Guest Isolation features enabled but not working

[TrentThomas]

I've enabled both drag-n-drop and copy-and-paste features on a Windows 7 guest (Windows 10 host) while running VMWare Workstation Pro 12. VMWare Tools has been installed, but none of the Guest Isolation features are working. I've tried dragging in files, and I've tried using the copy and paste feature from host to guest, without success.

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling VMWare tools. I've tried disabling guest isolation features, restarting my host, and then re-enabling them.

Due to my operational needs, having this feature work is imperative, so I would appreciate any help in resolving my issue.

[TrentThomas]

Is anyone able to provide any help? Myself and a few of my clients are experiencing the same issue and business flow is being interrupted for certain tasks because of the issue I am facing.

[wila]

Hi,

Your wording of what is or is not working is a bit confusing.

Guest isolation is disabling certain functionality.

When you said:

I've tried dragging in files, and I've tried using the copy and paste feature from host to guest, without success

What does "success" mean in this case?

Without success could be, "but those features still work even while isolation has been set!"

Most complains about host guest features are the opposite, that it does not work.

So please clarify what it is that you want to do or have.

In addition it might help to provide a vmware.log file of your VM.

--

Wil

[TrentThomas]

"I've enabled both drag-n-drop and copy-and-paste features on a Windows 7 guest (Windows 10 host) while running VMWare Workstation Pro 12."

The above sentence means what it says. Under Guest Isolation there exists a "Enable drag and drop" and "Enable copy and paste." These are the only two options I am presented. As my sentence says, both of these options are enabled.

"...none of the Guest Isolation features are working. I've tried dragging in files, and I've tried using the copy and paste feature from host to guest, without success."

Since Guest Isolation includes both "Enable drag and drop" and "Enable copy and paste," stating that Guest Isolation features are not working implied that neither of those features are working as intended. Since my first sentence stated that I've enabled both of those options, and another sentence says that the features are not working, that would mean that despite both features being turned on, neither are working. When utilizing a feature of anything, success is defined by the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. So, if a feature is turned on, and attempting to use the feature fails, that would mean that the aim or purpose was not accomplished. The aim or purpose was to be able to utilize the drag and drop and copy and paste features, and since neither of which worked, despite being turned on, that would be considered as a being without success.

I've attached all 4 of the log files that I have.

Thank you for responding

[wila]

Hi,

Right.. for me when I read "guest isolation does not work" (your subject) it means that you can share but don't want... the isolation feature is meant for hardening your guest OS and protect it from sharing anything with the host OS. The default settings on guest isolation are to "not isolate",  hence my confusion.

Anyways.. what matters is that you get it to work, not the wording of your problem.

If your shared folders and copy & paste is not working and having guest isolation features disabled, then there are roughly two possibilities.

1. You've setup your virtual machine as a "Shared VM" that one does not offer the tight integration with the host OS. However as you mention guest isolation settings specifically your issue is most likely the other one.

2. There's some issue with the installed VMware Tools (assuming your installed it)

and for that 2nd issue here are my notes:

These type of issues are almost always due to a broken VMware Tools install.

Do not try a repair install from within the Guest OS as it likely will not fix this, unfortunately the "Reinstall VMware Tools" from the drop down menu also falls in that same category.

You really need the guest OS to reboot inbetween uninstall and install to make sure that all the files from VMware Tools are in the correct locations and of the correct version.

In short follow these steps:

• Uninstall VMware Tools
• Reboot guest OS
• Install VMware Tools
• Reboot guest OS.

A bit of a longer description is: 

• In the guest Windows operating system, go to Control Panel -> Programs & Features -> Select VMware Tools -> Uninstall

Follow the steps from the installer to completely uninstall VMware Tools

• Reboot the guest OS.
• Then from the Virtual Machine menu select "Install VMware Tools"

If no installer appears, go to the DVD-rom within windows and click "setup" (for 32 bits windows) or "setup64" (for 64 bits windows)

Once you see an installer, click "Next" until Finish, keep the defaults.

• Reboot the guest when done installing (it will ask by itself to reboot)

--

Wil

[TrentThomas]

Thank you for the reply. I've done all the recommended steps and I still am experiencing this problem. Also, I am not using a Shared VM.

[wila]

Sorry for the delay, very very busy atm.

Hmm.. normally I would suggest to reinstall VMware Workstation itself at this stage, but as you mentioned "myself and a few of my clients" I wonder if something else is intervening.

There is the possibility that other installed software common to you and your machine is interfering.

In particular I'd be thinking of antivirus/antimalware blocking the functionality. If installed, can you try to disable and if disabling does not help, try to -temporarily- completely uninstall antivirus and see if it starts to work then.

--

Wil

[TrentThomas]

I have tried uninstalling my antivirus and reinstalling VMWare and my issue is still present

[wila]

Hi,

Hmm.. well I do see the following in one of your logs after you have initiated a drag and drop:

 vmx| I125: GuestRpcSendTimedOut: message to toolbox-dnd timed out.

This is after a repeated error from the virtual cdrom, can you try disconnecting / removing the cdrom and see if that helps?

Another workaround might be the following.

Sometimes (really rare these days) my guest drag and drop and clipboard host/guest integration stops working as well and in that case I can get it back to work by executing the following command:

"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe" -n vmusr

Note that you might have to adjust the path for where your vmware tools has been installed.

--

Wil

[TrentThomas]

Running the command

"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe" -n vmusr

Made it work. However, I have to rerun the command every time I restart the VM. Is there a better solution than simply adding a batch file that runs the command at startup?

[wila]

Hi,

Glad to hear that at least you got it to work. Not ideal I agree, but by getting this far, perhaps somebody from VMware can contact/help you to diagnose this a bit further?

Instead of batch file you could also setup a task, but neither should be required as it is something vmware tools should take care off by itself.

I think it would be interesting to know why this happens and I'm a tad bit busy at the moment to go dig deeper.

--

Wil

[TrentThomas]

How would I go about contacting them for something like this?

[wila]

Hi,

If support is reading along they could jump in here, if not then you would have to be withing the complimentary support period for VMware Workstation in order to be able to open a ticket. That period is really short, if memory serves me, then I think it is only 30 days.

Normally you would open a ticket here:

open a ticket at File a Support Request 

--

Wil

[TrentThomas]

If I am beyond the support period, am I basically at the mercy of the forum staff to help me? I've been using VMWare for years now and my current license only has about another month left on it before I have to renew it.

[wila]

That is my understanding yes.

FWIW even while I spent too much time here at the forums, I'm just a workstation user as well, not employed by VMware.

--

Wil

[DPolley]

I have been having the same issue and had checked my Guest Isolations settings, and tried the uninstall/reinstall of VMTools with no success.  After running "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe" -n vmusr I can now copy from my host to my guest, as long as I go to the Edit menu and select Paste (not using Ctrl-v), however the Copy and Cut options on the menu are still disabled so I cannot copy from Guest to Host.  I have tried to find more information on the switches/services available from vmtoolsd but I have not had much success.  Does anyone have any suggestions on getting the copy from guest to host working?

Host - Windows 10

Guest - Windows 10

VMWare Workstation Pro v12.5.1 Build 4542065

Thanks,

Dean

[JeffSilverman58]

I think I am having the same problem.  I am running a Windows 10 guest under a Windows 10 host.   I have uninstalled and reinstalled VMWare tools, and rebooted.  I also tried running the "c:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe" -n vmusr program, which runs with no error message.

The guest isolation settings enable drag and drop and enable copy and paste are grey, so I can't turn them on.  But I can't find out why they are gray, so I don't know how to fix the problem.

I also cannot see network shares from the host.  I am sharing a directory from the host, but I can't see the host when I use the net view command.  I can ping the host, and I can reach the internet from the guest.  The Microsoft network troubleshooter is confident that if I just cycle power on the modem, that will fix the problem.

If I give the command vmtoolsd.exe -s , where does the state information go?  The help text says "to the logs", but that's not a very descriptive description.

Thank you

Jeff

[wila]

Hi Jeff,

Not sure if it is the same problem.

A few quick answers before I run away from this computer (nothing to do with your question, just a long day) :smileysilly:

The isolation settings are only available to change with the virtual machine shut down. Are they still greyed out in that case?

For host shares you don't even need a network adapter.It doesn't work via a network this is a host guest share and normally would show up as a mapped drive.

However in your windows explorer you should get the host via UNC folder: "\\vmware-host"

Not sure where you got the help text for "vmtoolsd", but "The LOGS" are normally the vmware.log file that is in the same folder as your virtual machine.

--

Wil