ERROR: Failed to open directory entry for 'C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools\en-US' (80070005)

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to install or upgrade VMware Tools on a Windows guest operating system, the installation fails. Reviewing the %TEMP%\vminst.log or C:\Windows\Temp\vminst.log reveals an error similar to:

ScrubSecureDirectoryWorker ERROR: Failed to open directory entry for C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools\en-US (80070005) Access denied

The installation may roll back and display a generic Setup failed message in the user interface.

Cause

This issue occurs due to a permission conflict or corruption within the C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools\ directory. Specifically, the installer is unable to access, modify, or overwrite the en-US subdirectory, preventing the setup from completing the "scrubbing" or file copying process.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, the problematic directory must be manually removed or renamed so the installer can recreate it with the correct permissions.

Prerequisites

• Log in to the Guest OS with Administrative privileges.
• Ensure no other installation processes are running.

Procedure

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools.
   • Note: ProgramData is a hidden folder. You may need to enable "Hidden items" in the View tab or type the path directly into the address bar.
2. Locate the en-US folder.
3. This command will make changes to your system. Review it carefully before running: Right-click the en-US folder and select Delete, or rename it to en-US.old.
4. If deleting the subfolder does not resolve the issue, navigate back to C:\ProgramData\VMware\ and rename the entire VMware Tools folder to VMware Tools.old.
5. Relaunch the VMware Tools installation.

Verification

• Confirm the installation completes without the Access denied error.
• Verify the VMware Tools service (vmtoolsd) is running in services.msc.
• Check that the en-US folder has been recreated in C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools\