4.1 ESXi VMware Tools service fails in Windows Server 2008 64bit

[DanInNH]

I recently upgraded from ESXi 4.0 to 4.1. After upgrading VMware tools in a 64bit Windows 2008 Server Standard, the VMware Tools service crashes repeatedly. When it first starts it reports that VMware tools can be updated. After a few minutes the service crashes. Trying to upgrade after installing this version of VMware Tools fails unless it is deinstalled first.

I have tried deinstalling repeatedly (deinstalling, rebooting and deinstalling again) as well as deinstalling and then running setup64.exe /c.

The Windows event is 1000. The error is:

Faulting application vmtoolsd.exe, version 8.3.2.1593, time stamp 0x4be64de9, faulting module unknown, version 0.0.0.0, time stamp 0x00000000, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x0000000000000000, process id 0x1f6c, application start time 0x01cb4f862b126e52.

Thanks.

- Dan

[jpvhfbt]

Same issue; different O/S. VM O/S of Win2003 SP2, upgraded from ESXi v4 to vSphere v4.1. Tools shut down after start, faulting application vmtoolsd.exe, event id 1000.

[DanInNH]

I worked this out with the assistance of Jonathon of VMware tech support.

During the installation I was getting the warning message that if I wanted to use shadow services, I would need to start the COM+ System Application Properties service and one other service I can't remember before installing VMware tools if I wanted to use shadow services. Since I didn't want shadow services, I ignored the warning. Deinstalling the tools and paying attention to the warning and starting the services (even though I don't need shadow services) solved the problem. The COM+ System Application Properties was more involved because it depends on COM+ Event System, Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and System Event Notification Service. If you are getting these messages, be sure to look right click on each service cited and open its properties dialog and click on the Dependencies tab and run all those services as well.

I hope this helps.

- Danny

[jpvhfbt]

Worked like a charm. Thanks.