Uninstall VMware on Windows XP When Unable to open kernel device "\\.\Global\vmx86": The system cannot find the file

   The error message Unable to open kernel device "\\.\Global\vmx86": The system cannot find the file appear after I try to run virtual machine on my Windows XP machine.  This error message appear after I try to upgrade VMware software to new version, but the installation not quite successful.  I try to remove VMware by the normal way… trough the Windows Control Panel -> Add or Remove Program… but the VMware not even exist there…. The step by step example below show the example to un install VMware workstation on Windows XP machine.

VMware Workstation Error message:

Unable to open kernel device "\\.\Global\vmx86": The system cannot find the file specified. Did you reboot after installing VMware Workstation?

Failed to initialize monitor device.

The step by step below show how to remove uninstall VMware on Windows XP machine:

1.  Open Windows XP command interpreter.  Click on Start -> Run menu, type in cmd on the text box and then click on the Ok button

2.  Go to the VMware software installation file directory

C:\Documents and Settings\jason>cd /d e:/

E:\>

E:\>cd VMware-workstation-6.5.2

E:\VMware-workstation-6.5.2>

3.  Then list contents inside the directory using dir command.

E:\VMware-workstation-6.5.2>dir

 Volume in drive E is storage

 Volume Serial Number is C0FE-79B8

 Directory of E:\VMware-workstation-6.5.2

05/07/2009  05:25 PM    <DIR>          .

05/07/2009  05:25 PM    <DIR>          ..

04/11/2009  11:08 AM       485,009,416 VMware-workstation-6.5.2-156735.exe

               1 File(s)    485,009,416 bytes

               2 Dir(s)  10,668,429,312 bytes free

E:\VMware-workstation-6.5.2>

4.  Open the VMware help file to list all the option available, as show on figure below... and click OK button to close the box.

E:\VMware-workstation-6.5.2>VMware-workstation-6.5.2-156735 /?

VMware Product Installation

Usage:

  /? : Show this dialog.

  /a :  Perform an administration install.

  /a <full path to existing administrative install> :  Patch an existing administrative install.

  /s :  Hide initialization dialog.  For silent mode use /s /v /qn.

  /v :  Parameters to pass to installer.

  /c :  Clean out installation registration information.

  /l :  Perform a detailed logging.

  /l <fullpath to log file> :  Perform a detailed logging.

5.  To remove / Uninstall VMware workstation use the /c option

E:\VMware-workstation-6.5.2>VMware-workstation-6.5.2-156735 /c

6.  Click OK button to start un install process of VMware.

VMware Product Installation

Setup will attempt to forcefully remove VMware Workstation installer registration information from this machine.  Do not continue unless you cannot uninstall VMware Workstation normally from Add/Remove Programs.

Press Cancel to exit without changing your system.

Message box show that the setup successfully clean out installation registration information for VMware Workstation.

VMware Product Installation

Setup successfully cleaned out installation registration information for VMware Workstation.

7.  Then reboot your Windows XP machine and try to re install VMware software again.

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