Error: "The system must be rebooted before installation can continue" when installing a VMware application on a Windows operating system

Products

• VMware
• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Installing a VMware Application on Windows operating system fails
• You see the error:
  
  The system must be rebooted before installation can continue

Cause

This issue occurs if a Windows application schedules uninstall tasks on restart, but fails to remove the tasks even after the restart.

Resolution

Remove the references to the task from the Registry using the steps below.

 

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 Windows registry information for advanced users.

1. Click Start > Run, type regedit, and click OK. The Registry Editor window opens.
2. Check these registry keys for entries that are pending removal. These entries would typically be related to applications that you would have uninstalled in the past.
   
   For example:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\RebootRequired
   
   
3. Manually delete the pending registry key values.
4. Restart the Windows system.