VMware Player, version 5.0.2 build-1031769
Host: WinXP3 (32 bit)
Guest: Linux Mint 14 (64 bit)
Question: Attempting to make changes to my Guest's "Virtual Machine settings" causes VMware to hang. How can I fix that?
Summary: My Guest works, but I tried to do an update (not an upgrade) and my Player installation appears to have somehow gotten tangled with Workstation. Now I can't configure my Guest - I can't change anything about it. I tried repairing the installation, then I tried saving the old configuration & re-installing, then I tried tossing the old configuration & re-installing. Nothing has helped.
===== UPDATE #2 =====
...No response to UPDATE #1 yet ...I'm getting desperate. So I did this:
// TRY TO REPAIR
Reboot.
Run 'VMware-player-5.0.2-1031769.exe', choose "Repair".
Reboot.
Launch VMware Player, highlight the Guest VM, click "Edit virtual machine settings".
In "Virtual Machine Settings" dialog, click on anything (even [Help]).
VMware Player hangs.
Kill Player.
// TRY UNINSTALL + RE-INSTALL
Reboot.
'Control Panel' > 'Add or Remove Programs' > Remove VMware Player (choose to save VMware Player configuration).
Reboot.
Run 'VMware-player-5.0.2-1031769.exe' to re-install.
Reboot.
Launch VMware Player, highlight the Guest VM, click "Edit virtual machine settings".
In "Virtual Machine Settings" dialog, click on anything (even [Help]).
VMware Player hangs.
Kill Player.
// BUT GUEST WORKS!!
Launch Guest directly (using a link).
Got the following 'Software Updates' alert box:
| The following software is available for download:
|
| VMware Tools for Linux - version 9.2.3
|
| [caution icon] Downloading and installing VMware Tools is
| required to enable advanced features of
| your virtual machine.
|
| What would you like to do?
|
| [Download and Install] [Remind Me Later]
Re-installing (hot refresh of) Player has not fixed the problem. Uninstalling and re-installing (cold install of) Player has not
fixed the problem. But through it all, the Guest still runs!
Note that the 'Software Updates' alert box mentions "VMware Tools for Linux - version 9.2.3". That's for Workstation, isn't it?
What's that doing in Player?
// TRY UNINSTALL + RE-INSTALL AGAIN
Reboot.
'Control Panel' > 'Add or Remove Programs' > Remove VMware Player (choose to not save VMware Player configuration - uncheck it).
Reboot.
Run 'VMware-player-5.0.2-1031769.exe' to re-install.
Reboot.
Launch Player.
Launch VMware Player, I'm surprised to see the Guest is still there.
Highlight the Guest VM, click "Edit virtual machine settings".
In "Virtual Machine Settings" dialog, click on anything (even [Help]).
VMware Player hangs.
Kill Player.
===== UPDATE #1 =====
I performed an update:
1, In the 'VMware Player' application: 'Player' > 'File' > 'Player Preferences' opened the 'Preferences' dialog,
2, In the 'Preferences' dialog: 'Software updates' > [Download All Components Now] opened the 'Software Updates' dialog, and
3, In the 'Software Updates' dialog: Software for Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Novel were updated.
Now the "Virtual Machine Settings" dialog locks up and the only way to exit is to use Task Switcher to kill execution.
In step #3 (above) I watched as each 'update' notification changed from "version 5.0.2" to "version 9.2.3" just prior to each
download. That appears to have changed something from Player to Workstation as this path:
'C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware Workstation'
now exists (and it shouldn't), and this log file:
c:\Documents and Settings\pc\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\Ubuntu\vmware-2.log
includes this entry:
'[msg.dictionary.load.openFailed] Cannot open file "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware
Workstation\config.ini": The system cannot find the file specified.'
Sure enough, 'C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware Workstation' is an empty folder.
The Guest runs fine, but I can't edit its "Virtual Machine Settings". What should I do?
Thanks - Mark.
===== ORIGINAL POST =====
My VM works in every way except as described below.
In the top-right of the VM toolbar is found 6 icons with text: "Hard Disk (SCSI)", "CD/DVD (IDE): Auto detect", "Network Adapter
Bridged (Automatic)", "Network Adapter 2: Host-only", "Printer: Present", "Sound Card: Auto detect". Right-clicking on any of them
and choosing "Settings..." brings up the "Virtual Machine Settings" dialog. When I do that, the VM goes continuously busy
(hourglass), and I have to use Windows Task Manager to kill it. While the VM is locked up, there's no disk activity and the
"Virtual Machine Settings" dialog is unresponsive.
Got any troubleshooting ideas?
Thanks - Mark.