Fusion 6 - Auto start virtual machine broken again? WTF?

[xray64]

I hope this is user-error on my part, but it seems the auto start of virtual machines is once again broken!

I have a virtual machine marked to start automatically, but it ONLY makes it to initial launch screen (black screen with big play button). It requires me to actually click the big PLAY button to start the virtual machine.

I know this feature was once removed and only after much bitching from the community here was it brought back.

Thanks.

Ironically, we went through this in 2011 - Autolaunch of VMs with Fusion 4

[WoodyZ]

I normally do not use that feature however I just tested it and it is working as expected.

[xray64]

Just tried on 2 different systems, so I now I have 3 computers all behaving the same way. These were all Fusion 5 systems, upgraded to F6, running on ML.

[WoodyZ]

Have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling VMware Fusion 6.0.0?

Just curious, with VMware Fusion closed and in Finder if you double-click a Virtual Machine Package, does it open VMware Fusion and start the Virtual Machine or does it just open the Virtual Machine's window?

[xray64]

When I double click the VM, it starts and runs. I removed F6 and re-installed, but no joy. The fact that my settings and licensing remains means my settings are still in the system. I'll rummage through the Library/... folders and try to remove this additional info, then give it another shot.

[WoodyZ]

Have a look at: Manually uninstalling VMware Fusion

Make sure you have your License Key or just keep the license file(s).

[xray64]

Removed all Library/Application settings, re-installed, same behavior. I'll just launch from short-cuts to my VMs.

Thanks for assistance.

[admin]

You may need to go to General Settings and turn autostart back on once you've upgraded. Once you do that it should continue to work.

[xray64 · Accepted solution]

Update: Version 6.0.1 (1331545) corrects the issue.

Thanks!

[ShaddamIV]

I'm on 6.0.2 and my Win7 64 doesn't autostart. It used to. Perhaps there's a line in the VMX file that got deleted...? Help please.

Cheers,

k.

[WoodyZ]

ShaddamIV wrote: I'm on 6.0.2 and my Win7 64 doesn't autostart. It used to.

Have you tried toggling the state of the "Start automatically when VMware Fusion launches" check box under Virtual Machine > Settings... > General?

[ShaddamIV]

Thank you for responding. Yes, I have (several times), with the VM running, and with it stopped. Restarted the VM. Restarted Fusion. Set it, unset it, set it, etc in between restarts. No luck. Looking at the VMX file, I can't find out what might be the toggle... which is why I was thinking that maybe it got lost at some point.

[WoodyZ]

ShaddamIV wrote: No luck. Looking at the VMX file, I can't find out what might be the toggle... which is why I was thinking that maybe it got lost at some point.

Information for Virtual Machine's that are set to "Start automatically when VMware Fusion launches" is stored in the /Users/${USER}/Library/Preferences/com.vmware.fusion.plist file in the powerOnAtStartup.cfg array.  It's a binary .plist file so you'll need an appropriate Viewer.  If you have Xcode installed that will do or you can use a program like TextWrangler, Pref Setter or via Terminal using defaults as shown in the example below.

defaults read com.vmware.fusion.plist powerOnAtStartup.cfg

(Click image to enlarge.)

[ShaddamIV]

WoodyZ,

thank you again. I'm using PrefSetter to edit my prefs. Interestingly, the array seems empty:

Should I perhaps delete the plist file? Or do you perhaps know what should be in it?

Cheers,

k.

[ShaddamIV]

I have deleted the .plist file... to no avail. Still doesn't start up. Although the powerOnAtStartup.cfg array now (after quitting and restarting Fusion, which re-created the .plist file, contains an item, namely, my VM (this is a Fusion 6 VM, despite the name). 

Odd.

[WoodyZ]

ShaddamIV wrote: I'm using PrefSetter to edit my prefs. Interestingly, the array seems empty:

Should I perhaps delete the plist file? Or do you perhaps know what should be in it?

I'd only use Pref Setter to read a .plist and not use it to write to it because it's old software and actually doesn't handle all .plist file properly!   So I personally use Xcode or defaults.

In a Terminal use the following command syntax to set a Virtual Machine in the powerOnAtStartup.cfg array.

defaults write com.vmware.fusion.plist powerOnAtStartup.cfg -array "$Fully_Quilified_Pathname_of_the_.vmx_configuration_file"

Using the Virtual Machine from the previous post the command would be as follows:

defaults write com.vmware.fusion.plist powerOnAtStartup.cfg -array "/Volumes/HFS+/Virtual Machines/VMware Fusion 6.0.2/Apple/0S X 10.9 Mavericks/OS X 10.9 Mavericks.vmwarevm/OS X 10.9 Mavericks.vmx"

[WoodyZ]

I guess you posted this while I was writing my previous reply.  The only suggestion I have at the moment is to use First Aid in Disk Utility and Verify Disk and Verify Disk Permissions.

[ShaddamIV]

Will do... I tried your terminal command using

defaults write com.vmware.fusion.plist powerOnAtStartup.cfg -array "/Users/Karl/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Work VM Fusion 4.vmwarevm/Windows 7 (external).vmx"

But I get this: Could not parse: /Users/Karl/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Work VM Fusion 4.vmwarevm/Windows 7 (external).vmx.  Try single-quoting it.

Thanks for your help.

[ShaddamIV]

Repairing prefs repaired may iBooks related permissions, but none related to VMWare. Oh well, I'll wait and see, it's not as if the VM wouldn't work - it just doesn't start up when I start VMWare. Perhaps a future fix...

Thank you!

[ShaddamIV]

the single quoting message means: Add a ' after the " (and before, before you close the quote).

do this "command" should be

do this "'command'".

but still no luck with getting my vm started automatically.