Installing VMware Tools on a VMware vSphere virtual machine running Windows OS

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to install VMware Tools in a VMware vSphere virtual machine (VM) running Windows guest operating system. The article uses basic steps that apply to all versions of Windows supported by VMware Tools.

Notes:

• For an overview of installing VMware Tools, see Overview of VMware Tools.
• For general installation instructions, see How to install VMware Tools.

Environment

VMware Tools

Resolution

To install VMware Tools on a VMware vSphere VM running Microsoft Windows guest operating system:

1. Ensure that your Windows VM is powered on.
2. Log into the VM as an admin user.
3. When the desktop has loaded, go to virtual machine menu, then click VM> Guest > Install/Upgrade VMware Tools, and click OK.
4. The installation wizard appears in the virtual machine's console.
   Note: If the VMware Tools installation does not start automatically, ensure that the CDROM Autorun is enabled in your Windows environment. To manually run the installation, double-click Computer and double-click on the CDROM.
5.  Follow the prompts in the wizard to complete the VMware Tools installation. Choose the Typical installation option.
6. When the VMware Tools installation has finished, restart the virtual machine for the changes to take effect.

To install VMware Tools in a Windows guest operating system without using GUI interface:

1. Ensure that your Windows VM is powered on.
2. Log into the VM as an admin user.
3. When the desktop has loaded, go to the virtual machine menu, then click VM> Guest > Install/Upgrade VMware Tools and click OK.
4. Open the command prompt from Task Manager by selecting a new task option and entering cmd.
5. Change the directory to the CDROM drive letter.
6. When the VMware Tools installation has finished, restart the virtual machine for the changes to take effect.

To perform a silent, non-GUI with suppressed reboot VMware Tools installation in a VMware vSphere VM running a Windows guest operating system, run:

setup.exe /S /v"/qn REBOOT=R"

Notes:

• The installer may indicate if a reboot is necessary by exiting with ERROR_SUCCESS_REBOOT_REQUIRED. To work around this issue, in vCenter Server, right-click a virtual machine, click Install/Upgrade VMware Tools, and enter the following command in the Advanced field:
  

  /S /v"/qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress"

  
  
  In vCenter Server 5.1.x, enter the following command in the Advanced field: 
  

  /S /v"/qn REBOOT=R"

  
  
  
• After VMware Tools is installed and the system requires a reboot, if by chance you suppress this reboot, the install or upgrade to the new version is not completed. It is recommended to perform the system reboot as soon as possible to ensure all the latest components are up to date.