"The update server could not be resolved" error when checking for Workstation updates

[Technogeezer]

This question has been asked frequently enough that it warrants its own thread.

Since approximately 01-Apr-2025 any attempt to check for updates within any Workstation version is met with the following error message:

"The update server could not be resolved."

This error message is caused by a change in Broadcom's policies. Broadcom is now requiring users to have a product entitlement (that is, a subscription) to access in-product updates. If a user doesn't have a subscription to a product, in-product updates for that product will not work. Broadcom made changes to the software update servers to enforce this new policy. 

The error message displayed when checking for updates is due to these changes to the software update servers. A statement by Broadcom confirms that the in-product update feature is no longer being provided for Workstation/Fusion users. Workstation and Fusio do not have subscription entitlements, so there's nothing to validate access against. 

The current workaround for users wishing to upgrade Workstation is to download installation media for 13.5.2 or later from Broadcom's support portal and run the installer to upgrade Workstation.

Since in-product update notification is no longer provided, to determine if there are new versions of Workstation, you can:

• Watch this forum for posts from other users that have discovered the existence of new Workstation versions, or
• Monitor the VMware Workstation release notes found at https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/desktop-hypervisors/workstation-pro/17-0/release-notes.html

Broadcom is aware of this issue, but has not stated when or if in-product upgrades will return to Workstation. A future update will likely be required if Broadcom decides to return in-product upgrades or provide in-product notification of new Workstation versions. 

Note that this new policy has also eliminated access to any Workstation version prior to 17.5.2. Unofficial workarounds that described how to access the software update infrastructure to obtain no-longer-supported Workstation versions no longer work. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
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[robnicholsonmalt]

Thanks for this explanation. Did wonder why the notification icon bottom right had lit up.

[KMP]

What is the solution?  I downloaded Workstation Pro 17.6.3 from the portal after registering and still cannot get updates or vmware tools . 

[James Lin]

The VMware Workstation 17.6.3 install should already include the latest, supported versions of VMware Tools for Windows.  For Linux guests, you should be using open-vm-tools from your Linux distro's package manager.  For older, unsupported versions of Tools for other guest OS types, those can be manually downloaded from https://packages-prod.broadcom.com/tools/ .

[Scott Lutz]

This question has been asked frequently enough that it warrants its own thread.

But not frequently enough to warrant a fix. 

[James Lin]

Let's please keep posts productive.  However frustrated you are by this problem, I guarantee that my colleagues and I are orders of magnitude more frustrated by it.  We want this fixed as much as (and very likely more than) you do.

[Steven Iwanaga]

[James Lin]

I'm not sure what sarcasm you're referring to; there was no sarcasm in any of my posts.  This hasn't been fixed yet because this is a matter of Broadcom policy and is not a technical problem.

[Mikael Strom]

Hi,

It appears it is not possible to download any extra guest software, as any attempt to install guest software via "Virtual Machine | Install VMware Tools" result in the same dialog box:  "The update server could not be resolved. Check your Internet settings or contact your system administrator."

Not sure this was Broadcoms intention or not, but it sure is a major show stopper. Or am I missing something?

[James Lin]

See comment #4.

[Mikael Strom]

Thanks!

[RaSystemlord]

It's not a show-stopper. Just uninstall the old version and install new.

That is my preferred method for any complicated software in all cases.

[KMP]

Which new version? Already using Workstation 17.6

Kevin M Palmore

[James Lin]

The installer for VMware Workstation 17.6.3 available through the Broadcom support portal includes VMware Tools for supported Windows guests.  If you had previously upgraded from an older version of Workstation to 17.6 using its software update mechanism, the update might not have included VMware Tools.

[protons101]

@James Lin - Just want to say: your proucts are great - as vmware workstation pro that I am using, but the emphasis on costumer experience in my opion is horrible. I never seen even a free software of a big company, that doesn't allow a user to update in-product as you say. This is totaly irrational, because vmware workstaion pro is free, and hence there is need to check for subscription. Even if you wanted to check that the user downloaded the software from your original website, you could add a login screen in the vmware workstation itself to check that against your servers. The same for Vmware tools.

I understand that you prefer to invset time and money/effort in paying costumers, but this is a basic thing...

[James Lin]

Even if you wanted to check that the user downloaded the software from your original website, you could add a login screen in the vmware workstation itself to check that against your servers.

The problem is that wouldn't help any existing installations.  Sure, we could have a new update implementation that requires that users enter their Broadcom credentials first, but it'd only help people who install a new version with the new update implementation, and nobody would be notified about that new version... We're trying to avoid that if possible.

This is totaly irrational, because vmware workstaion pro is free, and hence there is need to check for subscription.

It's not about checking for a subscription.  There can be other factors too (for example, export restrictions).

Regardless, as I mentioned, this is a matter of Broadcom policy.  Even if you don't agree with the policy or even if the policy doesn't make sense, that is the state of affairs.

[Technogeezer]

James, you wrote:

> It's not about checking for a subscription.  There can be other factors too (for example, export restrictions).

I agree there's a product compiliance/export restriction angle to this. But based on what I've been reading from both Broadcom and in the news, I'm of the belief that the subscription angle is the primary driver for the new policy. Most if not all of the press related to this issue from all parties involved has focused on Broadcom stopping access to product updates to customers that do not continue with subscriptions. 

I personally think that Broadcom didn't consider what this new policy and implementation would do for their free products. It's also obvious that Broadcom is learning (I'm choosing my words carefully -- trying to keep this professional) how to deal with free software offerings and the customers that use them -- something that was foreign to Broadcom until the VMware acquisition. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
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[RaSystemlord]

I want to extend this discussion a bit - about how software companies work and what they are responsible for.

Registration as a Broadcom customer is not about VMware alone. Export licenses are then pretty much effective - for instance Russians should not get hold of the software, because they don't even have new computers where to run VMware. As mentioned, a customer is a customer for ALL products and thus registration does matter.

Everybody knows that Russians get everything they want from China, because China wants to make good money in this new world situation. They don't care about the war in Europe. However, if Broadcom DOES care about export licenses, it is pretty much what they MUST do. There are no valid arguments there that they should run their business in some other way.

Since Workstation Pro is "Free" software, you can get it "from everywhere", like any other Windows software that you almost certainly have in your computer. Thus, there is no valid argument for "I cannot download VMware Workstation" - just missing information.

This Forum STILL does not have sticky posts, people have time to write questions but they don't have time to read previous answers and thus it makes the same questions to be asked tens of times per year. If only Search would have been invented in Forum software. (sarcasm alert)

The same things if for Update - uninstall / install, takes just minutes. There is no technical reason to have Update, but the information - as a STICKY POST - is missing on this Forum. Update on Windows is - generally speaking - a bad idea on Windows, where the dll-h...l is still existing. Only with miniature software you can almost rely that it works. On Linux, the matter is different, because there (any main) Distro actually knows which packages need to be upgraded and which will become obsolete. I know that running Update is quicker, but since we are talking about minutes, writing about it takes more time than actually doing uninstall - install -procedure and thus the CLAIMS that Broadcom MUST support update are technically mute. The real argument would be that ip-address spaces should me possible to be left alone - Update AND reinstall AND install seem to change those address space (almost) every time. If you are doing anything more complicated than independent VMs or VMs where IP-address does not matter, this is a drag. Alternatively, the install could ask whether to use some arbitrary defaults and then give an easy way to change Host-only and NAT IP-address spaces. I know, Virtual Network Editor, when you know how to use it, can do this in a minute or two - at any time.