What would happen to you, if you just updated your GSX VMWare tools package to the new and improved VMWare Server package and after rebooting, this is the screen of your Windows 2003 Domain Controller: ?
 

(bigger image when you click on it)
You get a: “Stop: C0000139 {entry point not found}” The procedure entry point _resetstkoflw could not be located in the dynamic link library msvcrt.dll”
So after you have cried your eyeballs out what do we do now….?
I always thought that the risks of upgrading were hidden in the “Upgrade Virtual Hardware” bit. But it seems that I wasn’t safe to upgrade the VMWare tools.
Before I upgraded my DC, I first tested with one of my other W2K3 boxes. This unimportant box of course upgraded without a hitch
After sweeping through the vmware community forum I found a few hints. I tried the following:
- I shut down my DC
- I connected my C: Drive disk as a slave disk to my “unimportant” box (not so unimportant anymore)
- Boot the unimportant box.
- Copy the file msvcrt.dll from the unimportant box to the my broken box
- Shutdown the unimportant box and disconnect the Slave disk
- Boot the Domain Controller and voila..! Were up again..
For the freaks, I checked what version the msvcrt.dll on both machines:
Domain Controller: msvcrt.dll Version: 6.0.8797.0
Unimportant Box : msvcrt.dll Version: 7.0.3790.0
What can you learn from this:
- Have a backup before you start even with the simple stuff
- Be carefull if your machine has a 6.0.8797.0 version of msvcrt.dll..
- Share your experience on the VMWare forum so everyone can benefit..!