Fix Copy-Paste and Drag & Drop Not Working in VMware with Ubuntu
How to fix copy-paste and drag & drop not working between host and guest OS in VMware when running Ubuntu.
Problem
When using Ubuntu as a guest operating system inside VMware Workstation, one common issue users face is that copy-paste and drag & drop functionality stops working. This can severely hamper productivity, especially if you’re frequently transferring files or text between your host and guest systems. This guide will walk you through the steps needed to re-enable this essential feature in your VMware virtual machine running Ubuntu.
Step-by-Step Fix
Even after trying the usual fixes—like reinstalling open-vm-tools, restarting the VM, and resetting the drag & drop settings through VMware’s UI. The problem still there.
And somehow, i caught the things that, the UI drag and drop in VMware’s settings didn’t write into system script at all. So, to fix the issue permantly and bypass any UI-related bugs, follow these steps:
- shutdown your virtual machine (make sure its fully pwered off, not suspended)
- Navigate to the folder where your VM is stored
- Locate the ‘.vmx’ file - this is the main configuration file for your VM (eg ‘katana.vmx’)
- Open the ‘.vmx’ file with your fav text editor
Look for the following lines, add it manually.
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isolation.tools.copy.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.dnd.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.paste.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "FALSE" # Optional but recommended
Save the changes and turn your VM on ^^