Virtual Device Serial0 Will Start Disconnected _best_ -

To completely remove the device via text configuration, change the present value to false: serial0.present = "FALSE" Use code with caution. Save the file and exit the editor.

Right-click the VM in your library and select (or go to VM > Settings ).

"virtual device serial0 will start disconnected" is when you've enabled a serial port but not defined a live connection. It does not indicate a problem with your virtual machine or device.

Here’s a draft feature covering the behavior where virtual device serial0 will start disconnected . You can use this in release notes, documentation, or a changelog. virtual device serial0 will start disconnected

If the VM was created on a host with specific hardware (like a serial port) and moved to a host without one, this error occurs.

If you just powered on your VMware virtual machine and were greeted by the warning "Virtual device serial0 will start disconnected,"

If you actually need a serial port (e.g., for debugging), ensure it is mapped to a valid resource. Go to > Serial Port . To completely remove the device via text configuration,

To fix a disconnected state while keeping the port active, ensure the start-connected variable is set correctly alongside a valid file backing:

Method 2: Manually Editing the .vmx File (Recommended for Fusion)

If the issue persists after these generic fixes, inspect the .vmx file for configuration errors: "virtual device serial0 will start disconnected" is when

If the GUI doesn't work or you are on an encrypted VM, you can manually "clean" the configuration file.

Ensure the serial0.fileType matches your intent (e.g., "device" , "pipe" , or "file" ). USB Serial Port kinda working | Fusion - Broadcom Community

The warning triggers because the VM configuration includes a virtual serial port (COM port), but the hypervisor cannot map it to a valid physical backend. This happens for three primary reasons:

This article applies to VMware Workstation Pro/Player 15–17, VMware Fusion 11–13, and ESXi 6.5 through 8.0. For older versions, the behavior and fix remain fundamentally the same.