How to upgrade VMware tools in Web Client 5.5

[JPM300]

Hello all,

Just wondering how you upgrade VMware tools on a VM in the web client 5.5 without using the ugprade tools at next reboot option inside the VM.  When you go into the VM options it is just greyed out

Let me know,

Thanks

[a_p_]

Can you confirm that you have sufficient permissions with the logged on user name?

André

[JPM300]

Yeah the account I'm using is part of the VMware Admins which has Admin access on everything.  It is also full admin in the SSO

[a_p_]

Is the account also member of other - restricted - groups? Please try to see if the options are available using the administrator@vsphere.local account to find out whether this issue is related to permissions, or something else.

André

[JPM300]

Nope same thing, and I have another friend that has a brand new vCloud suiet 5.5 build up with the same issue.  Even logged in as administrator@vsphere.local I get the same thing.  Now Vmware tools in my enviroment is already up to 5.5 however you would think the option to upgrade / uninstall would still be available.

Some other things to note;

in the VI this is not a problem and I can upgrade them / install then with no problems or errors

None of the VM's currently are at Hardware Version 10, so I don't know if the Web Client lacks a tie in if the VM is not at lvl 10 or something.  I wouldn't think so but ??

[JPM300]

No one else has seen this or experienced the same thing?   Is the only way to do it in 5.5 is with update manager?

[King_Robert · Accepted solution]

• The vSphere Web Client incorrectly prompts you to update VMware Tools, even when the latest version is installed.
• A yellow banner appears in the Summary tab for the virtual machine with the message:
  
  VMware Tools is out of date on this virtual machine.
  
  
• The vSphere Web Client may or may not give you the option to update VMware Tools.
• When attempting to update VMware Tools, the virtual machine reports that the version being installed is older than the version currently running.
• In the Hosts and Clusters view of the ESXi host, under the Related Objects tab, the affected virtual machine shows that the version of VMware Tools is Current.
• In the Summary tab of the VMs and Templates view for the affected virtual machine, the version of VMware Tools is listed as Current.

Cause

When VMware Tools is installed within a virtual machine and the virtual machine is then migrated to an older ESXi host, the vSphere Web Client properly detects that the version of VMware Tools installed is equal to or greater than the version provided by the ESXi host on which the virtual machine is residing. However, the yellow banner is designed to match the exact VMware Tools version provided by the host against the virtual machine.

Resolution

This issue is only cosmetic.

If the VMware Tools status is listed as Current, you can safely ignore this message

[Christian82]

@All:

Same goes for my environment. I have four 5.5-UPDATE2 ESXi Hosts mit vCenter 5.5 UP2. No vmware tools update is possible. The functions are greyed out.