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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11To send a plain function key such as F2 into a VMware Workstation guest, click inside the guest console so it has keyboard focus, or switch the VM to full-screen mode, and then press the key. Ctrl+Alt+F-key combinations work differently. Workstation reserves Ctrl+Alt for releasing captured input, so those combinations are not passed to the guest by default and need a documented workaround.
What the guest needs before it receives keys
- Focus. VMware’s guidance is that keyboard input goes to the virtual machine when its console has focus or is in full-screen mode. Keys pressed while focus is on the host go to the host.
- Reserved Ctrl+Alt. Current Workstation Pro documentation describes Ctrl+Alt as the input-release shortcut, and says combinations containing it are not passed to the guest. That is why Ctrl+Alt+F1 often switches the host instead of reaching Linux.
Send a plain F-key (F1 to F12)
- Click inside the guest display. The console now has keyboard focus.
- If you prefer, switch the VM to full-screen mode. Input is directed to the VM in that mode as well.
- Press the function key. The guest operating system or application receives it, so the result depends on what that guest does with the key. For example, a key bound to a shortcut in the guest triggers that shortcut.
Send a Ctrl+Alt+F-key combination
VMware’s Workstation 6 manual documents a workaround for guest shortcuts such as Ctrl+Alt+F-key, which are commonly used to switch Linux workspaces. The manual’s own example is Ctrl+Alt+<Fkey> used inside a virtual machine.
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- Click inside the guest console so it has focus.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Space.
- Release Space while continuing to hold Ctrl and Alt.
- Press the third key of the combination you want, for example F1 for Ctrl+Alt+F1.
The sequence is documented for Workstation 6. If your build behaves differently, check the documentation for your installed version, because the menus and key handling can change between releases.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhen the laptop function row does something else
On many laptops, the top row sends brightness, volume, or media commands unless a function-row or Fn-lock mode is enabled. That behavior belongs to the host laptop, not to Workstation, so the setting you need depends on the manufacturer. The sources reviewed for this article do not establish a universal Workstation path for changing it. VMware’s explicit function-key instructions are for Fusion on macOS, and that path should not be applied to Workstation.
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Do not confuse this with the KVM hot key
VMware KVM hot keys switch keyboard and mouse control between running virtual machines and the host. In the Workstation Pro 15.0 KVM guide, the default is Pause/Break, and a different switching key can be configured with vmware-kvm.exe --preferences. That feature does not send an arbitrary F-key into a guest, so it does not solve either problem above.
Quick Recap
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Which method to use
| Key you want to send | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain F1 to F12 | Click the guest console or use full-screen mode, then press the key | No release sequence is involved. Keys sent while the host has focus reach the host instead. |
| Ctrl+Alt+F-key | Ctrl+Alt+Space, release Space while holding Ctrl and Alt, then press the F-key | Documented in the Workstation 6 manual. Confirm on your current build. |
| Top-row key on a laptop | Change the host laptop’s function-row or Fn mode | Host-dependent. Not stated for Workstation in the sources reviewed. |
| Switching between VMs and host | KVM hot key (default Pause/Break in the Workstation Pro 15.0 KVM guide) | Switches control. Does not send function keys into a guest. |
Troubleshooting
- The F-key reaches the host. The console does not have focus. Click inside the guest display or switch to full-screen mode, then press the key again.
- Ctrl+Alt+F-key switches the host console. Ctrl+Alt is captured for input release. Use the Ctrl+Alt+Space sequence in the section above.
- The workaround does nothing. The documented sequence comes from the Workstation 6 manual. Check the documentation for your installed Workstation version, since newer builds may handle these keys differently.
- The top row adjusts brightness or volume. This is a host laptop setting. Check the Fn or function-row mode on the laptop.
The Bottom Line
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