Windows 10 x64 update from 18363.863 to 19041.329 black desktop (Workstation 15.5.5)

[thewul]

Both my VM's  updated and have a black desktop now.

closing Windows and restarting does not help

also relaunching Workstation does not help.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Mits2020]

I had no Win10 Pro guest installed, so to replicate your issue here's what I did:

- Donwloaded official x64 iso with Media Creation Tool 

- Installed Win10 Pro, without network card, using diagnostic Pro key - ended up with build 19041.264

- Installed VMtools (v11.0.6 build-15940789)

- Added Network Card

- Checked for updates (found & installed Defender, Flash, Malicious SRT and KB4557957)

- Rebooted to build 19041.329 (same as yours)

Result: No blank desktop problem whatsoever.

Therefore, my guess is that this happens only when updating a previous to 2004 build of Windows10 Pro. I realise this is not helpful for your case, but it's standard troubleshooting procedure.

By the way, did you try changing the desktop Theme? (in the wild hope that this is just a trivial Win10 theme issue)

[a_p_]

Just a guess.

Check the device manager to see which display adapter/driver is in use.

André

[Mits2020]

For reference, related to André's comment, here's my working Display Drivers details:

[thewul]

Thanks for the feedback.

The video drivers are the same.

I -think- though that Windows settings are not being synchronised, though within Windows all items are 'enabled' (except passwords).

Host is still 18363.836

I have a 3rd VM (which I almost never use), which is meant to be for testing purposes, without using my Outlook account, i.e. it is not registered using my Outlook account.

That one still has the normal desktop background.

Likely it is the latest Windows update (Windows 10 Version 2004) that is breaking things.

Google search for something like 'windows feature update 2004 problems'

So I, wrongly, assumed that VMware was involved, as it happened to VM only, but likely it is the latest Windows update.

I revert to the last snapshot and wait for a couple of weeks, hoping that M$ fixes all issues.

Meanwhile I updated the 3rd VM (which is the non-Outlook-account one) and the desktop is -not- black, though the build is exactly the same as the other 2 VM's.

Anyway, thanks again for the replies.

[Mits2020]

So you are using a MS login in the two guests, and the third guest uses a local login? This may be an important detail as it points to a Windows authentication problem (which I have no idea how to troubleshoot - never used an MS login and probably never will).

[scott28tt]

Moderator: Thread moved to the Windows guest area.

[thewul]

That is correct. 2 VM's are linked to my Microsoft (Outlook) account, the 3rd one is a local account.

After updating the 'local' VM Windows,  the desktop of that one remained unchanged.

So it is like this.

-

[thewul]

Gave it a try again today, same problem, updating Windows 10 x64 from 19363 (1909) to 19041.388 (2004).

Still the same problem.

Somewhere I read about updating the graphics card driver(?) but for vmWare  Workstation, I assume that is handled by vmware?

I have not updated the host.

Q: are others facing the same issue ?

I restored previous snapshot.