Virtual Device Serial0 Will Start Disconnected _hot_ -
Within 30 seconds, both interfaces should transition to up/up . The original disconnected message is now a relic of the boot sequence.
Modern operating systems and software rarely rely on serial communication. If you do not explicitly use legacy hardware debugging, specialized console connections, or ancient peripherals, the cleanest fix is to delete the virtual device entirely.
If you might need the serial port in the future but want to suppress the boot-time error message, you can tell VMware to ignore its connection state during startup. Fully the virtual machine. Open the VM Settings . Click on the Serial Port device. virtual device serial0 will start disconnected
Redirects all serial output to a standard text file on your host system. Click Browse to create or select a .txt or .log file.
If you want to keep the device but stop the warning, uncheck Connect at power on Broadcom Community Option 2: The Manual Fix (Editing the .vmx file) Within 30 seconds, both interfaces should transition to
If the error persists or the settings won't save, you may need to manually edit the VM's configuration file: Navigate to the folder where your VM is stored. Open the file with Notepad. Look for lines starting with serial0 .
To this:
| Step | Action | Detailed Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Check Virtual Printer | In VMware, go to VM > Settings and remove the virtual printer or disable "Connect at power on". This directly addresses the most common cause. | | 2 | Inspect Host COM Port | If using a physical serial port, verify it exists in Device Manager (Windows) or as /dev/ttyS0 (Linux) and is not in use by another program. | | 3 | Verify VM Serial Port Path | In VM settings, ensure the path to the serial device is correct. Change from "Auto" to a specific path like /dev/ttyS0 . | | 4 | Check GNS3 Hardware | For GNS3 users: Verify the correct WIC (e.g., WIC-2T) is installed in the router's slot before powering on. | | 5 | Review Network Cabling | For GNS3 users: Ensure one end of the link is a "Serial DCE" cable and, if needed, the DCE side has a clock rate set. | | 6 | Explore Power Management | Rarely, host power management can interfere. In Device Manager, disable power saving for USB Root Hubs and the COM port if present. |
