Graphics problem after upgrade 15 to 16

[asdfvmw]

I have several Windows 7 x86 guest machines, running on a Windows 10 x64 host with VMware Workstation 15. Today I decided to give VMware 16 a try. After installing VMware 16, virtual machines are totally unusable, severe graphic issues arise just after power on, all screen components and pixels begin to mess randomly. I hardly achieved to upgrade VMware tools on one of the machines through crazy random clicking on the screen, and after that the VM works perfectly. So is feels like VMware 16 is not compatible with VMware tools 15 Windows 7 graphic driver - but it seems I am the only one on the forum suffering this so it's obviously not that simple.

I have snapshots so I can go back to the previous state in order to perform any check you can recommend me.

Before upgrade tools:

After upgrade tools:

[hahakiki2010]

What's your tools version before upgrade to WS 16? 

[asdfvmw]

Hmmm good question, maybe previous tools were older since they never gave any compatibility problem.

How can I check that?

I have checked the vmtools exe metadata version from the disk but those numbers mean nothing to me

Before upgrade:

After upgrade:

[wila]

Hi,

There's other reports with similar issues on Windows 7 where the user had the virtual hardware of the VM not set to the latest version.

Switching to the latest virtual hardware fixed that for them.

--

Wil

[NickPap28]

Hi there.

I have the same issue but not with upgrade.

I installed vmware 16, created a vm, without installing vmware tools it worked fine

once I installed it killed graphics.

Any idea?

[scott28tt]

Not the same - the solution here was to install the latest VMware Tools.

[asdfvmw · Accepted solution]

Hi to all.

Thanks to the comments, I finally detected which exact feature is causing the issue - and thus, now I can use this as workaround for upgrading the tools.

The culprit is the "Accelerate 3D graphics" under virtual machine settings > Monitor.

So:

* Accelerate 3D graphics ON without tools = no issue

* Accelerate 3D graphics ON with tools version 9.9.2.2496486 = issue

* Accelerate 3D graphics ON or OFF with tools version 11.1.5.16724464 = NO issue

So, @VMware, just don't enable the Accelerate 3D graphics if the tools are outdated

And @anyone-suffering-this: disable 3D graphics, upgrade tools, re-enable 3D graphics.