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Upgrading to VMware Tools 5.1 causes log spew in the Windows Event Log: Error in the RPC receive loop (2036350)

Symptoms

After upgrading a Terminal Server or Terminal Server-based Citrix XenApp virtual machine to VMware Tools 5.1, you experience these symptoms:

  • In the Windows Application Event log, you see this error reported multiple times in quick succession (log spew):

    Error in the RPC receive loop: RpcIn: Unable to send.

  • In the vmware.log file for the virtual machine, you see this log spew:
    • GuestRpc: Channel X, conflict: guest application toolbox-dnd tried to register, but it is still registered on channel Y
    • GuestRpc: Channel X reinitialized.

  • User instances of vmtoolsd.exe crash with the error:

    Access violation (0xC0000005)

Resolution

This issue is resolved in Patch ESXi510-201212402-BG. To download this patch see, VMware ESXi 5.1., Patch ESXi510-201212402-BG: Updates tools-light (2035778). Alternatively you can upgrade to ESXi 5.1 Update 1.

If this issue continues to persist, you can disable VMware Tools logging to the Event Log and general virtual machine logging to the vmware.log file for the virtual machine.

Note: If the tools.conf file is not present, create the file manually using a plain text editor and add the below entries.

To disable VMware Tools application event logging:
  1. Edit the tools.conf file in a text editor.

    Note: To locate the tools.conf file, see the Configuration File Location section in Enabling debug logging for VMware Tools within a guest operating system (1007873).

  2. Add this section to the tools.conf file:

    [logging]
    vmusr.level = error

  3. Save and close the file.
  4. Restart the VMTools service (Administrative Tools > Services).

    Note    : If there are users logged in to more than one session, restarting the VMTools services may not be sufficient. You may have to kill the vmtoolsd.exe process for all instances.
To disable general virtual machine logging:
  1. Click the virtual machine in the Inventory.
  2. On the Summary tab for that virtual machine, click Edit Settings.
  3. In the virtual machine Properties dialog box, click the Options tab.
  4. Under Advanced, click General and deselect Enable logging.
  5. Click OK to save the change.
  6. To make the change take effect, power off the virtual machine and power it back on again.
  7. If the issue continues, try uninstalling and reinstalling VMware Tools.

    Note: If you do not want to power off your virtual machine to disable logging, you can also vMotion the virtual machine after changing this setting.

Note: This issue may also occur on non-Terminal Servers, such as Windows 2008 and Windows 2003.

Additional Information

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See Also

Update History

09/28/2012 - Added that this can also be seen on non Terminal Servers 01/29/2013 - Added additional error to Symptoms 01/29/2013 - Added note to regarding killing the vmtoolsd.exe process.

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