VMware Workstation 17.6.0 The update server could not be resolved. Check your Internet settings or contact your system administrator.

[Ahmed Bakr]

Hello VMware Team and Community,

I'm currently using **VMware Workstation 17.6.0**, and whenever I try to check for updates, I receive the following error message:

> *"VMware Workstation 17.6.0 The update server could not be resolved. Check your Internet settings or contact your system administrator."*

My internet connection is working perfectly fine, and I haven't made any changes to my network or proxy settings.

Additionally, I'm unable to **download VMware Tools** inside any virtual machines. The process fails automatically without providing detailed information.

Is there a known issue with VMware's update servers at the moment?  
Or is there a way to **manually download and install VMware Tools** inside guest systems?

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Technogeezer]

The "update server could not be resolved" issue is a known issue. See https://community.broadcom.com/vmware-cloud-foundation/discussion/the-update-server-could-not-be-resolved-error-when-checking-for-workstation-updates#bm125429dc-28c8-4ad2-b6d1-577ead955593

VMware Tools installation images are typically bundled with Workstation. They're mounted to the VM from the GUI (VM > Install VMware Tools). If you need to download VMware Tools installation images, go to the Broadcom support portal. VMware Tools are considered a free download and can be found in the free product list where you download Workstation Pro (just look for VMware Tools instead of VMware Workstation Pro). 

Note that you do not and should not use VMware Tools for Linux VMs. Instead, use the open-vm-tools and open-vm-tools-desktop packages provided by the distribution you're running in your VM. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
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[Technogeezer]

After reflection, I edited my initial response, and apologize to the community for it.  The question had been asked frequently, and I let the frustrations of answering the same question cloud my tone which I should not have.

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- Paul (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
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