VMWare Workstation Pro 17.6.2 Copy-Paste Wrong Keyboard Layout

In VMWare Workstation Pro 17.6.2, when copying and pasting text between the host and guest machines, sometimes the keyboard layout gets changed to the wrong one. This issue can cause problems when trying to type or paste special characters. Here's a detailed explanation of the problem and possible solutions:

Understanding the Issue

When you copy text from a source with a specific keyboard layout and paste it into a destination with a different keyboard layout, the pasted text may not appear as expected. This is because the text is stored in a format that doesn't include the keyboard layout information.

In the case of VMWare Workstation Pro, the issue occurs when you copy text from the host machine (usually with a QWERTY layout) and paste it into the guest machine with a different layout (like DVORAK or AZERTY).

Identifying the Problem

To identify if you're experiencing this issue, follow these steps:

1. Copy some text from the host machine.
2. Paste it into the guest machine.
3. Check if the special characters are not displayed correctly.

If the special characters are not displayed correctly, it's likely that you're facing this issue.

Solutions

1. Manual Correction

After pasting the text, manually correct the special characters that appear incorrectly. This is a tedious solution, but it works if you only need to paste a small amount of text.

2. Change Keyboard Layout

Before pasting the text, change the keyboard layout of the guest machine to match the source layout. This way, the pasted text will be in the correct format for the guest machine's layout.

3. Use VMWare Tools

VMWare Tools provides a feature called "Shared Clipboard" that allows seamless copying and pasting between the host and guest machines. To enable this feature, follow these steps:

1. Install VMWare Tools on the guest machine if not already installed.
2. Go to the VMWare Workstation Pro menu.
3. Navigate to VM > Settings > Options > Guest Isolation.
4. Enable the "Shared Clipboard" option.

Now, you should be able to copy and paste text between the host and guest machines without issues.

References

1. VMWare Workstation Pro 17.6.2 User Manual: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Workstation-Pro/17.6/com.vmware.ws.using.doc/GUID-85F0277C-7F53-4743-99F6-2224021910F3.html
2. VMWare Knowledge Base: Shared Clipboard: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Workstation-Pro/17.6/com.vmware.ws.using.doc/GUID-99093F48-6585-4747-893F-5D18369055F9.html
3. VMWare Community Forum: Shared Clipboard not working: https://communities.vmware.com/thread/594961