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rasikara
Contributor
Contributor

KB 84273 in macbook pro M1

 

macOS Monterey V 12.0.1
Chip Apple M1

When I was trying to install

(1).

VMware-Fusion-e.x.p-18656771_arm64.dmg,

I got this error message

This virtual machine cannot be powered on because it requires the X86 machine architecture, which is incompatible with this Arm machine architecture host.   (See KB-84273.)

(2) Next, 

VMware-Fusion-12.2.1-18811640_x86

I got this error message. 

This version of VMware Fusion is for Intel-based Macs, but is being run on an Apple silicon based Mac via Rosetta-2.

(See KB-84273)

 

Could you please anyone help me to install this in my M1 MacBook. 

 

106 Replies
ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

It is not possible to run an intel guest OS on M1 hardware (that's the first error).  The second error is because you're trying to install the intel based Fusion on an M1 machine, which also won't work.

 

If you need intel guest support, you'll have to run an intel mac.  It is extremely unlikely that will ever change (like winning the lottery has better odds).

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scott28tt
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Download page link is here: https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Fusion-for-Apple-Silicon-Tech/ct-p/3022

You won’t be able to run x86-based VMs/OSes though.

 


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Although I am a VMware employee I contribute to VMware Communities voluntarily (ie. not in any official capacity)
VMware Training & Certification blog
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rasikara
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks a lot. 

Anyway, could you please suggest to me, which version of VMware should I use to install windows in my M1-Macbook pro? 

 

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rasikara
Contributor
Contributor

I have already tried with that link. 

it lets me download VMware-Fusion-e.x.p-18656771_arm64.dmg. 

When I installed it, the following error has appeared. 

This virtual machine cannot be powered on because it requires the X86 machine architecture, which is incompatible with this Arm machine architecture host.

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

When all else fails, believe the error message.

The Tech Preview is the only Fusion version that will run on Apple Silicon (M1) Macs. It will only run virtual machines with ARM64 architecture operating systems. 

What is the VM you are trying to power on and what is the operating system in that VM? From the error message, it looks like you are trying to run a VM created on an Intel Mac which means it is an x86 Intel operating system. That will never run on an Apple Silicon Mac under Fusion (or Parallels). 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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rasikara
Contributor
Contributor

So can anyone help me to resolve this ... 

I am asking, as I want to run windows on my M1 MacBook, how should I do this ? 

Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal


@rasikara wrote:

So can anyone help me to resolve this ... 

I am asking, as I want to run windows on my M1 MacBook, how should I do this ? 


  1. Install the Fusion Tech Preview release for Apple Silicon
  2. Sign up for the Windows Insider program at insider.windows.com
  3. Download the Windows 11 for ARM Insider Preview from Microsoft
  4. Follow advice in the thread https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Fusion-for-Apple-Silicon-Tech/Vmware-Fusion-Apple-Silicon-Support-... on how to make that work with the Fusion Tech Preview

Caveats:

  • Microsoft does not license or support Windows for ARM on Apple Silicon processors. Hence VMware does not support Windows for 11 for ARM as a guest operating system.
  • There are no VMware Tools for Windows for ARM so there are things will not work (shared folders, screen resizing, 3d acceleration)  
  • This is 100% unsupported. Any support is unofficial user-to-user here in this community. VMware will not respond to or fix any problems you find while running unsupported guest operating systems. 

If this doesn’t meet what you want, the competition will happily take your money and ”support” you running an unsupported and unlicensed Windows 11 for ARM. 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
scott28tt
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

You don’t seem to be reading the comments that you cannot run an x86-based VM/OS.

The page I linked to with the download also has the user guide, there are notes in that guide about running Windows, plus other threads here that you can browse/search.

 


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although I am a VMware employee I contribute to VMware Communities voluntarily (ie. not in any official capacity)
VMware Training & Certification blog
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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

There is NO way to install intel-based windows on an M1 machine.  Period.  Full stop.  Will not change.  If you need to do that, buy an intel mac.

 

There is NO supported way to legally install Windows for ARM on a Mac.  While some people have done it, it is completely unsupported and has serious limitations.  

 

If you need a legal copy of windows running on a mac, there is simply no way to do that on an M1 machine.

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RDPetruska
Leadership
Leadership


@ColoradoMarmot wrote:

There is NO way to install intel-based windows on an M1 machine.  Period.  Full stop.  Will not change.  If you need to do that, buy an intel mac.


Or, much cheaper - just buy an Intel-compatible PC!!!

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JensHi
Contributor
Contributor

Too bad - we will stay on mac in our company because of the performance and other reasons. We need windows vms, for customer environments and some development stuff. So for my company that means end of vmware for us and we will look for another solution. Maybe cloud based.

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

Certainly if you are using Windows in a corporate production environment you will want to stick with with a solution that is properly licensed and supported. Unfortunately Microsoft has currently made it impossible to license Windows for ARM on M1 Macs, even with the competition’s product. The last thing you want to do is fail a License compliance audit, especially from Microsoft. 

You may indeed be looking at something like a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solution, Azure VMs or Microsoft’s relatively new “Windows in the cloud” extension of Microsoft 365. My former employer decided to go with a VDI solution a couple of years ago and were encouraging all of us that used Macs to use that instead of Fusion VMs. In hindsight it looks like a good choice that not only enhanced security but “future proofed” them against the change of Macs to Apple Silicon. . 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

For corporate use with a mac base, cloud based windows is indeed your only legal option at the moment.  Note that competitive products to fusion aren't a legal option because Microsoft does not, at all, license windows 11 for non-OEM ARM hardware.

 

There are reports that may change, but I wouldn't bet the company on it 😉

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JensHi
Contributor
Contributor

Yes that's what we do.

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jhuertaNU1996
Contributor
Contributor

scott28tt, is there a download that isn't a technology preview for ARM?

 

-javier

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

No there is not. 

And before you ask, VMware has not said when they will release an official version of Fusion for Apple Silicon Macs. 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
fsdfgs
Contributor
Contributor

Hello,

did you find any solution to this? I am struggling with the same issue. 

-savi

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RDPetruska
Leadership
Leadership


@fsdfgs wrote:

Hello,

did you find any solution to this? I am struggling with the same issue. 

-savi


A solution to WHAT?  Did you read the entire thread here, or just reply to a google hit?

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treee
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Can you and your fellow VMware colleagues comply with the terms of use and refrain from making these kind of toxic comments. As a result the topic starter has now gone silent...

If you and your colleagues had bothered to read the topic start then one thing should have been noticed: the lack of information. Instead of the current hostility one could have simply asked to provide more information. There really is no excuse for the current behaviour.

Also, like the topic starter, you need to understand that the current version of Vmware Fusion Tech Preview is rather rough on the edges. Lots of stuff isn't working (read: not implemented yet) and there are bugs. Such a bug that will trigger the exact same message as mentioned by this topic comes from setting up an OpenSUSE vm with the wizard. If you use the correct DVD version (the one saying aarch64 aka arm64) and you start the vm it will tell you that it cannot run an x86 vm. When you set up a custom vm with that exact same DVD and set the template to "other linux" instead of "opensuse" it will start the vm. Why? Because the Tech Preview is just that: a preview of what may come. It is not a finished product, it is rough on the edges and it has bugs.

So please, stop making assumptions and stop being hostile towards users. Ask more information when there clearly is hardly any info and try to push them in the right direction.

@fsdfgs you might want to follow the guide from Technogeezer. It should get you started with Windows but be aware that you are playing with unfinished products and stuff that isn't supported by either VMware nor Microsoft. If you are trying to run an ARM64 Linux distro then try setting it up as a custom vm and select the option "other linux". Again, be aware that the Fusion Tech Preview is still buggy. Things may not work or stop working.