VMware Tools regression in Workstation 11.1.2

Hey all,

Hoping I can reach someone from VMware to report an annoying regression in the VMware Tools shipped with VMware Workstation 11.1.2.

The VMware Tools for Windows 2000 and later have been compiled with an application manifest that references multiple XML schemas within a single tag. This trips over a nasty Windows XP bug:

KB921337: The computer may restart when you add a manifest that has the Windows Vista extension to an .exe file or to a .dll file in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or in WEPOS

The effect is that older Windows XP VMs will immediately crash on loading VMware Tools. The exact set of affected systems is:

• Any Windows XP system prior to SP2
• Any Windows XP SP2 system without the KB921337 hotfix
• Windows XP SP3 is safe (includes KB921337)

This bug was introduced in Workstation 11.1.2. Installing VMware Tools using the windows.iso from Workstation 11.1.1 will not trigger the bug.

I recognise this is a bit of a niche case, but the VMware guest OS compatibility guide states Windows XP is supported at all patch levels, and many people installing a Windows XP VM using older installation media may install VMware Tools prior to patching the OS, and so will encounter this bug. The bug will effectively trigger a reboot loop. As a workaround, you can start in Safe Mode and stop the vmtoolsd.exe process from automatically starting.

Thanks,

-SDL