Installing VMWare Tools on VMWare Player

Question

Product Information: VMWare Player Version: 3.1.4

I installed Windows 7 Professional. The installation completed fine. I click on Virtual Machine and choose Install VMWare Tools. It comes back with this error.

The internet connection works fine. I can launch IE, browse various websites etc.,

The network settings are as below.

What could be possibly wrong? Have I missed something?

Solution

Do you use a proxy on the host machine? I believe that that error means that it is attempting to download the latest version of the tools (from outside of the vm, the vm's settings does not affect this step at all) as it does not come packaged with the installer you must download it at least once, and that download is failing.

Check your network settings or see if there is a way to download the iso image of the tools directly. (I do not know what EULA says about the redistribution of the iso images so I won't link directly to a uploaded copy of my own, but if anyone else is brave enough...)

If you have vmware player installed on another computer the file you need to copy is

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Player\windows.iso
and
C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Player\windows.sig

That file will not be there on your machine (that is the entire reason you are getting the error, it is trying to download it for the first time and is failing)

---

I found where you can download the ISO, VMware's repository is here.

Comments

[Scott Chamberlain]

Temporarily remove the proxy and it may work.

[Kanini]

Ah! That may be available just for Workstation and not for Player. I did a quick check to see if the windows.iso is available at C:\Program Files (x86)\VMWare but could not find it.

[Scott Chamberlain]

I just checked another machine that has only player, the file is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Player\windows.iso

[Scott Chamberlain]

Found the link to VMwares official server, see my update.

[Kanini]

Thanks much! Just one final question. My host machine is Windows 7 x64. My guest machine is Windows 7 x32. Which one should I be using as part of my tools...the x32 or x64?

[Scott Chamberlain]

I am not 100% sure, but I think the guest's bitness, so x32 in your case.