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harishms007
Contributor
Contributor

VMware console Black screen

Hi,

When we open the virtual server in vmware console, it always open a black screen console as attached, please advice. This happens for all the virtual servers hosted on that cluster.

We are using vsphere 4.0.

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jesse_gardner
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

For me that's always the screensaver, or power-saving monitor shutoff in the guest. Try clicking into the window and moving the mouse around a bunch, or hit harmless keys like shift or space?

I also notice that looks like web access. Does it look the same in the full vCenter client?

(edit)

On second look, your icons look strange too. What OS are you running the client on? I've seen similar strange looking application buttons when McAfee Virusscan's Buffer Overflow Protection was making false positives, though I'm not saying that's exactly the case here.

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harishms007
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HI Jess,

Thanks for your reply,

This is not happening in one or two VM's, but it is happening for all the VMs in the cluster.

I have tried clicking inside the console and pressing the keys but the screen is still black.

This is not the web console and it is from VI Client.

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jesse_gardner
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When you say "all VMs in cluster", is that all VM's, period? Do you have one cluster and all of your VMs exhibit this, or do some other VMs work in the same vCenter?

I'm leaning towards a problem with the client, given the odd black around the icons I see in your screenshot. What OS is the client? Can you try the vSphere client from a simple XP workstation? What version of vCenter, and vSphere Client are you running?

...and taking it a step further...

Are there any firewalls, software or hardware, in between you and the host? Much of the vCenter interaction is between you and the vCenter server, but the console tab communicates directly with the ESX(i) host. Try using the vSphere client to login directly to one of the hosts?

harishms007
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

I have found why this is happening.

Actually, i was RDPing to my VC (Display settings as 256 colours) and working on VI Client over there and the issue was there.

Now i have changed the display settings as 16-bit and RDP to that VC and there is no issues and all icons and console is perfect.

Thanks very much.

HMS

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jesse_gardner
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Interesting behavior for that color depth setting. Glad you figured it out!

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