The Diagbox 9.129 VMware virtual machine is the easiest way to run dealer-level PSA diagnostics on a modern Windows 10 or 11 PC. This step-by-step guide covers everything from installing VMware to your first successful vehicle connection.
What You Need Before Starting
- A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC (64-bit)
- At least 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)
- 40+ GB free disk space (SSD strongly recommended)
- VMware Workstation Player 17 (free download from vmware.com)
- The Diagbox 9.129 VMware image file (.vmdk or .ova)
- A Lexia 3 PP2000 or DiagPlug VCI interface
Check the full Diagbox system requirements before proceeding.
Step 1 β Install VMware Workstation Player
Download VMware Workstation Player 17 from vmware.com (free for personal/non-commercial use). Run the installer with default settings. After installation, reboot your PC if prompted. If you see an error about virtualization not being enabled, you need to enable VT-x or AMD-V in your BIOS settings first.
Step 2 β Import the Diagbox VM Image
- Extract the downloaded Diagbox 9.129 archive to a folder on your SSD (e.g., C:\VMs\Diagbox)
- Open VMware Workstation Player
- Click Open a Virtual Machine
- Navigate to the extracted folder and select the .vmx or .ova file
- Click Open β VMware imports the VM (takes 1β3 minutes)
- If prompted about the VM being moved/copied, select “I Copied It”
Step 3 β Configure USB Passthrough
This step is critical for your Lexia 3 interface to work inside the VM:
- Before starting the VM, go to Edit Virtual Machine Settings
- Click on USB Controller
- Ensure USB compatibility is set to USB 2.0 (not 3.0 β Lexia 3 uses USB 2.0)
- Check “Automatically connect new USB devices”
- Click OK to save
Step 4 β Start the Virtual Machine
- Click Play Virtual Machine
- Windows 7 will boot inside the VM window (takes 30β60 seconds on SSD)
- Diagbox 9.129 launches automatically on the desktop β no additional setup required
- If Windows asks about hardware detection on first boot, allow it to complete
Step 5 β Connect Your Lexia 3 Interface
- Plug your Lexia 3 USB cable into your PC
- VMware will detect the new USB device β in the VMware taskbar at the bottom, click the USB icon and select Connect (Disconnect from Host) to pass the interface into the VM
- Windows inside the VM will install the Lexia 3 drivers automatically (first use only)
- Wait for the driver installation to complete
Step 6 β First Diagnostic Session
- Connect the other end of your Lexia 3 to the vehicle’s OBD2 port
- Turn the vehicle ignition to position 2 (accessories on, engine off)
- In Diagbox, click Diagnostics
- Select your vehicle brand (Peugeot, CitroΓ«n, DS, or Opel)
- Diagbox auto-detects the vehicle β confirm the vehicle details
- Choose Full Scan to read fault codes from all modules
For a complete walkthrough of your first diagnostic session, see our Diagbox beginners guide.



