I'm running VMWare Workstation Pro 12.5.0 build-4352439 and it is crashing when I try to run it.
Background
I run my VMWare host on Windows 7 64bit OS that has two or three NIC cards.
I don't use the HOST OS for any work so it doesn't have internet connectivity.
I set the default routes to "blank" so only things on the local network can be reached.
I periodically add default routes and install Window and VMWare patches, and then
disable the default routes to leave the HOST OS without internet access.
Something happened and I was getting VMWare crashes when using multiple monitors
and then VMWare Workstation Pro would not start up.
The error was:
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VMware Workstation unrecoverable error: (vmui)
Exception 0xc0000005 (access violation) has occured.
A log file is available in "C:\Users\user1\AppData\Local\Temp\vmware-user1\vmware-ui-2052.log".
You can request support.
To collect data to submit to VMWare support, choose "Collect Support Data" from the Help Menu.
You can also run the "vm-support" script in the Workstation folder directly.
We will respond on the basis of your support entitlement.
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I don't have support, so I'm sending in this question on the forum with the hopes someone can help.
What have I done?
(1) Update Windows 7 to install all of the latest patches.
(2) Download and install the latest version of VMWare Workstation Pro 12.5 build-4352439.
(3) And opened my previously created VMs.
(4) Everything worked.
(5) I disabled my default router so again VMware's NIC interface would have no route to the internet.
(6) VMWare Workstation Pro crashed when the app was started.
(7) I re-enabled the internet, and it ran. Hum.
(8) I don't want to have my host OS connected to the internet so I disabled it to collect a log file to submit here for support.
(9) For grins, I ran "VMWare repair" (with No HOST internet connectivity), and this fixed VMWare. It would start again.
(10) Things ran for several days but the problem has re-occurred.
What is odd, is that some days it will startup and run without a problem but other days it won't start ever.
I typically have three to five VMs running so almost always I have one VM UI working, and if I open the VM
I want in that UI, it opens and runs without a problem.
Another thing that started happening is that VMs running under a multi-monitor setup would no longer expand
to all monitors. I have 4 monitors (all 24" 1920x1080 or so) and in a combination of landscape and portrait views.
For years, VMware has worked fine with this configuration. The last two releases have become less stable.
In most cases, I don't need all 4 monitors for a single VM and so I'll just expand to 2 monitors or 3 in some cases.
But if I expand to the 4th monitor VMWare crashes or says "I can't switch to that mode". When it crashes the
VM remains running and IFF I'm able to restart VMware I can sometimes re-attach to the running VM.
Other times I can't.
I run a combination of:
(1) Windows 7 (has issues expanding to 4 monitors), but goes to 2 monitors reliably and sometimes 3 monitors. This used to run on all 4 monitors for the last two years.
(2) Windows 10 (works consistently when expanding to 4 monitors)
(3) CentOS 7.2 (fails with 4 monitors, but has worked up to 3 monitors). Similar to Windows 7.
(4) Some other versions of Linux in which multi-monitor support doesn't work (no VMWare tools support).
I'd like to get back to a stable host OS platform, and would like recommendations.
NOTE: I don't care if my host OS is Windows or Linux as I don't do any "work" on the host OS, so if there is a multi-monitor version of LINUX that works well with VMWare please let me know, and I'll look to get that system set up and begin using it.
I love the VMWare products. For years they have been wonderful to have and they have supported the multi-monitor setup wonderfully since it was first supported.
Thanks for a great product!
Patrick
