VMware USB Arbitration service fails to start in VMware Workstation

Products

• VMware Desktop Hypervisor
• VMware Workstation
• VMware Workstation 10.x (for Linux)
• VMware Workstation 16.x Pro (for Windows)
• VMware Workstation 17.x Pro (for Windows)
• VMware Workstation 6 (for Windows systems)
• VMware Workstation 7 (for Linux)
• VMware Workstation 8.x (for Linux)
• VMware Workstation Pro 14.x (for Windows)
• VMware Workstation Pro 15.x (for Windows)

Issue/Introduction

• VMware USB Arbitration service fails to start in VMware Workstation
• While powering on a virtual machine, you see the error:
  

  Host USB device connections disabled: The connection to the VMware USB Arbitration Service was unsuccessful. Please check the status of this service in the Microsoft Management Console.

• Attempting to start the service manually from Windows Services fails with the error:
  

  Windows could not start the VMware USB Arbitration Service on Local Computer. Error 2: the system cannot find the file specified.

Environment

• VMware Workstation 7.x (Windows)
• VMware Workstation 11.x (for Windows)
• VMware Workstation Pro 15.x (Linux)
• VMware Workstation 8.x (Windows)
• VMware Workstation 9.x (Windows)
• VMware Workstation Pro 14.x (for Windows)
• VMware Workstation Pro 15.x (Windows)
• VMware Workstation 10.x (Windows)

Cause

This issue occurs if some of the files that are required to run the service are missing. The files may be missing if the product was installed or upgraded using an account that does not have sufficient privileges/permissions.

Resolution

1. Launch a command prompt on the host machine using an Administrator account. For more information, see the Microsoft TechNet article Start a command prompt as an administrator.
   
   
2. Run this command:
   
   net start hcmon
    
3. Open the Windows service console and start the service manually.

If the service fails to start, try installing the hcmon service manually using the steps below:

1. Launch a command prompt on the host machine using an Administrator account.
2. Run this command:
    
   • In a 32-bit host operating system:
     
     "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\vnetlib.exe" -- install hcmon
     
     In a 64-bit host operating system:
     
     "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vnetlib64.exe" -- install hcmon
      
3. Open the Windows service console and start the service manually. The service should now start successfully.

If the issue persists even after trying the preceding steps, reinstall/repair VMware Workstation as a user with Administrative rights on the Windows host.