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How to Fix Install VMware Tools Greyed Out / Disabled
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
OnVMware, if theInstallVMwareToolsoption is grayed out, you won’t be able to perform simple operations.
Some of these operations include copying and pasting data between guest and host machines.
Asides the copying function, theVMwareControl Panel also features other useful utilities that improve yourVMwareexperience.
Virtualizationis crucial for testing applications and operating systems in a sandbox without altering or interfering with the host computer.
However, an absence ofVMwaretools defeats the purpose and ruins your experience usingVMware.
Thankfully, this issue is not a complicated one. You can fix it easily with the solutions we’ll provide here.
Scroll down to find out why the InstallVMwareTools option is unavailable, and some more useful information about theVMwaretoolset.
Why is install VMware tools disabled?
TheInstallVMwaretoolsoption grays out when you start installing it on a guest system with the function already mounted. It also happens when the guest machine doesn’t have a virtual optical drive.
VMwaretools can even grey out if you select the option during theVMwareinstallation and the log confirms the download. In the section that follows, you will learn how to installVMwaretools if grated out.
What is the latest version of VMware tools?
When you useVMware, you needVMwareTools to effectively share folders between the guest and host operating systems.
WithVMware Tools, you can copy and paste files directly between the connected systems.
Here are the most useful tools that come included in the VMware toolkit.
How to install VMWare tools when the option is grayed out?
1. Add an optical drive and install VMware tools
After completing the steps above, then the installVMwareTools grayed out option will now be available.
2. Install the missing component manually
This method doesn’t only work on Windows 10 virtual machines but also on macOS, Linux, as well as older Windows editions.
We hope that you found this guide useful and that you managed to sort out yourVMwarevirtual machines.
If you want to share your experience with us, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section found below this guide.
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More about the topics:vmware,VMware Workstation
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
