Updating VMware Tools
There are a few different way to update VMware Tools on a VM. This guide will cover manual updates via ESXi (version 6.5) and vCenter (version 7.0) as well as configuing automatic VMware Tools updates through vCenter (version 7.0).
Knowing When to Update
1. vCenter VM Warning
2. ESXi VMware Tools Section
3. vCenter Auto Updates
On most levels of the vCenter hiarchy (vCenter, Datacenter, Cluster, VM etc..) there should be an Updates tab where you can select VMware Tools and check the status of all VMs at that level.
How to Update VMware Tools Manually
Via ESXi
- Right-click on the VM and under Guest OS there will be an option to upgrade VMware Tools.
- A silent install will then take place, the VM will usually reboot when it's done.
Via vCenter
Option 1.
Click the Upgrade button in the banner notification.
You can now choose an interactive upgrade or an automatic upgrade. Interactive will mount a CD to the VM with the installer on it, you'll be able to manually run the installer and select some settings. The automatic option will silently update VMware tools and reboot.
Option 2.
Right-click the VM and select Guest OS and there will be an option for Upgrade VMware Tools.
You can now choose an interactive upgrade or an automatic upgrade. Interactive will mount a CD to the VM with the installer on it, you'll be able to manually run the installer and select some settings. The automatic option will silently update VMware tools and reboot.
Enable Auto Update for VMware Tools
Auto update for VMware Tool is a feature that automatically updates VMware Tool whenever a VM reboots. When a reboot is initiated and there's a VMware Tools update available, the VM will boot up, install the upgrade, and reboot automatically.
Requires vCenter (Tested on 6.7 and 7.0)
- Select a Cluster/Host/Datacenter/VM/vCenter and go to the Updates section on top.
- Go to the VMware Tools section on the left navigation.
- Check off all the VMs you want to Auto Update, select Set Auto Update, and choose On.
