talkIT HowTo KnowledgeBase - Clipboard Copy and Paste does not work in vSphere Client 4.1 and later

Symptoms

Cannot copy and paste from the virtual machine remote console to the system in which the vSphere client is installed
The Copy and Paste options are disabled

Cause

Starting with vSphere 4.1, the Copy and Paste options are, by default, disabled due to security concerns.

Resolution

To be able to copy and paste between the guest operating system and the remote console, you must enable the Copy and Paste options using the vSphere Client. Alternatively, you can use RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) to connect to the Windows virtual machines.

To enable this option for a specific virtual machine:

Note: VMware Tools must be installed for Copy and Paste to work.

Log in to a vCenter Server system using the vSphere Client and power off the virtual machine.
Select the virtual machine and click the Summary tab.
Click Edit Settings.
Navigate to Options > Advanced > General and click Configuration Parameters.
Click Add Row.
Type these values in the Name and Value columns:

Name Value
- isolation.tools.copy.disable false
- isolation.tools.paste.disable false
Note: These options override any settings made in the VMware Tools control panel of the guest operating system.
Click OK to close the Configuration Parameters dialog, and click OK again to close the Virtual Machine Properties dialog.
Power on the virtual machine.