VMware Tools Installation Fails and Rolls Back on Windows Guest OS
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VMware Tools Installation Fails and Rolls Back on Windows Guest OS

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Article ID: 416456

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

  1. When attempting to run the VMware Tools .exe installer on a Windows Guest Operating System, the installation process starts (often reaching the phase of uninstalling an older version) and then unexpectedly rolls back without completing.
  2. This failure is typically identified by examining the installation logs on the Windows Guest OS.
    • C:\Windows\Temp\vminst.log
    • YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| I2: Util_FileExists: Found "C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem\vmStatsProviderRemove.mof"
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| I0: Successfully compiled 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem\vmStatsProviderRemove.mof'
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| I0: --- VMMofCompile()
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| I1: MsiUtil_GetPropertyStringW: Getting Property CustomActionData = C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem\vmStatsProviderRemove_407.mof;
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| I2: Util_FileExists: Did not find file/directory:"C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem\vmStatsProviderRemove_407.mof"| posix code 2 (No such file or directory)
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| I0: --- VMUninstallGHIRestoreGuestHandlers() : Restoring GHI handler information for all users.
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.Msec-04:00| tools-build-20735119| E1: WinReg_EnumerateSubkeys: A Windows registry operation failed: 2. key path: S-1518\Software\VMware,Inc.\VMware Tools\GHI\Guest Handler Backup\

  3.VMware logs from Virtual machine.

    • vmfs/volumes/datastore-name/VM-Name
2025-10-25T07:20:59.592Z In(05)+ vmx - Install the VMware Tools package inside this virtual machine. After the guest operating system starts, select VM > Install VMware Tools… and follow the instructions.
2025-10-28T19:04:51.187Z In(05) vcpu-5 - HBACommon: First write on scsi0:3.fileName='/vmfs/volumes/d2e09a14-ccf2ec17/folder_name/VM_name-000001.vmdk'
2025-10-28T19:04:51.188Z In(05) vcpu-5 - DDB: "longContentID" = "d885d5af90d3c063a69231##########" (was "234b66e7374ddaa3#########")
2025-10-28T19:11:54.615Z In(05) vmx - GuestRpcSendTimedOut: message to toolbox timed out.
2025-10-28T19:11:54.616Z Wa(03) vmx - ToolsTimeSyncRpcCompletionRoutine: Timeout while sending guestrpc
2025-10-28T19:20:48.056Z In(05) vcpu-5 - Guest: Command line:
2025-10-28T19:20:48.057Z In(05) vcpu-5 - Guest: Installing VMware Tools 13.0.5.0 (build-24915695)
2025-10-28T19:20:48.057Z No(00) vcpu-5 - ConfigDB: Setting guestinfo.toolsInstallErrCode = <not printed>
2025-10-28T19:20:48.182Z In(05) vcpu-0 - Tools: Running status rpc handler: 0 => 1.
2025-10-28T19:20:48.182Z In(05) vcpu-0 - Tools: Changing running status: 0 => 1.

Environment

VMware vCenter server 8.0 

Windows server 2022 

Cause

1. We get the error "WinReg_EnumerateSubkeys: A Windows registry operation failed: 2. key path: S-1518" , due to following reason.

  • Missing or Corrupt Keys: The required registry key was deleted or became corrupted.
  • Permission Issues: Although less common for the Local System account's own keys, incorrect permissions might prevent access, but error 2 typically points to a missing key, not an access denial.
  • Software Glitch: A previous uninstallation might not have cleaned up the registry correctly, and a subsequent operation expects the key to be there

 

Resolution

To resolve the registry dependency issue causing the installation rollback, follow the steps below, starting with the simplest fix:

  1. Run the VMware Tools installer as administrator.

    • Right-click the VMware Tools .exe file and select "Run as administrator."

  2. The installation wizard will launch and present several options. Choose the "Repair" option to fix any missing files or directory issues.

             

   3. If the Repair option successfully completes, reboot the VM and confirm the issue is resolved.

   4. If the installation fails again (or if the "Repair" option is not available/successful), relaunch the setup and select the "Remove" option to completely uninstall the existing VMware Tools instance

   5. Once the existing VMware Tools software has been successfully removed from the Windows machine, reboot the Virtual Machine (VM).

   6. After the reboot, run the installer again as administrator to perform a clean installation of VMware Tools.

Additional Information

Install VMware Tools in VMware products

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