How to '1-click start' VMs with 16.2 TPM ?

[gmnenad]

I use Workstation Pro, and need to start Windows 11 guest VMs with one-click on their start menu shortcut, eg using "vmware.exe -X ..." or "vmrun.exe start ...". Problem arise because Win11 ( or Win10 with VBS ...) require TMP.

In my previous attempt to make Win11 vmware guest, problem was that old vmware TPM required fully encrypted VM before it could be added, and when VM is encrypted it always prompt for manual password entry upon any start attempt - which is far cry from "one-click" start. And supposed solution ( to use "vmrun -vp encryptPassword") did not work.  I posted this as my previous question here, and got good suggestion to use "new" TPM option, which is experimental in Workstation Pro 16.2 - and which does not require full encryption of VM. Initially it seemed as a good workaround: VM did not prompt for password upon start, even if it was marked as 'encrypted'. And it was possible to install Win11 or Win10 with VBS on it. But ...

I realized that such VM will not automatically start when I use "vmware.exe -X ..." - it just open Workstation Home, and I must manually click 'Resume'. When trying "vmrun.exe start ..." it just does not start VM.  Bottom line : I still can not start VM with one-click

This is probably because VM is marked as 'encrypted' when this new TMP is used ( ie managedvm.autoAddVTPM = "software" ), even if it is not really encrypted. I do not know if this is bug or expected behavior, but my initial question remains:

How to start with one-click VM that has TPM ?

[scott28tt]

This thread (found via a search) might help: https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Pro/How-to-start-Encrypted-VM-without-prompt/m-...

[gmnenad]

That thread was initiated by me, as I mentioned in my question above. And workaround suggested in that thread ( using managedvm.autoAddVTPM = "software" )  helps with avoiding full encryption, but does not help with "1-click" starting VM. As I explained in my question, vmware now just open Workstation Home ( instead of asking for password prompt as before), but you still need to manually press 'Resume' to start VM . 

[scott28tt]

So this thread is essentially asking the same question.

[gmnenad]

Not exactly.

First thread is asking how to avoid manual password entry if standard VM encryption is used - which is useful question regardless of TPM , Windows 11 or 16.2 version of Workstation.

This thread is asking how to directly start VM that uses new TPM feature from 16.2, and in this question problem is not manual password entry. 

[Aroenai]

Isn't this already answered in your original post?

https://blogs.vmware.com/workstation/2021/10/workstation-16-2-now-available.html

"One change to note is that in this round we are finally deprecating the “Shared VM” feature code after over a year since we first announced it. Artifacts in the UI should no longer be present, Workstation can no longer be shared over the network like an ESXi host, and VMs configured to auto-start will not do so after installing this update. "

Basically, you're looking for a feature you'd typically find in an ESXi host and they've depreciated that functionality since Workstation is intended more as a single user desktop product.

[wila]

Hi,

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@Aroenai wrote:

Isn't this already answered in your original post?

https://blogs.vmware.com/workstation/2021/10/workstation-16-2-now-available.html

"One change to note is that in this round we are finally deprecating the “Shared VM” feature code after over a year since we first announced it.

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No, that's not what they are asking.

With the new vtpm VM there are a lot of things you can't do, that you can do with a normal VM.
Most of the automation options do not work (snapshot create/delete, start, suspend etc..) because you'll be asked for an encryption password. A password that is unavailable as it was never asked for, but is still required.

This feature breaks all my tools (Vimalin and Vimarun) and it is serious limitation for anyone who wants to use automation for these VMs.

--
Wil

[gmnenad]

Well, I hope that it is *not* answered by that, since I did not consider shortcut with "vmware.exe -X pathTo.vmx" as "VM configured to auto-start". 

Also, being able to have start menu or desktop icon that would start VM on single click is by far more "single user desktop" feature than it would be ESXi host feature - where it is expected that admin would work via interface that is managing multiple VMs. If vmware is intentionally taking away "-x" command option from 'vmware.exe', it would be significant reduction in features that many of us expected when we bought Workstation Pro.

But my testing shows that other VMs ( those not using new TPM  ) are able to auto-start using "vmware.exe -x". So I believe that problem is with new TPM tagging VMs as "encrypted" even when they are not really encrypted, and in doing so introducing all restrictions that vmware decided to make on fully encrypted VMs. It could be separate set of questions about why even fully encrypted VM would be prevented from auto-start, and why vmware does not want to allow "vmrun.exe -vp encryptionpassword". But that could be question for my previous thread.

Question here remains :  why just adding new TPM prevent VM to do auto start via "vmware.exe -x" ( and possibly introduce other "full encryption" restrictions ) ?

[RDPetruska]

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@gmnenad wrote:

:  why just adding new TPM prevent VM to do auto start via "vmware.exe -x" ( and possibly introduce other "full encryption" restrictions ) ?

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Please realize that this current version is an *interim* solution to the issue.  VMware is aware the TPM was needed, and worked to get something out the door so that users could install Win11 VMs without needing to have them fully encrypted.  But (especially since these new settings are NOT in the GUI) it was shared by the product manager that this is an early test of this feature!  I'm sure that in the near future it will be a more robust feature as they work out issues such as you have encountered.

[gmnenad]

Thanks for answering. 

If this is an issue due to 'beta' status, and not a feature intended to stay, then I do not have a problem waiting for fix in stable version. After all, one of the reasons I posted here was to make this issue visible, since I had slim hopes that workaround exists even now. 

[Mekoides]

It's been nearly a year, an the same "temporary" issue still exists.  Has anyone discovered a workaround?

[RDPetruska]

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@Mekoides wrote:

It's been nearly a year, an the same "temporary" issue still exists.  Has anyone discovered a workaround?

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Have you tried the Workstation Tech Preview?  It supposedly has much better support for Windows 11 and the virtual TPM.  Personally, I'm staying far away from Win11 and newer Workstation builds as they broke features which I require for my work, so I don't have any personal experience - but from what I read it handles these issues better.