When the CTRL + ALT + F1 key combination is used to switch to another text console (terminal) on a Linux virtual machine, the host switches to a text console instead of the guest.
The CTRL + ALT combination is used by VMware to direct the keyboard input to the host.
Press CTRL + ALT + Space , press the F1 key (or desired Function key) while still holding down CTRL + ALT .
Cheers, Yours Udin 