Hello, what's the best way to update VMWARE Tools ...
# citrix-provisioningl
lstod
03/31/2025, 8:39 AMHello, what's the best way to update VMWARE Tools on a PVS Image ? Without rebuilding all the image. Do you have some tips ?
Thanks
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Ryan Swanepoel
03/31/2025, 10:27 AMI have been using the bcdedit method Carl outlines here: https://www.carlstalhood.com/pvs-update-vdisk/comment-page-1/
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Jeff Riechers
03/31/2025, 12:52 PMYou can try adding a second E1000 nic to get the system to detect it. Then shutdown and switch around the MAC addresses so that it boots from the E1000 instead. Do the tools update. Reboot. Then shutdown and switch the MAC addresses back. If it boots remove the E1000 in vmware, and with the show_nonpresent_devices=1 set to get rid of the ghost nic. However, I have had instances where this doesn't work, then go back to the old school reverse image method.
Also, if you are running 2402 PVS with no CU, you may run into issues with uninstalling it. You can remove it from a local admin account to fully clean it out. May take some registry hacking.
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Jarian Gibson
03/31/2025, 1:11 PMDirect boot, add second nic, reverse image, etc.
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lstod
03/31/2025, 1:26 PMThanks, I will try Jeff's method 🙂
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Bill Pennie
03/31/2025, 2:07 PMJeff's method is the way to go
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lstod
03/31/2025, 3:10 PMShould I first merge all the versions and work on the merged version before adding NIC or is this possible on a differential version (just add a version but no merging) ? Thanks
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Jeff Riechers
03/31/2025, 3:11 PMAlway run prod on a merged based. When patching you can do it from a maintenance layer.
Jeff Riechers
03/31/2025, 3:11 PMThat way if it goes south, you can just delete that version and are back where you started.
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lstod
03/31/2025, 3:46 PMThanks Jeff. In prod I run on 1 Merged base + 5 versions max and all 5 versions I merge all in new base and so on.
lstod
03/31/2025, 3:47 PMSo here to update vmware tools I will test in a classic version (not merge all updates and base). Thanks
lstod
04/23/2025, 7:50 AMHello, I tried with adding an E1000 network card on the master VDA but it's not working.
I use BDM with an ISO mounted on each VDA to boot, so I think it comes frome that because I have no PXE configuration populated in DHCP options or other.
lstod
04/29/2025, 5:34 AMOther option to upgrade vmware tools ? Because reverse imaging seems not so simple to do. If using reverse imagin, can I mount a new disk on a target device to copy the merged vhdx and then do bcdedit ? Thanks
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Jeff Riechers
05/01/2025, 10:17 AMYou would use P2PVS to send it from pvs to a vdisk. It can be a pain. When you do the E1000 trick you have to make sure to move the MAC address from the vmxnet3 to the e1000 (just modify the first octet on the vmxnet3 so you can change it back) that should allow the BDM to use the E1000.
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lstod
05/01/2025, 10:31 AMYes that’s what I tried. In PVS server I changed the Mac adress of a target device in maintenance mode with the e1000 Mac adress but after I restarted the VM, I had the error shown in the screen.
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Jeff Riechers
05/01/2025, 10:48 AMOh, don't change it on the PVS server, change it on the VM in VMWare. You can set the MAC address to manual on both the vmxnet3 and e1000 and change it there. But PVS needs to keep the same MAC address for the device at all times.
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