Update the VMware Tools version in the ESXi host
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Update the VMware Tools version in the ESXi host

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Article ID: 322293

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server VMware vCenter Server 7.0 VMware vCenter Server 8.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0 VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This guide shows the process of updating VMware Tools on an ESXi host using the offline update package from Broadcom

Environment

  • VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
  • VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x
  • VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x
  • VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x

Resolution

Method 1: Updating VMware Tools Using vSphere Lifecycle Manager Images

Use this method if your cluster is managed with a vLCM single image. If you are using baselines instead, skip to Method 2.

For image-managed clusters, see Working with Images for full documentation.

Stage 1: Add the Tools Component to the Image

  1. Open the vSphere Client and go to Menu > Home > Lifecycle Manager.
  2. Confirm the desired VMware Tools Async Release version is listed under Image Depot > Components.
  3. If the version is missing, download the appropriate VMware Tools component package from the Broadcom portal and import it via Lifecycle Manager > Actions > Import Updates. See Downloading VMware Tools for download steps. Note that the image-managed workflow uses a component format within the Lifecycle Manager depot, which differs from the Offline VIB Bundle used in the baseline method (Method 2). Ensure you are downloading the correct file type for your method.
  4. In the vCenter inventory, navigate to your Cluster (or standalone ESXi Host).
  5. Select the Updates tab, then select Image.
  6. Click Edit within the Image.
  7. Next to Components, click Show Details.
  8. Click ADD COMPONENTS.
  9. In the Add Components window, locate VMware Tools Async Release under Component Name.
  10. Select the desired version from the Version column and click Select.
  11. Click Validate, then click Save once validation passes.
  12. Remediate the cluster or host. See Remediating a Cluster or Standalone Host Against a Single Image.

Stage 2: Upgrade VMware Tools Inside VMs

Once host remediation is complete, proceed to the VM-Level Upgrade section at the bottom of this article.

Method 2: Updating VMware Tools Using Lifecycle Manager Baselines

Use this method if your cluster or hosts are managed with baselines rather than a single image.

This method also has two stages. The first stage updates the Tools installer on the ESXi host. The second stage upgrades Tools inside each VM.

Stage 1: Update the Tools VIB on the ESXi Host

Step 1: Confirm the Tools version is available in the Lifecycle Manager depot

  1. Open the vSphere Client and go to Menu > Home > Lifecycle Manager.
  2. Click Image Depot, then select Components.
  3. Check that the desired VMware Tools Async Release version is listed.
  4. If the version is missing, download the VMware Tools Offline VIB Bundle from the Broadcom portal and import it via Lifecycle Manager > Actions > Import Updates.

Step 2: Create a baseline (one-time setup per vCenter)

  1. In Lifecycle Manager, click Create New Baseline and enter a name.
  2. Select Patch as the baseline type and click Next.
  3. Under Select Patches Automatically, uncheck the automatic update checkbox and click Next.
  4. On the Add Patches Manually screen, turn off the Show Roll-up Updates Only toggle.
  5. Search for the desired VMware Tools version, select it, and click Next, then Finish.

The baseline should contain only the VMware Tools patch. Do not mix other patches into this baseline, as doing so can cause unpredictable remediation behavior including unexpected maintenance mode handling.

Step 3: Attach the baseline and remediate the host

  1. In the vCenter inventory, select the desired ESXi host or Cluster and go to the Updates tab.
  2. Click Baselines, then attach the baseline created in Step 2.
  3. Click Check Compliance and wait for the scan to complete.
  4. Select the baseline and click Remediate.
  5. Review the pre-check summary, confirm the single patch is listed, and click Remediate to proceed.

Notes on host remediation behavior:

  • Updating the Tools VIB typically does not require a host reboot. Whether a reboot is required is determined by the VIB's own metadata. You can confirm this before applying by running esxcli software sources vib get -d <path_to_zip> and reviewing the output.
  • vSphere Lifecycle Manager will attempt to place the host into maintenance mode during remediation, and maintenance mode is required for the update to reliably take effect. Actual behavior varies by environment - some hosts enter maintenance mode briefly and exit on their own after remediation, while others may not enter it at all depending on configuration.
  • VM migration during maintenance mode via vMotion is only possible on clustered hosts where DRS is enabled and vMotion is configured.
    • If those conditions are met, vCenter will migrate running VMs to other hosts before the host enters maintenance mode and return them afterward.
    • If EVC is not enabled and hosts have different CPU generations, vMotion may fail
    • Consider enabling EVC if your cluster has mixed CPU types.
    • Standalone hosts cannot use vMotion. If you are remediating a standalone host, you will need to power off or manually migrate VMs before remediation begins, or accept brief VM downtime.
  • After remediation finishes, wait up to five minutes for VMs on the host to reflect the updated Tools version available status.

Stage 2: Upgrade VMware Tools Inside VMs

Once host remediation is complete, proceed to the VM-Level Upgrade section below.

Method 3: Manual VIB Install on the ESXi Host (Fallback)

Use this method only if baseline remediation fails.

Step 1: Download the VMware Tools Offline VIB Bundle

  1. Go to the Broadcom support portal and navigate to My Downloads.
  2. Search for VMware Tools and select the desired version.
  3. Download the VMware Tools Offline VIB Bundle (.zip file).

Step 2: Check the current Tools version on the host (optional)

SSH to the ESXi host and run:

esxcli software vib list | grep -i tool

Step 3: Upload the VIB bundle to a datastore

Upload the downloaded .zip file to a datastore accessible to the ESXi host.

Step 4: Verify the VIB contents before applying

esxcli software sources vib get -d "/vmfs/volumes/<datastore_name>/<filename>.zip"

Review the output to confirm the version and check whether the VIB requires maintenance mode or a reboot before proceeding.

Step 5: Apply the update

To update an existing Tools installation:

esxcli software vib update -d "/vmfs/volumes/<datastore_name>/<filename>.zip"

To install fresh if no prior installation is detected:

esxcli software vib install -d "/vmfs/volumes/<datastore_name>/<filename>.zip"

Note: A host reboot is not required after this step for the Tools VIB.

Step 6: Verify the updated version

esxcli software vib list | grep -i tool

Once complete, proceed to the VM-Level Upgrade section below.

VM-Level Upgrade

After any of the above methods update the Tools installer on the host, the upgrade inside each VM must be triggered separately. The options below all accomplish this. Choose the one that best fits your environment.

Option A: Bulk upgrade from the cluster Updates tab (recommended for multiple VMs)

  1. In the vCenter inventory, select the Cluster.
  2. Click the Updates tab.
  3. Select VMware Tools from the left-hand panel.
  4. A list of VMs with available upgrades will appear.
  5. Select the VMs to upgrade, then click Upgrade to Match Host.
  6. Choose your preferred options (automatic upgrade, snapshot before upgrade, etc.) and confirm.

Option B: Per-VM upgrade from the inventory

  1. Right-click the VM in the vCenter inventory.
  2. Go to Guest OS > Upgrade VMware Tools.
  3. Select Automatic or Interactive upgrade and click OK.

Option C: Attach the predefined "VMware Tools Upgrade to Match Host" baseline

This is a predefined baseline in Lifecycle Manager that targets VMs directly, separate from the host-level baseline used earlier.

  1. Select the Cluster or Host in the vCenter inventory and go to the Updates tab.
  2. Click Baselines and attach the predefined baseline named VMware Tools Upgrade to Match Host.
  3. Click Check Compliance. VMs with an older in-guest Tools version will show as non-compliant.
  4. Select the baseline and click Remediate to trigger the in-guest upgrade across affected VMs.

Option D1: Enable automatic upgrade on power-on per VM

Use this for individual VMs or small environments.

  1. Right-click the VM in the vCenter inventory and select Edit Settings.
  2. Click the VM Options tab.
  3. Expand the VMware Tools section.
  4. Enable Check and upgrade VMware Tools before each power on.
  5. Click OK.

This stores the setting directly in the VM's configuration.

Option D2: Enable automatic upgrade on power-on via vLCM for multiple VMs

Use this for managing the policy across a cluster or large group of VMs.

  • For a single VM: Select the VM > Updates tab > in the VMware Tools panel, click Turn On.
  • For a cluster, host, datacenter, or vCenter instance: Select the object > Updates tab > Hosts > VMware Tools > select the target VMs from the list > click Set Auto Update > select On.

Both D1 and D2 cause the same result: at the next power-on or restart, vSphere Lifecycle Manager checks the Tools version and upgrades if necessary. Note that on Windows guests specifically, the version check occurs at power-on but the actual upgrade runs at power-off or restart, so the upgrade will not be visible immediately after powering on.

Note on VM reboots: The in-guest Tools upgrade on Windows VMs requires a guest OS reboot to complete. This is separate from any host maintenance. To suppress the automatic reboot and defer it to a later time, enter the following string into the Advanced field of the vCenter Install/Upgrade VMware Tools dialog box (not at a command prompt):

setup.exe /S /v "/qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress"

Note on Linux VMs: Linux VMs that use Open VM Tools (open-vm-tools) are not upgraded through these methods. Those VMs are updated via the OS package manager (apt, yum, etc.) from within the guest.

Troubleshooting

VMs still show Tools as current after host remediation

The host checks its local Tools repository roughly every five minutes. If VMs have not updated their status after waiting, the host may have a Ramdisk cache in use that was not refreshed after the new VIB was installed. The recommended resolution is to reboot the host, which will fully reload the Tools repository. If a reboot is not possible or the issue persists, open a support case with VMware Support at Broadcom for guidance on resolving the repository state without impacting your environment.

A VM shows as "Incompatible" rather than "Non-Compliant" in a compliance scan

The predefined "VMware Tools Upgrade to Match Host" baseline can only upgrade an existing Tools installation. If no Tools installation is detected in the VM, the scan returns an Incompatible state and the VM cannot be remediated through this baseline. A fresh Tools installation must be performed manually inside the guest OS first.

The host entered maintenance mode during Tools VIB remediation

This is expected behavior in many environments. Even though a reboot is typically not required, maintenance mode may still be set by vLCM for the update to take effect. If DRS is enabled, VMs will migrate off automatically and return when remediation completes. The host should exit maintenance mode on its own after successful remediation. If the host does not exit maintenance mode after remediation completes, check the Recent Tasks pane for errors - a failed remediation task can leave the host in maintenance mode and will require manual intervention to exit.

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