Kb.vmware/s/article/78708 -

VMware Knowledge Base article 78708 addresses critical VMware Tools installation failures on older Windows 7 SP1 and Server 2008 R2 SP1 systems due to the mandatory SHA-2 code signing requirement. To resolve this, users must install Microsoft update KB4474419 to enable SHA-2 support before installing or upgrading to VMware Tools 11.1.0 or newer. For more details, visit Broadcom TechDocs . AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses Copy Creating a public link... You can now share this thread with others Good response Bad response 3 sites VMware tools fail to install on Windows 7 Guest | Fusion Apr 17, 2024 —

Disable certain UEFI features (like fast boot or secure boot) if present, but VMware strongly recommends firmware update over this.

When you check the logs, you see a cryptic error message: kb.vmware/s/article/78708

KB 78708 is a perfect example of .

If a VM ran for 337 days continuously without a reboot or vMotion migration to a fresh host, the internal counter would overflow. The VM would instantly fail. AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses Copy

The hypervisor thinks a timer value is invalid or negative, panics, and disables the virtual CPU to prevent data corruption.

VMware provides two primary workarounds in KB 78708. A permanent fix requires a firmware update. If a VM ran for 337 days continuously

If you are a VMware administrator, you likely live in fear of the "Purple Screen of Death" (PSOD). But KB 78708 discusses a bug that is arguably more insidious—it doesn't crash the host with a bang, it simply kills your virtual machines silently after they have been running for a specific amount of time.