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 VMware Tools Problem on VMware 17

Ronald Voyles's profile image
Ronald Voyles posted Mar 09, 2025 06:17 AM

I was on VMware Workstation and noticed that it wanted me to update VMware Tools but when I tried to. It gave me a message saying

" VMware product installation cannot run the 32-bit installer on 64-bit windows ". I was wondering if anyone as seen or dealt with

this problem before and solve it or if not maybe find a solution. Also, I'm running VMware Workstation 17 Pro 17.6.3 build-24583834

and the host is Windows 11 64-bit. The VM is Windows 10 64-bit.

RaSystemlord's profile image
RaSystemlord

Never seen this, but I suspect the error message to be wrong. Otherwise, many possibilities:

a) You are not Running As Admin, b) There is something really wrong with your Win 10 Guest, you don't say which version it is, or how old VM it is (used-Windows is never the same as new-Windows), c) There is something really wrong with VMware 17.6.3. or its media, d) Or even 3rd Party software on Win 10 to block your attempt to install.

Vinitha V Nair's profile image
Broadcom Employee Vinitha V Nair

Hi,

Can you please share the vminst.log and vmmsi.log from %temp%. What is the VMtools installed version and upgrade version?

Thanks,

Vinitha V Nair

kasper's profile image
kasper

Seems like there was a change in 17.6.3 with 'tools'.    I do not see a setup64.exe which existed before.   Strange.

Sagi Aizenman's profile image
Sagi Aizenman

Same happen to me. I am trying to install vmware tools on windows 7 guest, not upgrade, and I get the same error as you submited @Ronald Voyals. 
Is there someone to reach for this problem?

**Update  - 2 solutions:
Solution 1:
 When you click on install Vmware-tools, the iso image that is loaded is windows-x86.iso, located usually in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation

when you are using a 64 bit windows machine, you need to choose the windows.iso file instead,which is located in the same directory of windows-x86.iso, and it is the vmware-tools iso file that is compatible with 64 bit machines. In order to do this, you need to go to the VM settings->Hardware->CD/DVD(SATA)->Use ISO image file
and then select the windows.iso file
After that, you should see the D drive in the windows machine, with setup.exe file, and this will work for 64 bit (at least this worked for me).

Solution 2:
if you need a specific version of vmware tools (like in my case for windows 7, since the latest vmware-tools version is not compatible with windows 7, look at this link
https://packages.vmware.com/tools/releases/
you should have there a lot of iso images to different versions of vmware tools 

you can find information about vmware tools version comptability to different windows machines in this link:
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/313371/vmware-tools-compatibility-with-guest-op.html

after that, you should mount the iso image as a cd drive in order the guest machine will detect it.
and then you should find the setup64.exe file. and then, normal installation.
this is a workaround however, and not an optimal solution (took almost 1 hour of searching)