7.1.4 Worth It? Still Broken?

[PnwGuy]

I was really happy with 6.5, and moderately happy with 7.0.x, but ever since 7.1.x I've lost most of my respect for the dev team at VMware. Every 7.1 release has had at least one serious problem in my environment often adding to the previous ones. And VMware has consistently made it difficult, and risky, to try and revert to previous versions due to serious problems with VMware Tools.

I know this is somewhat the nature of complex software, but it's reasonable to expect to make progress as 7.x.x matures, not go backwards.

BUG #1: Starting with 7.1.2 my VM's would lose all network connectivity every time the host sleeps because of a blatant bug in VM's netbridge. Lots of people complained. No solution was offered.

7.1.3 comes out, I upgrade hoping for a netbridge fix. NOPE! I wonder how many zillions of people are just leaving their PC's on WASTING MEGAWATTS of extra electricity around the world because VMware can't be bothered to fix this problem that's been around for close to a year now?

BUG #2: And, starting in 7.1.3, VM > Setting > Change Anything while the VM is live is an instant total crash of the VMware kernel. So netbridge is still broken, and a serious new fatal bug introduced in 7.1.3.

Does anyone know if either of the above 2 bugs are fixed in 7.1.4? Neither is listed in the release notes. If a bug doesn't cause at least 50% of user's PC's to burst into flames upon starting Workstation does it even get on the list?

I'm reluctant to just try 7.1.4 because of all the "I installed 7.1.4 and got a fatal error so I went back to 7.1.3 and it still crashes" and "everything was fine until I intalled 7.1.4" posts I've read. Apparently there are serious problems with Win7 SP1 as well.

My host is Win7 64 bit.

[continuum]

In my experience so far 7.1.4 seems to be the best 7.1 version so far.
Can't say anything about Win7 sp1 hosts though.

[PnwGuy]

Thanks Continuum. Sifting through all the posts it seems most of the 7.1.4 fixes have been Linux related. That doesnt help me (or 90% of the PC users in the world) at all.

And saying 7.1.4 is the best 7.1 release yet is relative. 7.1 was largely a big step backward from previous releases. I believe you've been a big fan of 6.5 due to all the 7.x problems?

7.0.0 came out in October 2009. We've had NINE releases of 7.x.x over nearly TWO YEARS. The sort of serious, in your face, easy to reproduce, and often FATAL, problems that are in even 7.1.3 should have been fixed long ago.

If I'm feeling brave I might do a full image backup of my host and install 7.1.4 and then run it on a COPY of one of my VM's. I just don't trust VMware not to mess things up even worse than they already are.

[continuum]

I am a windows user too - and until 7.1.4 I told every one to keep away from 7.1 - either stick to 7.0.1 if it works or use 6.5.4 on XP/2003 or 6.5.5 on Windows 7.

For me 7.1.4 looks like a quite good release so far - but then I always test in a VM first to be shure that it will not bite me
Also  if I run into an installation problem I usually can fix it in a minute - for less experienced users the same issue may be a complete show-stopper.

So you are right - don't listen too me - and take my answer with a good bit of salt

[bulletprooffool]

Let's see if the old dangling SSL error re-appears?