HOW TO: Install VMware Tools for Windows on a VMware Windows virtual machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

In my previous 24 VMware Articles, most featured Intermediate VMware Topics. My next series of articles will concentrate on topics for the VMware Novice; this is the eighth article in this series.

If you would like to read the other articles in this series,  they are listed here for your convenience.

Part 1: HOW TO: Install and Configure VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1)

Part 2: HOW TO: Connect to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) using the vSphere Client

Part 3: HOW TO: Create an ISO CD-ROM/DVD-ROM image (*.iso), and MD5 checksum signature, for use with VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1)

Part 4: HOW TO: Upload an ISO CD-ROM/DVD-ROM image to a VMware datastore for use with VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) using the vSphere Client, and checking its MD5 checksum signature is correct.

Part 5: HOW TO: Enable SSH Remote Access on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1)

Part 6: HOW TO: Create your first Linux Virtual Machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

Part 7: HOW TO: Create your first Windows Virtual Machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

In this series of basic VMware articles for the Novice, I'll be showing you the basic VMware skills required to install, configure and deploy virtual machines using VMware's FREE VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi).

In this article we will show you HOW TO: Install VMware Tools for Windows on a VMware Windows virtual machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server. This procedure can be followed to install VMware Tools on any Microsoft Windows operating system Virtual Machines provided they are supported by the version of VMware vSphere. You may want to consult the the VMware Hardware Compatibility Lists or HCL, see here to check your operating system is compatible with VMware vSphere.


What are VMware Tools?

VMware Tools are a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improves management of the virtual machine. Installing the VMware Tools package will greatly enhance graphics and mouse performance in your virtual machine. Without VMware Tools installed in your guest operating system, guest performance lacks important functionality. You can check if you have VMware Tools installed by checking the Summary of your virtual machine using the vSphere Client if using VMware vSphere 4.x or 5.x, or ESX/ESXi 4.x, 5.x. If VMware Tools are installed VMware Tools will read OK, an IP Address and DNS hostname will appear in the Summary page.

1. Connect to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) or vSphere vCenter Server using the vSphere Client

Please refer to my EE article on HOW TO: Connect to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) using the vSphere Client


Click the Inventory icon.

2. Checking if VMware Tools is installed in the Virtual Machine

Click the Host Server in the Inventory, this is the small server box, with the IP Address [192.168.10.128] in this tutorial.
followed by the Virtual Machines configuration tab.
Right Click the location marked with the red arrow, the name field. This allows us to add other useful columns, which will show the status of VMware Tools, and whether VMware Tools is installed in the virtual machine. This feature shows us the information for all virtual machines running on this host.
Place a tick box and select IP Address, VMware Tools Running State and VMware Tools Version Status, this will enable additional columns.
If VMware Tools is installed and running, VMware Tools Running Status states Running, and an IP Address is displayed. Also the VMware Tools Version Status states - Current. If VMware Tools is not installed, please continue with the following steps.

As you can see from the above information VMware Tools has not been installed on any of our virtual machines, "My First Linux VM" or "My First Windows VM".  Please see my previous EE Article HOW TO: Tutorial Video - Install VMware Tools for Linux on a VMware Linux virtual machine to install VMware Tools on "My First Linux VM". To install VMware Tools on Windows, please continue with this tutorial.

3. Interacting with the Virtual Machine

Right-Click the virtual machine "My First Windows VM" and Select Power On, or select the virtual machine  "My First Windows VM", and type CTRL-B to power on the virtual machine, the virtual machine should automatically boot the operating system. Then select the Open Console function so you can interact with the virtual machine. You may find it easier if you Right-Click the virtual machine "My First Windows VM" and Select Open Console.
and then selecting the Power On button on the ribbon bar
  the virtual machine should automatically boot the operating system. The Open Console function is similar to the Keyboard/Video Machine (KVM) function in a datacentre, which allows you to toggle between console screens of computers, it allows you to interact with the virtual machine, with keyboard and mouse movements, and displays the screen. The Microsoft Windows Server 2012 console screen will be displayed.

4. Login to the virtual machine

Using the hot key combination CTRL-ALT-INS (INS = Insert Key), enter your username and password to access the virtual machine. You may need to change focus, by clicking the virtual machine desktop with the mouse.


Password Entered

5. Installing Vmware Tools for Windows

Select VM > Guest > Install/Upgrade VMware Tools
This process connects a VMware Tools for Windows  (windows.iso) iso file image to the CD-ROM device in the virtual machine. If VMware Tools fails to run, ensure that your virtual machine has a CD-ROM device added. If Autorun for CD-ROM is enabled in the virtual machine operating system, the VMware Tools for Windows setup.exe installation program will start to run automatically. However, in later operating systems, it was discovered that enabling Autorun in the operating system, highlighted a security risk, so in modern operating systems it has been disabled. If Autorun has been disabled on your operating system, you will need to manually select the CD-ROM drive.
Select the CD-ROM/DVD-DRIVE, this could be your D: drive.
Right Click the CD-ROM/DVD-DRIVE and select Install or run program from your media, this statement could be different for your operating system.
The VMware Tools installation will start
At the Welcome to the installation wizard for VMware Tools click Next to continue with the installation
At the Setup Type select Typical and Click Next to continue with the installation
At the Ready to Install the Program, click Install to continue the installation.
VMware Tools will start installing...
Click Finish.
At the VMware Tools, You must restart your system...." prompt select Yes to restart the virtual machine. When the virtual machine has restarted.

If you now repeat Step 2 above Checking if VMware Tools is installed in the Virtual Machine
An IP address is now displayed, which is the IP address of the virtual machine, VMware Tools Running Status - Running, and VMware Tools Version Status - Current

Congratulations, you have successfully Installed VMware Tools for Windows on a VMware Windows virtual machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

Please see my next article in this series HOW TO: Install VMware Tools for Windows on a VMware Linux virtual machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

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Thank you for reading my article, please leave valuable feedback. If you liked my VMware article and would like to see more Articles from me, please click the Yes button near the: Was this article helpful? at the bottom of this article just below and to the right of this information. Thank You. Do not forget if you have a question about this article or another VMware, Virtualisation, Windows Server 2012 question, why not post a Question for me and the other Experts Exchange Experts in the VMware, Virtualisation, Windows 2008, Windows 2012 Zones. I look forward to hearing from you. - Andy :- twitter @einsteinagogo
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