Enable Debug Logging for VMware Tools Backup and VSS Issues on Windows VM's

We needed to enable advanced debug logging for an issue that we were having with VMware’s VSS driver that comes with the default VMware Tools installer. In order to do this we had to create a new config file and set some paramaters.

• Login to the guest VM you are looking to troubleshoot
• Navigate out to C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware Tools
• Create a new text file in this location and open it, and type the following:

[logging]
log = true

vmbackup.level = debug
vmbackup.handler = vmx

# Enable the "vmvss" snapshot service logging to a file.
vmvss.level = debug
vmvss.handler = vmx 

• Save the file as a conf file by saving it as tools.conf
• Restart the VMware Tools service (you will drop connection here briefly)

Backup/VSS logging is now being written to your VMX/vmware.log file. To see the log you will have to browse that VM’s datastore, find your VM’s folder, and download/open the vmware.log file. To disable the debug level logging you will simply delete the tools.conf file and restart the VMware Tools service again (you will drop connection here briefly).

This KB by VMware has a list of other processes and levels of debugging that you can perform within the guest.

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1007873