Post 17.0.2 to 17.5 upgrade results in no networking (NAT) for VMs

[jfrostjr]

I upgraded from 17.0.2 to 17.5 on my Windows 11 Pro 22H2  based device today.   After completing the upgrade I can no longer get my VMs to connect to the default NAT.  Multiple reboots of the host do not make a difference or upgrading VMWare Tools on the VMs (Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2))

[mlzxdzl]

I have the same problem.  Do you solve this problem?

[SajeshR · Accepted solution]

Hi @jfrostjr 

Please provide below details as the issue did not repro from our end. 

1. Are you facing issue only in NAT mode? Bridge mode is working fine? If so please try out a clean installation of WS 17.5 
2. If the issue exists in NAT mode only, are they able to get IP in VMs? ping works between host and VM ?
3. Please provide VM support bundle. (Select VM >> Help >> Collect Support data ..)
4. Please provide the ISO used for Win10-Enterprise 22h2 version
     - I have downloaded from official website(https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/software-download/windows10) and no repro from our end. I used Windows 10 Pro edition
     - Host - Win11 22h2, GuestVM - Win10 22h2

Clean Install Workstation Pro/Player:
-----------------------------------------------
1) Uninstall WS Pro/Player.
2) Go to this location - C:\ProgramData\VMware and delete the folders for VMware Workstation and VMware Player.
3) Go to this location - C:\Users\dtomar\AppData\Roaming\VMware and delete all the files inside
4) Go to this location - C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware and delete the folders for VMware Workstation and VMware Player.
5) Install WS Pro/Player

Thanks,

[erremm]

Same problem here:

• Host: Windows 10 Enterprise 22H2
• Guest: Windows 10 Pro 22H2

Bridged configurations work. Virtual machines with NAT do not. Downgrading (reinstalling) 17.0.1 brings back NAT functionality.

• ping ip4/ip6/hostname address from host to guest works
• ping ip4/ip6 address from guest to host not working
• general (internet) network access on guest not working
• ping hostname from guest to host working (on IPv6 interface)

Thanks for a solution (except for bridging) the vms network connection.

[Flawinne_F]

I have the same problem, noticed that it is the nat service which is failing, but I have not found a solution, even after starting the service it crashes again after a few seconds.

event viewer error:

Faulting application name: vmnat.exe, version: 17.5.0.49595, time stamp: 0x652515c0
Faulting module name: vmnat.exe, version: 17.5.0.49595, time stamp: 0x652515c0
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00012c41
Faulting process id: 0x0x6AA8
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DA05D476CC2063
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe
Report Id: eb919a7b-acd5-4f5c-9130-226f6cdd9fbf
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

event viewer information:

Fault bucket 1711524447639117690, type 1
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: vmnat.exe
P2: 17.5.0.49595
P3: 652515c0
P4: vmnat.exe
P5: 17.5.0.49595
P6: 652515c0
P7: c0000005
P8: 00012c41
P9:
P10:

Attached files:
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.f66f1948-29dc-4bf4-b6a0-23ed030b9909.tmp.dmp
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.f1c94acf-b910-4c6d-984b-1d7126af41bc.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
\\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.6a6342f0-6e60-4afa-8ddc-deb1db16b4e4.tmp.csv

[compuaid]

Same problem here as well except my bridged networking does not work either.

Host: Windows 10 Pro 22H2

Guest: Windows 10 Pro 22H2

[Flawinne_F]

PC is Dell Precision 7520 - Xeon E3-1575M - 64GB - Windows 11 pro 22H2 build 22621.2428

I have the same problem, it is the VMware Nat service which falls and even after restarting the service, it falls when starting the virtual machine (Windows server 2022, windows 11, windows 10) ping dns google not ok

Linux not impact ping dns google is ok.

error event viewer:

Faulting application name: vmnat.exe, version: 17.5.0.49595, time stamp: 0x652515c0
Faulting module name: vmnat.exe, version: 17.5.0.49595, time stamp: 0x652515c0
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00012c3e
Faulting process id: 0x0x6540
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DA05D7DAF5F2D6
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe
Report Id: 4bd52010-5fda-47d5-9b56-7ecd3b75eef7
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Source
VMware NAT Service

Summary
Stopped working

Date
‎23/‎10/‎2023 21:50

Status
Report sent

Description
Faulting Application Path: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: vmnat.exe
Application Version: 17.5.0.49595
Application Timestamp: 652515c0
Fault Module Name: vmnat.exe
Fault Module Version: 17.5.0.49595
Fault Module Timestamp: 652515c0
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 000104f3
OS Version: 10.0.22621.2.0.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 2beb
Additional Information 2: 2beba6fb4680d73a8c78ca7c24ccdb46
Additional Information 3: 5172
Additional Information 4: 5172835497b9e2456a90f14d3db060af

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: 07c138315b1918d9d29a8202860ef5b0 (1340526786446816688)

[THENICKCHEESE]

Same problem as erremm:

Host: Windows 10 Pro 22H2

Guests: Kali Linux 2023.3, Windows 10 Pro 22H2, Windows Server 2019, Windows 7, Ubuntu 22.04

• ping ip4/ip6/hostname address from host to guest works (for all guests)
• ping ip4/ip6 address from guest to host not working (for all guests)
• general (internet) network access on guest not working (for all guests)

Version 17.0 works perfectly fine

[jfrostjr · Accepted solution]

This worked in my situation:

Clean Install Workstation Pro/Player:
-----------------------------------------------
1) Uninstall WS Pro/Player.
2) Go to this location - C:\ProgramData\VMware and delete the folders for VMware Workstation and VMware Player.
3) Go to this location - C:\Users\dtomar\AppData\Roaming\VMware and delete all the files inside
4) Go to this location - C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware and delete the folders for VMware Workstation and VMware Player.
5) Install WS Pro/Player

[chytons]

These suggestions did not work in my case. I had to uninstall 17.5 and reinstalled 17.0.2 before I could have internet in the VMs.

Below are my issues:
After upgrading from 17.0.2 to 17.5, I noticed that the VMs could not access the internet.
The VMs did receive IP addresses from NAT.
I could ping the VMs from the host.
I could ping the host from the VMs.
I couldn't ping the NAT gateway from the VMs.
The bridge network was working.

[LBrin]

Same Issue here - Upgraded from VMWare Workstation Pro 17.2 to 17.5 - Internet would no longer connect via NAT.

Had to do the clean install route for VMWare Workstation Pro 17.5

Clean Install Workstation Pro/Player:
-----------------------------------------------
1) Uninstall WS Pro/Player.
2) Go to this location - C:\ProgramData\VMware and delete the folders for VMware Workstation and VMware Player.
3) Go to this location - C:\Users\dtomar\AppData\Roaming\VMware and delete all the files inside
4) Go to this location - C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware and delete the folders for VMware Workstation and VMware Player.
5) Install WS Pro/Player

[visentet]

Hi!!

Same here in a Windows 7 64. Also, VMware NAT Service uses between 20 and 30% of cpu.

I'm reconsidering downgrade, it's insufferable.

[jfrostjr]

Did you attempt the clean install (all steps, not just uninstall from control panel) as others and myself have reported as working?

[visentet]

Hi jfrostjr, yes, I did a clean install, but vmnat has a high use of cpu. I did what says in https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Pro/High-CPU-usage-by-vmnat-exe-after-upgrade-t...

[Flawinne_F]

Unable to do internal debugging in the "VMware NAT Service", I did this action to resolve my problem.
It is clear that there is a conflict on the my 2 DELL laptops that I own with the new executable "vmnat.exe".

Even by doing a complete clean of files and registry in system mode, nothing fixed my problem except the workaround that I applied on my laptops.
I hope a future version will fix my problem.

workaround:
Copy the "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe" to the "%userprofile%\Desktop".
launch the update to version 17.5 execute the update.
Stop the “VMware NAT Service” service
rename the file "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vmnat.exe"
copy the "%userprofile%\Desktop\vmnat.exe" to "C:\Windows\SysWOW64"
Start the VMware NAT Service

My problem is fixed, no more malfunction of the "VMware NAT Service" service, communication from the VM to its default gateway is restored.

[chytons]

This workaround solved my issue.
Thanks to @Flawinne_F

[erobrich]

I'm struggling with this as well.  Win 11 22H2 for both host and guests, all fully patched.  All guests use NAT networking.  Upgraded from VMware Workstation 17 to 17.5, and after some time, all the guests lost DNS.  I see the VMware NAT service is using 17-25% of host's CPU ... and my laptop fans confirm this.  I went into the VMware virtual network adapter, added my host's DNS as a manual DNS entry, refreshed guest's network connection and flushed DNS, and network connectivity was restored.  This will work great until my laptop moves to another network.  I then went back in and cleared the manual DNS, flushed guest's DNS and refreshed IP, and it still had DNS resolution from the guests.  Yes, I could down-grade the NAT service to 17.0.2, but I'm really trying not to.  Maybe we'll quickly get a 17.5.1 patch release that solves this?

[gsmithx2]

The aforementioned workaround did indeed resolve my NAT issue, but only temporarily. This morning, it was back. I saw the other workaround mentioned was to save the prior version, but it's already gone on my machine. However, restarting the VMware NAT Service has given me (at least temporary) relief. Not sure how long it will last, but my guests have network back for now and I can probably make due until 17.5.1 comes out, which I hope is soon!

[Xaiamas]

Sams issue Windows 11H2, with many guests. Solution did not solve. NAT still fails with ~20% CPU usage.

[chytons]

Did you try the workaround @Flawinne_F suggested?