Right click on folder completely hangs VMWare Windows session

[mtlpa24]

This is a new phenomenon which I cannot explain. I have seen it on both 6.0.4 and 6.5.1 versions. I reverted back to the former thinking 6.5.1 was the problem but apparently not. OS is Windows XP SP3.

Problem is that after you boot up if you right click (to get explorer context menu) on any folder (Recycle bin, a regular folder, whatever) you simply hang into oblivion. There is no remedy to escape. Nor can you go to task manager to see what is happening. The VM is frozen completely and you must power off.

The logged event that coincides with this in the vmware logging is as follows (the line in red):

Jan 05 16:07:27.677: vcpu-0| TOOLS don't need to be upgraded.

Jan 05 16:07:27.817: vcpu-0| Guest: toolbox: Version: build-93057

Jan 05 16:07:27.817: vcpu-0| TOOLS unified loop capability requested by 'toolbox'; now sending options via TCLO

Jan 05 16:08:13.770: vcpu-0| VIDE: (0x1f0) OUTB Cmd 0xb0, Unknown ATA Command on drive 0

Jan 05 16:17:40.020: vcpu-0| VMMouse: CMD Read ID

Jan 05 16:17:40.020: vcpu-0| MKS switching absolute mouse on

Jan 05 16:17:45.442: vmx| DISKLIB-LIB :numIOs = 100000 numMergedIOs = 12230 numSplitIOs = 0

Jan 05 16:17:47.286: vcpu-0| TOOLS unified loop capability requested by 'toolbox-dnd'; now sending options via TCLO

Jan 05 16:17:47.286: vcpu-0| GuestRpc: Channel 1, registration number 1, guest application

Any ideas what might be going on. I had used this VM for a long time with no issues until relatively recently. I today also tried cloning to a new copy but no improvement. It CAN BE a sporadic problem. If the context menu shows first time, all is well. If not, all is lost and there is no remedy except to reboot (power off).

Greatly appreciate any help on this one. It's getting to be a real problem for me.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts,

Mike

[Scissor]

Is anything logged in your Guest's Event Log?

- Try configuring the Guest CD-ROM to start Disconnected.

- Try running chkdsk /f on your Guest's C: drive.

- Try running chkdsk /f on your Host's C: drive.

Perhaps something is hooking your right-click menu in Windows and is causing problems. Any strange software installed/removed recently? You running anti-virus inside your Guest?

[mtlpa24]

Thank you. This is the only event (bottom of this) that looks in any way remarkable and seems to happen around and about the time of the hangs.

So far opening CD disconnected and chkdsk have not cured but there may be some bum index entries on the guest disk so I will try to fix.

There are app's installed which add entries to the context menu. (ExamDiffPro and CoolFind and Winzip but these have not proven problematic in the past). I can't put my finger on what's changed but something has. Perhaps it was opening the VM in 6.5.1 (I have now gone back to 6.0.4) that somehow corrupted the VM??? I do not recall this happening pre 6.5.1 upgrade to Workstation.

Thanks for your response.

Mike

====

The description for Event ID ( 1 ) in Source ( LGTO_Sync ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: , The Driver was loaded successfully .

[mtlpa24]

chkdsk (readonly) on the guest and host both found index problems so I will rerun with /F and report if that helps the issue).

AV is installed on guest and has not found anything significant.

Mike

[mtlpa24]

Hmmm maybe this is entirely unrelated to VMWare workstation.

Sorry to have troubled you if so. (I have not confirmed but it sounds suspiciously as though this is entirely a non-VMWare issue and somehwo just happened to come to the fore with my virtual machine lately)

[mtlpa24]

Deleting 2 UNC
.... entries from registry HKCR so far appears to have removed the problem.

[Scissor]

Excellent troubleshooting! Glad things are working for you now.