VMware Tools not functioning proprerly.

[mwerne01]

Hi,

I have a Windows Vista guest OS running in VMware Workstation 6.5.2, the most current version., on a Windows Vista host.

If I install VMware Tools it only seems to function for a short time. When it stops working, it still seems that all of the drivers are working, but I cannot copy and/or drag & drop between the VM and the host.

For the Guest Isolation setting on the VM I have "Enable drag and drop" checked as well as "Enable copy and paste" checked.

It seems after a rebbot is when VMware Tools stops functioning properly. VMware Tools no longer appears in the Windows Task Bar and if I go to the Contro Panel in the VM and try to open the VMware Tools Control Panel applet nothing happens. The VMware Tools service is running and I can stop, start, and/or restart the service with no problem.

I have to end up uninstalling VMware Tools and then re-installing it. Then VMware Tools seems to function normally again and I can drag & drop or copy & paste between the host and the VM. But only for a short time and (it seems) after a reboot of the guest OS. Then, VMware Tools acts flaking again and I go through the samle whole process of getting it wqorking again.

Has anyone ever seen this behavour?

[kjb007]

Do you have UAC enabled?

-KjB

VMware vExpert

[mwerne01]

Well, here is the deal with UAC - and I do believe that is part of my problem. This Vista VM is in a domain. Altohugh I do have Admin rights to the VM. I disable UAC and it keeps getting re-enabled, and I keep disabling it, so I am guessing a group policy is doing that. So I am starting to think that I disable UAC. I install VMware Tools, reboot, the UAC gets re-enabled thus causing problems with VMware Tools.

Is there a workaround for this without having UAC disabled becuase it doesn't appear that is going to be an option for me.

Thanks,

Mark

[kjb007]

When you check the service, what user is it running as?

-KjB

VMware vExpert

[mwerne01]

The service is running as the Local System account with "Allow service to interact with desktop" checked.

[kjb007]

Can you do this? Disable UAC, uninstall the tools, restart, reinstall the tools.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

[mwerne01]

I can, but just to recap. Every time I have installed Tools I have dones this.

1. Disable UAC and then restart.

2. Confirm UAC is still disabled then install Tools and restart.

3. Verify Tools is functioning properly.

I have done this several times.

After that it is hit or miss (upon the restarts thereafter) whether or not Tools is going to functioning properly after booting and logging on. I believe it stops functioning properly when the group policy re-enables UAC, though I am not sure. It is weird. Tools is still there. THe service is running. The drivers some to be working. But no Tools in the Task Bar. I cannot open the VMware Tools Control Panel Applet. None of the executables in the VMware Tools directory will run. And, my biggest issue, I cannot copy & past or drag & drop between the VM and the host. If Tools is in the Task Bar and I can open the VMware Control Panel applet then I can copy & past or drag & drop with no problem. My guess is then, at some point the group policy kicks back in, the VM is shutdown or rebooted at some point, and on the next boot up VMwate Tools is not functioning properly again.

[kjb007]

Ok, let's try the opposite approach. Enable UAC, kickoff the tools install, sign in and validate you want to continue, and go through the re-install/repair of the tools that way.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

[mwerne01]

Nope, that does not work. I even tried uninstalling Tools, restarting and then installing Tools. I even tried the Re-install VMware Tools option from the VM menu after it thought Tools was already installed, which it is. It goes through the motions just fine. UAC asks for my permission and off install goes. After reboot Tools is there, the drivers seems to be working fine. There is no VMware Tools in the Task Bar. No VMware Tools in the Programs list. Cannot open the VMware Tools Control Panel applet. Cannot copy & paste or drag & drop between host and VM. All files are in the VMware Tools folder. Cannot execute any files from that folder either. Same behavour as trying to open the Control Panel applet. It is defintely UAC I believe. I've had everything working just fine without UAC invloved until the group policy re-enables the UAC and the VM is rebooted.

I wish I could find away around this. Disabling UAC is going to be out of the question because it is out of my control.

[kjb007]

Tools should still work. The below is from the Guest_OS guide from vmware.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

Warnings When Installing VMware Tools on Some VMware Products

Windows Vista uses a new method to install drivers. As a result, and depending upon which VMware product

you are using, you may see warning messages at several stages during the installation of VMware Tools.

Sometimes these messages are hidden. The driver installation appears to stop. However, if you press Alt+Tab,

you can bring the warning message to the foreground. There are two types of messages.

--A message that indicates the driver is not Authenticode signed. When you see one of these messages, click

Install Now to continue installing VMware Tools.

-- A message that indicates the driver package is not compatible with Windows Vista. When you see one of

these messages, click Cancel to continue installing VMware Tools.

You might also see a message that indicates you should restart the operating system before the VMware Tools

installer has finished. Do not restart the guest operating system. Wait until the Installation Wizard Completed

screen appears and click Finish. Restart the guest operating system when prompted.

[mwerne01]

I have no problems with the install portion, just gettin the Tools to function. I've tried a lot of different things. There has to be some bug in Tools and/or who it interacts with UAC or some other policy being set. or something - or something how it relates to Vista and/or UAC.

Like I mentioned Tools seem to work for the most part, meaning the drivers, etc. However, copying & pasting and/or dragging & dropping between the VM and host won't work.

I can make it work for a little while but that is it.

[mwerne01]

Yea, I can install Tools over and over and over again, with any Administrator level account, domain, or local. The same results No VMware Tools in the system tray. Cannot open up the Control Panel applet from Control Panel.

Now I can even go into the VMware folder right click on the executables, select run as administrator and get Tools in the system tray, get the control panel applet to run, get the Tools updater to run, as well as execute all the other executable such as vmwareuser.exe. Still though I cannot copy & pasteor drag & drop between the VM and the host. The VM Guest Isolation settings are setup correctly.

[mwerne01]

So here is a monkey wrench to throw into the mix. I logged in as the "Administrator" account of the local machine, even though my domain account is Administrator equivalent as is my local account. With the "Administrator" account VMware Tools loads and works fine - all functions. So, as the "Administrator" I uninstalled and re-installed VMware Tools. I logged back on with the "Administrator" account and all VMware Tools functions work.

I logged out and logged in with my domain account, which again verified is an Administratort of the local machion - the virtual machine. An icon appears in the system tray that indicates "Blocked startup programs" .

There are two options, "Show or remove block startup programs" and "Run blocked programs".

When I choose "Show or remove blocked programs" the Windows System Configuration utility (msconfig) opens up, andif I wanted to I could disable thew two startup programs (listed in next paragraph).

The two options for "Run blocked programs" are "VMware Tools Service" and "VMware Tools tray application" I selected to run the "VMware Tools Service" first and then the "VMware Tools tray application" Both times the UAC permission window popped up and I confirmed permission for each. I can also go to Control Panel an execute the VMware Tools Control Panel applet and the UAC premission window will pop up. I grant permission and it runs too.

I can drag & drop from host to VM. Howver, I cannot drag & drop from VM to host, but I can copy & paste from VM to host.

This is the latest version of VMware Workstation 6.5.2 build-156735 . I am convinced that there are some issues/bugs with this version of VMware Tools and/or this version of VMware Workstation. I have used VMware Workstation for quite a few years and never had these kinds of issues. Or, it is an issue between VMware Tools and UAC.

[mwerne01]

One other item that appears in the "blocked startup programs" icon is "help" The help includes the following information:

To run a blocked program

Right-click the Blocked startup programs icon in the notification area.

Click Run blocked program, and then click the name of the program you want to run. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Note

You'll need to repeat these steps each time you want to run the program after starting Windows.

[kjb007]

Wow. Not very fun. I found this on another site: Windows Defender doesn't like startup items that are in the %username%\startup

folder. Take the entry out of the startup folder and create a registry entry

(string) in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Run

Name the

entry appropriately, and give it the exact path with any switches that might

apply. Windows Defender will not block it at startup.

There is also an alternative approach, long and convoluded, and I've never had to use it, at least not yet.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?p=9187371#post9187371

-KjB

VMware vExpert