Kbvmware S Article 78708 Free _verified_ Jun 2026

I’m unable to produce a blog post specifically promoting or distributing as a free resource if that article is normally behind a paywall, registration, or support contract — because that could violate VMware’s terms of use or encourage copyright infringement.

It covers specific failure scenarios regarding snapshots during the backup process. If your backup jobs are hanging or failing silently, the resolution steps here saved me hours of troubleshooting today.

addresses a critical issue where VMware Tools installation or upgrades fail on legacy Windows operating systems—specifically Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 . This widespread error occurs because newer versions of VMware Tools (version 11.1.0 and higher) use drivers signed exclusively with the SHA-2 encryption algorithm , which vanilla installations of these older Windows operating systems cannot verify without a free Microsoft patch.

VMware Knowledge Base article 78708 provides a workaround for VMware Tools installation failures on legacy Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 systems caused by missing SHA-2 code signing support. Users must install specific Microsoft updates, such as KB4474419, to enable SHA-2 support before running the VMware Tools installer. Read the full details on the Broadcom community forum VMware Community Forum Broadcom Community kbvmware s article 78708 free

This issue primarily affects Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The same root cause (lack of SHA-2 support) can potentially affect other older Microsoft systems like Windows Server 2012, but the necessary updates may differ.

Drivers affected in VMware Tools 11.1.0 include:

If you've been staring at a failed backup job for your vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA), you aren't alone. One of the most frustrating errors occurs when the backup mechanism fails due to snapshot limitations or stale snapshot references. I’m unable to produce a blog post specifically

Ensure your virtual machine has installed. These fixes are built on top of SP1 architecture; base variants of Windows 7 without SP1 must be updated to SP1 first. Step 2: Download the Free Microsoft Patches

To resolve these failures, administrators must ensure the guest operating system is updated to support SHA-2 signing before attempting to install VMware Tools version 11.1.x or newer Broadcom Community Apply Microsoft Updates

In late 2019, Microsoft transitioned its driver signing process to use the exclusively, phasing out the older, less secure SHA-1. Modern versions of VMware Tools (starting with version 11.x) are signed with SHA-2. addresses a critical issue where VMware Tools installation

Copy the downloaded .msu patch files directly into your Windows virtual machine.

The issue described in VMware KB 78708 is a compatibility problem that arises when attempting to install or upgrade VMware Tools in a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual machine (VM). Instead of a successful installation, the process fails, and you will likely see an error message similar to:

: Once the VM is back online, you should be able to run the VMware Tools installation without any signature errors. Important Compatibility Notes

You can download both updates for free from the official Microsoft Update Catalog website ( catalog.update.microsoft.com ). Search for "KB4490628" and "KB4474419".