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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

VMware Player 4.0.2 Tools - Bad Support

Well, I took the trouble of of filing a support request to let them know that Tools are unavailable for Player 4.0.2.

I said: "VMware Player 4.0.2 (all platforms), has no VMware Tools available for  download. This has been the case for over a week. See the VMware Player  Community Discussion for more details."

The response was a link to the "VMware Tools Installation Guide" PDF.

Wow. I've been doing this long enough to know that when you start getting support responses like that, it's the beginning of the end. Sure, it's a free product, but that kind of response shows that they have the equivalent of a trained monkey on the line, pushing a button in response to a light, like Ham the chimp (look it up).

Now I know why it's been over a week with the Tools unavailable. It's just going to get worse. Mark my words.

It's a shame. VMware is a great product, probably the best of its kind. But the bottle washers and button sorters are in charge now, and bad support costs less.

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

After the totally useless first response. I sent a list of direct links to all the threads on this forum which talked about the lack of Tools for Player 4.0.2. I also restated that the Tools were missing on the download server.

The new response from VMware support was a link to the Player 2.0.4 download page. Yes, 2.0.4. From 2008. They're both dyslexic AND non-analytical.

This time I sent a link to the 4.0.2 Player download page (to make sure they knew what I was talking about), and a link to the VMware software update server, showing them that the 4.0.2 download directory is missing.

I also asked for the problem to be escalated to a higher authority.

You cannot make this stuff up.

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Well, here's the latest response from VMware Support.

Thank you for choosing VMware.

I would like to follow up the Support Request # 12139852502.

Please be informed that the VMware Player is free product and there is no technical support for VMware Player.

The only support that is available is kb.vmware.com

Please check in knowledge base article.

I hope this will resolve the issue.

If issue resolved confirm the closure of this case.

If issue persist reply to this email for further action.

Looking forward to hearing from you.


I'm going to make one more try to tell them the release is faulty. If that fails, I'm going to consider Player 4.0.1 to be the final release and act accordingly.

I cannot believe VMware has done this.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

I'm going to make one more try to tell them the release is faulty.

Now who's pushing the buttons!? Smiley Wink  Don't waste your time as it's already painfully obvious no one it at the switch and the lights are out! Smiley Happy

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Finally some progress! My support request has been escalated. Unfortunately, the new responder appears to have confused our issue with a specific known Tools issue mentioned in the release notes, which he sent me a link to. He says "we're working on it".

http://www.vmware.com/support/player40/doc/releasenotes_player402.html#tools

That response got me to thinking, though, that VMware support has confused the Player co-packaged with Workstation, with the standalone Player. Of course, the Player co-packaged with Workstation doesn't have our problem because Tools are in the package.

In my latest response, I tried to clarify the issue with standalone Player and our inability to download Tools.

Now to wait and see what happens next.

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

When is a response not a response?

Thank you for your response and providing the workaround regarding the issue.

I  have forwarded your request to the database team and informed them  about VMware Tools not being included in the download page for the  stand-alone version.

However, I am not sure about the turn-around time as to when will they fix the downloads page on the VMware website.

I would sincerely like to thank your investigation on this and keeping us informed.

When it's not a response. Or at least not a full one.

*Now* I'm done.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

VMware Player 4.0.2 was posted 15 days ago and one cannot yet install VMware Tools via the program's GUI as it is supposed to function!

This by itself is absurd however your experience with VMware Tech Support (even though VMware Player is not officially supported through VMware Tech Support) is ludicrous.

Together this is unconscionable and I almost feel sorry for VMware as a company.  I sincerely hope that someone in authority at that company becomes aware of this issue and is embarrassed enough to do something about this.

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ozfossil
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for your comments - I am a virtual virgin and have been playing around with both Virtual Box and most recently with VMware player - hoping to find a solution that works for me - loading and using old running OS's etc on a new laptop. Well I thought the VMware player was the easiest and simplest to get started until I tried to share a folder - and install VMware Tools - well nothing I did would work and you have saved me from giving up completely on it - I am going to try your suggestion of using 4.01.

I hope VMware change their policy of releasing incomplete products as new users trying a toe in their products waters will be discouraged and move onto to other products.

Thanks for sharing your experiences

Cheers

Peter

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

ozfossil wrote:

I am a virtual virgin

OK, that was worth a chuckle. (Hey, it's my thread!) :smileylaugh:

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

ozfossil wrote:

playing around with both Virtual Box and most recently with VMware player - hoping to find a solution that works for me

OK, seriously now.

My opinion is that, when it's working, VMware Player beats Virtual Box hands down, especially in terms of its integration ability with both the host and guest operating systems. This is to be expected with a company with the breadth and depth of experience in this field that VMware has. I feel really fortunate that we can get something with the quality of VMware Player for free.

Which is why my most frequent emotion during this whole affair with the 4.0.2 Tools has been embarrassment. It's like watching a champion racehorse stop and take a dump on the track in the middle of the race. Oy vey.

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continuum
Immortal
Immortal

there is a very simple solution for your problems

uninstall VMplayer
install Workstation 8.0.2
run it without license

this gives you a VMplayer 4.0.2 as it should be


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

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LordLeonidas
Contributor
Contributor

I am somewhat amused by the lack of actions not taken by VMware.

It almost seems to me they wish to loose a community.

Then again if I were the devil's advocate I would refrain from making a free VMplayer fully functional as I would loose cash on Workstation 8 when it comes to simple VM's.

Work-arounds like "download the fully Workstation 8" could be a way to "gently push" people into purchasing the full product.

People can be lazy when it come to deinstalling software when only part of i is needed. Besides when one has the trail version one can see the additional functions more clearly again making a the step into buying license less high.

But I am not the devil's advocate.

I am just a guy looking at this from all angles.

I leave it to the community at large to make there own call.

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continuum
Immortal
Immortal

I am surprised that VMware still offers VMplayer at all.
If I had to decide this question I would stop VMplayer as a separate product completely.
Instead I would just change a few lines in the WS Eula and allow to use it without license.

This would mean less work for the VMware engineers and a better VMplayer for the users


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Ulli Hankeln wrote:

uninstall VMplayer

install Workstation 8.0.2

One of the first things I did was try to get WS 8.0.2, but because I already evaluated WS previously, all I got was "We hope you enjoyed your evaluation, if you want to buy, click here".

Sure, I could create a new VMware account with a "fake" email to bypass that restriction, but at some point you have to draw the line about how many hoops you'll jump through to fix a mistake by a VMware release engineer that has a much simpler solution VMware could perform - that is, put the files in the right place.

(I've been a software release engineer, and a darn good one, so I have the right to evaluate another's work.)

What I can't stand about this whole situation is VMware's lethargy. I just got another support response re-iterating the I-don't-know-when solution and asking me to close the task. Closing the task is more important than fixing it. Like I said in my first post, beginning of the end.

I really do prefer VMware's technology to Oracle's Virtual Box or Microsoft's Virtual PC. I understand the issues of supporting free software, but making the jump to hundreds of dollars for Workstation is too big.

Why can't they just merge VMware Player into VMware Fusion and make Fusion cross-platform rather than Mac-only? I pay for Fusion. Fusion-Plus just makes sense.

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

nospamboz wrote:

One of the first things I did was try to get WS 8.0.2, but because I already evaluated WS previously, all I got was "We hope you enjoyed your evaluation, if you want to buy, click here".

Sure, I could create a new VMware account with a "fake" email to bypass that restriction

You should be able to download it again without having to create a 'fake" email.  I can download it right now by clicking on Download and then enter my credentials and password and then agree to the EULA and then click on the Windows 32-bit and 64-bit .exe link.

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

WoodyZ wrote:


You should be able to download it again without having to create a 'fake" email.

Ahh. I had tried to get it via the evaluation link on the Workstation page, as there is no direct download link on that page. I never thought of trying the general download page.

What else can I say but... D'oh!

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ozfossil
Contributor
Contributor

My comments should again be taken with a grain of salt (but being a Noob is a perspective of sorts) is that offering a workable free product has the effect that countless people will try virtualisation and get confidence before applying these methods in business and other mission critical applications. I certainly would not have looked at VMs if the entry point was $200 and while I am way Too Old to become a money making consultant for VMware - I still talk to younger IT people and hope to pay my dues in increasing their (VMware's) profile in the marketplace if it works for me.

Putting a little effort in to us free users does cost money, but it is a workable business model - and done right, pays dividends (you all know of many fine examples out there) - and I worry that continuum's comment about the beginning of the end could be realistic - simple solution is to be honest and forthright in support ( ref the "head in the sand" treatment of nospamboz).

Again I would like to thank everyone on this forum, in particular, nospamboz and continuum, for help to my issues - I would have certainly given up by now if not for your help..... 4.01 is working well so far - and no doubt I will learn so much more by reading your posts in the near future.

Peter

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Just heard from Support again. They're closing the incident because they feel their response is right. That's the response that says they don't know when it will be fixed. A fix that entails putting a bunch of files which already exist in the right location. That is too hard for them.

Like I said, I've seen this before. This will be down on their system as a successful support incident. More successes like that, so cheap, well, it must be a winning formula. Let's put this kind of support everywhere at VMware. Beginning of the end.

After this amount time, I doubt the 4.0.2 Tools will ever be fixed directly. We'll just have to wait until 4.0.3 and see what happens then. Or what doesn't happen.

Vale VMware.

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RobJDean185
Contributor
Contributor

A valiant effort. As of today still the same situation. I'm trying the 'Feature Request' route as well but very worrying to see this kind of support.

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nospamboz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Rob Dean wrote:

I'm trying the 'Feature Request' route as well but very worrying to see this kind of support.

I already tried that, and the VMware security issue email (did a hacker delete the files?), and private messaging one of the few VMware employees who still participates in the forums (who said he'd email the right person). No result.

I even tried to get the press interested. Maybe we should just tell the publicity offices at Parallels, Oracle, and Microsoft, and they can get the word out.

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