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bkshimkus
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Installing VMware Tools causes guest OS to reboot without warning...

I'm running ESX 3.5 (build 110268) and I'm having problems with the installation of VMware Tools onto guest OS's.

Ever since I updated from 3.5u1 to 3.5u2 (with all patches installed, as of 8/18/08), when I attempt to install VMware Tools into a guest OS (such as Windows 2003 or Ubuntu 7.10), after the installation completes, the guest OS reboots without warning. During a typical interactive installation on a Windows-based system, the installer will prompt to reboot the OS for changes to take effect. In my situation, the console screen goes black and the only way to bring it back up is to power off the VM, then power it back on. Upon startup, Windows indicated that the last system shutdown was unexpected. When I attempt to install VMware tools on Ubuntu 7.10, the same problem happens--once the installation gets to the end, the system just reboots on its own. This hasn't been my experience in the past.

Has anybody else seen/heard/experienced this problem before with 3.5u2?

bks

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markdjones82
Expert
Expert

Only issues that I have had recently are that the network gets restarted, but the entire machine does not reboot. We also noticed on redhat that the network doesn't get restarted after the automatic install.

PS: I haven't been able to get the vmware tools installed on Ubuntu 8.04 due to the kernel and headers not working properly. Any help?

http://www.twitter.com/markdjones82 | http://nutzandbolts.wordpress.com
bkshimkus
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Take a look at this link:

I haven't personally tried it, but from other posts I've seen, people have had good results.

bks

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bkshimkus
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Here's some additional information...

On a Windows 2003 host, it appears that when the installer gets to "starting services" the system reboots without warning.

When the system boots up, an error message about "one or more services failed to start", and the dialog box to input a reason for the unexpected shutdown appears. Once you get back to the desktop of the VM, you can re-run the VMware tools installer--it completes successfully and prompts for a reboot. Upon reboot, everything appears to be working properly.

bks

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lfchin
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In windows 2003, if you dun want to get reboot automatically, I will suggest you to log in to the VM console through the virtual infrastructure client or mstsc /admin, and manually initiate the installation or vmtools upgrade. Once it finish, remember to click NO to reboot later.

This will avoid unexpected downtime.

Rolando

Craig http://malaysiavm.com
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virtualesxer
Contributor
Contributor

In windows 2003, if you dun want to get reboot automatically, I will suggest you to log in to the VM console through the virtual infrastructure client or mstsc /admin, and manually initiate the installation or vmtools upgrade. Once it finish, remember to click NO to reboot later.

How do you manually start it from within Windows 2003 (works on 2008 too, I hope?). You mean, just mount /vmimages/tools-isoimages/windows.iso, and run? Also, when I make a snapshhot, will 'revert to snapshot' undo the install, or is it a 'meta' config change that revert has no effect on?

Spontaneous reboots do not sound very promising, but I need them to downsize a VM disk.

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lfchin
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

in windows 2003 console, you will see a vmtools icon on the task bar beside the clock on the bottom right hand side. double click the icon from vmware, it will have a tools properties prompt up. loock at the 3 option which check by default "notify if upograde is available" there is an upgrade button beside it and press on the upgrade button. it will initiate the start of the vmtools update or installation.

Rolando

Craig http://malaysiavm.com
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virtualesxer
Contributor
Contributor

Okay, thanks. But I'm installing them from scratch (not updating them). So, would the manual mount trick work then?

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lfchin
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

slightly different

open the console from the virtual center

click on vm and select install vmware tools

u will able to control the entire installation process manually once the initation done. Make sure you had log in to the windows before u start this.

Rolando

Craig http://malaysiavm.com
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virtualesxer
Contributor
Contributor

Ah yes, thanks! That worked perfectly, without weird resets. Smiley Happy It nicely prompted me whether I wanted to reboot.

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lfchin
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

even if you upgrade ur vm tools in future, to avoid auto reboot, you may need to do the same as you did now. Smiley Happy

Rolando

Craig http://malaysiavm.com
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Texiwill
Leadership
Leadership

Hello,

Moved to VI: Virtual Machine and Guest OS forum.


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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acoustix
Contributor
Contributor

I'm having the same problem as the original poster in this thread. All of my 2003 server VMs unexpectedly restart duing the VMware tools installation. It happens right after the installation displays "starting services" and "installing SVGA driver". The host will restart and ask for a reason why the machine was restarted. The tools don't install fully the first time. So after the unexpected reboot, I have to reinstall the tools.

Any ideas on what could be causing this?

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mciantar
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

I am having the exact same problem. The only posts I found with regards to this matter are this post and the following:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/167951

None of them seem to have been adressed with a solution.

Could it be related to the hardware we are using?

Thanks!

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acoustix
Contributor
Contributor

Good question. I'm running Dell PowerEdge 805 servers with dual AMD quad-core processors and 32GB RAM. No hard drives - just embeded flash for ESXi.

-Nick

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mciantar
Contributor
Contributor

The only common thing here is the Embedded Flash. I was running on an HP BL465 with AMD on its directly attached storage using the installable version and everything was working fine. I have now switched to an IBM HS21 running INTEL without drives and just Embedded Flash and I've hit this issue... Maybe we should try with the installable instead unless someone could help us out.

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