Installation guide

Table Of Contents
Upgrade VMware Tools Manually
You can manually upgrade VMware Tools.
Procedure
1 Launch the vSphere client and log in to the vCenter Server system.
2 Select the Inventory > Hosts and Clusters view.
3 Select the host or cluster that contains the virtual machines you want to upgrade.
4 Select the Virtual Machines tab.
5 Select the virtual machines you want to upgrade.
6 Right-click your selections and select Install/Upgrade Tools.
7 (Optional) Enter command-line options in the Advanced field.
Command-line options for Linux are documented in the Linux installer for Linux Tools. Command-line
options for Windows are documented in the MSI for Windows Tools and at the following Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer.
8 Click OK.
VMware Tools can also be manually upgraded from within the virtual machine’s operating system by opening
the VMware Tools Properties dialog box (double-click the icon in the system tray) and clicking Upgrade in the
Options tab.
Configure Virtual Machines to Automatically Upgrade VMware Tools
Virtual Machines can be configured so VMware Tools are automatically upgraded.
NOTE Automatic VMware Tools upgrade is not supported for virtual machines with Solaris or Netware guest
operating systems.
The following are required for automatic upgrades:
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Virtual machines must have a version of VMware Tools shipped with ESX Server 3.0.1 or greater installed.
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Virtual machines must be hosted on an ESX Server 3.0.1 or greater, and the vCenter Server must be version
2.0.1 or greater.
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Virtual machines must be running a Linux or Windows guest OS that is supported by ESX Server 3.0.1 or
greater and vCenter Server 2.0.1 or greater.
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Virtual machines must be powered on.
Procedure
1 Open the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box for the virtual machine you want to upgrade.
2 Select Options tab > VMware Tools.
3 Select the Check and upgrade Tools before each power-on option under Automatic VMware Tools
Upgrade.
4 Click OK.
The next time the virtual machine is powered on, it checks the ESX/ESXi host for a newer version of VMware
Tools. If one is available, it is installed and the guest operating system is restarted (if required).
Chapter 11 Creating Virtual Machines
VMware, Inc. 131