asked on

The Summary tab of the Windows 2008 R2 virtual machine reports the status of VMware Tools as Not Running (Current)

The tools show running current, but after I try to do a backup they change to Not Running (Current). I tried the following from VMware (below), it has worked on some servers, but not others. I was installing tools 10.1.5 mounting from the host. I have downloaded and tried 10.1.7, with the same results. I have also tried with and without the VMware VSS provider. All the servers are Windows 2008 R2
I am running ESXi 6.0 build 5572656.

Thanks!

Cause
This issue occurs if the VMware Tools installation files, located at C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools and C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools, are corrupted.
Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must reinstall VMware Tools after deleting the C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools and C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools folders:
1.Uninstall VMware Tools from the virtual machine.
2.Reboot the virtual machine.
3.Take a backup of the C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools and C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools folders by renaming the folders.
4.Reboot the virtual machine.
5.Install VMware Tools.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

So it looks like a backup, which uses VSS is causing VMware Tools to crash.

So something is corrupted with VSS, and this is very difficult to fix.

Uninstall VMware Tools completely

Restart

Re-install VMware Tools

Restart

Does it work ?

asrvwiz

ASKER

Andrew,

No. I followed the KB article I included in the question. The tools start out running current, but then after the failed backup go to not running current.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

did you try my method ?

and then does it work ?

Yes, tools stopped running because VSS is crashing! (when a back is called to use it!)

asrvwiz

ASKER

Basically yes. I uninstall tools reboot. Delete the VMware folder under program data reboot, reinstall tools reboot. This did not work.

asrvwiz

ASKER

Andrew,

Standby for a bit I found something about the backup software we use. So far it worked on one server, but I want to test it further.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

You need to check if your VSS is broken on this server.

asrvwiz

ASKER

How do you do that?

asrvwiz

ASKER

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>vssadmin list providers
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Provider name: 'Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0'
Provider type: System
Provider Id: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}
Version: 1.0.0.7

C:\Windows\system32>

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

Take a Snapshot, with the Quice function ticked, so it Quices the VM, which causes VSS to be called in the VM.

This is the same instruction the backup software does.

asrvwiz

ASKER

No it will not work with the quiesce function ticked.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

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asrvwiz

ASKER

I did open a ticket with VMware. I am waiting on a response. In the mean time the work around I found seems to be working. Basically it does not quiesce the server when it backs it up, giving a crash consistent snapshot.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

well that will work, we don't quiesce any of our servers, never have since 2004!

because we snapshot the LUN! on the SAN!

VMware Snapshots just cause too many issues, poor performance, VMs left running on snapshots, databases which get corrupted, stun cause the machine to pause!

asrvwiz

ASKER

Thanks so much for your help!