Knowledge Base

Ensuring the VMware Tools ISO image has been loaded in Windows guest operating systems

1. Connect to the ESX Server host your virtual machine resides on or connect to your VirtualCenter server with the VMware Infrastructure Client (VI Client).
2. Right-click the virtual machine you want to install VMware Tools on, in your inventory. Choose to cancel or end the VMware Tools installation.
3. Right-click the virtual machine you want to install VMware Tools on, in your inventory. Choose to install VMware Tools.
4. Click OK or Install when prompted.
5. If the installer does not start:
   1. Click Start > Run from the inside guest operating system.
   2. Type D:\setup.exe, where D: is the first CD-ROM drive configured for your virtual machine.
   3. Click OK to start installing VMware Tools.
      
      
6. If the setup fails to start as the ISO was not mounted to the CD-ROM drive:
   1. Right-click the virtual machine you want to install VMware Tools on, in your inventory. Choose Edit Settings.
   2. Select CD/DVD Drive.
   3. Ensure the Connected check box is selected.
   4. Choose Datastore ISO file > Browse > vmimages > tools-isoimages > windows.iso
   5. Complete step 5 again.
      
      
7. If you still experience problems getting the installation to start, see Confirm ISO image is not corrupt (1004820).

Ensuring the VMware Tools ISO image has been loaded in Linux guest operating systems

1. Connect to the ESX host your virtual machine resides on or connect to your VirtualCenter server with the VI Client.
2. Right-click the virtual machine you want to install VMware Tools on, in your inventory. Choose to cancel or end the VMware Tools installation.
3. Right-click the virtual machine you want to install VMware Tools on, in your inventory. Choose to install VMware Tools.
4. Log in to the virtual machine as root.
5. Mount the ISO as a CD-ROM:
   
   mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
   
   Note: You can also use the instructions given in step 6 of the Windows section to mount the Linux.iso file.
   
   
6. Run this command to see a tarball and a Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) file under the CD-ROM directory:
   
   ls /mnt/cdrom
   
   
7. Run this command to install using the RPM:
   
   rpm -i /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-<esx version>.i386.tar.rpm
   
   
8. Run this command to install using the tarball:
   
   cd /tmp
   tar -zxvf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-<esx version>.i386.tar.gz
   
   
9. Run this command to unmount the CD-ROM
   
   umount /mnt/cdrom
   
   
10. If you unpacked the tarball, run the VMware Tools installer.
    
    Change the directory to vmware-tools-distrib and run ./vmware-install.pl .
    
    It is normal for the console screen to go blank for a short time during the installation when the display size changes.
    
    
11. After the installation completes restart your X session for any mouse or graphics changes to take effect. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del.
12. Run this command to start the tools running in the background during an X server session:
    
    /usr/bin/vmware-toolbox &
    
    
13. Run this command to delete the extracted directory created in step 8, after you have finished installing VMware Tools:
    
    rm -rf /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib