Can I Install Fusion 4 over Boot Camp?

[Hawaiiduffer]

I have Windows 7 and Lion installed on a MacMini using Boot  Camp. Can I install VMware Fusion without having to reinstall Windows 7 and the Windows software that are already installed on the MacMini????

[Hawaiiduffer]

Wow this must really be a tough question. All these views and no answers or suggestions.

[SvenGus · Accepted solution]

Here is a related KB article, which should cover everything you need on Boot Camp and Fusion 4:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101461...

In other words: yes, you can indeed run an exsiting Boot Camp partition in Fusion.

[SvenGus]

... Just be aware that there might be (cross-)activation problems (don't know if they really have been solved all in Fusioin 4.1).

BTW, here's another KB article on activation issues:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100491...

... when using Fusion and native Boot Camp together.

[havema1]

Yes.

The only problem for me was that starting VMware from a BootCamp partition always needs admin authentication.

The other members of my family don't have admin accounts on the Mac, so they can't launch Windows on a BootCamp partition unless I'm there to authenticate them.

That wasa showstopper for me, so I've used VMware VMs instead. But occasionally I wish I could boot Windows natively.

[SvenGus]

You shoudn't need to enter a password anymore in Fusion 4 (or even Fusion 3.1+); for example, the first link above also says:

When prompted, provide your Mac OS password for authentication. Fusion prepares the Boot Camp partition to run in a virtual environment. This may take several minutes. When preparation is completed, the Boot Camp partition launches.

Note: In Fusion 3.1, the ability to remember this password was added. After entering your password, Fusion asks:

Would you like to be asked for administrative privileges every time you access Boot camp Disks?

Select Never Ask to have Fusion remember your password and not prompt you for it again.

[havema1]

Hmm. I asked this from VMware support in September and got the following answer:

> Accessing Boot camp partition from a non - admin user works the same way,Fusion 3 and 4 will prompt you for admin password for authentication if you start the Boot camp from a non-admin user.