VMware Communities
OrsoGrigio
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

High Sierra and Fusion "stuck" keys

Hi to all,

inside the Windows VM, sometimes when I strike Ctrl+c, some seconds after I release the key combination it results in typing repeatedly "cccccccccccccc..." or after having struck Ctrl+v it results in "vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv..." and it doesn't stop until I press another key. It happens with the delete key or the tab key, too.

This happens very frequently (an average of once every 2 - 3 minutes, but it can happen twice in a minute or more) but randomly and in combination with a "special key" (i.e. Ctrl, Delete, End, Backslash, etc.) and is VERY, VERY annoying.

Almost every time that this happens, I noticed that when I press the ESC key, it opens up the Windows Start Menu.

To "re-enable" a (temporary) correct working state of the keyboard, I have to repeatedly press ESC, then repeatedly press CTRL, then repeatedly press the Windows key, then repeatedly press the ALT key. After that, I can continue working for a couple of minutes befor it happens again

It started happening as I upgraded to High Sierra (from El Capitan) and to Fusion 10.0.0 (and it's upgrade to 10.0.1) from fusion 8.x.

I later downgraded to Fusion 8.5.8 (ev. upgraded to 8.5.9) to resolve the CAPS LOCK issue, but this one remained, unfortunately.

In the meantime I have upgraded Windows 10 on both my VMs to version 1709 (OS build 16299.64) from Version 1703 (OS build 15063.674), but the issue remains.

This is making me NUTS, I cannot work anymore and I am a bit desperate.

This issue seems only to happen inside the VMs, not in the Mac host.

I already tried switching keyboard with a Mac one (usb), but the problem stays the same.

I already tried uninstalling and reinstalling last version of vmware Tools, with no success

I already tried searching on the internet for a solution, but until now, no tweak has worked for me.

Can someone help me, please?

Info:

Mac (27-inch, Late 2013), 3.4 GHz Intel Core i5, 32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Osx: 10.13.1 High Sierra

Fusion: 8.5.9 (7098239)

VM: Windows 10, Version 1709 (OS build 16299.64)

167 Replies
Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thinking of buying parallels to avoid this issue. Maybe the best and fastest way to address it.

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jimmyg423
Contributor
Contributor

Has this been resolved or is there a workaround? I just went out and purchased a wireless keyboard and mouse thinking that might be the issue.

--jim

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Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

There does not appear to be a work around that fits all or is consistent across all. Another product may be the answer.

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not_the_admin
Contributor
Contributor

What is the advantage of Parallels over VirtualBox? I was considering switching to VirtualBox.

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Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I just switched to virtualbox until this is fixed. Fusion is almost unusable on my mac pro as a result of the stuck keys. Certainly disabling the touch bar greatly helps but there is still random repeated keys. Just can not live with it any more had to move.

Waiting 4 months for a fix is simply asking to be inefficient for way too long.

jimmyg423
Contributor
Contributor

Is there a way to disable the "key up" snoop from the Mac / Fusion side until this is fixed...?

Update - When this occurs I noticed an "ETX" character (^C) being placed in notepad++

fusion_sticky_issue.png

Not sure if this will help solve the issue?

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needtothinkofan
Contributor
Contributor

Same problem

Fusion Version 10.1.2

macOS 10.13.5

Windows 7 guest

internal keyboard, internal monitor

regular stuck key experience in guest only.

VMWare - please fix

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Bross0
Contributor
Contributor

I fixed the problem for myself. I did it by going to www.parallels.com and downloading Parallels Desktop 13 - it imported my VM and I was running in about an hour and a half. I wish I was joking that this was the best way to solve the problem but I'm not - this took way less time then I've spent troubleshooting this issue. As a bonus it's faster and using less battery.

Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I found another way which is to not use theVM directly at all. Forward X11 and use ssh for a console and everything seems to function properly. Well at least for myself but only after 4hrs of use but at least its usable unlike trying to use the VM directly through Fusion. I agree with Bross0 that all the time spent on this it would have been quicker just to buy a competing product.

FerdH
Contributor
Contributor

This is driving me nuts, no workaround is usable for me.

It's been very long for VMware to provide a fix considering a lot of people have this issue and it's quite reproducible.

Comms to paying customers are poor as well since VMware hasn't kept us up to date.

I'd like to know if they have been able to reproduce the issue and what they are doing about this.

Already established:

- The issue appears independent of Guest OS

- Doesn't matter if there is use of a dock/external monitor/keyboard/mouse

- Seems problems started with High Sierra? -- has this been verified?

Are there users that have this issue on macs without a touchbar?

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Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I gave in yesterday and followed Bross0 workaround. Simplier, easier and it does seem like the VM is faster.

mikef1729
Contributor
Contributor

I have been using VMware since Workstation v1.0 on linux in 1999, and this is the worst problem I have ever had. 6 months with no fix or even feedback is inexcusable. While it is likely the problem lies with High Sierra, VMware should have isolated it by now given the small number of configurations of the apple desktop platform.

needtothinkofan
Contributor
Contributor

This is a major impact on usability.

It is very disappointing that VMWare doesn't have the professionalism to acknowledge the problem and the timeline for a fix.

Looking at Parallels now...

kklein580923589
Contributor
Contributor

since vmware doesn't care about their customers, I will finally switch to parallels. as a developer you cannot work with this issue and there is no acceptable workaround for it.

ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccciao vmware

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Crematum
Contributor
Contributor

I have seen this issue on my iMac (no touch bar).  Happens at the worst of times and really messes stuff up.  I have this issue as well as the occasional BT issue reported on another thread.  Ever since they outsourced Fusion development, this software feels pretty abandoned by VMWare.  People have been complaining about a few different issues for some time and none of them have been fixed.

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Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Sadly, as this has been outstanding for over 6 months I think I am swapping to Bross0 solution permanently. I think its clear that after half a year that this is not going to be fixed and without that the VM's are unusable. Guess thats the end of Fusion, at least for myself. Just purchased the option after the trial worked well.

nobodyname
Contributor
Contributor

I've had the same issue on my mac (with touchbar) but, lately i realized that the tab/command key get stuck way more often if a mouse is attached to the mac. When i unplug the mouse, switch to the host and then re-switch to the guest, the problem is basically gone.


Anybody can confirm it?

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Bradall
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Happens if i had no external mouse wired or otherwise. Happens with internal touch pad. The only way I found around it was to use an external ssh session for a terminal and forward X11 so that there was no direct interaction with the guest through fusion at all.

Bross0 solution enables using the guest directly without needing external ssh clients and or rdp/x11 clients.

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ak68
Contributor
Contributor

[continuing from my earlier post]

Even with the keyboard mappings in effect, the VM is hardly usable.

Aside from the "stuck key" issue I also have related issues that kill my productivity.

Since my original detailed error description did not lead to an action from VMware I won't bother to describe the related issues here, as it seems a waste of time.

My setup uses Ubuntu Linux 16 as guest OS.

I recently went so far to do a complete re-install of the guest OS from the ground up, just to make sure this is not an issue in the guest VM side.

The issue persists in the newly installed guest OS as well.

Out of need for a working environment I have also tested VirtualBox as well as Parallels.

With the same guest VM, converted from the VMware .vdmk image file, both other products did not show the "stuck keys" behavior.

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FerdH
Contributor
Contributor

The product is clearly defective. Parallels and VirtualBox do not experience this issue.

I've logged a ticket about this twice with VMware, the first one they "closed" because there is already "problem report" and my ticket would be attached to that. It showed up as "resolved" in the ticket overview. So I had another one opened, but not set to "closed". This issue should remain open until it's fixed.

I suggest everybody experiencing this to do the same.Log a ticket but don't let them close it until it's resolved. This way it hopefully will show up on their management radar sooner or later and be processed with a higher priority. VMware fusion is basically unusable now, as I've lost quite some work due to sticking Delete key, and I regret ever putting down the money for the product.

Just for my interest, would you want your money back or would you want this fixed?