Fusion 8.5.4 (5115894) VMware Tools Error

[ThePimento]

I just installed the 8.5.4 update (Admin account) and have received a VMware Tools Error. I can't view my USB devices (in settings) or my Shared folders now.

VMware Tools unrecoverable error: (vthread-4)

Exception 0xc0000005 (access violation) has occurred.

You can request support.

I've tried reinstalling VMware Tools, and get the same error every time. I tried repairing during the installation and it says to install the tools manually.

I removed VMware Tools, then reinstalled it and immediately got this error.

Any ideas?

*edit* I also am receiving the error: VMware Tools Core Service has stopped working. I've tried unchecking the box "Open your Mac files and web links using Windows applications", but it still happens.

[NogBadTheBad]

Happening to me too.

Removed VMware tools and reinstalled, still getting the same error.

Also can't Drag & Drop / Copy & Paste between the Mac and W7 VM.

Very annoying.

[ThePimento]

I just got off the phone with support and they said it's a known issue with 8.5.4. The problem is with the new version of VMware Tools. They are e-mailing me a link to the old version to install. They said this will fix the problem for now and an official fix is coming "soon."

*edit* I've been waiting over an hour for the link now. Gotta love support!

[steve_goddard]

Hi there,

Can you please obtain the tools service crash dump from the Windows virtual machine?

(If you can place it somewhere I can download it and also let me know the tools version you are running. To do that, use a command prompt and run

"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\VmwareToolboxCmd.exe -v"

Please report its output here.)

Here is how to locate it:

On Windows 7, crash dumps are written to 2 places since there are two instances of the vmtoolsd.exe process run, one under the logged on user account and the other under the SYSTEM account. Therefore there are two locations and two sets of dump files to retrieve:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp\vmware-UserName.
and
C:\Windows\Temp\vmware-SYSTEM

The dump files will be of the file name format "vmtoolsd-*.dmp" where * is a number representing the vmtoolsd.exe process identifier it was running as at the time of the crash.

Thanks

Steve

[ThePimento · Accepted solution]

"As informed, this issue with latest version of VMware Tools 10.1.5 has already been reported to the concerned team"

Here are the steps for fixing the current issue with VMware Tools 10.1.5 and Fusion 8.5.4:

Step-1: Please go to Control Panel > Programs & Features and uninstall VMware Tools. Reboot Windows.

Step-2: Download VMware Tools ISO for Windows VM from the below link on your Mac.

Name: windows.iso

Size: 104.7 MB

Expires: March 18, 2017

Download: https://ftpsite.vmware.com/download?domain=FTPSITE&id=f0c7b79cb7554277aa33a1ff4aad4664-9100614c01a74...

PS: Please download the above file on your Mac side. You need to click on the above link from your Mac Operating system and the file would be downloaded in to "Downloads" folder.

Step-3: Click on Virtual Machine > CD / DVD (SATA) and select "Choose Disk or Disk Image".

Step-4: Select Windows.iso that is already downloaded into your Downloads folder.

Step-5: Click on Virtual Machine > CD / DVD and connect the DVD.

Step-6: Now click on Install VMware Tools and continue with the Typical Installation method and reboot your Windows.

Once when you log in back into Windows, you may get a auto prompt to update VMware Tools. Kindly disregard the prompt and cancel the Tools update process.

[NogBadTheBad]

Still appears to be happening with 8.5.5

[gtjacket05]

I can confirm I had the same issue with my USB devices with 8.5.5

Although I never got any error messages whatsoever.

I then uninstalled VMware tools, rebooted.

Reinstalled VMware tools, and it seems to be working now.

These botched releases are scary.

[dafula]

It's worth setting this if you are using this fix:

In the .vmx configuration file replace tools.upgrade.policy = "upgradeAtPowerCycle" with: tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

[sjanofsky]

What version of VMware Tools is in windows.iso file?

[wwwyzzerddcom]

Right!  The link expired and trying to figure out what version of vmware tools we should use till this is fixed?

[wila]

Hi,

You can get the bits here:

Windows.iso from VMware Fusion 8.5.3

--

Wil

[StevenAsherman]

I used the VMWare Tools ISO you suggested from 8.5.3 and installed 8.5.5 VMWare Fusion. This successfully avoided the VMWare Tools crash, but I've found that Unity option is disabled. Nothing I've tried has gotten Unity working, so I wonder if anyone else has found that Unity has stopped working?

Anyhow shouldn't we be using the VMWare tools that go with 8.5.5 (now that it's been released), instead of the one from 8.5.3. Does anyone know a valid link to the VMWare Tools ISO for 8.5.5?

[RDPetruska]

It should already be included/installed with Fusion 8.5.5!

Or you can get here... CDS Repository - /var/www/public/stage/session-19/cds/vmw-desktop/fusion  and go into the 8.5.5 folder

[StevenAsherman]

Thank you for that useful link.

According to VMware support, we should temporarily be using VMTools 10.0.10, which comes with Fusion 8.5.3. This VMTools works with 8.5.5, and he said a new release (8.5.6?) is in the works that will have the revised VMTools.

[CustomCascade]

I have the same problem ... I installed the 8.5.3 driver but on the first reboot is refreshed me and the problem returns.
Can you tell me where to make the change you indicated?

[dafula]

Sure: Right click on the VM file on you computer and choose 'show package contents'

edit the VM_NAME.vmx file - it's just a text file.

Change the line about tools upgrade policy, replace tools.upgrade.policy = "upgradeAtPowerCycle" with: tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

[CustomCascade]

Problem solved!!

Many thanks!

Michele P.

[wila]

Looks like todays update.. Fusion 8.5.6 addresses this issue (amongst a number of security issues)

VMware Fusion 8.5.6 Release Notes

--

Wil

[CustomCascade]

Problem solved by 8.5.6 !!

[CustomCascade]

After updating VM-Fusion and to VM-tool  to 8.5.6  I solved every problem.
Thank you very much!
Michele P.