[German]VMware by Broadcom released the new VMware Workstation version 17.6 a few days ago. However, users who use a non-English Windows operating system should wait with "installation attempts". VMware Workstation version 17.6 cannot be installed because the English-language group names expected by the installer are not available.
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Since Broadcom took over VMware, things have been going downhill. In May 2024, VMware Workstation version 17.5 was released for "personal use", i.e. private users can use the product free of charge. However, I have not even managed to set up a user account with Broadcom to test this version.
VMware Workstation Version 17.6
I received a version for evaluation from "colleagues" and was surprised to see VMware Workstation version 17.6 being advertised when I started it again on Sunday after a long absence.
To get this version, you have to click on Get More Information to go to the Broadcom portal. There you will be offered the Workstation Pro App for 120 dollars per year. To get this version, you have to log in to your user account on the portal.
Installation problems with non-English Windows
There are buyers of VMware Workstation Pro who want to switch to the new version quickly. Currently, the only advice is to wait with the upgrade. VMware by Broadcom has messed things up – the new VMware Workstation Pro 17.6 cannot be installed if you are not using an English-language operating system.
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German Blog reader Hartmut contacted me by email on October 5, 2024 and pointed out problems (thanks for that). He wrote that the developers had made a mess of the current VMware Workstation Pro version 17.6. This version cannot be installed on non-English speaking Windows systems. Users of German, French, Italian Windows etc. fail to install it "because groups are missing". In addition, VMware has removed the Unity feature in version 17.6.
Discussion in the Broadcom forum
In the Broadcom forum there is a thread I cannot upgrade to, or install, VMware Workstation 17.6 Pro for Windows, where more details can be found. A user who wanted to upgrade got the installation error in a popup:
An error occurred while applying security setting. Users is not a valid user or group.
It could be a problem with the package to be installed, the domain controller in the network or the network connection, the pop-up says. However, this is incorrect, as the cause lies elsewhere.
There is a bug in VMware Workstation 17.6 installer that causes the installation to fail on a non-English Windows. The installer expects an "Authenticated Users" group, as well as the "Users" group, which does not exist in these Windows versions. As a workaround, you could open an administrative command prompt and enter the following commands.
net localgroup /add "Users" net localgroup /add "Authenticated Users"
The commands create the required groups with the English-language names so that the installer should run through. Broadcom is aware of the issue and is working on fixing the problem. Currently, it is recommended to stay with VMware Workstation Pro version 17.5.2 until the bug is fixed.
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