Installing VMware Workstation or VMware Tools fails with error: 1327 or 1606

Products

• VMware
• VMware Desktop Hypervisor
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Installing VMware Workstation fails during this message:
  
  computing space requirements
   
• Installing VMware Tools fails
• You see one of these errors:
   
  • Error 1327: Invalid Drive (X)
    
    where X is a drive letter that is visibly not in use
     
  • Error 1606: Could Not Access Network Location \\<host>\users\administrator\my documents
  • Error cannot access //vmware/shared ../...., vmware-fusion

Cause

This issue can be caused by:

• Disconnected network drives
• Incorrect or nonexistent mapping of shell folders

Resolution

Ensure you are logged in to the virtual machine as the local administrator when attempting to install VMware Tools. If the issue persists, continue with the following information.

 

If the network drive in the error is disconnected, remove it or reconnect it to proceed with the installation. To remove the drive:

1. Open My Computer.
2. Right-click the network drive and select Remove.

Otherwise, the mapping of one or more shell folders is incorrect. To correct the mapping:

Note: This procedure modifies the Windows registry. Before making any registry modifications, ensure that you have a current and valid backup of the registry and the virtual machine. For more information on backing up and restoring the registry, see the Microsoft article 136393.

1. Open the Registry Editor:
   • Windows XP: Go to Start > Run, type regedit, and click OK.
   • Windows Vista/7: Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run, type regedit, and click OK.
   • Window 8: Keep the Windows Key pressed on the keyboard and then press R key to open Run prompt. Type regedit, and click OK
      
2. Navigate to these two locations:
    
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
      
3. Make sure that you see these values (among others). Update these entries, if they have a different data value:
   
   Windows XP / Server 2003

   Name	Data value
   Desktop	%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
   My Music	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Music
   My Pictures	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Pictures
   Personal	%USERPROFILE%\My Documents

   
   
   Windows Vista / 7 / Server 2008 / 8

   Name	Data value
   Desktop	%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
   My Music	%USERPROFILE%\Music
   My Pictures	%USERPROFILE%\Pictures
   Personal	%USERPROFILE%\Documents