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PeaceFreak
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Black Screen after Creators Update.

I'm using Fusion 7.1.3. A few weeks back I tried upgrading my Windows 10 to the new Creators Update version but ended up with just a black window.

When I restart it, the blue Windows icon appears. After that, I get the black window but it doesn't progress any further. The VM window remains small, it doesn't expand out to its normal size.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking I might try and reinstall 10 on a new Virtual Machine but I upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 8 and I can't seem to find any Windows 10 serial number! Hmm...

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

8 Replies
bluefirestorm
Champion
Champion

What is the version of your VMware Tools for your Windows 10 guest VM?

The newer SVGA driver from the newer tools solved some black screen on Windows 10 Creators Update VMs.

Try updating to something newer (if it's on older version). Current version should be 10.1.6 for VMware Tools for Windows. But I think the link download only gives up to 10.1.5.

http://www.vmware.com/go/tools

As for reinstall, with Windows 10 there is a concept of digital license so there isn't a serial key to input. With physical PCs/laptops, re-installing a Windows 10 just automatically activates the licence as it checks online based on the unique IDs within the hardware.

So I am not so sure about VMs. It may or may not prompt for a key/activation. If it prompts for a key, perhaps re-entering the previous Windows 8/7 key would work; whether it activates or not that probably another story as it might suspect that you're pirating a key.

Certainly, I have moved around a Windows 10 VM that was upgraded from a Windows 7 laptop converted to VM. If I say I copied, it prompts for a key (thinking I have new hardware) and I enter the original Windows 7 key and it activates it. But that is just moving around the VM not creating a new one.

RickShu
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Hi PeaceFreak,

Would you please inform about your Host OS version and graphics card of your Mac Host?

Also, VMware provides full support for Windows 10 as virtual machine starts from Fusion 8.0.

Regards,

-Rick

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PeaceFreak
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thank you!

I fixed this problem by reverting to a backup I had of the virtual machine prior to doing the update. Re-installed the Creators Edition and this time it worked!

Am now experiencing some network problems. Will start a new post for them if I can't resolve them.

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Endorphinity
Contributor
Contributor

I, for one, also use Fusion 7.1.3, and it worked with Windows 10 (1607) without any issue until recently. My host system is MacBookPro12,1 with Intel Iris Graphics 6100.

Initially, I've noticed this issue right away I've applied the Creators Update to the previous Windows 10 version. And I've got this screen after the very first restart.

Today, I've created a new guest and installed Creators Update to it. It booted successfully and run until I've started to install VMWare Tools. Then, right after "Installing video driver" message, the VM window got black.

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Endorphinity
Contributor
Contributor

bluefirestorm,

Thank you, your advice worked like a charm. After installing fresh Creators Update guest, I've installed the VMWare Tools 10.1.5, and it runs pefectly.

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Dirk25
Contributor
Contributor

I have Fusion 8.5.8 on a Mac running 10.12.6

Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB

I reinstalled a previous backup and the black screen quit happening.  I tried preventing

auto-updates to Windows 10 but to no avail.  The black screen of death is back.

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Dirk25
Contributor
Contributor

MacBook Pro not a Mac

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bluefirestorm
Champion
Champion

Dirk25,

The suggestion to use 10.1.x to workaround the black screen for Windows 10 Creators Update is for Fusion 7.x as these would have had VMware Tools 9.x when re-installing VMware Tools which contained an older SVGA 3D driver.

I suggest ensure that Hardware Compatibility of the VM is set 12 (assuming this VM was created in an earlier version of Fusion) and then ensure that that the VMware Tools 10.1.x is installed. With Fusion 8.5.x you don't have to explicitly download; reinstalling VMware Tools would suffice.

As a possible workaround to the black screen, try adding these lines to the vmx configuration file of the VM

mks.enableGLRenderer = "FALSE"

mks.enableGLBasicRenderer = "FALSE"

This will at least let you try to install the latest VMware Tools.

Otherwise, it is hard to tell what exactly is wrong in your situation. If you don't mind create another thread and attach the vmware.log when the black screen occurs.

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