Some people are suggesting replacing the new database with an older one from a previous version of Windows. The problem is changes to the Windows 10 Application Compatibility Database which stops known incompatible programs. Doing that also removes other fixes which might be essential.

VMWare suggests uninstalling the troublemaking patches. If you have an earlier version of VMWare Workstation or, for some reason, can’t get v14.1.8 the original workarounds still apply. The workaround is the ‘renaming vmware.exe’ trick mentioned below.

We’ve had trouble with v14.1.8 running on Preview editions of Windows 10. Get VMWare Workstation v14.1.8 to fix the problem. Update: VMWare has now released a free update which workaround the Windows block. That’s not an option for some, either for technical reasons or money. VMWare recommends paying for an upgrade to v15.5 (naturally). What we do know is that it’s ridiculously simple to workaround Microsoft’s block on a rival product. Only the latest VMWare Workstation 15.5 escaped this block. What happened?Ī small and undocumented part of some Windows updates stopped all older versions of VMWare Workstation from running. Our Windows books have a dedicated chapter with step-by-step guides to setting up virtual machines: Windows 10 for Microsoft Office users or Windows 8 for Microsoft Office users. Microsoft has a similar product Hyper/V that comes with high-end versions of Windows. Among it’s many uses is running different versions or states of Microsoft Office on the one physical computer. VMWare Workstation is popular virtual machine software. Happily there’s an absurdly simple workaround and now a free update too! A nasty surprise for VMWare Workstation users after a recent Windows 10.

Windows 10 for vmware workstation