All programs in Windows 7 have "stopped working"

[eyelion]

I recently updated my Mac and consequently VMware, and now any time I try to open a program, Windows gives me an error message saying it "has stopped working", before anything else happens.

I think it might have something to do with being forced to reduce the memory severely (after updating) just so I can run the VM at all. Not sure though.

[Mikero]

a) Have you rebooted the VM?

b) Why did you need to reduce the memory?

[eyelion]

I have no idea why I needed to reduce the memory. All I know is that after upgrading to El Capitan, I needed to update VMware because the old version didn't run anymore. Once I did that, the VM would not resume unless I reduced the memory (even with no other programs open).

I've rebooted, but I get the same problem. I've managed to open a couple small, simple programs, but nothing else.

I think it might have something to do with Desktop Window Manager crashing on startup?

[eyelion]

Anybody?

[Rejoice913]

Did you figure it out? I'm having the same issue when I add monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "true" to the VM ini file.

[Technogeezer]

A) this is a 6 year old post, this probably merits a post of it's own because it's unlikely that the original poster is still actively looking at this.

B) can you post details about your configuration and exactly what file you are adding that entry to and why you are adding it?  

The simplistic answer is "stop doing that" if the hangs don't occur when you add that entry since that's not a normal thing to have to do, but knowing why you are doing this helps.

update:

Not exactly the same problem but may be similar symptoms - which is why you should create a new thread for it.

From research, I'm seeing that this setting has been recommended to fool applications installed a VM that refuse to run because whose developers are trying to enforce that it doesn't run in a virtual machine. It has the nasty side-effect of disabling VMware Tools.