Installing or upgrading VMware Tools fails with the error: Cannot complete signature verification on the required VMware Tools ISO image

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Installing or upgrading VMware Tools fails.
• You see the error:
  
  Cannot complete signature verification on the required VMware Tools ISO image
   
• The vmware.log file on the affected virtual machine contains entries similar to:
  
  T02:36:46.971Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL entering BEGINNING state.
  T02:36:47.013Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL Scanning device ide0:0 ((null)).
  T02:36:47.013Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL Scanning device ide0:1 ((null)).
  T02:36:47.013Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL Scanning device ide1:0 (/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/windows.iso).
  T02:36:47.013Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL Scanning device ide1:1 ((null)).
  T02:36:47.013Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL Attempting image mount.
  T02:36:47.013Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL using device 'ide1:0'.
  T02:36:54.494Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL signature mismatch. Aborting install.
  T02:36:54.496Z| vmx| TOOLS INSTALL entering IDLE state.
   
• This issue affects virtual machines on one ESXi host but not on another ESXi host.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1

Resolution

To resolve this issue, copy a valid VMware Tools ISO image from another ESXi host to the affected ESXi host.

Note: The resolution steps use a windows.iso file but can apply to any guest operating system version of VMware Tools stored in the vmtools directory.

 

To copy a valid VMware Tools ISO image to the affected ESXi host:

1. Log in to an ESXi host that uses a valid VMware Tools ISO image. For more information, see Using ESXi Shell in ESXi (broadcom.com)
2. Navigate to the vmtools directory using the command:
   
   cd productlocker/vmtools
   
   Note: This is a symlink to the local packages directory where VMware Tools is stored. Use the productlocker symlink to ensure the correct versions are copied.
    
3. Copy the windows.iso file to a shared datastore by running the command:
   
   cp windows.iso /vmfs/volumes/shared_datastore_name
    
4. Log in to the affected ESXi host. For more information, see Using ESXi Shell in ESXi (broadcom.com)
5. Take a backup of the windows.iso file on the affected ESXi host by running the commands:
   
   cd productlocker/vmtools
   
   cp windows.iso windows.iso.backup
    
6. Copy the windows.iso file from the shared datastore to the vmtools directory on the affected host by running the command:
   
   cp /vmfs/volumes/shared_datastore_name/windows.iso /path_to_vmtools_directory
   
   Note: Use the cd productlocker/vmtools command to determine the /path_to_vmtools_directory.
    
7. Install or upgrade VMware Tools for virtual machines running on the affected host. For more information, see How to install VMware Tools (broadcom.com)
   
   Note: You can remove the windows.iso file on the shared datastore after it is copied to the vmtools directory of the affected host.

Additional Information

How to install VMware Tools (broadcom.com)

Using ESXi Shell in ESXi (broadcom.com)