All VMware software & their installers fail to start, all of sudden, with no error messages & without getting listed in Task Manager

Question

I have been using VMware Player on a Windows 7 machine.

Today I noticed that my VMware player wasn't starting so tried to repair it using the installer but even that failed to start. After clicking to run VMware player & allowing admin permissions, the program just doesn't start.

I even tried installing the latest version of VMware but that too failed. Nothing happens when I try to start VMware Player or its installer. Everything works fine on my computer apart from that.

Now I tried to install the fresh trial version of VMware workstation, that installer even fails to start. Previously everything used to work fine.

Why is the whole product family of VMware failing to start now?

Very occasionally I saw this error when trying to run the installer:

Edit:

I don't know what to look into the Event logs.. here is a snapshot of the application logs listed for Vmware:

Here are the details of one of those logs:-

Log Name:      Application
Source:        VMware NAT Service
Date:          21-01-2012 19:19:07
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: None
Level:         Information
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Rajat-PC
Description:
The description for Event ID 1000 from source VMware NAT Service cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event: 

Using configuration file: C:\ProgramData\VMware\vmnetnat.conf.
IP address: 192.168.186.2
 Subnet: 255.255.255.0
External IP address: 0.0.0.0
Device: vmnet8.
MAC address: 00:50:56:EC:E3:0A.
Ignoring host MAC address: 00:50:56:C0:00:08.


Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="VMware NAT Service" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
    <Level>4</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-01-21T13:49:07.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>24656</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>Rajat-PC</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>Using configuration file: C:\ProgramData\VMware\vmnetnat.conf.
IP address: 192.168.186.2
 Subnet: 255.255.255.0
External IP address: 0.0.0.0
Device: vmnet8.
MAC address: 00:50:56:EC:E3:0A.
Ignoring host MAC address: 00:50:56:C0:00:08.
</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

Details of a vmauthd error:

  Log Name:      Application
Source:        vmauthd
Date:          14-01-2012 12:37:05
Event ID:      100
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Rajat-PC
Description:
The description for Event ID 100 from source vmauthd cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.

If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.

The following information was included with the event: 

Failed to read registry perf object Process\ID Process


Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="vmauthd" />
    <EventID Qualifiers="0">100</EventID>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-01-14T07:07:05.000000000Z" />
    <EventRecordID>24291</EventRecordID>
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>Rajat-PC</Computer>
    <Security />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data>Failed to read registry perf object Process\ID Process
</Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

Details included in all the error logs for vmauthd:

Failed to read registry perf object Memory\Committed Bytes

Failed to read registry perf object Memory\Page Faults/sec

Error 232 while sending PID reply

Failed to read registry perf object Memory\Cache Bytes

Failed to read registry perf object Process\ID Process

Failed to read registry perf object Memory\Pool Nonpaged Bytes

Failed to read registry perf object Memory\Pool Paged Bytes

Error 232 while sending ERROR reply

Answer 1

From what I see from the log entries there, you have a vmauthd error. This error usually prevents you from starting any type of VM on the machine; this can be caused through several issues:

• The service itself is stopped/disabled
• The licence key is expired
• The service is not found.

Given the vmauthd error details you have provided, unfortunately doesn't answer the question, given that the actual error from vmauthd didn't return any details back to windows. So, now, we need to do some basic troubleshooting, to ensure that the VMware is setup properly on the system:

Recovery Options

In situations where applications just will not install, or under normal circumstances nothing works, there are a few additional steps to consider:

Alternate Profile: Creating an alternate user profile on the computer can help to install software, or work with Operating System components that otherwise may be locked, corrupted, or otherwise denied access on the primary profile.

• Press WinKey + R
• Type in control userpasswords2 and press Enter on your keyboard

• Click Add... to get to the 'Add New User...' screen

• Fill in the necessary information.

• Click on Next

• You can enter a password if you wish, I just usually leave it blank, as it will be just a temporary account.

• Select the Administrators option, so that you have proper control on the machine.
• Click on Finish to finish adding the user to the computer.

You can then go ahead and completely restart the computer, and log directly into the test account. Try to run the VMWare Player installer (not the workstation one), to see if it installs.

---

System Restore: The other option that is available to you is to run System Restore. This is a good feature of Windows that allows the user to restore their machine back to a previous state in time. Given that you know when the last time it WAS working, you should be able to restore just prior to that and see if your applications start.

---

Additional Troubleshooting

Service Verification

VMWare Player 4.02x should have the following after install:

You can verify this information by doing the following:

• Click Start
• Type in: services.msc
• Press Enter on your keyboard.

That will bring up your Service console. Make sure those services exist. IF THEY DO NOT, you will need to re-install VMWare Player 4.02x.

Service Configuration

1. Make sure that the VMware Authentication Service is running. [Not disabled, not stopped].
2. Make sure that the VMware Authentication service is set to run as Local System Account.
3. IF THIS IS A SERVER SETUP: Make sure that the netlogon service is Set to Automatic and not disabled or manual.

User Configuration

• Make sure the user is either an Administrator, or that the Virtual Machine is setup on a local system account, so that when started, it runs with the proper credentials.
• For Windows 7 and Vista with User Account Control Enabled: Make sure you set the VMWare Workstation/appliance executable files to always run as administrator.

Performance Counters: information you provided, please run the following from the Command Line via an Elevated Command prompt:

LODCTR /R

This command rebuilds the perf registry strings and info from scratch based on the current registry settings and backup INI files.

You can also run this from an actual script (once you run this, run the script anyway, just to make sure that your services are setup properly as well, then try your images).

Application Scripting/Testing:

You could create a nice batch file that includes the following:

lodctr /r
net stop vmauthdservice
net start vmauthdservice

And then run it whenever you have issues. Note, this isn't available on Windows XP, but on Vista, 7, and above, you can run this. Make sure you run from an ELEVATED command prompt:

• Click Start
• Type in 'cmd' into the search bar at the bottom
• Right Click on the cmd result in the list above
• Click on Run as Administrator...

Then execute the commands above.

This little script rebuilds the proper performance strings/counters for Virtual Machines on the system, starts and stops the VM Authentication and Registration Services.

You can then just go ahead and try out your VM images again.

Answer 2

Some advice found here :

In my case, VMware was trying to access network adapters but the adapters were unfortunately missing the "VMware Bridge Protocol", thus, causing the vmauthd service to fail.

In your Network Connections folder, go to the properties of each network adapter (except the virtual VMware adapters...VMnet1, VMnet8, etc). Under the "This connection uses the following items:" section, be sure you have "VMware Bridge Protocol" installed and that it is checked.

If it is not installed, click "Install" --> "Service" --> "Add" --> "Have Disk" --> Browse to your "C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation". Click OK. This should find the netbridge.inf file and let you choose the Bridging protocol again.