[virtual-machine] How to enable copy paste from between host machine and virtual machine in vmware, virtual machine is ubuntu

I am trying to copy and paste from my pc to the vm but i cant.

I also enable copy and paste but i still can't copy and paste from my pc to the vm. My pc runs windows 8.1 my vm has fedora.

This question is related to virtual-machine vmware vmware-workstation

The answer is


Are you talking about drag and drop, when you say copy and paste? If yes, you can also use Rightclick on object on your main computer and click copy. And then you go into the Virtual Machine and Rightclick the position where you want the file to get copied to.

If this doesn't work use the method KaiserM11 explained and get yourselfe VMware Tools like in this Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McjwI_6BKZY

Hope my answer was helpfull to you and happy coding :D


Here is a small hint that I hope might be useful to other poor saps that experienced the same issue as I did.

My Setup: Host: Windows 7 Enterprise - build 7601 SP 1 VM: VMware® Workstation 12 Player 12.1.1 build-3770994 (free) Guest: Fedora release 23

I naively failed to install open-vm-tools-desktop. I say naively because I had no idea such a thing existed, nor do I understand why instructions to install open-vm-tools do not (or at least where I read them, do not) include mentions of this package.

Installing open-vm-tools on its own appears to be nearly useless - the desktop package makes the copy and paste function - probably the single most important function of VMTools - work.

So, there you go. Install open-vm-tools-desktop, and copy-paste should work


You need to install some packages such as Unlocker, GuestOSx, etc.


This worked for me. Might want to try editing virtual machine settings:

Click on Edit virtual machine settings

Switch to Always Enabled in Options, Shared Folders


If your VM already came with VMware Tools pre-installed, but this still isn't working for you--or if you install and still no luck--make sure you run Workstation or Player as Administrator. That fixed the issue for me.


here is another solution I started using after being fed up with the copy and paste issue:

  1. Download MRemote (for pc). this is an alternative to remote desktop manager. You can use remote desktop manager if you like.
  2. Change the VMNet settings to NAT or add another VMNet and set it to NAT.
  3. Configure the vm ip address with an ip in the same network as you host machine. if you want to keep networks separated use a second vmnet and set it's ip address in the same network as the host. that's what I use.
  4. Enable RDP connections on the guest (I only use windows guests)
  5. Create a batch file with this command. add your guest machines:

vmrun start D:\VM\MySuperVM1\vm1.vmx nogui vmrun start D:\VM\MySuperVM2\vm2.vmx nogui

save the file to startmyvms.cmd

create another batch file and add your vms

vmrun stop D:\VM\MySuperVM1\vm1.vmx nogui vmrun stop D:\VM\MySuperVM2\vm2.vmx nogui

save the file to stopmyvms.cmd

  1. Open Mremote go to tools => External tools Add external tool => filename will be the startmyvms.cmd file Add external tool => filename will be the stopmyvms.cmd file So to start working with your vms:

  2. Create you connections to your VMs in mremote

Now to work with your vm 1. You open mremote 2. You go to tools => external tools 3. You click the startmyvms tool when you're done 1. You go to tools => external tools 2. You click the stopmyvms external tool

you could add the vmrun start on the connection setting => external tool before connection and add the vmrun stop in the connection settings => external tool after

Voilà !


the mremote option offers more automation and almost replicates the vmware workstation graphical experience plus major benefits: NO DPI (guest resolution) hassle no copy pose hassle Automation = starting vms and suspending them automatically plus more if you look deeper


Examples related to virtual-machine

virtualbox Raw-mode is unavailable courtesy of Hyper-V windows 10 How to install Guest addition in Mac OS as guest and Windows machine as host How do I delete virtual interface in Linux? Bridged networking not working in Virtualbox under Windows 10 How to enable copy paste from between host machine and virtual machine in vmware, virtual machine is ubuntu VirtualBox: mount.vboxsf: mounting failed with the error: No such device What does the DOCKER_HOST variable do? VBoxManage: error: Failed to create the host-only adapter How to export a Vagrant virtual machine to transfer it installing vmware tools: location of GCC binary?

Examples related to vmware

VMware Workstation and Device/Credential Guard are not compatible macOS on VMware doesn't recognize iOS device How to enable copy paste from between host machine and virtual machine in vmware, virtual machine is ubuntu installing vmware tools: location of GCC binary? How to perform keystroke inside powershell? The VMware Authorization Service is not running Unable to ping vmware guest from another vmware guest Migrating from VMWARE to VirtualBox move a virtual machine from one vCenter to another vCenter VMWare Player vs VMWare Workstation

Examples related to vmware-workstation

VMware Workstation and Device/Credential Guard are not compatible How to enable copy paste from between host machine and virtual machine in vmware, virtual machine is ubuntu How to set maximum fullscreen in vmware? How to connect wireless network adapter to VMWare workstation? VMWare Player vs VMWare Workstation