VMware Tools upgrade fails with Error

[haryadoon]

Workstation 12 Pro - 12.1.0 build-3272444

Individual license

Guest OS : Ubuntu 14.10 64-bit

VMware Tools: 9.6.2.31837 (build-1688356)

VM works fine except...

Updating VMware Tools, download stage issues a message and aborts:
Error: There was a problem updating a software component.   Try again later and if the problem persists, contact VMware support or your system administrator.

I cannot find a useful resolution to this issue online.  Perhaps this community can help work out a solution?

By the way, I also have an Ubuntu 15.10 64-bit VM which successfully runs VMware Tools 10.0.1.357 (build-3160059).

I need to run the two versions of Ubuntu for software compatibility reasons.

[Sethaniel]

I have the same issue with all of the software components. I was trying to get the tools for windows 2000 and later version and ran into this same error and then I tried all of the various tools for different OSs and received the same error.

I'm running VMWare workstation 12.1.0 on a Windows 7 host. I'm currently on tools 10.0.1 and trying to update to 10.0.5.

I also found that when I went to the direct download components url, there isn't a .exe to install the components to vmware workstation like there is with versions prior to 12.

[haryadoon]

There must be a troubleshooting log somewhere so I can find the details of the error that caused this problem.  "There was a problem..." just doesn't do the job!

[tracywang]

Thanks for using Workstation. I have several questions for you:

1. Before upgrade to WS 12, which workstation did you use? From the tools version, seems the Ubuntu was installed in WS 10.

2. Could you check Edit-> Preferences-> Updates, and see if Automatically update VMware tools on a virtual machine is check or not?

3. If the No 2 is not true, did you update tools by untar the tools tar.gz and run vmware-install.pl?

4. Could you take a screenshot for the error?

Did you try to reinstall tools follow this kb?

VMware KB: Installing VMware Tools in an Ubuntu virtual machine

Thanks.

[tracywang]

By the way, could you provide the tools installation log from /var/log/vmware-install.log and vmware-tools-upgrader.log? Thanks.

[haryadoon]

Hi, Tracy.  Thanks for your help!

Answers:

1. Before upgrade to WS 12, which workstation did you use? From the tools version, seems the Ubuntu was installed in WS 10.

Yes, correct.  I uninstalled an earlier version of WS six months ago but kept the old Ubuntu VM in case I wanted to use it again in future.  I need it now.

2. Could you check Edit-> Preferences-> Updates, and see if Automatically update VMware tools on a virtual machine is check or not?

No, that setting is not checked.

3. If the No 2 is not true, did you update tools by untar the tools tar.gz and run vmware-install.pl?

No.  I don't have the tar file for 10.0.5 (or if I do, I don't know where to look for it).

4. Could you take a screenshot for the error?

Thanks again for your help.

[haryadoon]

Attached here ...

[CaShc0w · Accepted solution]

Maybe you can try to get the packages of latest VMTools from their upgrade repo server: CDS Repository - /var/www/public/stage/session-59/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/12.1.0/3272444/windows/packages

[tracywang]

One way to solve this is reinstall WS again by downloading the full package from http://www.vmware.com/products/workstation/workstation-evaluation

Then the tools Linux.iso will be included in the installation directory C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation

[haryadoon]

Reinstalling WS is not an option for me.  My copy is distributed by my internal IT department, along with the appropriate license.

I have attempted to uninstall and reinstall Tools from the Ubuntu command line.  Uninstall was successful. Install went through fine, but the following message was displayed:

The configuration of VMware Tools 9.6.2 build-1688356 for Linux for this running kernel completed successfully.

I was expecting Tools 10.0.1 build-3160059  to be installed, since that is the version included in the current linux.iso file I have attached to the VM's removable drive.

I'll chase up the other suggestion to manually download the 10.0.5 (or whatever the latest tools distro is) and try the reinstall process again.

[tracywang]

Note sure where the message come from. Usually after install VMware Tools, we check the tools version by command: vmware-toolbox-cmd -v

[haryadoon]

That's it!

Steps to recover from this error:

1. On your host computer, browse to

CDS Repository - /var/www/public/stage/session-59/cds/vmw-desktop/ws/12.1.0/3272444/windows/packages

2. Download the file tools-linux.tar

3. Unzip the file (I used 7zip, but any unzip tool should work).  This will extract the file VMware-tools-linux-10.0.5-3228253.iso

4. On VMware Workstation, mount the extracted file to the Ubuntu VM:

a) Ensure the VM is running

b) On the Workstation menu, select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD (SATA) > Settings...

c) Click Browse, and find the file you extracted in step 3 above.  Click OK.

d) Select VM > Removable Devices > CD/DVD (SATA) > Connect

5. The iso file will mount and open as a folder on the Ubuntu machine.  On that machine, right-click the file that ends in .tar.gz, and select "Extract to...".  Select Desktop and click "Extract"

6. Open the Terminal app (Search > Terminal).  Type this command: cd Desktop/vmware-tools-distrib

7. Uninstall any older version of Tools with this command:  sudo bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl

8. Install the new tools: sudo ./vmware-install.pl -d

9. Restart Ubuntu

That should be it!

[Sethaniel]

This does not feel like an answer to me, but more like a workaround.

The problem still exists that the packages in VMWare workstation are out of date and won't update. Yeah I can manually install the newer versions to my VMs individually, but that will forever mean mounting a separate ISO and I will never be able to use VMWares update tools options again.

In my case I did a fresh install of my VMWare Workstation Pro 12.0.1 which distributed with VMWare Tools 10.0.1. I then was prompted to update to VMWare Workstation Pro 12.1.0 which I did. After that I was prompted to download software components and that is when I received the error.

It was mentioned in one post that their installation was a corporate IT distribution. Mine is also - distributed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise. I'm starting to wonder if the others experiencing this are all HPE distributions.

[haryadoon]

You are 100% correct.  I also use the HPE distribution, delivered via IDA.  Hmmmm. Makes you think....

[tomh82]

haryadoonSethaniel Was investigating this myself today. Turns out it's our McAfee HIPS (host intrusion prevention system) that's blocking VMWare Workstation (or anyone else, for that matter) from modifying its own files. I'm currently trying to raise a ticket to get this investigated. However in the mean time, I found a workaround to allow VMWare workstation to update tools (should work exactly as below under 8.1 and 10, may be slightly different for 7):

1) Suspend Bitlocker protection on your system drive.

2) Run msconfig, open boot tab, under boot options choose "safe boot" with the "network" radio button ticked.

3) Reboot into safe mode.

4) Open VMWare workstation, Edit > Preferences > Updates, and "Download all Components Now". This should now work and update vmware tools as expected.

5) Run msconfig, open boot tab, clear the safe boot options.

6) Reboot into "normal" windows, Bitlocker should re-enable automatically.

Hope that helps .

[Big_Daddy68]

Here is what appears to be the offending record from McAfee HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System) logs... (obfuscated of course)

Its still not fixed as of the date below ...

Time:	5/11/2017 7:46:36 PM
Event:	Intrusion
IP Address/User:	MYDOMAIN\myusername
Description:	COM Surrogate (dllhost.exe)
Path:	C:\WINDOWS\SYSWOW64\DLLHOST.EXE
Message:	Attack type: VMWare Workstation Shielding - File Modification (Sig Id = 3872)