Windows 7, Bootcamp & Fusion Activation Woes

[Mog0]

Hi

I have been running Vista Business 32-bit for some time switching between bootcamp and fusion v2.0.5 and my company has just got the final version of Windows 7 through the action pack program and so decided to upgrade.

Everything works well except that every time I switch from Bootcamp to Fusion and visa versa, Windows decides that my hardware has changed and needs to be reactivated. I have VMWare tools installed and have activated in both modes.

I've seen this reported in other threads and the response was that it wasn't supported yet as it was still beta software. Now that Windows 7 is finished and released is there any estimate on when this problem will be resolved, or is there already a solution to the problem. I'm hoping it will be solved before the Microsoft activation server decides that something fishy is going on and refuses to ever activate automatically again (I really hate the phone system) until Windows 8 is released.

Thanks

[admin]

Hi Mog0,

Ignoring the question of whether or not Windows 7 is supported yet, have you tried the steps descibred in our Knowledge Base article? Have a look at:

The article refers to Vista, but it should be equally applicable to Windows.

[Mog0]

Sadly no banana.

Thanks for the suggestion but it didn't make any difference.

Reread my original post and sorry if it sounded as though I was complaining, it wasn't my intention. I understand the difficulties of getting support for a new OS particularly regarding activation, which I'm sure MS will be reluctant to give you much detail

[admin]

Sorry to hear that didn't work!

I didn't take your previous post as complaining, no worries. However, as you say, it's hard for us to support a brand new OS (which isn't even available for general consumption), never mind one released by one of our competitors who probably don't want to give us a lot of information.*

That being said, we can take a look at your issue through the usual methods and see what we can do. Would you mind posting your:

1. Support logs (In Fusion, Help > Collect Support Information)

2. Your System Profile (/Applications/Utilities/System Profiler, File > Save As...)

3. Windows event logs -- just in case (Start, Run..., eventvwr.msc; select "Application", and go to Action > Save Log File As..., and then select "System", and Action > Save Log File As...)

here, so that we can get a better idea of what's going on under the hood?

If you don't want to post all that information in a public forum, my email address is my first initial and last name AT vmware.com

*This is pure speculation; I have absolutely no knowledge of the relationship between VMware and Microsoft.

[Techbri]

Has anyone come up with a solution to this? I am currently running Windows 7 x64 Ultimate in the same configuration at the beginning of this thread. I too am seeing the activation issues and I am afraid it will become problematic. The good news for VMware? At least Fusion can boot a Win 7 Boot Camp partition. That other product that starts with a "P" can't even do that. It causes the VM to blue screen on boot.

[frostshoxx]

I have the same problem with Meg0, I hope there is a way to overcome that.

[haralds]

I have the same issues - not just with Windows 7, but also Office Activation.

It's a real problem, and needs to be fixed.

[The_Link]

Hi,

I just installed windows 7 under Bootcamp and when mounting in VMWare

ask me to activate it again and again when booting under Bootcamp and

so on...

Just wondering whether anybody in the Fusion support team has found a resolution to this issue.

Regards,

Michael

[WoodyZ]

Although I might be wrong it is my understanding that Windows 7 is not fully supported under Fusion 2.x but will be under Fusion 3.x and this booting the Boot Camp partition Natively and then as a Virtual Machine and the WPA issues may be one of the reasons why it's not fully supported under 2.x.

[The_Link]

Hi,

Follow instructions at and you should be able to successfully activate Windows without the need for reactivation when switching between bootcamp and VM Ware.

I successfully tested with Windows 7 in VM Ware 2.0.6

big thanks to the VMWare support team for providing a fix for this issue

Michael

[Mog0]

Did you manage this using Windows 7??

It is the same procedure I used originally but did not work for me. It worked when I used Vista but since upgrading it hasn't.

Mog

[The_Link]

Hi Mog

The procedure described in the KB post was successful with a clean install of Windows 7 Enterprise 32bit on my MacBook.

It did cost me the 2 license key activations though meaning that I will have to call MS for an activation code when installing on my iMac.

Good luck!

Michael

[josh101]

The instructions in the KB article didn't work for me either. I'm using Fusion 2.0.6 wirh Windows 7 on my Bootcamp parition. Still need to re-activate each time I switch between them.

So frustrating!!!

[Mog0]

Can anyone tell me if the activation problems have been remedied in Fusion 3?

Before I upgrade I would like to know if I am going to be able to use my bootcamp win7 installation with it.

Thanks

[markjonassen]

Its still an issue. I have Windows 7 Home Premium and I can't validate in Fusion 3. It works in bootcamp.

Two days to activate...

[akuska]

Have you tried uninstalling VMWare Tools, reinstalling it, and then activating? I haven't run into the activation problem in either the Boot Camp or Virtual Machine yet.

[markjonassen]

Yeah. I have tried that. I had no problem with Windows XP or Windows 7 RC. Did you enter your serial before you made your bootcamp Windows a virtual machine?

Is VMware aware of this problem? Its critical!

[WiFi414]

I having the same problem. It was working fine under 2.0.6. I upgrade to 3.0 and now my windows 7 states I have 3 days to activate. I have tried all the solutions listed on the forum with no luck. Under bootcamp my Wiindows 7 is activate. When running under fusion is where the activation error happens.

VMware please help fix the problem!

[radlynx]

Same problems. I followed the steps to activate Windows 7 Pro 64-bit in bootcamp, run Fusion, install the tools and activate. Works fine in Fusion until I run bootcamp. In bootcamp, Windows still activated, but in Fusion it usually cannot find the bootcamp partition and makes me start over, then it is not activated and have three days left. But when I boot into bootcamp, it is activated. Not useful at all.

[Dipsomaniac]

I've just followed the procedure given in the KB article and it's worked for me. Mine is the academic upgrade, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, but done as a clean install. It's activated now both in Fusion and Bootcamp.