The KB article of VMWare Player indicates the wron...

generalzod · ‎11-30-2013

This KB article http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1754 seems to indicate that for Windows 7 x64, the config.ini should be stored at C:\ProgramData\VMWare\VMware Player\config.ini yet the file I placed there isn't being read - I've checked the file access times. And no, it's not a permissions problem.

2013-11-30T13:32:57.100-06:00| vmx| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2013-11-30T13:32:57.100-06:00| vmx| I120: ConfigDB: Failed to load C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini

2013-11-30T13:32:57.100-06:00| vmx| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2013-11-30T13:32:57.100-06:00| vmx| I120: ConfigDB: Failed to load C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini

2013-11-30T13:32:57.101-06:00| vmx| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\settings.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2013-11-30T13:32:57.101-06:00| vmx| I120: ConfigDB: Failed to load C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\settings.ini

2013-11-30T13:32:57.101-06:00| vmx| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\Users\fred\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2013-11-30T13:32:57.101-06:00| vmx| I120: ConfigDB: Failed to load C:\Users\fred\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini

2013-11-30T13:32:57.104-06:00| vmx| I120: [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\Users\fred\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

2013-11-30T13:32:57.104-06:00| vmx| I120: PREF Optional preferences file not found at C:\Users\fred\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini. Using default values

So it looks like I need to create a fake VMware Workstation directory and put the config.ini there, even though I'm not using that product, or put it in the c:\users location. Neither of these is indicated by the KB article. So either update the KB article, or fix the bug in VMware Player.

WoodyZ · ‎12-01-2013

Okay, while the subject of your post says, "The KB article of VMWare Player indicates the wrong location for config.ini" nonetheless the VMware KB you've linked is explicitly for "VMware GSX Server", "VMware Server" and "VMware Workstation", of which the first two are no longer in production or supported, and it's your assumption that's wrong since VMware Player is not a listed product under that KB!

The valid location for any config/preferences/settings files can be found in the vmware.log file and if the path and or file does not currently exist and or is not created while changing settings via the UI then one needs to manually create folders/files as necessary. That's just the way it is... don't shoot the messenger!

Message was edited by: WoodyZ - Changed "That valid location..." to "The valid location..."

generalzod · ‎12-02-2013

You say:

That valid location for any config/preferences/settings files can be found in the vmware.log file

but that's not true. As the log I posted above shows, only ERRORs show up in the log, not the actual place where it's pulling the config.ini/settings.ini. That is, if I put in the "right" place, I'd get no indication whatsoever in the log file as to where it's being read from.

WoodyZ · ‎12-02-2013

On a Windows Host while looking in a vmware.log file from a Host that only has VMware Player installed the following are defined in the vmware.log file!

DICT --- SITE DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Player\config.ini

DICT --- USER DEFAULTS C:\Users\WKZ\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini

DICT --- HOST DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Player\config.ini

DICT --- HOST DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini

DICT --- SITE DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\config.ini

DICT --- GLOBAL SETTINGS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Workstation\settings.ini

DICT --- USER PREFERENCES C:\Users\WKZ\AppData\Roaming\VMware\preferences.ini

If any of these folders/files do not exist by either chnging settings in the UI then they need to be manually created if one wants to use them! Period, end of story!

admin · ‎12-02-2013

Which version of Player is this? I have Player 6.0.1 installed, and the system-wide configuration file is at C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Player\config.ini. It was created at installation and has the following contents:

installerDefaults.autoSoftwareUpdateEnabled = "yes"

installerDefaults.autoSoftwareUpdateEnabled.epoch = "18751"

installerDefaults.componentDownloadEnabled = "yes"

installerDefaults.dataCollectionEnabled = "yes"

installerDefaults.dataCollectionEnabled.epoch = "18751"

installerDefaults.simplifiedUI = "no"

The vmware.log file shows that this file is being read:

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT --- HOST DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Player\config.ini

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT installerDefaults.autoSoftwareUpdateEnabled = "yes"

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT installerDefaults.autoSoftwareUpdateEnabled.epoch = "18751"

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT installerDefaults.componentDownloadEnabled = "yes"

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT installerDefaults.dataCollectionEnabled = "yes"

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT installerDefaults.dataCollectionEnabled.epoch = "18751"

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT installerDefaults.simplifiedUI = "no"

2013-11-30T09:11:40.524-08:00| vmx| I120: DICT --- SITE DEFAULTS C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Player\config.ini