Install Vmware Tools Greyed Out

VMware Workstation says 'VMware Tools Unavailable'

If you are not able to install VMware Tools, it is probably because you specified the 'Guest operating system' as 'other'. You may have chosen 'other' for reasons like testing a live CD. VMware will select the right VMware Tools when you specify the operating system such as Microsoft Windows and Linux as VMware Tools ISO files differ among operating systems chosen. Selecting other leaves you doing it manually.
You might have tested your live CD and later on decided to install it to the hard disk and then after that you needed to install VMware Tools. Right clicking on the virtual machine will show 'VMware Tools Unavailable' and grayed out.
If you happen to know the operating system, then you have to add the right VMware Tools manually as an ISO to the CD/DVD (IDE) by navigating to the iso file to where you've installed your VMware Workstation. That's where the VMware Tools reside. After you do that, you can then access the virtual CD from the guest operating system and install the VMware Tools.
  1. Install Vmware Tools Greyed Out Esxi
  1. How will we install VMware tools when we see 'greyed out' option. May 22, 2020 in VMware by James. Please login or register to answer this question. 2 answers to this question. Open the Workstation Player and also right-click at the VM.
  2. To manually start the VMware Tools Installer: Connect to the ESX host your virtual machine resides on or connect to your VirtualCenter server with the VI Client. Right-click the virtual machine you want to install VMware Tools on, in your inventory. Choose to cancel or end the VMware Tools installation.
  3. Right clicking on the virtual machine will show 'VMware Tools Unavailable' and grayed out. If you happen to know the operating system, then you have to add the right VMware Tools manually as an ISO to the CD/DVD (IDE) by navigating to the iso file to where you've installed your VMware Workstation.
  4. Don't Forget VMware Tools It is very important that you install VMware Tools in the guest operating system. With the VMware Tools SVGA driver installed, Workstation supports significantly faster graphics performance. The VMware Tools package provides support.
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Install Vmware Tools Greyed Out Esxi

I found that without a virtual DVD/CDROM drive as part of the virtual hardware configuration of the VM, the 'Install/Reinstall VMware Tools' get disabled/greyed out (in both Fusion and Workstation Pro).