"Install VMware Tools" greyed out after installing ubuntu 15.04 on vmware player 7.1

Question

"Install VMware Tools" greyed out after installing Ubuntu 15.04 on VMware Player 7.1. I tried checking "No proxy" instead of default "Windows proxy settings" at "File->Preferences->Software updates-> Connection Settings". This did not work either. Is there a way to install VMware Tools?

score 39 · Answer 1 · answered May 27 '15 at 04:48

39

I had the same issue. Like the answer posted before, I had to shutdown the machine and change both the floppy drive and cd drives to "Auto detect" and then power on the machine.

answered May 27 '15 at 04:48

Jacques Lalancette

491
3
4

Also make sure you select the OS correctly in VMWare settings. When the OS is "other", Install VMWare Tools menu is greyed out. – Joni Nevalainen Mar 07 '18 at 10:24
just adding the cd-rom device back worked for me - floppy not necessary – JimSTAT May 21 '18 at 15:33
Thanks! I did not have to shutdown the machine - the option was non-greyed instantly. – thomasa88 Nov 15 '18 at 08:12
This works, but why? – MrObjectOriented Mar 16 '19 at 05:33
Works, but this is some cringe, VMWare. The answer posted in 2015, we're in 2022 and I just had this issue and it took me an hour to fix this lmao. – KulaGGin Jan 10 '22 at 17:08
2025: we'll have to rub a leprechaun in order for Install VMWare Tools button to become active. – KulaGGin Jan 10 '22 at 17:39

score 8 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 28 '15 at 22:27

8

I unmounted the two ISOs which were mounted because of the Easy Install. After that I was able to push the "Install VMware Tools" button in the dropdown menu.

edited Apr 28 '15 at 22:27

Eliah Kagan

119,820

answered Apr 28 '15 at 22:06

user402918

81
1

Matiss · Answer 3 · 2016-11-09T12:19:34.543

5

This worked for me on Ubuntu 16.04

sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools-desktop

edited Nov 09 '16 at 12:19

answered Nov 08 '16 at 18:18

Matiss

163

1

I think you mean Any supported version of Ubuntu >=14.04 See http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=open-vm-tools-desktop&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all – Elder Geek Nov 08 '16 at 19:30
1

@ByteCommander Well that command did not work for me, but i found another solution and posted it as answer. – Matiss Nov 15 '16 at 11:21
@ByteCommander note that it's a different package name. – terdon Nov 15 '16 at 17:12
1

@terdon Is it? Oh, oops... I must have been a little sleepy... Thanks for paying attention. – Byte Commander Nov 15 '16 at 19:39

score 3 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 18 '15 at 09:11

3

You can mount VMwareTools CD image manualy, file path is like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\linux.iso

edited Dec 18 '15 at 09:11

Jakuje

6,813

answered Dec 18 '15 at 06:34

WonYong Jung

41

score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 18 '15 at 07:10

1

A good solution for Ubuntu as a VMWare guest is to install the open VMWare tools: This can be done from the command line with the command

sudo apt-get install --install-suggests open-vmware-tools

answered Dec 18 '15 at 07:10

Charles Green

21,909

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 25 '16 at 18:53

0

If you add a CD-ROM Drive then you see this option "Reinstall VMware Tools...".

If you don't hava a CD-Rom the option to reinstall the VMware Tools will not be availlable.

answered Oct 25 '16 at 18:53

Benny

1

score -2 · Answer 7 · edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

What you have to do is simple,

just start a Guest Machine(your VM)

then you will see that the VM -> Install VMware Tools ... option is enabled.

Simple clue - when you starting the Guest Machine you see this dialog box (if you have not checked it out earlier) after clicking OK, VM -> Install VMware Tools ... option is enabled.

You do not need to change anything other than starting a Guest Machine.(No need to change proxy settings in VMware or unmount an image mounted on your guest machine CD/DVD ROM)

"Install VMware Tools" greyed out after installing ubuntu 15.04 on vmware player 7.1

7 Answers7

Linked