How To Disable VSS In VMware Tools?

VMware Tools is a powerful tool for virtual machine administrators. It is a suite of utilities that helps you manage, configure, and monitor your virtual machines. One of the features of VMware Tools is VSS or Volume Shadow Copy Service. This feature takes snapshots of data on demand which can be used for backup and recovery purposes. However, there may be some circumstances where you need to disable this feature. We will outline how to disable VSS in VMware Tools. 

What is VSS in VMware Tools? 

VSS or Volume Shadow Copy Service is a feature of Windows that enables point-in-time backups. VMware Tools allows users to use their existing backup solutions with virtual machines, allowing them to create consistent snapshots of the entire VM without manually shutting down the guest OS. 

How to Disable VSS in VMware Tools? 

Method 1: Using the VMware vSphere Client 

Disabling VSS in VMware Tools is pretty straightforward, but some necessary steps must be taken. Before we begin, ensure you have an active snapshot or backup of your virtual machine before making any changes, just in case something goes wrong. Now let's get started! 

Step 1: Start the Virtual Machine

Before you can disable VSS in VMware Tools, you will need to boot up the virtual machine. To do this, open your hypervisor software and locate the VM you want to work with. Once found, select it and click "Start" from the top menu bar. This will launch the VM and bring up its interface on your screen.                            

Step 2: Install VMware Tools

Once the VM has been successfully launched, install the latest version of VMware Tools on it by clicking "Install/Upgrade" from the top menu bar while inside your hypervisor software. You should receive a confirmation once installation has been completed successfully. 

 Step 3: Disable VSS In VMware Tools

1. Open the vSphere Client and connect to your vCenter server or an ESXi host. 
2. Select the virtual machine you want to configure and click "Edit Settings" from the Actions menu at the top of the window. 
3. Click on the "Options" tab and select "Advanced" from the left-hand menu. 
4. Scroll down until you find "Volume Shadow Copy Service" on the right-hand side list and uncheck it. 
5. Click OK to save your changes and then restart your virtual machine for them to take effect. 
6. Once VSS has been disabled, any subsequent backups will no longer use it as part of their configuration process, so you should see improved performance from your backup jobs moving forward. 

Method 2: Disabling VSS via GUI

Another option for those who don't want to mess around with scripts or CLI commands is disabling/enabling VSS through the graphical user interface (GUI). This can be done by accessing the vSphere web client and navigating to "Configuration > Storage > Volume Shadow Copy Services" where you can select which virtual machines should have their Volume Shadow Copy Service enabled or disabled. While this method may not offer as much control as using scripts or CLI commands, it does provide an easy-to-use GUI, so users don't have to worry about getting into too much technical detail when managing their virtual environment.   

Method 3: Using PowerCLI

If you prefer using command line tools instead of a graphical user interface (GUI), you can also use PowerCLI to disable VSS in VMware Tools. To do this:

1. Open up PowerShell or PowerCLI and enter the following command: Set-VMGuest -VM -VssEnabled $false where is replaced with the name of your virtual machine. 
2. Once you execute this command, VSS will be disabled on your VM.  

Method 4: Using Task Scheduler

Another way to disable VSS in VMware Tools is through Task Scheduler. To do this:

1. Open your Task Scheduler and select "Create Basic Task" from within the Action pane. 
2. Enter an appropriate name for your task, then select whether you want it to run daily or weekly, depending on how often you need it disabled/enabled. 
3. Then enter the time interval when it should run and enter "%windir%\system32\vssadmin Delete Shadows /All /Quiet" as your action command. 
4. This will delete all existing shadow copies so that new ones cannot be created until you re-enable them again with another task scheduler command.  

Method 5: Using ESXCLI

You can also use ESXCLI commands to disable VSS in VMware Tools if you manage an ESXi host directly via SSH or the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI). To do this:

1. Open up an SSH session (or DCUI) and enter esxcli system settings advanced set -o /DataMover/VssBackupEnabled -i 0 followed by a reboot. 
2. This will turn off the Volume Shadow Copy Service on that particular ESXi host so that any running virtual machines cannot use it.

Troubleshooting VSS in VMware Tools 

Checking the Service Status 

The first step in troubleshooting is to check the service status. To do this:

1. Open services.msc and locate the "VMware VSS Provider" service. 
2. Ensure the service is running and set to "Automatic" startup type. 
3. If it isn't, right-click on it and select "Start" or "Change Startup Type," depending on what needs to be done. 

Updating VMware Tools

If the service status was already running, you should try updating your VMware Tools installation by going into Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program > VMware Workstation > Update Now. This will download and install any available updates for your current version of VMware Tools which may fix any issues with VSS not working correctly due to outdated versions of software or drivers. 

Reinstalling VMware Tools

If updating your installation does not resolve your issue, you might need to reinstall VMware Tools as the last resort. To do this, uninstall your existing version of VMware Tools from Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program > VMware Workstation and then download and install the modern version from the official website. Once installed, reboot your system and check if VSS is now working correctly again by using services.msc as before. 

Conclusion

Managing your data backups efficiently can be difficult when dealing with multiple virtual machines in a single environment. Fortunately, several methods exist for disabling/enabling Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) in VMware Tools. Whether you prefer using scripts and CLI commands or simply want an easy-to-use graphical user interface experience, and there's an option out there that fits your needs! We hope this article has helped shed some light on how best to manage your data backups with VMware Tools!