How to restart VMware Workstation without rebooting Windows 11

On Windows 11, you can use VMware Workstation to create and manage virtual machines to run different operating systems, but if the virtualization app stops responding for some reason, you will notice that restarting it will prompt you for elevation, and the app will not work correctly.

Usually, if VMware crashes or stops responding, the best way to start fresh again is to restart your computer. However, if that’s not an option at that particular time, then there is a way to close and start the application again without rebooting Windows 11.

This guide will teach you the steps to close and relaunch VMware Workstation correctly when it is not responding on Windows 11.

Restart VMware Workstation on Windows 11

To restart VMware Workstation when it is not responding without rebooting Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start on Windows 11.

2. Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.

3. Click on the Performance tab.

4. Type “vmware” in the search box to filter and show only the application processes.

5. Select each process and click the “End task” button in the top-right corner.

   

6. Click on Services.

7. Type “vmware” in the search box to filter and show only the application processes.

8. Select each of the available VMware services (“VMAuthdService,” “VmwareAutostartService,” “VMnetDHCP,” “VMware NAT Service,” and “VMUSBArbService”) and click the Start button in the top-right corner.

   

   Quick note: If the service is already running, click the “Restart” button.

Once you complete the steps, you can now relaunch VMware Workstation without the elevation prompt, and you should now be able to start your virtual machines.