diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver.go
index f0f53a150..d8180b520 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"os/exec"
 	"runtime"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mitchellh/multistep"
@@ -89,6 +90,11 @@ func NewDriver(dconfig *DriverConfig, config *SSHConfig) (Driver, error) {
 		}
 	case "windows":
 		drivers = []Driver{
+			&Workstation10Driver{
+				Workstation9Driver: Workstation9Driver{
+					SSHConfig: config,
+				},
+			},
 			&Workstation9Driver{
 				SSHConfig: config,
 			},
@@ -137,3 +143,32 @@ func runAndLog(cmd *exec.Cmd) (string, string, error) {
 
 	return returnStdout, returnStderr, err
 }
+
+func normalizeVersion(version string) (string, error) {
+	i, err := strconv.Atoi(version)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf(
+			"VMWare version '%s' is not numeric", version)
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%02d", i), nil
+}
+
+func compareVersions(versionFound string, versionWanted string) error {
+	found, err := normalizeVersion(versionFound)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	wanted, err := normalizeVersion(versionWanted)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if found < wanted {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"VMWare WS version %s, or greater, is required. Found version: %s", versionWanted, versionFound)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10.go
index be127356d..7e6ac8b8f 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10.go
@@ -1,17 +1,13 @@
 package common
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"os/exec"
-	"regexp"
-	"runtime"
-	"strings"
 )
 
+const VMWARE_WS_VERSION = "10"
+
 // Workstation10Driver is a driver that can run VMware Workstation 10
-// installations. Current only tested for UNIX
+// installations.
 
 type Workstation10Driver struct {
 	Workstation9Driver
@@ -31,37 +27,9 @@ func (d *Workstation10Driver) Clone(dst, src string) error {
 }
 
 func (d *Workstation10Driver) Verify() error {
-	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("WS10 driver is only supported on Linux at the moment. Your OS: %s", runtime.GOOS)
-	}
-
 	if err := d.Workstation9Driver.Verify(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	//TODO(pmyjavec) there is a better way to find this, how?
-	//the default will suffice for now.
-	vmxpath := "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx"
-
-	var stderr bytes.Buffer
-	cmd := exec.Command(vmxpath, "-v")
-	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
-	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	versionRe := regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)VMware Workstation (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\s`)
-	matches := versionRe.FindStringSubmatch(stderr.String())
-	if matches == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"Couldn't find VMware WS version in output: %s", stderr.String())
-	}
-	log.Printf("Detected VMware WS version: %s", matches[1])
-
-	if !strings.HasPrefix(matches[1], "10.") {
-		return fmt.Errorf(
-			"WS 10 not detected. Got version: %s", matches[1])
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return workstationVerifyVersion(VMWARE_WS_VERSION)
 }
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10_windows.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..11721e950
--- /dev/null
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation10_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// +build windows
+
+package common
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"regexp"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+func workstationVerifyVersion(version string) error {
+	key := `SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation`
+	subkey := "ProductVersion"
+	productVersion, err := readRegString(syscall.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, key, subkey)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf(`Unable to read registry key %s\%s`, key, subkey)
+		key = `SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation`
+		productVersion, err = readRegString(syscall.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, key, subkey)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf(`Unable to read registry key %s\%s`, key, subkey)
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	versionRe := regexp.MustCompile(`^(\d+)\.`)
+	matches := versionRe.FindStringSubmatch(productVersion)
+	if matches == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			`Could not find a VMware WS version in registry key %s\%s: '%s'`, key, subkey, productVersion)
+	}
+	log.Printf("Detected VMware WS version: %s", matches[1])
+
+	return compareVersions(matches[1], version)
+}
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go
index 8643d8b1f..76af4419b 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation9.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 // Workstation9Driver is a driver that can run VMware Workstation 9
-// on non-Windows platforms.
 type Workstation9Driver struct {
 	AppPath          string
 	VdiskManagerPath string
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ type Workstation9Driver struct {
 }
 
 func (d *Workstation9Driver) Clone(dst, src string) error {
-	return errors.New("Cloning is not supported with WS 9. Please use WS 10+.")
+	return errors.New("Cloning is not supported with VMWare WS version 9. Please use VMWare WS version 10, or greater.")
 }
 
 func (d *Workstation9Driver) CompactDisk(diskPath string) error {
diff --git a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation_unix.go b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation_unix.go
index 3d5a4ab42..63b379e7c 100644
--- a/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation_unix.go
+++ b/builder/vmware/common/driver_workstation_unix.go
@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@
 package common
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+	"runtime"
 )
 
 func workstationCheckLicense() error {
@@ -46,3 +50,30 @@ func workstationToolsIsoPath(flavor string) string {
 func workstationVmnetnatConfPath() string {
 	return ""
 }
+
+func workstationVerifyVersion(version string) error {
+	if runtime.GOOS != "linux" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("The VMWare WS version %s driver is only supported on Linux, and Windows, at the moment. Your OS: %s", version, runtime.GOOS)
+	}
+
+	//TODO(pmyjavec) there is a better way to find this, how?
+	//the default will suffice for now.
+	vmxpath := "/usr/lib/vmware/bin/vmware-vmx"
+
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+	cmd := exec.Command(vmxpath, "-v")
+	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	versionRe := regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)VMware Workstation (\d+)\.`)
+	matches := versionRe.FindStringSubmatch(stderr.String())
+	if matches == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf(
+			"Could not find VMWare WS version in output: %s", stderr.String())
+	}
+	log.Printf("Detected VMWare WS version: %s", matches[1])
+
+	return compareVersions(matches[1], version)
+}