VMware Workstation Pro 17 Multi-Monitor Display Reverts to Single Screen during SEP LiveUpdate
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VMware Workstation Pro 17 Multi-Monitor Display Reverts to Single Screen during SEP LiveUpdate

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Article ID: 445636

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Updated On:

Products

VMware Workstation

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms

In a VMware Workstation Pro 17 environment, virtual machines (VMs) configured with multiple monitors experience a sudden reversion to a single-display layout.

  • The behavior occurs spontaneously during active sessions.
  • All guest windows are forced onto a single primary screen.
  • The vmware.log file contains the following RPC command at the time of the reset: vmx ToolsSetDisplayTopology: Sending rpcMsg = DisplayTopology_Set 1 , 0 0 1920 1080

Environment

VMware Workstation Pro 17

Cause

The issue is caused by inter-process interference between the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) update process and the VMware Tools display topology service.

When a SEP LiveUpdate session completes and new virus definitions are loaded, it triggers a system-level event (such as a Group Policy refresh or a momentary filter driver interruption). This causes VMware Tools to incorrectly re-evaluate the display topology and default to a single-monitor configuration (DisplayTopology_Set 1).

Resolution

To resolve this interference and stabilize the multi-monitor display, implement one or more of the following solutions:

1. Upgrade Symantec Endpoint Protection

Update the SEP client on the Host OS to version 14.3 RU10 or later. This version has been verified to coexist with VMware Workstation without triggering topology resets.

2. Configure SEP Exclusions

If an upgrade is not immediately possible, configure the SEP policy on the Host OS to exclude the following VMware Tools executables from real-time scanning and behavior monitoring:

  • C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\VMwareResolutionSet.exe
  • C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe

3. Hardcode Display Topology in .vmx

  1. Manually lock the monitor configuration to override the "Auto-fit" logic.
  2. Shut down the virtual machine.
  3. Locate and open the VM's configuration file (.vmx) in a text editor.
  4. Add or edit the following parameters:
  5. svga.autodetect = "FALSE"svga.numDisplays = "X" svga.vramSize = "134217728"
  6. (Replace X with your desired monitor count. A vramSize of at least 128MB is recommended for multi-monitor setups.
  7. Save the file and power on the VM.

Additional Information

Environmental Factors

  • Affected SEP Versions: 14.3 RU9 and earlier.
  • Resolved SEP Versions: 14.3 RU10 and later.

Additional KB Unable to use multiple monitors with VMware Remote Console (VMRC)

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