Tag Archives: vCenter

VMware – Cannot Cut, Copy, or Paste to VM’s

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KB ID 0000515

Problem

Ever since ESX 4.1 this feature has been disabled and you have been unable to paste to VM, VMware say in their own documentation:

Source (Page 215 – ESX Configuration Guide ESX 4.1 vCenter Server 4.1).

To turn this feature back ON you have a few choices.

Please be aware: We are talking about copy and pasting TEXT to and from a guest VM NOT files and folders.

Solution

ESX Option 1 (Enable Copy and Paste to VM an individual Guest machine)

Using vSphere 8 or Above

Firstly, you need to shut the virtual machine down > Right Click it > Edit Settings >  Advanced > Add the following TWO attributes and values.

Add in the following two;
Attribute: isolation.tools.copy.disable, Value: false
Attribute: isolation.tools.paste.disable, Value: false

Click OK >  Power the VM back on.

Using HML5 Web Client (Enable Copy and Paste to VM)

Firstly, you need to shut the virtual machine down > Right Click it > Edit Settings > VM Options > Advanced  > Scroll down.

 

Edit configuration > Add configuration params;

Add in the following two parameters then click OK

Name: isolation.tools.copy.disable, Value: false
Name: isolation.tools.paste.disable, Value: false

Using Flash Web Client.

Firstly, you need to shut the virtual machine down > Right Click it > Edit Settings > VMware Option Tab > Advanced > Edit configuration > Add in the following;

Name: isolation.tools.copy.disable, Value: false
Name: isolation.tools.paste.disable, Value: false

 

OK > OK > Power on VM

Using VMware Client (Enable Copy and Paste to VM)

1. Firstly, you need to shut the virtual machine down > Right Click it > Edit Settings > Option Tab > Advanced > General > Configuration Parameters.

2. Select “Add Row” and add the following two options:

[box]isolation.tools.copy.disable

isolation.tools.paste.disable [/box]

Set both these values to FALSE > OK > OK > Power the VM back on again.

Note: Even without these values set, if a VM is vMotioned to an ESX host that has the copy.paste options set in it’s config file (see below) then these features are automatically enabled.

Option 2 (Enable Copy and Paste to VM on an individual Guest machine)

1. You can also achieve the same as above by directly editing the .vmx file for the virtual machine, Add the following two values as shown below:

[box]isolation.tools.copy.disable=”FALSE”

isolation.tools.paste.disable=”FALSE” [/box]

Note: Even without these values set, if a VM is vMotioned to an ESX host that has the copy.paste options set in it’s config file (see below) then these features are automatically enabled.

Option 3 (Enable Copy and Paste on the ESX host for all the VM’s on that host)

Note: This procedure will be removed/reset after an ESX upgrade. (You will need to carry out this procedure again post upgrade).

1. Connect to your ESX server, either directly on the console, or via SSH. and execute the following command:

[box]vi /etc/vmware/config[/box]

 

2. Press i to insert text and paste in the following two lines:

[box]isolation.tools.copy.disable=”FALSE”

isolation.tools.paste.disable=”FALSE” [/box]

Press Escape > then type :wq to save the changes.

Additional Steps for Linux / Ubuntu to allow Copy and Paste to VM

1. Assuming you have the VMware tools installed in your Linux guest VM, if not execute the following command:

[box]sudo apt-get install open-vm-toolbox[/box]

To enable copy paste on the guest execute the following command:

[box]vmware-toolbox &[/box]

One the VMware tools properties page pops up you will be able to copy and paste.

Enabling Copy and Paste in VMware Workstation

Out of the box, this functionality is switched on. However if you lose it then open the virtual machines settings > Options tab > Guest Isolation > Enable the Copy and paste option.

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Windows Server 2019 (&2016): Enable Flash

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2

KB ID 0001484

Problem

Back in server 2012 this was an easy fix;

Windows Server 2012 – Enable Flash

However try and do that on Server 2019 or 2016 and this happens;

[box]

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\administrator.PNL> Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience

Install-WindowsFeature : ArgumentNotValid: The role, role service, or feature name is not valid: ‘Desktop-Experience’.
The name was not found.
At line:1 char:1
+ Install-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (Desktop-Experience:String) [Install-WindowsFeature], Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : NameDoesNotExist,Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Commands.AddWindowsFeatureCommand

Success Restart Needed Exit Code Feature Result
——- ————– ——— ————–
False No InvalidArgs {}

PS C:\Users\administrator.PNL>

[/box]

Solution

Note: You need Server Datacenter version to do this.

If you o to the flash website and it (wrongly,) thinks you are using Windows 10 (we it’s the same code, I’ll let them off,) and it also says “it’s already installed just enable it”, but it’s not there?

You need to install it with the following command;

Server 2019

[box]dism /online /add-package /packagepath:”C:\Windows\servicing\Packages\Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.17763.1.mum”[/box]

Server 2016

[box]dism /online /add-package /packagepath:”C:\Windows\servicing\Packages\Adobe-Flash-For-Windows-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.14393.0.mum”[/box]

You will then need to reboot!

Post reboot, you will see Windows Server will now download updates for Flash, and it’s enabled.

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VMware Converter ‘A file I/O Error Occurred’

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7

KB ID 0001688

Problem

It seems every time I use VMware Converter, there’s some new error that jumps up and makes me stumble!

Yesterday the problem was;

FAILED: A file I/O error occurred while accessing

Solution

Some searching told me this is actually a DNS problem, (where the converter could not resolve the DNS name of the machine being converted). BUT I had put the FQDN directly into this machines ‘hosts file’ so I doubt that was my problem. I suspect it was the fact that this machine was presenting a certificate that wasn’t trusted was actually the problem.

But either way the way to fix it is to re-queue the job again, but this time choose “Use proxy mode“.

Then it worked fine.

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VMware vSphere – How to Import and Export OVF and OVA Files

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KB ID 0000562

Problem

I prefer to think of OVF Templates as “Zip” files for Virtual Machines and Virtual Appliances. Where as the OVA file is the complete appliance pre packaged. There are two things you will want to do with an OVF Template;

1. Export a VM to an OVF Template

2. Import an OVF Template (Note: VMware call this “Deploy an OVF Template”)

Note: There are tools for OVF templates for other VMware virtualisation products, this is just for vSphere / ESX.

Tech Note: I find it a lot simpler to do this from PowerCLI now, see the article below;

VMware: Export a VM to OVA With PowerCLI

Solution

Export a Virtual Machine to OVF (vSphere v6)

Note: Machine must be Powered Off and have No Snapshots!

Select the VM > Templates > Export OVF Template.

Change the name, annotation as required > OK.

Your files will be downloaded, (the location will depend on your browser settings!)

 

Export a Virtual Machine to OVF (vSphere v3, v4 and v5)

Note: Machine must be Powered Off and have No Snapshots!

1. Connect to your host with the VI client > With your virtual machine powered off > Select it > File > Export > Export to OVF Template.

2. Select a location to save the files to > OK.

3. Depending on the size of the VM this can take a while.

4. It will give you the following message when it’s finished.

5. Here are the files that it has created.

Import / Deploy an OVF Template to a Virtual Machine

HTML5 Web Client: You can select Deploy OVF Template from either the Cluster or Host Level.

: 

Flash Web Client: If importing OVA or OVF files into vSphere via the vSphere Web client, you can import them at the vCenter, Host, or Cluster Level.

 

From this point forward: The procedure is the same for both Flash and HTML5 clients, Ill show the process using the HTML5 client.

Choose Files > Navigate to and select ALL the applicable files > Next.

  

Give the new VM a name, and, (if applicable) select a folder to put it into > Next > Select a host to deploy to > Next.

Review details > Next > Choose the storage, (and optionally disk format) > Next.

Select the Port Group you want to connect the new VM to > Next > Again review the details > Finish.

 

Import / Deploy an OVF Template to a Virtual Machine (vSphere v3, v4 and v5)

1. To create a VM from an OVF template, connect to your host with the VI client > File > Deploy OVF Template.

2. Browse to the location that the .ovf file is stored > Next.

3. Read the details > Next.

4. Give the new VM a name > Next.

5. Select the disk format (Thick or Thin) you want the new VM to use.

What does Lazy Zeroed and Eager Zeroed Mean?

Data on disks is stored as a 1 (one) or a 0 (zero), so if all the blocks on the disk are set to zero, when you put data on the disk, it only has half the work to do (i.e. write the ones). Eager Zeroed, puts zeros on all the blocks on the disks straight away, Lazy Zeroed puts all zeroes in a block the first time the block is read.

6. Read the summary, and if you want to power on the VM on completion, tick the box > Finish.

7. Depending upon the amount of data this can take a while.

8. It will give you the following message when it’s finished.

9. And here is your VM, imported, powered up, and working.

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Original Article Written 26/01/12

vCenter ‘Root’ Account Expired

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5

KB ID 0001568

Problem

Today I found I could no longer log in to the VCSA vCenter appliance;

Exception in invoking authentication handler User password expired

Solution

Just because I can’t log into the web console, I could still log into the the appliance via SSH. Then invoke the shell command, and reset the root password with the passwd command;

Now if you wish, you can Disable VCSA Password Expiration: Administration > Edit > No > Save.

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Firefox: Cannot Open vCenter Web Client

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KB ID 0001482

Problem

I wonder how many hours Ive lost trying to get browsers to connect to things, and the browser has not been happy? This week I needed to connect to a vCenter (6.5) web console with Firefox and was greeted with this.

Your connection is not secure
The owner of {site} has configured their web site improperly. To protect information being stolen, Firefox has not connected to this website.
Error Code: , SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER

Normally I use Firefox, because if there’s a problem I can simply add an exception and all is well, but this time there was no way to connect at all.

Solution

Browse to about:config, and then search for security.enterprise, set it to true.

Now it will work

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vSphere: Setup Domain Authentication via PSC

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KB ID 0001442

Problem

If you separate your PSC (Platform Services Controller) and your vCenter, then you can setup domain authentication on your PSC.

Solution

Log into the web console of the PSC > Appliance Settings > Manage > Active Directory > Join > Supply a the domain name, a domain username and password > OK.

You will see it has been successful as now you have a ‘Leave‘ button.

Configuration > Identity Sources > Add.

Set Identity source type to ‘Active Directory (Integrated Windows Authentication)’ > Enter the domain name > ‘use machine account’ > OK.

Select the newly added domain > Click “Set as Default Domain‘.

Users and Groups > Groups > Administrators > Add.

Change the domain to your Windows domain > Search for your Group. (Note: I have created a group called VMware_Admins, you might simply want to use Domain Admins) > OK.

Select the group > Add.

Swap Over To Your vCenter Server

Select the vCenter > Permissions > Select the Administrator Role > Add.

Just as above, change domain and search for your group then add it in.

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vCenter and PSC: IE Content Was Blocked

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6

KB ID 0001440

Problem

I’d just installed a new vCenter and Platform Services Controller for a client this week. When I tried to access the web consoles I saw this.

Content was blocked because it was not signed by a valid security certificate
For information see “About Certificate Errors” in Internet Explorer Help.

No amount of allowing certificates without revocation, and tinkering with the registry would let me in?

Solution

I cant believe how annoyingly simple it was to solve in the end! Go the the end of the URL and remove ‘/?csp’, problem solved

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