Upgrading VMTools to 12.5.2 fails with "Error upgrading VMware Tools. vix error code = 21007"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Upgrading the VMTool of a VM to 12.5.2 using "Automatic Upgrade" fails with "Error upgrading VMware Tools. vix error code = 21007".

The process that leads to the error message (Error upgrading VMware Tools. vix error code = 21007) is given below:

• Edit setting --> Tools Upgraded --> select "Check and upgrade VMware Tools before each power on".
• After the reboot the VM does not upgrading its VMware Tools.
• Also clicking on the option "Upgrade VMware Tools".
• Select the option "Automatic Upgrade" it then fails with the error - Error upgrading VMware Tools vix error code = 21007.

Reboot of the affected VM does not trigger the automatic upgrade of the vmware tools as reboot should be sufficient.

Environment

VMware ESXi Version: 7.x

VMware vCenter Server Version: 7.x

Cause

Mishaps with the SRM scripts in the SRM guest customization.

Resolution

This issue will be fixed in future releases. 

Workaround:

Shutdown the VM and then power-on the VM will allow the vmware tools to upgrade automatically as designed.

Customers on version 7.0 and 8.0 should subscribe to this article to be made aware when a fix for 8.0 has been released.