Difficulty installing Windows 11 - "Start PXE over IPv4."

[Magic420]

Hello,

I am trying to install VMware Tech Preview on my new Mac (MacOS Monterey) with the silicon M2 chip. I have Windows 11 downloaded and am trying to install the 64 bit arm inside VMware, but I don't seem to be able to get VMware Fusion to work as a virtual machine. I keep getting "Start PXE over IPv4." Any advice or additional information I can provide so you can help? 

I have read the "Tips and Techniques for the Fusion 22H2 Tech Preview for Apple Silicon" and installed VMware using "VMware Fusion 22H2 Tech Preview Pre-Release software for both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs" instructions. I am installing using a .iso file of Windows 11. The documents states, "If a bootable operating system is not found on either the ISO media or an installed VM, this message will be displayed during VM power up. If installing from ISO, see the topic Obtaining Windows 11 ARM ISO installation media." I am extremely unclear as to the steps regarding obtaining Windows 11 ARM ISO installation media built from Microsoft’s repositories. I think what I need to do is obtain the Windows for ARM media on macOS through uupdump.net.

I am someone who is not great at computers I am unsure exactly what is going on at this point. I can read and follow directions, but I feel a bit lost. Is all I have to do just follow the instructions for obtaining Windows for ARM media on macOS?

[Technogeezer]

You did not say how you obtained the ISO file you tried to use. If you got your copy via https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11?9d47a9e1-e53b-49a1-92ca-a647d62dc410=Tru... those copies are for Intel x86_64 CPUs only. They will not boot on M1 Macs - that’s why the pxe boot  messages happen  

Unless you are on some corporate licensing plans, Microsoft does not make Windows 11 for ARM ISOs easily available to end users. You need to get your ISO by building it from  uupdump.net . I would recommend this build 22000.856, found here https://uupdump.net/selectlang.php?id=85682360-50da-49a9-a2fd-5b0a78778c10

Follow instructions on uupdump.net and in the downloaded file to build the ISO.  If you have a Windows system already up and running somewhere (physical or virtual) I’d build the ISO there. Otherwise you’ll have to download some open source tools on macOS to build it. 

[Magic420]

I got it through downloading it through a school website that gives you windows 11 for free. OnTheHub by Kivuto.

So what exactly does building the ISO to boot up the virtual machine entail? Should it all be there step-by-step on uupdump.net and in the downloaded file? Like once I download it, I am unclear of what exactly I do. 

[ColoradoMarmot]

I'm 99% sure that's the intel Windows 11 version.  Get one from the instructions in either the preview guide or from the unofficial guide.  

[Magic420]

Okay, so I downloaded the build file 22000.856 you recommended. Now I am unsure what to do. Can you link instructions? How do I install it and use it before booting up and installing windows 11 in VMware? I don't see any instructions in the file I downloaded. 

[Technogeezer]

I assume you read the following notice at the end of the final download page just below "Create Download Package":

You extract the archive that you downloaded and execute one of the three scripts found in the archive based on the platform you have downloaded.

Recommended and easiest approach: If you downloaded this zip file on a Windows system, open a Command prompt as an Administrator, and execute the Windows version of the script uup_download_windows.cmd . No additional tools are needed to complete the download and creation of the ISO.

If you downloaded this on a Linux system, the aria2, cabextract, wimlib, chntpw and cdrtools packages must be installed (the script will warn you if you don't have them). After installing them, execute uup_download_linux.sh to create the ISO.

If you downloaded this on macOS, see section 11.3 Obtaining ARM ISO installation media in the unofficial Tips and Techniques guide on a procedure to download the required open-source tools and execute the uup_download_macos.sh script to create the ISO.

[Magic420]

Thanks for the info. I missed that. I gave it a shot, but here is where I got lost:

I downloaded home-brew using the command "/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh) on terminal on my Mac. But then it doesn't respond to when I put,

"brew install aria2c cabextract wimlib-imagex
brew install chntpw genisoimage"

Like it responds like I am just inputting text rather than a command. I think at this point I might be well beyond my abilities and I don't know if I would need too much handholding to figure out how to get VMware on my Mac.

[Magic420]

Oops realized I posted twice and I couldn't figure out how to delete my 2nd post. 

[ColoradoMarmot]

Hmmm...when I downloaded it recently, I was about to get the ISO without having to do anything at the command line.  I did not select the option to prepatch, and just got the ISO as released.  Then doing Windows updates to bring it current.  Might be worth a try.

[luigi_perino]

With another computer with INTEL processor and VMware Fusion working with Windows 7 I created the iso image of Windows 11 arm which automatically named 22000.917.220809-2315.CO_RELEASE_SVC_PROD3_CLIENTMULTI_A64FRE_IT-IT.iso but when I go to try to create a new machine virtual with VMware Fusion Professional version e.x.p (20191287) keeps giving me the error Start PXE over IPv4. I'm using an iMac (24-inch, M1,2021) running macOS Monterey version 12.5.1 (21G83). What can I do?

[ColoradoMarmot]

When you start it up, there's a brief window where you have to hit a key to boot from the ISO - if you miss it, you have to restart.

[m_zieba]

Hi

I made all what was required, and install all missing things via "brew".

Another path, showed on this video https://youtu.be/srOty2jflF4 doesn't work too. Both paths are end at the same place: >>Start PXE over IPv4.

After few minutes, errors are on screen...

[Technogeezer]

The Tech Preview is over, and this Tech Preview doesn’t forum get much attention. You should post future questions in the VMware Fusion main forum as Fusion 13 that supports M1/M2 Macs is released. 

The PXE (network)  boot will time out eventually and display the message you are seeing. The root cause of this is either bad ISO media or you didn’t press any key soon enough to boot the installer  

The Unofficial Fusion 12 for Apple Silicon Companion Guide has a section on causes of this error and actions to take to fix them. The latest version also has a new procedure to build Windows 11ARM installation media that’s faster and more reliable than using uupdump.net.