This issue is caused by an active DisableRollback system policy that suppresses commit custom actions on which the installer depends.
To resolve this issue, remove the system policy by either setting it to 0 or deleting the key at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer
When the policy is no longer active, do a repair installation of the VMware Tools. If this is set via a logon or startup policy in Active Directory, make sure to remove it there as well.