Windows 10 Build Upgrades Break VMWare Workstation Network

Every Windows 10 build upgrade breaks network access in VMWare Workstation Virtual machines.

This is fixed by ensuring all VMs are suspended/shutdown then clicking Edit | Virtual Network Editor…

Selecting Change Settings

Then Restore Defaults

 

But why is it breaking?

This restore defaults reconfigures a number of registry & file locations, including:

• HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap
• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\VMware, Inc.\VMnetLib\VMnetConfig
• HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP
• HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\System\VMnetDHCP
• HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\ROOT\VMWARE
• %ProgramData%\VMware\vmnetdhcp.conf
• %ProgramData%\VMWare\vmnetdhcp.leases
• %ProgramData%\VMWare\netmap.conf

After a new Windows 10 build has been installed via Windows Update these keys are missing:

• HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP
• HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMware NAT Service

The VMWare DHCP and NAT services have disappeared. To fix it automatically we can just need to restore the services, and the related registry settings:

In my case I used had exported these settings from when VMWare was working in file called settings.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMware NAT Service]
"Type"=dword:00000010
"Start"=dword:00000002
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"ImagePath"=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,\
  5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,76,00,6d,00,6e,\
  00,61,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
"DisplayName"="VMware NAT Service"
"DependOnService"=hex(7):56,00,4d,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,75,00,73,00,65,00,72,00,\
  69,00,66,00,00,00,00,00
"WOW64"=dword:00000001
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"Description"="Network address translation for virtual networks."
"FailureActions"=hex:58,02,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
  00,01,00,00,00,e8,03,00,00,01,00,00,00,e8,03,00,00,00,00,00,00,04,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMware NAT Service\Parameters]
"ConfigPath"=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,\
  00,44,00,61,00,74,00,61,00,5c,00,56,00,4d,00,77,00,61,00,72,00,65,00,5c,00,\
  00,00
  
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP]
"Type"=dword:00000010
"Start"=dword:00000002
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"ImagePath"=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,57,00,49,00,4e,00,44,00,4f,00,57,00,53,00,\
  5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,76,00,6d,00,6e,\
  00,65,00,74,00,64,00,68,00,63,00,70,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
"DisplayName"="VMWare DHCP Service"
"DependOnService"=hex(7):56,00,4d,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,75,00,73,00,65,00,72,00,\
  69,00,66,00,00,00,00,00
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"WOW64"=dword:00000001
"Description"="DHCP service for virtual networks."
"DeleteFlag"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP\Parameters]
"ConfFile"=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,\
  44,00,61,00,74,00,61,00,5c,00,56,00,4d,00,77,00,61,00,72,00,65,00,5c,00,76,\
  00,6d,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,64,00,68,00,63,00,70,00,2e,00,63,00,6f,00,6e,00,\
  66,00,00,00
"LeaseFile"=hex(2):43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,\
  44,00,61,00,74,00,61,00,5c,00,56,00,4d,00,77,00,61,00,72,00,65,00,5c,00,76,\
  00,6d,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,64,00,68,00,63,00,70,00,2e,00,6c,00,65,00,61,00,\
  73,00,65,00,73,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP\Parameters\VirtualEthernetSegments]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP\Parameters\VirtualEthernetSegments\1]
"ListenTo"=dword:00000001
"HostIpAddress"=dword:01f8a8c0

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMnetDHCP\Parameters\VirtualEthernetSegments\8]
"ListenTo"=dword:00000001
"HostIpAddress"=dword:0199a8c0

Then ran the following commands:

sc create VMnetDHCP type= own start= auto binPath= C:\WINDOWS\system32\vmnetdhcp.exe DisplayName= "VMWare DHCP Service" depend= VMnetuserif
sc create "VMWare NAT Service" type= own start= auto binPath= C:\WINDOWS\system32\vmnat.exe DisplayName= "VMWare NAT Service" depend= VMnetuserif
reg import settings.reg
net start VMnetDHCP
net start "VMWare DHCP Service"

The services may fail to start if registry settings are not correct.

If when you try to start these services you get error 2: File Not Found, then copy vmnetdhcp.exe and vmnat.exe from C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation to C:\Windows\System32

When the next Windows 10 build comes down I will look into why these keys get removed, if the issue is not fixed by then.