Cannot install VMWare Tools on clients

[scojoe]

I have installed ESXi 5 with 4 virtual machines.3 x Win 2008 R2 and 1 x Win XP. I cannot get VMWare Tools to install on any of the four systems. I have tried both Guerst - Install/Upgrade VMWare Tools and setting all four VMs to Check and upgrade Tools during power cycling with no result. It is not mounting the virtual Cd on any of the four systems to allow me to install. I hva restarted the host and clienty systems.

Any ideas?

[kjb007]

Have you checked the logs on the ESXi host?

-KjB

[scojoe]

Sorry wouldn't know where to look. New to ESXi and thought this may be a common user error. 

[kjb007]

If you start a Tools install, through Guest -> Install/Upgrade VMware Tools, and then go back to the guest, right click, does the guest menu show Install/Upgrade VMware Tools, or End VMware Tools Install?

-KjB

[scojoe]

It shows Install/Upgrade VMware Tools. Under the tasks in the bottom screen it says Status - Completed. but under the summary section it says VMWare Tools: Not running (Not installed)

[kjb007]

Did you choose automatic or interactive? If auto, have you tried interactive?

-KjB

[scojoe]

It doesn't mount the vmtools onto tht edvd drive at all. On any of the four machines. It's just the automatic install.

[kjb007]

If you're selecting automatic, you most likely will not see the cd mount, and for one reason or another, the tools install completes "successfully"

If you right click your vm, click Guest, and select Install/Upgrade VMware Tools, you should get an option to select Interactive Tools Upgrade.  Are you not seeing that?  If not, are you connecting directly to an ESXi host, or through vCenter?

-KjB

[scojoe]

I am not getting any option after clicking  Install/Upgrade VMware Tools. I am connecting to a host through vSphere Client.

[kjb007]

What is your ESXi host and client version / build?

I've tried several different ways to initiate a tools upgrade, and I can not reprdouce what you are seeing.

Can you tell me exactly what steps you are taking?

-KjB

[scojoe]

VMWare ESXi 5.0.0 Build 469512

vSphere Client 5.0.0 Build 455964

I have tried both right clicking on a VM - Guest - Install/Upgrade VM Tools

and under Summary on the VM - Edit Settings - Options - VMWare Tools - Check and upgrade tools during power cycling

Both with no result.

Is there a manual way to install the tools from a download?

[kjb007]

The tools iso is located on ESXi host under /productLocker/vmtools/windows.iso.

You can use winscp or someother tool to copy it to your client, and then attach the iso manually to a vm.  I don't believe I've seen a download of the tools directly from vmware.

-KjB

[scojoe]

Got this fixed. The issue was that when ESXi had been installed it didn't install the VMTools. This seems to of been an issue with the size of the USB stick i used to install onto. It didn't come up with any errors during the install or during an attempt to install them onto a VM. I reinstalled onto a larger USB stick and VMTools are now working as expected. Thanks fort all the help.

[scojoe]

Question answered.