VMware Tools enables the host to properly shut down or restart the guest OS rather than just powering it off.

(Note: Direct mounting via command line requires identifying the locker path and attaching it via vim-cmd )

The VMware Tools ISO is digitally signed. If you delete or modify the files inside /product/locker/tools on ESXi, host profiles will fail, and future VMs will not mount the correct version. If lost, you must reinstall the ESXi image or copy from another identical host.

: You can download the latest standalone ISOs and patches from the official Broadcom Support Portal