Unable to install VMWare Player nor Workstation nor anything

[defaria]

All seem to fail the same way with a message like:

Yet I have verified that the file exists and I can access it. What's the deal?

I had VMWare Player 6.0.5 and could not install/update VMWare tools. So I suspending my guest OS and restarted VMPlayer. It told me that there's a new VMWare Workstation 10.x something and did I want to update to it. OK, sure. It downloaded the update and tried to install. Said it needed to uninstall VMWare Player 6.0.5. Being suspicious I went and downloaded VMWPlayer 6.0.5 in case it messed up the install of Workstation 10.0. Of course, it did. So I tried to install Player 6.0.5 so I could get back to my suspended VM. I believe it said I couldn't install because I haven't rebooted. So I rebooted. Now I can't install Player 6.0.5 nor Workstation 10.0.0 or anything. They all fail about the same way saying the can't find an .msi file that I can find and access.

HELP!

BTW, you guys have way too many product and names making all of this confusing. What do I use? Player? Workstation? Spear? vCenter, Fusion. The list goes on and on. Don't try to give me list of "Well this is for that and that for this other thing". The point is there are too many products and it's too confusing. If you wish to tell me at all what the product structure is just limit it to the product I should be using. I have a Windows 7 box and would like to run Ubuntu desktop in a VM - that's all...

THanks.

[TheQuestion]

This should go without saying, but have you tried UN-installing everything? Removing all traces of the installation that is causing you the problem, and re-installing everything fresh should fix everything up nicely.

BTW, you guys have way too many product and names making all of this confusing. What do I use? Player? Workstation? Spear? vCenter, Fusion. The list goes on and on. Don't try to give me list of "Well this is for that and that for this other thing". The point is there are too many products and it's too confusing. If you wish to tell me at all what the product structure is just limit it to the product I should be using. I have a Windows 7 box and would like to run Ubuntu desktop in a VM - that's all...

This isn't complicated at all. Chances are, you're just a very casual user way in over your head. However, to answer your question, VMware Workstation is what you probably want to use.

VMware Player - This is a stripped down version of Workstation

VMware Workstation - This is what you want to be using.

VMware vSphere (correct spelling, not "spear") - This is server virtualization. You don't need this, and have no use for it.

VMware vCenter - This manages VMware vSphere environments. You don't need this, and have no use for it.

VMware Fusion- This is for running Windows on a MAC. It's a similar program to Parallels. You don't need this, and have no use for it.

Most of the programs you see listed are business class, enterprise level software. To a casual user these may seem confusing, however, understand these are necessary in a business environment. If you're looking for something free that does very basic functions, you could always use Virtual Box:

Oracle VM VirtualBox

Other than that, VMware Workstation is the best software out there. It's the best at emulating 3D-Acceleration. So if you're going to be running 3D graphics or playing games, then Workstation is a must.

[defaria]

Like I said initially "Said it needed to uninstall VMWare Player 6.0.5". So it uninstalled the last version. Of course, at this point there is nothing to uninstall. Now if you mean some other uninstall procedure like going into regedit or removing files from here or there then kindly point me to the directions on how to do that.

In any event, an error message saying you can't get to a file that I can get to is, IMHO, an incorrect error message in that it is not true. Clearly

Regarding the product structure, I don't see why I would need Workstation. IOW why wouldn't Player be enough? We have vCenter here at my client but this is just a little thing I'm doing on my laptop. As for Fusion, I fail to see why you need a different product for Macs only. I mean you have Player and Workstation for both Windows and Linux and they share the same product names. Why does Mac need a different name? Never understood that.

My worry was that at some point $$$ will be asked for. I never know if Player is free and Workstation costs. Sometimes and some paths I've been through the web site it seems as if I might have to pay money. Indeed some of the download pages say "Free trial". So I didn't want to go from Player, which is free to Workstation on a free trial then have to pay. Again, my client already has vCenter but I did not want to bother their busy schedule to cut me a VM and then I'd have to justify why I'm doing this. Additionally which version of Workstation is the latest?

As for confusing products, going to Evaluate and Download VMware Products for a Virtual Infrastructure - VMware | United States I find:

• VMware Horizon 6
• VMware Horizon FLEX
• VMware Mirage
• VMware Workspace
• VMware vRealize Operations for Horizon
• VMware Socialcast
• VMware ThinApp
• VMware App Volumes
• VMware User Environment Manager

Personal Desktop

• VMware Workstation
• VMware Fusion
• VMware Fusion Pro
• VMware Player Pro

So, Workstation? Player? Player Pro? What is Horizon?!? Flex? Mirage? Workspace? Anything like Workstation. I could go on. You have a lot of products and it's hard to find the right one and the right version. This is a customer telling you this.

[defaria]

More info... OK so I removed instances of VMWare directories on my harddrive as well as from the registry. Downloaded VM Workstation 11.1.1-277112 (apparently there's a new one). When I run it it created a vmware_1433873694 directory and unpacked things in there. Contained inside is a vmwareworkstation.msi file. At this point I made a copy. Proceeding through the dialog prompts I eventually fail with message "The MSI 'C:\Cygwin\tmp\vmware_1433873694\vmwareworkstation.msi' failed". But the copy I made had that file. And it's accessible. If I attempt to run it however I get "Please wait while Windows configures VMware Workstation" followed by a dialog that says "Error reading from file C:\Cygwin\tmp\vmware_1433873694 - Copy\vmwareworkstation.msi. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it". A well duh! Of course it exists and I can access it - I just ran it!!! Retrying it yields the same error.

Changing permissions on the file (adding Everyone) and running it and I got that it was not started with EULAS_AGREED=1 so I ran it from the command line with EULAS_AGREED=1 and it installed! Weird!

Oh great. So now it says:

I was afraid this would happen...

[defaria]

OK, my vmworkstation is about to expire tomorrow. Where do I get a a vmplayer that does not require a license?

[TheQuestion]

defaria‌

OK, my vmworkstation is about to expire tomorrow. Where do I get a a vmplayer that does not require a license?

VMware Workstation isn't freeware. It requires a paid license to run.

[defaria]

I was using VMPlayer, which is free. I was encouraged(pushed?) to use VMWorkstation. Your product promoted VMWorkstation 10.0 on my at startup. Additionally people here urged me to get Workstation because it. In fact it was you, TheQuestion, who said "VMware Workstation is what you probably want to use" and "VMware Workstation - This is what you want to be using". Indeed I even questioned with "Regarding the product structure, I don't see why I would need Workstation. IOW why wouldn't Player be enough?". It was during that time that I got stuck, unable to go back to VMPlayer - the free version - and even unable to move forward to VMWorkstation. Eventually I got VMWorkstation to install but really:

1. If you are going to require an uninstall of the previous version then you better be successful at doing that!
2. If the user wishes to install back to a previous version of your product that should be allowed.
3. You should never put a person in the position oi having to pay for a product because your software (install/uninstall) failed to perform it's task.

I even said at the time "My worry was that at some point $$$ will be asked for". I was very explicit about that. Nothing I'm saying here is incorrect nor hidden - review the "video tape" if you don't believe me. I got effectively trapped into a situation where I must now pay. I don't particularly like such apparent, hard sell tactics!

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Please note that this is a peer user support forum and as such it is mostly VMware users helping other VMware users that make up the bulk of this forum. There are VMware employees answering every now and then, but none so in your case here (note: VMware employees can be recognized as they have a little "vm" logo next to their name)

As for your current issue. If you install VMware Workstation then you also installed VMware Player alongside.

Even after VMware Workstation expires, you can continue to use the free VMware Player.

Hope this helps,

--

Wil

[TheQuestion]

defaria‌

it was you, TheQuestion, who said.....

Yeah, I RECOMMENDED (key word there) Workstation, but I certainly didn't push it on you. And if you actually bothered to comprehend my post, then you would have realized two things.

1. VMware Player is a stripped down version of Workstation. It cannot do everything Workstation can because it does not have all the necessary functions. This is why it is free.

2. Most importantly, VMware Player does not support 3D Acceleration. So if what you are trying to do in Player requires graphics processing of ANY kind, you won't be able to accomplish it using Player.

[defaria]

That's what I found so that's what I'm doing. However I'm deathly afraid of updating. Of all the software I have installed that required an uninstall of the previous version, VMware software fails the most. I never as many issues with such installation of any other software.

[defaria]

Yeah, I RECOMMENDED (key word there) Workstation, but I certainly didn't push it on you.

When you come to a forum and the recommend something that strongly, to me that's pushing it. No you can't force it on me, but you certainly did push it as in "push the cheeseburgers - we made too many".

And if you actually bothered to comprehend my post, then you would have realized two things.

1. VMware Player is a stripped down version of Workstation. It cannot do everything Workstation can because it does not have all the necessary functions. This is why it is free.

I did comprehend your post and I know that VMware Player is a stripped down version. But you never said it was free. For free you actually suggested VirtualBox. Maybe you should comprehend your post...

2. Most importantly, VMware Player does not support 3D Acceleration. So if what you are trying to do in Player requires graphics processing of ANY kind, you won't be able to accomplish it using Player.

This is not true. As has been pointed out, a copy of VMplayer is included in Workstation and I'm currently running that. And I have a full Compiz, spinning cube, flying windows 3d accelerated graphics going. Yeah there are some glitches, specially on the second monitor and maybe Workstation would fix those.

[wila]

Hello,

This is not true. As has been pointed out, a copy of VMplayer is included in Workstation and I'm currently running that. And I have a full Compiz, spinning cube, flying windows 3d accelerated graphics going. Yeah there are some glitches, specially on the second monitor and maybe Workstation would fix those.

VMware Player and VMware Workstation share the same virtualisation backend. Sure some parts are not included (think making snapshots), here is the official list:

Compare VMware Workstation 11 to VMware Player Pro

Glitches I do not expect to be fixed in Workstation, but yes it might have a few extra options for settings.

The 3D engine however is indeed there.

As for your install problems.. the main thing I notice in your errors  is that they are all located in a subfolder of cygwin.

I remember cygwin and that it did very weird things to the pathing both in regards to user credentials on the paths itself as well as in the search paths and those can mess up things for an installer. Of course your problems could have originated somewhere completely different, just saying that that part stood out to me.

FWIW.. I never have problems installing, but that doesn't say much I guess.

Oh and if you want you can take part in the public tech preview of the next version, it comes with an unlimited license until  December.

Details are here: VMware Workstation Technology Preview 2015

Yes it is a beta version, so not recommended for production.

Yes you also might bump into the same install problem again, but if you post your problems at the forum there, I expect VMware employees to help diagnose what is wrong as they do like to know why a problem occurs and see if it is fixable.

--

Wil

[defaria]

This has nothing to do with Cygwin. The only reason you even saw Cygwin was that I set TMP=C:\Cygwin\tmp. That's it. IOW "install" was not kicked off from the Cygwin environment therefore Cygwin had nothing to do with this.

My current problem is that suddenly, and seemingly randomly, VMware will just abort with a dialog box and I have to restart the whole VM, often losing considerable work. Usually I have to remove any *.lck directories first.

[defaria]

OK just crashed again!

Attached the log. Could not find "vm-support" to run. My host OS is Windows 7.

Typically I just remove any of the *.lck directories and restart but this is very disturbing as I lose everything I'm working on.

I'm assuming my "support entitlement" is zilch.... :smileycry:

[TheQuestion]

defaria‌

Could not find "vm-support" to run.

That's just their generic information gathering tool. It's the same king anti-virus companies have you run when you contact their customer support. If you are not actually contacting a VMware Tech Rep, then you don't need to worry about running this.

defaria‌   I'm assuming my "support entitlement" is zilch....

Yup. VMware is famous for it's lack of customer support. If you want to get professional technical support, you'd have to shell over $50 for "Pay Per Incident" support:

VMware Incident Support | United States

I almost purchased this myself, however, I eventually solved my own problem.

[defaria]

It may be their generic information gathering tool however it's nowhere to be found on my system.

[TheQuestion]

defaria‌

It may be their generic information gathering tool however it's nowhere to be found on my system.

I'm sure tech support would link you a copy if you contacted them. I don't have it on my system either, and to be honest, I consider that to be a good thing.