VMware Fusion 4 Install - VMware Tools Won't Install (Win XP VM)

[glasskopf]

Fusion 4 is up and running, though when I try to "Update VMware Tools" something is going wrong. The install program for tools deinstalls the old version, gets what appears to be 99% of the way through the install of the new version of tools, however then it "Rolls-back" and completely uninstalls...leaving me with no tools package installed at all. I have tried to a number of attempts at installing tools, rolling back to the last snap shot I took before upgrading to Fusion 4 and I have also come at the install from multpile directions...manually uninstalling the old version then doing a straight install of the new, running the update and then re-running the install...each time the install of the new tools gets rolled-back and completely uninstalled.

Anyone else running into this?

[grdnwsl]

I'm unable to install VMWare Tools at all in a Linux VM.  All I get is the error message: "Could not find component on update server.  Contact VMWare Support or your system administrator." when I go to Virtual Macine -> Install VMWare Tools

[glasskopf]

Yeah, mine is a Windows XP installation...

[stefanpmac]

Hi glasskopf,

You can get an installation log as follows on Windows XP:

1. Click Start, Run, type "%TEMP%", click OK. Delete all files that start with MSI.

2. Click Start, Run, type "regedit", click OK. Expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder, then SOFTWARE, then Policies, then Windows, finally Installer.

3. If "Installer" does not exist, you can create it. Right-click in the right-hand side, then create a new string value. Call it Logging.

4. Double-click the Logging string, enter "voicewarmup" as a value. Click OK.

5. Try to install VM Tools again. when it finishes, look in %TEMP% for a new file starting with MSI, then followed by 5 digits or letters.

6. Make a copy of the file and if necessary, send it to Tech Support.

7. To stop the installation logs, delete the Logging string.

S.

[rrobino]

Everyone else is running into this.

Because almost no one who is upgrading needs or wants the extra software in the Full installer, most people are downloading the "light" version and that version purposely leaves out the vmwaretools, in a desperate bid to get you to maybe buy something beyond what you've already paid for in the Full installer package. Ironically this is while you are trying to download and use what you just paid for a few minutes before.

VMware appears to have said, "Screw you, customers - download it or suck it".  Guess what you're doing?  I think you're sucking it, as are thousands of other paying customers, and guess what you're going to do?  That's right, you're gonna go download the Full installer because VMware tells you to, so that's what you're gonna do.

See my rant on this same thing in one of the other original posts about the problem, the post is entitled, "Where are Mac OS X Guest VMWare tools?"

What we need here is to let VMware know that if there is going to be anybody forcing to do anything with vmware tools, it's the customers who are going to force VMware to offer it as a separate download - along with an apology.  Because if someone's gotta suck it, it oughta be the ones getting paid.

[stefanpmac]

Ummm no. The Light installer does include the VM Tools. What it does NOT include on the other hand is McAfee VirusScan, which, frankly, I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

S.

[rrobino]

So, the Knowledge Base article explaining this, and all of the people experiencing this problem are wrong?

I don't think they are wrong, I think you are.  I'd like to believe you but then there is the actual experience that proves that vmwaretools fails to install after installing from a Light installer, and the KB article confirming it.

If you would care to tell me how to find vmwaretools in the Light installer or the .app folder that would be great.

[glasskopf]

Can you reference the KB article you're talking about. I'm running VMware tools from the light version. You find it on the virtual machine menu when you've got your VM booted up.  This is the KB article tech support sent me that I'll be trying when I get home...  http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101429...

[rrobino]

Yes, and this was in the post that was linked in my first reply to you.

The KB article # is 2006784

It is featured on the front page of the support home http://blogs.vmware.com/kb/

And here is the link to the full article:

Fusion 4 VM shows error: Could not find component on update server (2006784)

[stefanpmac]

Considering that I am using the Light version of VM Fusion 4 (and ran Fusion 3 Light before that), and had no problems at all installing VMWare Tools in the guest, I'm definitely not wrong in that regard.

If you want to get access to the VMWare Tools installer, you need to use the "Install VMware Tools" or "Reinstall VMware Tools" menu under "Virtual Machine". When you do that, Fusion mounts the tools image on the guest's CD-ROM drive, and you can copy the contents from there onto the guest.

Alternatively, if you want the image itself, use the steps described at the below URL to browse the contents of the VMware Fusion.app bundle:

http://www.mactipsandtricks.com/articles/Wiley_HT_appBundles.lasso

The image you want will likely be /Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Library/isoimages/windows.iso

S.

[havema1]

Thanks,

...so I have to download all that McAfee crap (sorry for bad language!) to be able to install VMware Tools in Ubuntu 10.04, right?!!

[grdnwsl]

Yes, it appears that they only supply Windows VMware Tools in the non-McAfee bundle.  To get the other tools, you need to download the bundle with McAfee... completely lame, IMO.  Didn't have that problem when running the Beta.

[admin]

We  have identified an issue that is preventing on-demand downloading of  VMware Tools in VMware Fusion 4.0 and 4.0.1. The root cause of the issue  is on our servers, not in the VMware Fusion 4 software. We're working  on a fix and are expecting to have it in place early next week. Users  running Windows are not affected because the VMware Tools for Windows  are included in both the light and full downloads.

As  a work-around, users who want to run Linux, Mac OS or Solaris VMs  should download the full version of the VMware Fusion 4 installer. It  includes VMware Tools for all guest OSs. I apologize for the  incovenience of having to repeat the download for a larger file. This  work-around will only be necessary until the server fix is in place.

Simon

VMware Fusion PM

[stefanpmac]

Thanks for the response, Simon.

Does that explain the video driver issue then?

Regards

Stefan

[admin]

Hi stefanpmac,

I didn't see the video issue you are referring to in this thread? Can you provide a link?

[stefanpmac]

I posted in the Beta forum. 🙂

S.

[rrobino]

Well, well... it looks like the truth is that it is not a server problem and that VMware is standing by their assertion that "this is the way it was, and that's the way it's going to be" - after you have made your purchase of course.   Here is a response to a related inquiry that I received from VMware today:

Regarding your issue with VMware Fusion and VMware Tools, when downloading VMware Fusion there are two download options (this has not changed as previous versions were available the same way):
1) A light download which is smaller and includes Fusion and VMware Tools for Windows only
2) A larger download which includes Fusion, VMware Tools for both Windows and Linux, and a McAfee antivirus image if a customer wishes to use it.Both of these installers are located here:
http://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_fusion/4_0If you downloaded the incorrect version you can download the correct version online and replace the application in your applications folder with the larger version which includes all the applicable tools ISO's.

Here is what I would like to know.  Call it the $64,000 question:

Why does VMware choose not to tell Mac and Linux customers the distinction between the two downloads prior to or at the time of purchase?

And, Why is it so hard to find out the truth about this even after the sale?

These two questions stand even if the root-cause really was a server problem.  I don't even want to address that bit of information.

The insult to the injury of omitting these crucial decision-making details before purchase, is that they don't even have the decency to fix the Upgrade VMware Tools dialog or the KB article.

Instead, the position of VMware is that the customer is wrong here.  The excuse is the following:  users had a chance to evaluate before buying, so they had every chance to discover bugs and decide not to buy.  The clear implication is that a customer should perform a full re-evaluation before upgrading - take that to heart, Linux and Mac users!

I've got a message for VMware - it is not the customer downloading the incorrect version, it is the vendor uploading the incorrect version.

All of the tools should be together.  Plain and simple.  If they are deemed too big for one package then put them all together in a 3rd package.  There is a "Drivers and Tools" tab right there in the download area just for this purpose.

Or give me my money back, please.     You will not get away with telling me that tools for my platform aren't in the download I just purchased - after the fact.        (yeah, I am not happy about this turn of events)

[glasskopf]

Guys - My thread has been hijacked here. My issue is with a Win XP installation, not Linux, it does not have to do with downloading the two available packages which I believe have fairly clear directions if you choose to read them and my issue is not video related.

My problem, and what this thread is titled for, is with VMware Tools not installing correctly, or at all, and I have yet to find a solution. I'm working with tech support and have sent a some logs and other info, so hopefully I will have a resolution soon.

Thank you.

[billearl]

glasskopf wrote:

Fusion 4 is up and running, though when I try to "Update VMware Tools" something is going wrong. The install program for tools deinstalls the old version, gets what appears to be 99% of the way through the install of the new version of tools, however then it "Rolls-back" and completely uninstalls...leaving me with no tools package installed at all. I have tried to a number of attempts at installing tools, rolling back to the last snap shot I took before upgrading to Fusion 4 and I have also come at the install from multpile directions...manually uninstalling the old version then doing a straight install of the new, running the update and then re-running the install...each time the install of the new tools gets rolled-back and completely uninstalled.

I think this problem is caused by an incomplete uninstallation of the old VMware Tools. What worked for me was to completely uninstall the old VMware Tools, using Revo Uninstaller (free), prior to installation of the new VMware Tools. I used the "Advanced" setting in Revo Uninstaller, which removes all traces of VMware Tools even if the standard uninstaller fails (which it did). This worked great for XP, Vista, and Win7 VMs.

[danmass733]

I was having the same problem. Thanks for your post: Revo Uninstaller worked for me, as well, after trying lots of other things for weeks. This is a relief: thank you.