Restoring NIC settings using the VMUpgradeHelper /r command fails with the error: The service encountered an error either reading or writing a device property

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Using VMUpgradeHelper.exe /r (located at: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools) from a Windows command line (to restore NIC settings) fails with the error:
  
  Restore network config failed.
  
  
• The Windows Event Application log contains error similar to:
  
  Event Type: Error
  Event Source: VMUpgradeHelper
  Event Category: None
  Event ID: 287
  <snip>
  Description: The service encountered an error either reading or writing a device property. Details: SetupAPI error: SetupDiSetDeviceRegistryProperty: 0xe000023a.
  
  
• The operating system of the virtual machine is Windows Server 2003 and VMware Tools was upgraded in the virtual machine.
• The virtual machine was upgraded to an ESXi 4.1 GA host.

Environment

VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Cause

This issue occurs due to an empty friendly name in Windows Registry.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, install ESX/ESXi 4.1 Patch #01. For more information about the patch and to download it, see the VMware download page.

To work around this issue when you are cannot upgrade, set a friendly name to the NIC in Windows Registry.

Note: 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.

The preceding link was correct as of November 5th, 2013. If you find the link is broken, please provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.

1. Open regedit and navigate to one of the paths below that corresponds to your NIC. For example:
   
   
   • For vmxnet
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\VEN_15AD&DEV_0720\...
     
     
   • For vmxnet3
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\VEN_15AD&DEV_07B0\...
     
     
2. Change the permissions for the relevant key to allow full control.
3. The paths above will have subkeys. Add a new string value, FriendlyName, give it the same value as the value of DeviceDesc. For example, you may see
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\VEN_15AD&DEV_0720&SUBSYS_072015AD&REV_10\4&47b7341&0&0088
   
   
4. In this case, you would add the string value of FriendlyName under 4&47b7341&0&0088 - the new key should be in the same location as the DeviceDesc string.