Knowledge Base

The method of checking VMware host services differs between operating systems and VMware products. Refer to the section below that matches your operating system.

Notes:

• If you perform a corrective action in any of the following steps, verify if your problem still exists.
• In Linux host operating systems, a service may be described as a process or daemon. In Mac OS, a service may be described as a kernel extension.
• For the following procedures, results may not be accurate unless you are logged in as a user with either Administrator rights or root privileges.

Checking Windows VMware host services

1. Go to Start > Control Panel.
2. Double-click Administrative Tools.
3. Double-click Services.
4. Scroll to the entry for VMware Authorization Service.
5. If it is not started, start it:
   1. Right-click VMware Authorization Service.
   2. Click Start.
      
      
   Note: Repeat this step for VMware Registration Service if it is present.
   
   
6. If you cannot start the service, perform the following and verify that each step does not correct the problem before proceeding to the next step:
   1. Reboot your computer.
   2. Reinstall your VMware product.
   3. Verify that there is nothing wrong with your host operating system. For more information, see Verifying the health of an operating system (1003956).

Checking Linux VMware host services

Note: This is only required on Linux hosts that have GSX or VMware Server installed.

1. Open a shell prompt. For more information, see Opening a command or shell prompt (1003892).
2. Type ps aux | grep vmware-serverd and press Enter.
   
   Note: If this command results in an error message, consult the manual for your operating system for the procedure to list processes.
   
   
3. If you do not see vmware-serverd listed in the output twice then start vmware-serverd manually by invoking the VMware init script using the start and stop arguments.
   1. The syntax for starting vmware-serverd is sudo /etc/init.d/vmware start.
   2. The syntax for stopping vmware-serverd is sudo /etc/init.d/vmware stop.
      
      Notes:
      • If vmware-serverd is not started after manually invoking the VMware init script, then a reboot of the host machine may be needed.
      • You always see ps aux | grep vmware-serverd in the output. This only shows that you issued the command in step 2, not that vmware-serverd has been started.
        
        
4. If the service is still not started, perform the following and verify that each step does not correct the problem before proceeding to the next step:
5. Reinstall your VMware product. Verify that there is nothing wrong with your host operating system. For more information, see Verifying the health of an operating system (1003956).

Checking Mac OS VMware host services

1. Open a shell prompt. For more information, see Opening a command or shell prompt (1003892).
2. Type kextstat | grep vmware and press Enter.
3. If you do not see four entries displayed in the output then reboot your computer.
4. If you still experience your problem, and after repeating steps 1-2 you still do not see four entries displayed in the output, perform the following and verify that each step does not correct the problem before proceeding to the next step:
   1. Reinstall Fusion. For more information see Downloading and Installing VMware Fusion.
   2. Verify that there is nothing wrong with your host operating system. For more information, see Verifying the health of an operating system (1003956).