How To fix "A previous installation of VMware Tools has been detected" error in Ubuntu

If you’re an Ubuntu user who frequently uses VMware, you may have encountered the error message “A previous installation of VMware Tools has been detected”. This error occurs when you try to install VMware Tools while a previous version is still installed on your system. In this article, we’ll guide you through several solutions to fix this issue.

Table of Contents

Solution 1: Run the Uninstall Script
Solution 2: Remove the Previous Installation Using Dpkg
Solution 3: Copy the Uninstall Script to the Appropriate Location
Conclusion

Solution 1: Run the Uninstall Script

The first solution involves running the uninstall script provided by VMware Tools. Here’s how to do it:

Open your terminal. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T simultaneously.
Navigate to the directory where the VMware Tools installation files are located. You can use the cd command to change directories. For example:
```
cd /path/to/vmware-tools
```
Replace “/path/to/vmware-tools” with the actual path to your VMware Tools directory.
Run the following command to make the uninstall script executable:
```
chmod +x /usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl
```
The chmod +x command changes the permissions of the file to make it executable.
Retry the installation by running the VMware Tools installation script again:
```
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
```
The sudo command runs the script with administrative privileges, while ./ specifies that the script is in the current directory.

Solution 2: Remove the Previous Installation Using Dpkg

Dpkg is a package manager for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu. You can use it to remove the previous installation of VMware Tools.

Open a terminal.
Run the following command to remove the previous installation of VMware Tools:
```
sudo dpkg --purge open-vm-tools
```
The --purge option removes not only the package but also its configuration files.
Retry the installation by running the VMware Tools installation script again:
```
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
```

Solution 3: Copy the Uninstall Script to the Appropriate Location

If the uninstall script is not in the correct location, you may encounter the error. Here’s how to fix it:

Open a terminal.
Run the following command to locate the uninstall script:
```
locate vmware-uninstall
```
The locate command finds files by name.
Note down the path of the uninstall script. For example, it might be /home/my_username/Desktop/vmware-tools-distrib/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl.
Run the following command to copy the uninstall script to the appropriate location:
```
sudo cp /path/to/uninstall/script /usr/bin/vmware-uninstall-tools.pl
```
The cp command copies files or directories. Replace “/path/to/uninstall/script” with the actual path of the uninstall script obtained in the previous step.
Retry the installation by running the VMware Tools installation script again:
```
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
```

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered three solutions to the “A previous installation of VMware Tools has been detected” error in Ubuntu. By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully install VMware Tools. If none of these solutions work, please provide more information about your system and the specific error messages you encounter for further assistance.

What is VMware Tools?

VMware Tools is a set of utilities and drivers that enhance the performance and functionality of virtual machines running on VMware virtualization software. It provides features such as improved graphics, mouse synchronization, shared folders, and more.

Why am I getting the “A previous installation of VMware Tools has been detected” error?

This error occurs when you try to install VMware Tools while a previous version is still installed on your system. The error message is displayed to prevent conflicts between different versions of VMware Tools.

How do I open a terminal in Ubuntu?

To open a terminal in Ubuntu, you can press Ctrl + Alt + T simultaneously. This keyboard shortcut will open a new terminal window.

What is the purpose of running the uninstall script?

Running the uninstall script provided by VMware Tools helps remove the previous installation from your system. This ensures a clean installation without any conflicts or issues.

What is Dpkg?

Dpkg is a package manager for Debian-based systems like Ubuntu. It is used to install, remove, and manage software packages on the system. In this case, we use Dpkg to remove the previous installation of VMware Tools.

What does the `–purge` option do in the Dpkg command?

The --purge option in the Dpkg command removes not only the package but also its configuration files. This ensures a complete removal of the previous installation.

How do I copy the uninstall script to the appropriate location?

To copy the uninstall script to the appropriate location, you can use the cp command followed by the source path of the script and the destination path where you want to copy it. Make sure to use sudo for administrative privileges.

What should I do if none of the solutions work?

If none of the solutions provided in this article work, it is recommended to provide more information about your system and the specific error messages you encounter. This will help in troubleshooting the issue and providing further assistance.