Workstation 17 fails to start VM's

[LanceRasmussen]

Upgraded from 16.x to 17.x

A new Ubuntu Server 22.04LTS VM I created yesterday under 16.x will not boot once GRUB asks to start.

My Windows 10 and 11 VM's will not start and give me Windows MBR type errors where it can't start windows and fails to find Windows to start.

Downgraded back to 16.x. While my Ubuntu could start, my Windows VM's still wouldn't start. I had to restore from backups to get to work.

I do know people have been having problems with editing the VM settings, but in my case I've not touched the settings between running 16.x and upgrading to 17.x.

This is NOT a good start.

[javieralonso]

Same issue, machines are not starting

[pka4916]

Same here

All my windows 10 VM's are not booting with VMware Workstation Pro 17.01

seeing

2023-02-06T23:08:16.304Z In(05) main DictionaryLoad: Cannot open file "C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.
2023-02-06T23:08:16.304Z In(05) main [msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\VMware\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.

and this at the end

2023-02-06T23:09:26.593Z In(05) svga MKSSandboxComm: ISBRenderer might be unresponsive, retrying...
2023-02-06T23:10:27.832Z In(05) svga MKSSandboxComm: ISBRenderer might be unresponsive, retrying...
2023-02-06T23:11:29.616Z In(05) svga MKSSandboxComm: ISBRenderer might be unresponsive, retrying...
2023-02-06T23:12:30.753Z In(05) svga MKSSandboxComm: ISBRenderer might be unresponsive, retrying...
2023-02-06T23:13:25.386Z In(05) mks MKSThread: Requesting MKS exit
2023-02-06T23:13:25.386Z In(05) svga MKSSandboxComm: ISB closed the channel while reading
2023-02-06T23:13:25.386Z In(05) svga MKSRoleReplay: MKSRoleReplay_Run: Finished.
2023-02-06T23:13:25.387Z In(05) main Stopping MKS/SVGA threads
2023-02-06T23:13:25.387Z In(05) main MKS/SVGA threads are stopped
2023-02-06T23:13:25.387Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Powering off.
2023-02-06T23:13:25.387Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Powering off MKS
2023-02-06T23:13:25.388Z In(05) mks Stopped Shim3D
2023-02-06T23:13:25.416Z In(05) mks MKS-RenderMain: Stopped DX12Renderer
2023-02-06T23:13:25.418Z In(05) mks MKS PowerOff
2023-02-06T23:13:25.418Z In(05) svga SVGA thread is exiting
2023-02-06T23:13:25.418Z In(05) mks MKS thread is exiting
2023-02-06T23:13:25.419Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Exiting...
2023-02-06T23:13:25.419Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Exiting MKS
2023-02-06T23:13:25.419Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Exiting Sig
2023-02-06T23:13:25.419Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Skipping SSL (already exited)
2023-02-06T23:13:25.419Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Exiting Poll
2023-02-06T23:13:25.419Z In(05) main MKSRoleMain: Exiting Log

vmware-vmx.exe seems to be freezing up as well

[LanceRasmussen]

Can anyone confirm that the new Workstation 17 update released a week or two ago resolves?

[pka4916]

with 17.0.1  it's still happening.

[s5-jim]

Base OS          : Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS
Kernel Version: 5.15.0-60-generic

Problem:
Cannot create new virtual machines. The vmware "connecting" splash screen comes up and spins saying "connecting" then freezes. Behavior consistent even with a blank virtual machine with the install the OS later checked. If I downgrade the virtual machine compatibility to 16.X the virtual machine will boot but the splash screen overlays over the virtual machine window, approximately 3/4 of the window, making it impossible to use. Prior built virtual machines still work...its only new virtual machines that are the problem. Additionally I continue to use Ubuntu 20.04 instead of upgrading to 22.04 because the virtual machine manager refuses to capture the menu (windows) key and breaks all GNOME shortcuts. I expect this kind of thing from virtualbox because its opensource and community, but not from a for profit product.

Solution/Workaround:
Downgrade and freeze Linux kernel version to 5.15.0-46-generic.

Steps:
$ sudo apt-mark hold 5.15.0-46-generic
$ sudo apt install linux-image-5.15.0-46-generic linux-modules-5.15.0-46-generic linux-modules-extra-5.15.0-46-generic linux-headers-5.15.0-46-generic
$ sudo reboot

Select 5.15.0-46-generic from Ubuntu kernel menu, if menu doesn't appear do this: https://askubuntu.com/questions/16042/how-to-get-to-the-grub-menu-at-boot-time

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade
$ sudo apt install build-essential

Start VMWare Workstation Pro 17...if for whatever reason Workstation doesn't feel like recompiling the kernel modules 🙄
Download the bundle installer for your version of Vmware Workstation Pro

$ sudo vmware-installer -u vmware-workstation
$ sudo <VMWare bundle installer>

This solution "works on my box" and is no under no guarantee to work for you 😉

There appears to be a breaking change somewhere between 5.15.0-46-generic and 5.15.0-58-generic. My guess is that it is somewhere in the ether of Linux UI handling. I don't envy whomever has to hunt down this bug and port up to the latest kernel version, good luck on your journey in the magical forest.

[LanceRasmussen]

That's a shame, releasing version 17 and an update and still can not bring in any Windows VM's from version 16 in sucessfully.

[gmantil]

I have Workstation Pro 17.0.1, and I can install new Windows 10 VM, but I used easy install. But after the VM download and install updates, the system crash and the VM reverses the updates. In this moment is not possible to update the new VMs.

[LanceRasmussen]

Absolutely crazy to not release an update ASAP that fixes 17 to use VM's from VMWare 16.

[LanceRasmussen]

Has this been fixed in 17.0.2? Supposedly bridged networking is broken in 17.0.1 and in the new 17.0.2

[Olfried]

Same happens with

Ubuntu 22.04.2

kernel 5.19.0.41-generic,

VM 17.0.2

Unfortunatly s5-Jims method didn't fixed the issue. Even the "new made " windows VM or linux VM would not be loaded/started. Also the "editing the " .vmx file doesn't fix it.

Just to mention that this topic is not solved.

So back to the roots, changing SSDs.

@s5-jim Nevertheless thanks for Your information

[Thor_Heyerdahl]

Same config like Olfried:

Ubuntu 22.04.2

kernel 5.19.0.41-generic,

VMware Player  17.0.2

I try to open VM: select the .vmx and nothing happens...

add:

Kernel update April-26...

[R-Cooke]

Same problem with VMware Player 17.0.2 build-21581411

Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS

uanme -a

Linux developer1 5.19.0-46-generic #47~22.04.1-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Wed Jun 21 15:35:31 UTC 2 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I did the driver signing procedure that worked under Ubuntu 20.04.  But I have read around that there appears to be a problem with it under this new kernel. 

I have not figured out yet whether this is a:

1. Problem with Ubuntu's internal DKMS and mok system not working with the new kernel, or

2. This new kernel expects a different signing system that VMware has to support?

A quick way to expose the error:

sudo modprobe vmnet
modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'vmnet': Key was rejected by service

[goethe]

Thank you for s5-jim's workaround.

On my old Kubuntu 20.04 installation, it worked for me after reverting back to kernel 5.4.0.54-generic.

I really hope VMWare is going to fix this soon so I'll be able to use the VM after upgrading to Kubuntu 22 or 24.