When a user logs off a Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server running as a guest on VMware with VMware Tools installed they get the following error:
Windows cannot copy file \Application Data\VMware\hgfs.dat to \<servername>\<username>\Windows\profile\Application Data\VMware\hgfs.dat
Windows cannot update your roaming profile. Reason: The process cannot access the file because the file is being used by another process.
This is caused by the VMware shared folders feature (hgfs) which is installed with a "Complete" VMware Tools installation, but not used under ESX.
The most successful option has been to disable the Shared Folders option in the MSI.
Disable using the command line:
msiexec -i "VMware Tools.msi" ADDLOCAL=ALL REMOVE="Hgfs" /qn reboot=supress
Disable using a transform:
- Install Orca (
http://theether.net/download/Microsoft/Utilities/Orca.Msi)
- Right click on the VMware Tools.msi and select Open with Orca
- Select Transform | New Transform
- Click on the Feature table in the left pane
- On the Hgfs feature set the level from 1 to 0
- Select Transform | Generate Transform
- Save the transform as "VMware Tools.mst"
Install VMware Tools with the following command:
msiexec /i "VMware Tools.msi" /qb TRANSFORMS="VMware Tools.mst"
Optionally remove the registry entry for hgfs as per VMware FAQ 1317:
1. Access the Windows Registry. Choose Start > Run, then type regedit. The Registry Editor window opens.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order\.
3. Right-click ProviderOrder and choose Modify. In the Edit String Value dialog box, edit the value data string and remove the word hgfs.
* For example, if the value data string contains LanmanWorkstation,hgfs then change it to LanmanWorkstation.
* If the value data string contains only hgfs, then erase it and leave the value data string empty.
4. Click OK.
5. Close the registry editor. Choose File > Exit.
6. Reboot the virtual machine.