Upgrading vmware tools within vm without cd-rom

[Grzesiekk]

Hello,

does anybody know how does this works, or have some reference to vmware document describing vmware tools automated installation mode ?

I have read this KB

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2010480

It clearly says that it is impossible to upgrade vmware tools in vm which does not have cd-rom device. I tried install/upgrade vmware tools in interactive mode. It does not work, and gives the same error as in the kb.

But when i do automatic installation OR if vmware tools are already in vm, but outdated and option to upgrade tools when vm has power cycle , somehow tools are upgraded. I have even tried after this to install them from VM menu, using automated mode, and it did gave any error.

Is there some explanation for this ?

Thank you in advance

Greg

[Troy_Clavell]

if your guest does not have a CD/DVD drive, you cannot do this by Guest-Install Upgrade Tools

You'll need to copy the contents of windows.iso, or find a guest with a cd/dvd drive go through the process of installing the tools, but don't click on the option to do automated or interactive. Instead browse the CD/DVD drive of the guest and extract the files.  From there, copy them to a file share.  In guests that don't have a CD/DVD drive you can browse to the file share and run the setup.

...or power off the guest and add a CD/DVD drive.

If you don't want to extract the ISO file from your ESXi Host, see http://packages.vmware.com/tools

[Grzesiekk]

Hi Troy,

  thanks for answer. Well, ok i agree with you. But still i am wondering how it is possible that the tools were upgraded in the VM. That vm did not have cd-rom device. in vm settings

Options->Vmware Tools->Advanced->Check and upgrade tools during power cycling was enabled.

We started the vm, and after the vm powered up, in the console we saw that vmware tools were upgraded , as there was a popup saying that vmware tools will now need to reboot the vm. After reboot vm tools status was current.

On the same vm, when then we selected from vm menu Guest/Install Upgrade tools, inside the os, vmware tools popup asks if you want to do the interactive or automated instalaltion/upgrade. If we choose automated then tools will be installed without any issue. So i am trying to understand or find some vmware document about this behaviour. Why it can install the tools while power cycle ?

Greg

[Troy_Clavell]

This should not work even if you have "check and upgrade tools at power cycle" enabled.  The process still needs to mount the tools installer to the CD/DVD drive.  Was that guest migrated via vMotion or DRS to a host that has a different build?