Fix VMware unable to find VMX binary error

I will recommend you today How to solve the error "VMware cannot find the VMX binary"

While trying to start a virtual machine in VMware Workstation, we encountered an error message saying that VMware was unable to find the VMX binary. Due to this, the virtual machine failed to start, and we are unable to access the virtual environment. In this post, we will see how to resolve this issue with ease.

How to solve the error "VMware cannot find the VMX binary"

Error on Power On: Cannot Find VMX Binary

Fix VMware Cannot Find VMX Binary Error in VMware Workstation

If VMware is unable to find the VMX binary, follow the below-mentioned solutions.

Reboot the Host Machine
Check the VMX Path
Edit the VMX File
Change the Disk Image of Your Virtual Machine
Reinstall VMware Workstation

Let’s talk about them in detail.

1] Reboot the Host Machine

First, we need to reboot the host machine and see if the problem persists. Sometimes VMware is unable to find the VMX file due to some technical issue, and rebooting the host may fix the problem. So, reboot your machine and then check if the problem is resolved.

2] Check the VMX Path

You need to check the VMX path and make sure that there is nothing wrong, neither the path nor the drive letter. We will check and make changes accordingly. First of all, open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\Documents\Virtual Machines. Then, open your virtual machine folder and look for the VMX file. Open the .vmx file in a text editor and then check if the path mentioned there is correct or not. Usually, if you migrate the machine, you will notice an incorrect path. So, make the necessary changes and then check if the issue is resolved.

3] Edit the VMX File

We need to check and make sure that monitor_control.restrict_backdoor is set to false to allow the virtual machine to bypass certain restrictions that may have caused the issue. The option is used to control the “backdoor” communication channel between the guest and the hypervisor. If set to true, the channel is restricted and only allows the guest OS to use the backdoor when the IPOL is greater than or equal to its CPL (current privilege level).

Also, we need to edit the vmci0 entry, which provides fast and efficient communication between the virtual machine and the host OS, as well as between virtual machines on the same host. We need to set it to false, as this feature is known to cause issues.

To make the changes, follow the steps mentioned below.

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\Documents\Virtual Machines.
Now, double-click and open your virtual machine folder. Now, look for the VMX file or VMware virtual machine configuration file.
Open the file in Notepad. Search for monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "true" and change it to monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "false"
Search for vmci0.present = "true" and change it to vmci0.present = "false".

Finally, save the file and close it. In case you are unable to find the monitor_control.restrict_backdoor tag, skip this solution. After making the changes, start your virtual machine and see if that helps.

4] Change the disk image of your virtual machine

You may encounter this issue if the VMX file is corrupted. There are various reasons for corruption, including power failures and improper downloads. To resolve this issue, we will create a new virtual machine and then use the existing VMDK (virtual disk) file. Follow the steps mentioned below to do the same.

In VMware Workstation, a new virtual machine with the same name and operating system as the original one needs to be created first.
During setup, choose to use an existing virtual disk and dot the VMDK file from the original virtual machine.
Copy the VMDK file from the original virtual machine folder to the new virtual machine folder.
Replace the VMDK file with the one you copied to the new virtual machine folder.

Finally, launch the virtual machine and see if the issue is resolved.

5] Reinstall VMware Workstation

If after replacing the VMDK file, the issue persists, we will have to reinstall the VMware Workstation application on your computer. To do so, open Settings, go to Apps > Installed Apps, find “VMware Workstation”, click on the three dots and select Uninstall. Now, download and install VMware Workstation again on your computer.

How to Fix VMware unable to find VMX binary error