Enabling the VMware Converter plug-in in vCenter causes VMware Infrastructure Client or vSphere Client to fail

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Enabling the VMware Converter plug-in in vCenter Server causes VMware Infrastructure (VI) Client or vSphere Client to fail.
• VI Client or vSphere Client closes automatically.
• Uninstalling and re-installing the VMware Converter plug-in does not resolve this issue.
• VI Client logs show errors similar to:
  
  Failed to load shared library in C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\ssleay32.dll:1260
  
  Note: Instead of :1260, the error mayshow :126 followed by a character that lookssimilar to a zero.
  
  
• vSphere Client shows errors similar to:
  
  
  • The ordinal 3873 could not be located in the dynamic library LIBEAY32.dll.
  • Unexpected error occurred: 'Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt.'
  • The plug-in failed to load on server(s) servername due to the following error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Cause

This issue is caused by DLL conflicts.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, copy DLL files from a source location to a destination replacing corrupted DLL files.

To replace corrupted DLL files, choose paths and instructions below depending on your vSphere Client version:

• VI Client 2.5, copy the libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll into the appropriate folders:
  
  Source files in a 32bit OS:
  
  C: \Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\2.5\libeay32.dll
  C: \Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\2.5\ssleay32.dll
  
  Destination: C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher
  
  Source files in a 64bit OS:
  
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\2.5\libeay32.dll
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\2.5\ssleay32.dll
  
  Destination: C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher
  
  
• vSphere Client 4.0, copy libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll into the appropriate folders:
  
  Source files in a 32bit OS:
  
  C: \Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\4.0\libeay32.dll
  C: \Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\4.0\ssleay32.dll
  
  Destination: C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher
  
  Source files in a 64bit OS:
  
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\4.0\libeay32.dll
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\4.0\ssleay32.dll
  
  Destination: C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher
  
  
• vSphere Client 4.1, copy libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll into the appropriate folders:
  
  Source files in a 64bit OS:
  
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\4.1\libeay32.dll
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\4.1\ssleay32.dll
  
  Destination: C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher
  
  
• vSphere Client 5.0, copy libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll into the appropriate folders:
  
  Source files in a 64bit OS:
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\5.0\libeay32.dll
  C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\5.0\ssleay32.dll
  
  Destination: C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher
  
  
• If VI Client or vSphere Client is running on a Windows Vista server:
  
  
  • Execute the command:
    
    regedit
    
    
  • Delete these registry keys:
    
    Warning: This removes all saved settings for your client. This procedure modifies the Windows registry. Before making any registry modifications, ensure that you have a current and valid backup of the registry and the virtual machine. For more information on backing up and restoring the registry, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article 136393.
    
    hkey_current_user\software\vmware\virtual infrastructure client
    hkey_current_user\software\vmware\vmware infrastructure client
    
    
• Close all instances of VI Client or vSphere Client.
• Relaunch VI Client or vSphere Client.