The VM ran for too long.
If you are currently panicking because you have legacy VMs that have been up for 300+ days, here is the action plan: 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 — The VM ran for too long
VMware released patches for ESXi that correct the timer logic. For more details, visit Broadcom TechDocs
If you have "Set it and forget it" appliances (domain controllers, backup servers, legacy Linux boxes) that pride themselves on years of uptime, check them against this KB. That high uptime counter might actually be a ticking time bomb.