1232 - Error: "Missing entry at ..." appears in logs

Symptom

ERROR : 09:31:55 Missing entry at 'c:\windows\syswow64\en-us\licenses\volume\serverweb\license.rtf'
ERROR : 09:32:19 Missing entry at 'c:\windows\syswow64\licenses\neutral\volume\serverweb\license.rtf'

This can occur in any location, but more commonly occurs in system files, as in the errors above.

Cause

This happens because the system writer adds rules on the assumption that the files are still there.

Solution

First, run the System File Checker:

sfc /scannow

If this does not resolve the problem, the issue may be with the version of VMware Tools that the virtual machine is using. List all the possible missing items and check for them, because if the directory the missing file is supposed to be in is also missing, the system won't search for a subdirectory. For example, depending on what directories exist already, the missing entry may be in C:\Windows\systemroot\system32 or C:\Windows\systemroot\system32\drivers. Also make sure VMware Tools is up to date. If it is not, update VMware Tools to the latest version. This may require a reboot, after which the issue should be resolved.

Finally, as a workaround, you can create an empty placeholder file. However, this should only be done if the missing file is not a critical file such as license.rtf in the error above.