"Setup failed to generate the SSL keys necessary to run VMware Server" when installing VMware Workstation

Products

• VMware Desktop Hypervisor

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Workstation fails to install or upgrade on a computer running Windows
• The installation fails with an error message:
  
  Setup failed to generate the SSL keys necessary to run VMware Server. Click Ok to cancel this installation.

Resolution

During installation, the setup program invokes a copy of openssl.exe on the command line. If a copy of openssl.exe is already present on the computer and in the PATH variable, the wrong version of openssl.exe may be executed and cause the Workstation installation to fail.

To workaround this issue:

1. Locate the duplicate copy of openssl.exe that is located in the folder listed within the %PATH% environment variable.
   
   Note: You can also search the computer's hard drive to locate the file.
2. Rename the duplicate file to something else.
3. Install VMware Workstation.
4. When the installation is complete, change the name of the duplicate file back to openssl.exe .