Cannot send keys to a guest OS by using the browser console in the ESXi Host Client
search cancel

Cannot send keys to a guest OS by using the browser console in the ESXi Host Client

book

Article ID: 318833

calendar_today

Updated On: 06-29-2025

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

In the ESXi Host Client, when you open the browser console of a virtual machine and select Guest OS > Send keys , when you select a key input, for example Ctrl-Alt-Delete , the selection is not sent to the guest OS.

Symptoms:

Cannot send keys to a guest OS by using the browser console in the ESXi Host Client. 

For example

            1)Open ESXi host client, and select one Guest OS in VM, click "Open browser console".

          2)On the opened browser console, click "Actions -> Guest OS -> send keys -> Ctrl-Alt-Delete"
          
          3)There is no response in the guest OS.

 

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.3
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x

Cause

A flaw in the application’s logic currently prevents mouse clicks on the menu from successfully triggering the associated API call. When a user clicks on the menu, the action is ignored by the system, and no error message or feedback is displayed to indicate that the interaction has failed.

Affected versions:
ESXi 8.0 GA, ESXi 8.0a and ESXi 7.0 U3L ,ESXi 7.0 U3M and ESXi 7.0 U3N.

Resolution

This issue is resolved in VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0U2b and ESXi 7.0 U3o or later. To download go to Broadcom Support Portal

Workaround:
The workaround is to press the corresponding key on the keyboard in the VMRC console.
Use VMRC,  To download go to Download/Install VMRC