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Powering on a virtual machine in Workstation fails with the error: Unable to open kernel device ".\Global\vmx86" : The system cannot find the file specified (2044686)

This issue occurs if VMware Workstation did not install correctly on the host.

To resolve the issue, reinstall VMware Workstation on the host.

To reinstall Workstation:

Close VMware Workstation.
Uninstall Workstation by navigating to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs or Control Panel > Program and Features.

For more information, see:
- Windows XP – Microsoft article How to change or remove a program in Windows XP
- Windows Vista – Microsoft article Uninstall or change a program
- Windows 7/8 – Microsoft article Uninstall or change a program
  
  Note: The preceding links were correct as of February 07, 2013. If you find a link is broken, provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.
  
  Note: If the uninstallation fails, see Cleaning up after an incomplete uninstallation on a Windows host (1308).
Reboot the host.
Reinstall VMware Workstation using the installer. To download Workstation, see the VMware Download Center. For more information, see Installing and Using Workstation.

For more information on downloading and installing VMware Workstation, see this video:

To request a new product feature or to provide feedback on a VMware product, please visit the Request a Product Feature page.

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