Fusion 10.0.1 can't install vmware tool on High Sierra guest

[nirvanauscn]

I'm running Fusion 10.0.1 with a High Sierra guest upgraded from Sierra. Everything seems fine so far, other than installing vmware tools has problem, complaining:

"VMware Tools can't be installed on this disk. The version of macOS is too new."

Questions:

Does Fusion 10.0.1 support High Sierra vmware tool?

If it doesn't, any timeframe when we can expect it be supported?

Thanks

[abhilashhb]

Fusion 10.0 does not support macOS 10.13. Take a look at the screenshot below.

To check any compatibility with Fusion in future, go to VMware Compatibility Guide - Guest/Host Search

Select "Fusion" under Product name and choose the version of the product and the OS Vendor. It will give you all the supported OS releases.

[wila]

Hi Abhilashb,

While that guest OS support page is pretty good for verifying guest OS support for guest OS's that have been released for a while, it is not always up to date.

VMware has issues with keeping all their online information current and this is yet another example.

In this case it isn't correct.

If you read the release notes of Fusion 10.0 it states that macOS 10.13 is supported.

VMware Fusion 10.0 Release Notes

For the TS, can you try uninstalling, reboot and then reinstalling VMware Tools?

--

Wil

[nirvanauscn]

Wila, I uninstalled vmware tool then reboot, trying to install vmware tool again, still have the same error:

VMware Tools can't be installed on this disk. The version of macOS is too new.

Fortunately I have a VM backup.

Also when I enabled 3D acceleration, I can see the guest macOS has OpenGL 4.1 and OpenCL 1.2 enabled, but not Metal. I read somewhere from VMware, that metal should be available. Will that has something to do with the vmware tool can't be properly upgraded?

So my guess is, Fusion 10.0 can run High Sierra, but many things are not supported.

Thanks again.

[Mikero]

Hm, that's a weird error, I haven't seen it before.

How did you install 10.13?

How did you enable 3D Acceleration??

We actually don't support any 3D hardware acceleration for macOS so that checkbox is disabled. It literally says '3D Acceleration is not supported for this Operating System'.

So it will render OpenGL 4.1 but they're using the CPU to render not the graphics card.

We've made no claims about 3D Accelerated macOS Guests, or Metal in macOS Guests.

We have support for Metal only on the HOST. Which means for supported 3D Accelerated guests we translate OpenGL or DirectX calls from the Guest to Metal calls on the Host (instead of OpenGL which we did previously).

The error message you're getting is confusing because you can still install Tools on 10.13 Guests under Fusion 8.5.

Something is going on here.

Have you reached out to our Support team?

desktop-services@vmware.com

[nirvanauscn]

Hi Mikero,

I installed 10.13 from upgrading Sierra via App Store.

The web site won't allow me to attach png or bmp (even it says it does), otherwise I'll upload screenshots about 3D acceleration and failed to install vmware.

[Mikero]

To be clear, you're using 10.13 as a VM, right?

You're not trying to install VMware Tools (which is for VMs only) on the Mac itself, are you?

[Mikero]

Sorry, I'm being stupid, you did mention it in your summary that it is for a Guest. (i have a ton going on right now if you can imagine )

I would check with support so we can perhaps do a remote session and look at your setup.

desktop-services@vmware.com

[nancyz]

Hi nirvanauscn ,

Would you please check the following item in the vmx file: guestOS = 'darwin*' ? You can find the vmx file by right-click the VM bundle, then select 'Show package contents'. Then you can open the vmx file with textEditor.

[nirvanauscn]

Nancyz, my vmx entry shows:

guestOS = "darwin14-64"

Again, my host OS is Sierra 10.12.

guest OS is High Sierra 10.13, migrated from Sierra (it has the same guestOS entry).

Thanks

[wila · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The vmx should have had:

guestOS = "darwin17-64"

for a guest that is running macOS High Sierra.

But you shouldn't change that manually.

With the VM shut down, not suspended

Go to settings -> General -> OS drop down ->  select "mac OS 10.13"

The guest OS "darwin14" is for Yosemite, which is just a tad behind on what it should be.

edit: Corrected my version as I had darwin16 instead of 17 as it should have been.

--

Wil

[nirvanauscn]

Wila and nancyz, thanks for the help!

After changed to guestOS to darwin17-64 (i.e. macOS 10.13), I can install vmware tools, and everything is working normal now.

[lensv]

Hi there!

I'm having this very same problem. In my case though the guest OS is 10.14.3. I tried find "guestOS" in the .vmx file but there is no such line/word. Any ideas what may be wrong?

Best,

/LS

[wila]

Hi Lennart,

Are you using Fusion 10 or Fusion 11?

If Fusion 11, have you tried changing the guest OS type from within the VM settings -> general ?

Manually editing of the vmx file is only needed in case your version of Fusion does not support macOS 10.14

--

Wil

[lensv]

Ahh...

The subject line showed the correct OS, but the old one was still marked in the dropdown (I have upgraded the system). Can't VMware Fusion handle this automatically?

Anyway, changing this fixed the problem. Thanks Wil!

/LS