Drag & Drop Functionality in Kali 2025.1a broken

Kali Linux Forums Kali Linux Troubleshooting
1

What have you tried: Fresh Install Kali 2025.1a as a VM in VMWare Workstation 17 Pro

What is the error: Installation was successful. But, Drag & drop between Windows Host and Kali VM does not seem to be working. If I do a Dist-Upgrade from Kali 2024-4 on the same VMware Workstation 17 Pro (Drag & Drop was working on 2024-4) the Drag & drop works even after the Dist-Upgrade.

What device is this on:Lenovo ThinkPad P1 running Windows 11 Pro 24H2

2

Hi @radhak

Just make sure that the VMware tools are installed properly.

Do these steps:

  1. Open a terminal in Kali Linux.
  2. Mount the VMware Tools ISO by selecting “Install VMware Tools” from the VM menu in VMware Workstation.
  3. Extract the VMware Tools tar.gz file and install the necessary components

sudo mount /dev/cdrom /mnt
cd /tmp
tar -xzvf /mnt/VMwareTools-*.tar.gz
cd vmware-tools-distrib
sudo ./vmware-install.pl<

Other than this you can try:

  1. Checking for the Compatibility Between Kali and VMware Workstation Version.
  2. Check VM Settings.
  3. Try VMware Workstation 17 Settings are configured properly.
  4. Update VMware Workstation.
  5. May try on another virtual machine.

Let me know the result. All the best.:+1:

4 Likes
3

Thank you. I tried the steps you have given and I can say, it does not work. First of all, Re-Install VMWare Tools is greyed out under the new Kali VM. During the install I noticed that as part of the installation, VMWare tools being installed. This is why I am trying to get help.
I tried various flavors (Kali everything/Kali Installer/ Kali Purple) of Kali and the result is the same.

4

you have to be in the kali vm and do a full shutdown of kali before you can configure machine settings in vmware to enable drag and drop support. If you never ‘fully shut down’ a guest OS it will never update the settings to allow it.

1 Like
5

Quite shockingly I found the solution. To copy file from host to kali. We can just CTRL+C and CTRL+V instead of drag and drop. Try it for VMware. Maybe work.

1 Like
6

I have always used open vmware tools, From what I have read its recommend over vmware tools for any Linux distro

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y open-vm-tools-desktop

If you installed kali with out a desktop or any other headless distro you would use

open-vm-tools

7

copy and paste the file is working for me. it’s kind of weird. why Copy paste the file is working and not drag and drop : )