Error when trying to upgrade or uninstall VMware tools: "The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable".

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:
Upgrading or uninstalling VMware Tools fails with the following error:

Message: The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable. Click Ok to try again, or enter an alternative path to a folder containing the installation package 'VMwareTools64.msi' in the box below.

Wolken View Helper Settings

SLO Due reminder(minutes):
NAD to reminder(hours):
Auto Refresh Interval (seconds):
Auto Refresh:
Auto Check-In:
Check-In Time:
Check-Out Time:
Save

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Environment

VMware vSphere 8.x
VMware vSphere 7.x

Cause

This issue occurs because certain registry entries are missing from the previous VMware Tools installation. Therefore, when attempting to upgrade VMware Tools, the installer is unable to locate the files which are already removed.
Previous installer files are located in "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VMware\InstallerCache"

and "C:\Windows\Installer\" --> this is a hidden folder

It is observed that system administrators often delete the installer cache folder located at C:\Program Files\Common Files during routine cleanup of the C: drive. This action can lead to the error, as the installer requires files from this cache to proceed."

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Wolken View Helper Settings

SLO Due reminder(minutes):
NAD to reminder(hours):
Auto Refresh Interval (seconds):
Auto Refresh:
Auto Check-In:
Check-In Time:
Check-Out Time:
Save

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Resolution

Resolution Steps:

1. Download the current VMware Tools version.

• • • Identify the current VMware tools version using the GUID, refer 'Additional Information' section.
    • Use the following link to download the VMware tools installer of the same version: VMware Tools - download URL

2. Run the Installer:

• • • Execute the downloaded VMware-tools-1x.x.x-xxxxxxx-x86_64.exe file.
    • During the installation, a folder with the GUID eg. {092CAFE8-7A43-4C32-82C6-A5547F93417F} will be created in the temp directory.
    • Navigate to the temp folder by going in to 'Run' and type %temp% > press Enter. 

3. Temp folder will contain the following files:

• • • vcredist_x64.exe
    • vcredist_x86.exe
    • VMwareTools64.msi

4. Repair the installation errors in the program:

• • • Go back to the 'Windows Installer' and click 'Browse.."
      
      
    • On the file browser window, browse to "VMwareTools64.msi" file under the temp folder (refer step 2 for the file location).
    • Select 'Repair' radio button and click 'Next' and 'Repair'.
      
      

5. Upgrade VMware Tools:

• • • After the repair process is complete, proceed with upgrading to the required VMware Tools version.

Additional Information

Note : Below are the GUIDs for all released VMware Tools 64-bit versions:

• 12.5.0: {64171BD0-863E-4DDE-8DF9-4F7E62DA4A3C}
• 12.4.0: {55F0F698-8B00-40BF-8583-A16452EC3FF9}
• 12.3.5: {27B78D8E-F8B9-4AF5-BF9C-8DDD583EAB6B}
• 12.3.0: {AF174E64-22CF-4386-A9EC-73F285739998}
• 12.2.0: {A14655C8-5589-4CF6-BCDE-DFFB9A9BF17C}
• 12.1.5: {65A35679-0C08-4C9A-9AC3-46417F198653}
• 12.1.0: {A3631D35-CFA5-45F6-A65E-DAFA81C4CBE6}
• 12.0.6: {CB7FFC88-0CB2-48DD-9D7A-089D216607F8}
• 12.0.5: {B6018ED0-EF9F-4432-A755-9029562DD15E}
• 12.0.0: {AC968A64-CCC0-4916-A426-BA05F38AC28B}
• 11.3.5: {1FF5D624-5515-4343-837A-E54C101573E6}
• 11.3.0: {4FE02FF2-2194-4E1D-8B04-F934655966F9}
• 11.2.6: {E6E6404B-1F59-4EAB-A1B9-EA1A33B71159}
• 11.2.0: {61ABD5FF-2D98-4C4A-9E36-187C882317CB}
• 11.1.0: {4FE2D79D-BB1C-4F45-BDBC-192D37C3AE40}
• 11.0.6: {D533345C-7F8D-4807-AE80-E06CE2045B0E}
• 11.0.5: {25932044-BBC8-444F-ACF4-7E508054FA12}
• 11.0.1: {742FCBAF-EE5D-48B2-9E95-DA0513B79570}
• 11.0.0: {7B09CBED-1199-4BA3-9948-A28DB7C9C396}
• 10.3.10: {01767101-A688-4A95-9C83-6DED9EB6735D}
• 10.3.5: {F32C4E7B-2BF8-4788-8408-824C6896E1BB}
• 10.3.0: {1D92E489-0CFA-4F37-AC54-BD5EB372A2D4}
• 10.2.5: {6D158FDD-2E20-4C54-A271-4D2CE2C39905}
• 10.2.1: {092CAFE8-7A43-4C32-82C6-A5547F93417F}
• 10.2.0: {766355C9-1851-4890-9C1F-9F043A43AFCE}
• 10.1.15: {7CFC363A-72CE-409C-97C2-E497A1D831FC}
• 10.1.10: {EEAD1455-1743-4746-8AEA-C1956133B736}
• 10.1.7: {45147181-CF69-4C8C-81CB-0FC96F170758}
• 10.1.5: {30B36D27-24D7-4C18-996D-9A23B9235707}
• 10.1.0: {507F5BFC-6DFE-43CF-A552-DABE868FCDFE}
• 10.0.12 (XP/Server 2003 Only): {FC5F4DCF-B54A-435E-8B0D-737BB373ED69}
• 10.0.9: {7595A850-FE4D-4273-84FA-9CC1068AFF7A}
• 10.0.8: {F4B2C3ED-A9F2-4B8B-92C8-2688CCF15D02}
• 10.0.6: {ECD203D2-312B-4EC7-9D55-778A81C6BDE9}
• 10.0.5: {0C69DF99-B17A-4490-910B-64811AEA2F48}

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