Running FL on a Virtual Machine; and gives an error for my disk drive.

Here’s my setup:

All on a Laptop:

WIN 8.1 Host (base OS); hardware compatible w/FL. OS is not.
WIN XP SP3 Guest (Virtual) OS; running via VMware Workstation Virtual Machine: Compatible OS; plus compatible hardware from the Host.

Setup as standard; works properly.

Disk goes in; starts up within the VM; using XP as the operating system.

However; once it gets to the point where it says “Creating Game Folders” it stalls out; and gives me this error message:

“The drive is not ready for use; its’ door may be open. Please check drive and make sure that a disk is inside and the door is closed.”

(I wish these things had some sort of automatic self-diagnostics… and at least partial AI; particularly a capability to automatically troubleshoot itself; WITHOUT human intervention and to REMEMBER what it did to solve its’ problems. An automated; limited, self-repair capability would be a great help too… This install has been full of problems… One right after the other. Ugh!)

Anyway; there IS a disk in the drive; and the door IS shut. I can actually hear the disk going around in there. All of a sudden; it just… stops, and WHAM! This stupid error.

Please; help a poor guy out!

P.S., I’m a complete noob when it comes to Virtual Machines… I think I did everything correctly; because I used the same drive to install XP onto my Virtual Machine; so…
P.P.S.: They say video games can be addicting… Freelancer’s one of the most addictive games out there… I feel that were this game a person; it would be love at first sight. I’d be ready to skip the dating and hit the church straight away… That’s how much I’m addicted… No, that’s nowhere near what I feel. I’m IN LOVE with this game.
I’ve been apart from my love for too long. Like Captain Kirk and the Enterprise; I and my love call to each other, and it is a call I cannot resist.