Edit: Workstation 7.1.1 is now available. it lists one of the fixes as “Corrects the error message displayed after a host crash occurs while working with a virtual machine”. Maybe this is what was happening, and it was nothing to do with the cd/dvd.
VMware Workstation 7.1, Server 2008 R2 VM, with an iso dvd/cd from a network location set as cd/dvd removable device.
On occasion, (I think if the network to the ISO momentarilydrops out) I get the error ‘vmware workstation cannot sync with disk before abort’ and my vm just powers off. Not good. Anyone else experience this? I have had it a couple of times now.