Install VM Tools option greyed out

[prasanth06]

i am not able to install VM Tools....The option Has just Got Disabled/Greyed Out.

[Scott Vessey]

More info required at a minimum:

Host OS and version

Guest OS and version

Version of Workstation

[wila]

Hi,

Make sure that the guest OS and bitness selected for the VM matches the actual guest OS installed within the VM.

Hope this helps,

--

Wil

[bluefirestorm]

Add a virtual DVD/CDROM drive to the configuration of the VM (even if you have one). It does not even need to be in the "Connected" state at the VM and it does not need to have an ISO file.

I found that without a virtual DVD/CDROM drive as part of the virtual hardware configuration of the VM, the "Install/Reinstall VMware Tools" get disabled/greyed out (in both Fusion and Workstation Pro).

[Bayvista170]

How do you add a virtual cd rom?

[Scott Vessey]

There’s usually an option to add a new device or add new hardware when you edit the VM settings.

[Bayvista170]

OK thanks. Found it.

[AB4EJ-1]

After I just upgraded to version 17.0.2, "Install VMWare Tools" is greyed out. I have looked at previous comments regarding this; I see that one idea is to add a DVD/CDROM to Devices (there are already 2 shown as installed); I added one more, but I get the error "Cannot connect the virtual device sata0:3 because  no corresponding device is available on the host" (I am running Ubuntu 22.04.2).  Do I have to configure the O/S to expect a third drive?  I never had this much trouble to get VMWare tools to install in the past...

[RDPetruska]

1. No need to add additional CD-ROM drives.  And if you do, there is no reason to have them point to physical devices - select the "use image file" option.

2. If the Tools are already installed, then the menu should change to "Reinstall VMware Tools".  If the VM is powered off or suspended, it will say "Install VMware Tools" but be greyed out (must be powered on in order to install them).

3. If the guestOS setting is not set properly as Wila said above, the system may not recognize what the guest is, and therefore not be able to select the appropriate ISO image file for the Tools installation, and therefore keep the menu greyed out.

[AB4EJ-1]

I found out - VM tools no longer installed this way. Instead, install Open-VM-tools, see:

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Tools/12.2.0/com.vmware.vsphere.vmwaretools.doc/GUID-C48E1F14-240D-4DD1-8D4C-25B6EBE4BB0F.html

 

[SultanofSpeed]

Thank You. None of the above solutions worked for me, excepting this. The command line option.

After these Command lines were executed, although the VMTools is still greyed out, it now shows "Reinstall VMware Tools"....which means, VMware Tools got installed properly.

Thank You for this.