topic Re: Can I install VMware workstation Pro inside another Windows VM on a MacBook pro with M1 chip? in VMware Fusion Discussions

Can I install VMware workstation Pro inside another Windows VM on a MacBook pro with M1 chip?

Hansaka98 — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:05:59 GMT

Hi All, Im student and I have almost all my lectures in VMware workstation. As I'm using a MacBook pro with M1 chip I need to install the VMware Workstation in another VM which has Windows OS inside my mac. I really do not know the possibility of this and I would highly appreciate if anyone could assist me with this matter.

Re: Can I install VMware workstation Pro inside another Windows VM on a MacBook pro with M1 chip?

scott28tt — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:39:42 GMT

Workstation runs x86-based VMs and needs an x86-based host OS, which a Fusion VM running on an M1 cannot be.

In short, no.

Re: Can I install VMware workstation Pro inside another Windows VM on a MacBook pro with M1 chip?

Technogeezer — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:43:20 GMT

VMware Workstation only runs on operating systems that run on 64-bit Intel processors. Your M1 Mac is not an 64-bit Intel processor, and virtualization solutions such as Parallels or VMware Fusion do not emulate 64-bit Intel CPUS.

If you need to run Windows on an M1 Mac, you have 2 ways to do that.

Run Windows 11 ARM under Fusion or Parallels
Run Windows x86/x64 using an Intel chip emulator such as UTM.

Re: Can I install VMware workstation Pro inside another Windows VM on a MacBook pro with M1 chip?

ColoradoMarmot — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 23:46:56 GMT

Unless they provide M1 Mac VM's, the simple answer is no. There's no way to make it work with even remotely acceptable performance.

You'll need to get either native VMs - aka Windows 11 for ARM or Linux ARM (which I suspect isn't offered), or use an intel machine.