VMtools not running and service will not start

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• VMware Tools service does not start automatically at boot.
• Manual attempts to start the VMware Tools service fail with the following error
  

  Windows could not start the VMware Tools service on Local Computer.
  
  Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly.

  
  
• the following error is observed in the Event Monitor when attempting to start the service.
  

  Faulting application name: vmtoolsd.exe, version: 13.0.10.0, time stamp: 0x6917dc55
  Faulting module name: MSVCP140.dll, version: 14.13.26020.0, time stamp: 0x5a39fef7
  Exception code: 0xc0000005
  Fault offset: 0x000000000001b93c
  Faulting process id: 0x1040
  Faulting application start time: 0x01dcb7c5d9eacd8b
  Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe
  Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\MSVCP140.dll
  Report Id: d07e031e-ce74-4ff8-ba51-d07c92974f46
  Faulting package full name:
  Faulting package-relative application ID:

  
  
• VMware tools uninstall and reinstall with no issues, but it still fails to start on boot.

Environment

Various Windows environments.

Cause

The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package (C:\Windows\System32\MSVCP140.dll) currently installed is not a supported version for VMware Tools. VMware Tools versions 13.0.0 / 12.5.1 and newer require a minimum Visual C++ Redistributable version of 14.40.33816 or later.

Resolution

• Verify the version of the Microsoft C++ redistributable package (MSVCP140.DLL) that is installed and what is running
  • Locate the installed package in Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features.
    
  • To assess the version of the msvcp140.dll file currently utilized by the operating system, follow these steps:
    1. Navigate to the System Directory: Open File Explorer and browse to C:\Windows\System32.
    2. Locate the File: Use the search bar in the top-right corner to find msvcp140.dll.
    3. View Properties: Right-click on the file and select Properties.
    4. Check Versioning: Navigate to the Details tab. The "File version" and "Product version" fields will display the specific build number.
       
       
       
• If the version in C:\Windows\System32\msvcp140.dll is outdated, it is not supported and must be updated to match or exceed the requirements of your installed software.
  
  1. Verify and Update Installation:
     1. Navigate to Control Panel > Programs and Features.
     2. Locate Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable.
     3. If the installed version is outdated or missing, download the latest supported package directly from the official Microsoft website.
     4. Run the installer as an administrator to update or install the necessary runtime components.
  2. Repair the Existing Installation:
     1. If a supported version is already installed but errors persist, select the entry in Programs and Features.
     2. Click Modify, then select Repair.
     3. Allow the process to complete and reboot the server to ensure the updated DLL is correctly registered and cached.
  3. Manual Verification:
     
     1. If the version remains outdated after an update/repair, you must perform a full update.
     2. If the installer detects an existing version, select Install or Repair to overwrite the existing outdated files in C:\Windows\System32 with the current, supported versions.
     3. Reboot the Windows operating system to finalize the update and clear the loaded module cache.