Can a Fusion VM be installed in a Boot Camp partition?

[hmahaffey]

I have a perfectly-configured Fusion VM. I would like to be able to boot into Windows on my MacBook Pro occasionally for performance reasons. I don't want to install a new Windows in a Boot Camp partition.  I would rather install my VM into a Boot Camp partition.  Additionally, I'm hoping that when I'm booted into OSX, I am still able to bring up Fusion and run the VM that was installed in the BC partition.

I have done a number of searches but cannot find any answers.

I have a 2015 MacBook Pro with MacOS 10.14.3 on it.  I have an older VMWare Fusion (8.5.10)

I'd appreciate any help.  Thanks!

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Sorry to disappoint, but there is no support for that.

Not saying that it isn't technically possible, but it might be pretty hard to get it working.

Most likely the best route would be to install the correct OS first, then restore a full system backup from within that OS.

--

Wil

[ColoradoMarmot]

Just an aside - Fusion 8 doesn't work properly on Mojave.  You really should upgrade to 11.

[hmahaffey]

Yeah I know. But mine is working perfectly, and I always cringe when I upgrade.   I had some bad experiences in the past......

But you're right, I think I will.  Thanks!

[hmahaffey]

I was always worried that Windows would treat it as an installation on a "new computer" and my license would be invalidated. 

But you're right, I could just create the boot camp, install Windows from my DVD.  I'm not sure how I would do a backup from my VM and restore it in my boot camp OS, so I would probably do the stupid thing and just do fresh installs of everything.  I just really wanted to avoid it.

Am I right in thinking that once I have a Boot Camp partition set up that I can run Fusion under MacOS and point it to the boot camp partition? I don't need TWO VMs, right?

Thanks for the answer!

: )hal

[hmahaffey]

Dangit! Mojave only allows Win 10 to be installed in bootcamp partition! I wonder why it even matters what MacOS I have installed if I'm booted into Windows!

So now I have to upgrade Fusion to 11 and buy a Windows 10 upgrade. Sigh. Why is Fusion so sensitive to what MacOS we have anyway?

<grumble>

[wila]

Hi,

Yes you can use the windows installation that is installed as a boot camp machine and run it as a VM as well.

It will be the same machine, but you won't have direct access to all of the hardware.

As far as licensing goes, Microsoft does consider them 2 different machines. One with physical hardware and one with virtual hardware.

It depends on the license that you use if that is an issue for you or not.

--

Wil

[ColoradoMarmot]

As I recall, this is hardware driven as well as OS levels, has to do with the drivers.

To be fair though, Windows versions earlier than 10 (including 7) lose mainstream support within a year, so upgrading (or isolating from the internet) really is important.