A few months ago, I downloaded the VMware Player at home because I teach at a college that uses VMware in the computer labs. I worked fine in CentOS 6.2.
Then a few weeks ago (while the term was ending so I didn't have time to work on the problem), the Player asked me to download an update. So, I did. Then it said that it needed modify the kernel. Uncomfortable as I was, the only options seemed to be let it do what it wanted or not use the Player. So, I let it go ahead.
After that, whenver I try to start a VM, the O/S freezes. Since the Player didn't say what it was doing, I don't know how to reconfigure the kernel to undo it (other than a fresh load of the O/S).
I tried using older versions of the Player (back to 3) without success. I tried using an older kernel but then the Player wants to update the kernel (once bitten...) and I didn't let it do that.
I found a KB article that suggests the problem could be with the video card driver. So, I updated the driver, rebooted a couple times and I still have the problem.
If I could, somehow (without reloading Linux), undo what the Player Update did to the kernel and/or kernel configuration, I should be able to use an older version of the Player (I think I was using 4) and I'd have a working system again.