VMware Workstation | Guest Isolation

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svtkobra7

Active Member
Jan 2, 2017
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I have an issue using VMware Workstation that has bothered me for a while (OK, that is an understatement, it drives me nuts), but until a recent "project" required continuous copy / paste from my workstation to VMs accessed via VMware workstation, I never attempted to resolve.

So finally I spent some time researching, but still can't resolve the issue. Apparently there should be options in virtual machine settings that allow copy and paste to be turned on, thereby obviating the need to use Edit > Paste every single freaking time I want to paste something into a VM. Not a single VM I have has the guest isolation option available, its not that its greyed out, it simply doesn't exist.

I show those guest isolation settings in a random screenshot grabbed off the interwebs below as a point of reference.

Any idea as to how I can enable guest isolation? VMware Tools are of course installed and even I even attempted an uninstall / reboot / reinstall and no bueno.

Potentially relevant information follows:
  • Host: VMware ESXi 6.5.0 Update 1 (Build 7388607)
  • Workstation Pro Version: 14.1.1 build-7528167
  • VM: Any OS
Thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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Germany
I think copy & paste only works with "local" vms running in vmware workstation. (At least with workstation 11.x)
 

svtkobra7

Active Member
Jan 2, 2017
362
87
28
I think copy & paste only works with "local" vms running in vmware workstation. (At least with workstation 11.x)
Thanks for your reply! That would indeed explain my trouble.

I like how all of my VMs are presented in Workstation and it is easy to bounce back and forth, so in lieu of being able to use Workstation, I've tried Terminals as it does allow copy / paste (rdp). Not in love with Terminals though. Anything you use that you might recommend?