not alone with this problem, the "missing Ethernet driver" error, where opening Internet Explorer in Windows 7, for example, generates the error message "cannot display the webpage" and when you click on "diagnose connection problems" you get to see the new improved Windows Network Diagnostics system run, just to have it report the relatively unhelpful error: "Windows did not detect a properly installed network adapter. If you have a network adapter, you will need to reinstall the driver."

Here's what you need to do, and it involves munging around (yes, that's the technical term) with one of the VMware configuration files. To do this, your first step is to completely shut down VMware and Windows 7 within it.

Done with that? Good. Now you need to find where the system is storing your VMware Windows 7 image.

Probably it's in /Users/your user ID/Documents/Virtual Machines/the name of your Win7 VM

On my system, for example, it's:

In that directory are a bunch of files:

3722496 Windows 7-s001.vmdk
3815936 Windows 7-s002.vmdk
2635904 Windows 7-s003.vmdk
    128 Windows 7-s004.vmdk
 266880 Windows 7-s005.vmdk
    512 Windows 7-s006.vmdk
     24 Windows 7.nvram
      8 Windows 7.vmdk
      0 Windows 7.vmsd
      8 Windows 7.vmx*
      0 Windows 7.vmx.lck/
      8 Windows 7.vmxf
   1584 vmware-0.log
    280 vmware-1.log
    144 vmware-2.log
    784 vmware.log

The file we seek is called "partition name.vmx". Mine is "Windows 7.vmx". In that file are a few lines that define the Ethernet configuration:

You need to add one line to the file here:

This can be easily done with "TextEdit" or any other editor that'll leave the file as plain text. I used the "vi" editor within the "Terminal", but I'm kind of old school in this regard.

With this line added, simply restart your VMware, restart Windows 7 and, if the bitgods are with you, you'll find that you miraculously have Internet connectivity!

If not, make sure you have networking enabled, and that you've selected NAT:

Hope that helps you get up and online with Windows 7 on your Mac. It's a weird concept, but it's helpful to know what's coming!