Loss of my Bridge connection with the latest Windows update.

[laurentbensch]

After updating Windows 10, my network connection no longer works in my VMs.

I have VMWare WorkStation version 12.5.9

I tried without success:

- Restore Defaults in Virtual Network Editor

- Reinstallation VMWare WorkStation

Any ideas ?

[diegodco31]

the vms on same network can ping?

[bluefirestorm]

Make sure that the VMware Bridge Protocol is bound to the network adapter(s), be it the wired Ethernet or the WiFi adapter (see first screenshot below). You go to ncpa.cpl and check.

If VMware Bridge Protocol is checked and the problem persists try a "Network Reset" (see second screenshot below) of the Windows 10. Note that "Network Reset" will wipe out any existing VPN and WiFi hotspots. I had to do a Network Reset after build 1709 when out-of-the-blue the VMware Workstation 12.5.x VM networks were intermittently failing.

[laurentbensch]

Hello, thank you for your answers.
When I try to install the "VMware Bridge Protocol" Service on my network adapter, I get an error message:
- Can not add the requested feature. The error is: Access denied.

[bluefirestorm]

Try to invoke the ncpa.cpl or Control Panel with Admin. You should be able to select Windows Powershell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin) through Windows Key+X. The security context should carry forward to any process you invoke. You can also try a "Repair" with Admin rights in case the "Access denied" is misleading that some files were not installed.

[laurentbensch]

I just tried to run ncpa.cpl from PowerShell (Admin): Without success, same message.

By cons, I do not understand what you mean by "Repair", the network adapter? VMware connections?

[bluefirestorm]

What I meant by "Repair" is Repair the installation of Workstation Pro software; this is in lieu of uninstalling-reboot-reinstall-reboot. Sometimes "Repair" installation is sufficient to fix certain installation problems.

Quite aware that you had already tried re-installing but just thought it might be the case installing without Admin rights might have caused some steps to quietly fail (i.e. no error messages).

[laurentbensch]

So I actually reinstalled VMware WorkStation Pro, but with the Administrator account directly.

[bluefirestorm]

What is the output when you run

sc query vmnetbridge

sc query vmnetuserif

Are the files vmnetbridge.sys and vmnetuserif.sys present in the %windir%\system32\drivers folder?

Have you tried to do the Windows 10 "Network Reset"?

[laurentbensch]

sc query vmnetbridge :

[SC] EnumQueryServicesStatus:OpenService échec(s) 1060 :

Le service spécifié n’existe pas en tant que service installé. (Service not installed)

sc query vmnetuserif

SERVICE_NAME: vmnetuserif

        TYPE               : 1  KERNEL_DRIVER

        STATE              : 4  RUNNING

                                (STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)

        WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)

        SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)

        CHECKPOINT         : 0x0

        WAIT_HINT          : 0x0

The files are present in the System32 directory

[bluefirestorm]

You could try manually installing the vmnetbridge.

In C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation, there should be files netbridge.inf, vmnetbridge.sys as well as the command line tools vnetlib64.*

From the command line, execute

vnetlib64 -- install bridge

Those are two hyphens followed by space and the word install. You can also look at this document Vnetlib - Documenting the command line as reference.

If that does not work, try the "Repair" install.

[laurentbensch · Accepted solution]

I finally found my problem and I feel pretty silly, it's my anti-virus that prevented network changes, by turning it off, everything worked.
Thanks for your help.