VMware Workstation 14 - Authorization Service Error
Introduction
I started VMware Workstation (Windows, v14.1.2 build-8497320) tonight and when I tried to start a VM I was getting the following error:
Here is how I fixed it.
Troubleshooting
The error message above is pretty self-explanatory. I checked the services:
Sure enough it wasn’t started. I tried to start it but it failed to start. So I checked the System Event Log:
Log Name: System
Source: Service Control Manager
Date: 29/05/2018 19:18:43
Event ID: 7024
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: P500
Description:
The VMware Authorization Service service terminated with the following service-specific error:
%%6000009
Googling the error led to a couple of links:
- Powering on a virtual machine fails with the error: The VMware Authorization Service is not running (1007131)
- Workstation 14 Upgrade – Authorization Service error 6000009
Manfreds blog post was the closest to the error but this was not a fresh upgrade to v14 and the vmmon
driver was at the v14 level.
After thinking about it the only thing I had done recently was to apply the Windows 10 update KB4100403 which updated the OS to build 17134.81
.
The Fix
In the end I went with the rather unsatisfactory (to me anyway) fix of running a Repair of the Workstation install and then rebooting the computer.
After that the VMware Authorization Service
service was started Automatically and I could start VM’s.
As I said I am not really satisfied with the fix as I don’t understand why the service wouldn’t start, but in the end a quick fix is sometimes the best thing.
Hoping this helps someone out there.