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BillPa
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Does VmWare offer a way to edit encrypted VM vmx files?

Since Windows 11 requires that the VM be encrypted, I can no longer easily edit the vmx file of the VM hosted on my 2018 mac mini running MacOS Big Sur using textedit. As the vmx file is also encrypted I have read that it is possible, so was wondering if VmWare has any plans to provide/support a good solution, built in?

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bluefirestorm
Champion
Champion

Have a look at this thread and try the tool written in Python in the Github repository

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Fusion-Discussions/Is-there-a-tool-to-allow-editing-of-an-e...

BillPa
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Appreciate your excellent input, thanks. I had read that thread before while I was researching why the vmx file for my Windows 11 VM looked like gibberish now when I open it. 

I have not attempted using the method you linked, other than reading the Git page. I will have to learn through trial and error how to implement it.  I do consider it as proof of concept that VMware could add such a tool with a simpler user interface. Hate to say it, but I'm an old Mac and Windows user, who can use command line now and then, but prefers not having to. 

Do you know If decrypting the entire VM file, in my case 78Gb, editing the vmx and re encrypting causes any repercussions with the Windows 11 VM?  Licensing?

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bluefirestorm
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Assuming that you have enough available free space, decrypting and encrypting again shouldn't have any repercussions; apart from time loss. But I would suggest to use the same password though when you re-encrypt as possibly the vTPM might behave differently if you use a different password (especially if you have initiliased the TPM from within the VM or started using Bitlocker, etc). Presumably the encrypted VMX stores the TPM secrets. Don't think licensing/activation should be an issue though as activation tends to look at the UUID within the VM (which shouldn't change with the decryption/encryption).

As for encrypted VMs, it would be best to have pre-allocated virtual disks. With the virtual disks encrypted, it will not be possible to shrink/compress the virtual disk (the Clean up disk function within Fusion) as it works on the principle of punching zeroes from within the VM (such as using Sdelete c: /z) and those zeroes could then be compressed. Encryption by definition means those contiguous bytes of zeroes will also be encrypted and thus won't be zeroes anymore and clean up disks function won't be able to shrink the virtual disk.

Anyway, there is another thread that mentions that VMware will look at removing the requirement of encrypting the virtual disks for vTPM within Workstation Pro (no timeline given and also presumably for VMware Fusion).

Python3 should come installed with macOS (I could be wrong). But if the macOS does not have Python you may have to look at python.org website or simply use your favourite search engine to look for python3 macos

BillPa
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I am using a pre allocated virtual disk, which I believe is why my VM file is so large.

Appreciate the input. Having a OEM license I want to avoid having to keep having to contact Microsoft if it decides the hardware isn't the same for some reason.

 

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