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Table Of Contents
Manually Install or Upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows Virtual Machine
All supported Windows guest operating systems support VMware Tools.
Before you upgrade VMware Tools, consider the environment that the virtual machine runs in and weigh
the benefits of different upgrade strategies. For example, you can install the latest version of VMware Tools
to enhance the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improve virtual machine
management, or you can continue using the existing version to provide more flexibility and avoid
downtime in your environment.
Prerequisites
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Power on the virtual machine.
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Verify that the guest operating system is running.
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If you connected the virtual machine’s virtual CD/DVD drive to an ISO image file when you installed
the operating system, change the setting so that the virtual CD/DVD drive is configured to autodetect a
physical drive.
The autodetect setting enables the virtual machine's first virtual CD/DVD drive to detect and connect to
the VMware Tools ISO file for a VMware Tools installation. This ISO file looks like a physical CD to
your guest operating system. Use the virtual machine settings editor to set the CD/DVD drive to
autodetect a physical drive.
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Log in as an administrator unless you are using an older Windows operating system. Any user can
install VMware Tools in a Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME guest operating system. For
operating systems newer than these, you must log in as an administrator.
Procedure
1 On the host, from the VMware Fusion menu bar, select Virtual Machine > Install VMware Tools.
If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
2 If you are installing VMware Tools for the first time, click OK on the Install VMware Tools information
page.
If autorun is enabled for the CD-ROM drive in the guest operating system, the VMware Tools
installation wizard starts.
3 If autorun is not enabled, to manually launch the wizard, click Start > Run and enter D:\setup.exe,
where D: is your first virtual CD-ROM drive. Use D:\setup64.exe for 64-bit Windows guest operating
system.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions.
5 If the New Hardware wizard appears, follow the prompts and accept the defaults.
6 If you are installing a beta or RC version of VMware Tools and you see a warning that a package or
driver is not signed, click Install Anyway to complete the installation.
7 When prompted, reboot the virtual machine.
What to do next
If a new virtual hardware version is available for the virtual machine, upgrade the virtual hardware.
Chapter 5 Creating Virtual Machines
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