Symptoms
- Cannot install or upgrade VMware Tools in an ESXi 4.1 host.
- Installing VMware Tools fails.
- The vSphere Client reports the error:
Call "VirtualMachine.MountToolsInstaller" for object "" failed on vCenter Server " " - In the /var/log/vmware/hostd.log file, you see entries similar to:
[2011-03-11 17:51:17.575 73D8EB90 info 'Vmsvc' opID=18951AFD-00013467-26] Failed to get result state: Error: (21008) The VMware Tools image failed a signature check. The image may be corrupt. - In the vmware.log file of the affected virtual machine, you see an entry similar to:
[2011-03-11 17:51:17.577 73D8EB90 info 'Vmomi' opID=18951AFD-00013467-26] Throw vim.fault.ToolsImageSignatureCheckFailed
cannot-install-tools corrupt-vmware-tools-installation install-tools install-vmware-tools-fails upgrade-vmware-tools vmware-tools-corrupt vmware-tools-upgrade-fails
Resolution
This issue may occur if the VMware Tools iso image is corrupt or missing. For more information, see Determining if your VMware Tools ISO image is corrupt (1004820).
Note : If your ESXi host was upgraded from version 4.0 and you see errors about not having sufficient space to copy the VMware Tools image, check the /locker/packages folder and ensure there is no 4.0.0 folder. If there is a 4.0.0folder, run this command to remove the folder and its contents:
# rm -rR 4.0.0.
To restore VMware Tools from a known working version from another host:
- SSH to the source host with the working VMware Tools images.
- Change directory to /locker/packages/ with this command:
cd /locker/packages - Tar and gzip the 4.1.0 directory with this command:
tar -zcvf vmtools.gz ./4.1.0 ; ls -ltr - Start WinSCP and connect to the source host to retrieve the vmtools.gz file you just created.
- Enter the Host name and root credentials.
- Change the file protocol type to SCP.
- Click Login.
- After you connect to the source host with the WinSCP client, the directory listing of the source host machine should be visible in the pane on the right side.
- Click Locker > Packages. You should now see the vmtools.gz file you created earlier.
- In the right-side pane of your local machine, go to a destination folder to store the vmtools.gz file.
- Click on the vmtools.gz file and drag it into the destination folder on the left side.
- Click Transfer Settings > Binary.
- Click Copy.
- SSH to the destination host.
- Change the directory to /locker/packages/ with this command:
cd /locker/packages - Remove the existing 4.1.0 directory with the command rm -rf ./4.1.0.
Note: Leave this SSH session open, as you need for upcoming instructions. - Start WINSCP and connect to the destination host to restore the vmtools.gz file.
- Enter the Host name and root credentials.
- Change the file protocol type to SCP.
- Click Login.
- After you connect to the destination host with the WinSCP client, the directory listing of the source host machine should be visible in the pane on the right side.
- Click Locker > Packages. You should see a 4.1.0 directory.
- In the left-side pane of your local machine, go to the folder where vmtools.gz is stored.
- Click on the vmtools.gz file and drag it to the destination folder on the right side.
- Click Transfer Settings > Binary.
- Click Copy.
- After the file has been copied to the destination host, go to the SSH session on the destination host.
- Change the directory to /locker/packages with this command:
cd /locker/packages/ - Untar the vmtools/gz file in the current directory with this command:
tar -zxvf vmtools.gz - List the directory to view and validate the files with this command:
ls -ltr /locker/packages/4.1.0
For example:
/vmfs/volumes/2da668ef-40e5d96b-90bf-855ddb9c5547/packages # ls -ltr /locker/packages/4.1.0/*
/locker/packages/4.1.0/vmtools:
-rwx------ 1 root root 9498624 Mar 14 13:05 solaris.iso
-rwx------ 1 root root 256 Mar 14 13:05 netware.iso.sig
-rwx------ 1 root root 540672 Mar 14 13:05 netware.iso
-rwx------ 1 root root 256 Mar 14 13:05 freebsd.iso.sig
-rwx------ 1 root root 13881344 Mar 14 13:05 freebsd.iso
-rwx------ 1 root root 53149696 Mar 14 13:05 windows.iso
-rwx------ 1 root root 256 Mar 14 13:05 solaris.iso.sig
-rwx------ 1 root root 256 Mar 14 13:05 windows.iso.sig
-rwx------ 1 root root 13664256 Mar 14 13:05 winPre2k.iso
-rwx------ 1 root root 256 Mar 14 13:05 winPre2k.iso.sig
-rwx------ 1 root root 51402752 Mar 14 13:05 linux.iso
-rwx------ 1 root root 451 Mar 14 13:05 tools-key.pub
-rwx------ 1 root root 256 Mar 14 13:05 linux.iso.sig
/locker/packages/4.1.0/tools-upgraders:
-rwx------ 1 root root 599592 Mar 14 13:05 vmware-tools-upgrader-64
-rwx------ 1 root root 530244 Mar 14 13:05 vmware-tools-upgrader-32
-rwx------ 1 root root 1596 Mar 14 13:05 run_upgrader.sh
-rwx------ 1 root root 200704 Mar 14 13:05 VMwareToolsUpgraderNT.exe
-rwx------ 1 root root 200704 Mar 14 13:05 VMwareToolsUpgrader9x.exe
-rwx------ 1 root root 490096 Mar 14 13:05 VMwareToolsUpgrader.exe
/locker/packages/4.1.0/floppies:
-rwx------ 1 root root 737280 Mar 14 13:05 vmscsi.flp
-rwx------ 1 root root 737280 Mar 14 13:05 pvscsi-WindowsXP.flp
-rwx------ 1 root root 737280 Mar 14 13:05 pvscsi-Windows2008.flp
-rwx------ 1 root root 737280 Mar 14 13:05 pvscsi-Windows2003.flp - Remove the vmtools.gz file from the destination host to free up some space with this command:
rm vmtools.gz.
Based on VMware KB 1036131
