Workstation 8 Install Error 1920 - Service VMware Authorization Service did not start.

[iSparhawk]

I keep getting the following error message when trying to install vmwre-workstation-full-8.0.0-471780.exe:

Error 1920. Service VMware Authorization Service (VMAuthdService) failed to start.

Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services.

Here is what I have tried so far:

- I'm running Windows 7 (X64) with SP1, 8 Intel Xeon E5620 cores, 12 GB of memory.

- Rebooted and tried multiple times (4)

- Ran installation as administrator each time.

- The MD5 sum of the download matches the website.

- No other programs are running.

- VMware workstation 7 was uninstalled first.

- I've searched forums and google but only came across similar problems for different product.  None of the workarounds work here.

[a_p_]

What I don't see in your list is that you deactivated UAC. Maybe worth a try!?

see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1007131

André

[iSparhawk]

Thanks for the quick response.  I looked at UAC.  It was already set to the lowest setting, "Never notify".

- I looked at the WMI service and it was running already.

- I have been using the "Typical" settings in the installer the whole time.

[a_p_]

Do you have an AV, firewall and/or endpoint protection applications running on your system which may block the installer?

André

[iSparhawk]

I do have the following on my system:

McAfee VirusScan Enterprise, McAfee Agent, McAfee SiteAdvisor Enterprise Plus, McAfee Host Intrusion Prevention

It's a corporate thing and can't seem to disable any of it.

More facts:

- I just tried the installation of Workstation 8 on a second machine (my laptop) and it still fails.

- both machines had a fully licensed Workstation 7 installation 7.1.4 on them before trying to install Workstation 8

- on my desktop, Workstation 8 automatically uninstalled Workstation 7

- on my laptop, I used the control panel to uninstall Workstation 7 (but left the serial number information)

- on my desktop, Workstation 7 (7.1.5) will re-install correctly (I haven't tried my notebook).

The Workstation 8 installation still fails on both machines.  It seems strange that Workstation 7 will install and re-install but not Workstation 8.  Any help would be appreciated.

[iSparhawk]

OK I did find info on how to disable McAfee for 15 minutes.  I first rebooted to start with a clean system.  I disabled McAfee's Access Protection and On-Access Scanner.  I then ran the Workstation 8 installer (while watching to make sure the McAfee features remained disabled).  It eventually displayed the same Error 1920.

[ncm89]

I have had the same problem as you, and I resolved as follows:
1-open the window of "services"
2-select the process "vmware authorization service"
3-I right click on the process and I click "properties"
4-then select the "login"
5-then "this account" I give to "examine"
6-and in the window that comes in the box write the name of the administrator account and give it to "check names" and then select the name of the account and give it to "accept"
7-we will get the previous window and where it says "Password" enter the password for the account and then rewrite
8-we give to "accept" and when we leave the window "services" do step 3, changing "properties to "start" and should go, or at least worked for me.

I hope you get lucky and work.

[iSparhawk]

Thanks again.  I tried your method for logging in with Services.msc and I still get the Error 1920... message.  Then at the Error 1920 messages when it asks me to retry I used your method again.  It still fails.

I typically login with a domain account.  So I tried a local administrator account and I still get the Error 1920.  And then when I use NCM89's method at the Retry screen it still fails.  

[continuum]

do you have
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM\SAM\Domains\Account\Aliases\Names\__vmware__

?

[iSparhawk]

On the laptop that currently has Workstation 7 uninstalled and won't install Workstation 8 due to the Error 1920.  I do not have anything under HKLM\SAM\SAM.

On the desktop that gets the same Error 1920 but that I had to reinstall Workstation 7 (to get some work done), it does not have anything under HKLM\SAM\SAM either.

It's odd that I can install and uninstall Workstation 7 multiple times but Workstation 8 fails.

[continuum]

you should be able to see the content of HKLM\SAM\SAM as admin - if not that maybe your problem - or part of it.
Then fix permissions yourself manually

[iSparhawk]

continuum,

On both machines, the administrator group didn't have permission to view HKLM/SAM/SAM so I added the permissions.  I can now see a binary blob named 'C' and a binary blob named 'ServerDomainUpdates' but not the key you mentioned.

[continuum]

then vmware-authd service will not start AFAIK

if you have any system where that key exists - export it and import it on the problem system

[jokke]

Maybe this command helps;

"rundll32 vminstutil.dll,VMCreateVMwareAccount"

[iSparhawk]

I appreciate all the help you guys are trying to give me.

Jokke

When I get the Error 1920, I searched for the vminstutil.dll and found it under \users\Administrator\appdata\Local\Temp....  I then executed the command you gave me from the command prompt.  It seemed to execute fine since I didn't get an error.  Then I clicked the 'Retry' button on the Error 1920 dialog box.  After 10-20 seconds the system came back to the Error 1920 dialog box.  Thanks for trying.

[iSparhawk]

I borrowed a 3rd system and put our corporate image on it.  Now system number 3 has the same anti-virus, group policy, etc that the other 2 have.  I did not install all of my productivity software.  I tried the Workstation 8 install and it worked.  I then looked for the reg key that continuum suggested and although the binary blobs are there under HKLM/SAM/SAM I don't have the key he suggested.  Yet Workstation 8 is installed and working.

I really really don't want to re-image my desktop and laptop number 1.   I can only imagine that the problem may be caused by one of the other productivity apps like Visual Studio 10,8,5 or maybe bitlocker or QT or something like that.

[continuum]

what do you get if you try to launch it from commandline ?

report what you get when you run this 3 commands in  a cmd started as admin

net start vmx86
net start winmgmt

net start VMAuthdService

[iSparhawk]

I ran the commands from an elevated command prompt while the Error 1920 dialog box is up.  Here is what I get:

C:\>net start vmx86
System error 2 has occurred.

The system cannot find the file specified.

C:\>net start winmgmt
The requested service has already been started.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 2182.

C:\>net start VMAuthdService
System error 1068 has occurred.

The dependency service or group failed to start.

I get the same responses when running these commands from \program files (x86)\vmware\vmware workstation  or from users\administrator\appdata\local\temp\vmware_1320795235

[continuum]

ok
then the even more urgent problem is the missing vmx86 driver

check if you have ....windows\system32\drivers\vmx86.sys

read Jokkes notes on installing it manually
http://sanbarrow.com/network/cmdguide2workstation.html

[iSparhawk]

I started following Jokkes notest whenI found one difference but I don't know if it matters.  When the installer stops at the error as described previously, the registry shows the install path as:

                 C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\

But there are no files at this location.  The program actually gets installed at the following location:   

                   C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation

I don't know if it makes a difference because on the one working system it is this way also.  In laptop #3 with it working, I don't have this registry value at all under HKLM\Software\VMware, Inc.\ .