How to install Windows ARM 11 from ISO file ?

[BigLynx]

This is probably a newbie question, but I installed Windows years ago from CD, DVD, or ISO and never met such a problem. 

I have ISO file with Windows 11 image. I also own the installation key. 

Ask Fusion to create a new virtual machine, drag and drop ISO, create an encryption password, and ready.  For the first run I see the following message from the BIOS:

Does the current Windows installation require access to some network resources? 

Regards,

[scott28tt · Accepted solution]

This document is an excellent resource which should help: https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Fusion-Documents/The-Unofficial-Fusion-13-for-Apple-Silicon...

[BigLynx]

I was trying to use recommended method of downloading Windows (even though I own ISO from Microsft - not working for me) but was stored by the following error:

21af75|OK  |       0B/s|UUPs/Microsoft-Windows-Client-Features-Package.ESD

4a77a9|OK  |       0B/s|UUPs/Windows10.0-KB5022905-arm64.psf

3aabb7|OK  |       0B/s|UUPs/professional_en-us.esd

54a56f|OK  |       0B/s|UUPs/core_en-us.esd

04a2ca|OK  |       0B/s|UUPs/Microsoft-Windows-Client-Desktop-Required-Package.ESD

Legenda Statusu:

(OK): pobieranie zakończone.

UUP Converter v0.7.2

Note: This script does not and cannot support the integration of updates.

Use the Windows version of the converter to integrate updates.

CAB -> ESD: Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-Speech-en-us-Package-arm64

Failed to extract Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-Speech-en-us-Package-arm64.cab

Unfortunately, I don't own a Windows machine to integrate updates

[ColoradoMarmot]

Follow the instructions carefully - you have to use an older ISO and not include updates to get it to build on MacOS.  There's also an older version of one tool you have to install (he updated it recently).

[Technogeezer · Accepted solution]

The cabextract utility used in the process to create the ISO was recently updated in Homebrew, and contains a bug which causes this.

To work around this, see Appendix D of the Unofficial Fusion 13 for Apple Silicon Companion Guide version 9.1 (it was just updated) that @scott28tt linked you to. Use that procedure to build and install an older version of cabextract that works.

The developer is aware of this bug, and looks to have checked in a fix for it in the development version.  It looks like when that version is released this will no longer be an issue.

[BigLynx]

Thank you. I am done now.

However, now I have problems with VMware Tools: share folders and Copy&Paste. Don't know how to set it up.

[ColoradoMarmot]

Read the release notes and the unofficial guide. 

Neither of those functions are currently supported.

[BigLynx]

Thank you. However, I am not sure what the following means:

Fusion shared folders for Windows 11 ARM virtual machines (workaround available)

What workaround do we have available?

[RDPetruska]

---

@BigLynx wrote:

What workaround do we have available?

---

Standard SAMBA/CIFS networked file sharing which has been used for 30+ years in the industry.  The VMware Shared Folders feature has always been a hack to set up simple file sharing very easily, but has never been a robust solution.

[Technogeezer]

@BigLynx This is also discussed in the unofficial Companion Guide that is linked to in a prior response to this thread. It involves configuring macOS through its system settings to enable Windows file sharing and adding the folders that you want to share. You then use standard Windows network file sharing capabilities in the VM to access those Mac folders. 

[ColoradoMarmot]

You know, it might be worth putting a warning in there that file sharing on the mac (and VM) should be disabled on untrusted networks.

[Technogeezer]

Good point. I'll add that.

Thanks.

[BigLynx]

@RDPetruska , @Technogeezer 

Thank you for your answer. OK. In such a case, I would rather stay with a more secure solution: a USB stick

[Eric94010]

I followed the instructions on the "Unofficial Fusion 13 Apple Silicon Guide" for Creating VM and Installing Windows 11 from ISO.  I get to "finish" step on install and try to run the virtual machine and I get the following error:  

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

I'm running a new Mac Mini M2Pro with Fusion 13 Pro and just downloaded Windows 11.   What am I doing wrong??

[Technogeezer]

You most likely have the wrong architecture ISO file. What is the name of the ISO file that you are using to install and where did you get it from?

If you built the ISO using the instructions in the guide (which requires the download of a script and a couple of open source utility packages), you'll get a ISO that is named something like "22621.525.220925-0207.ni_release_svc_refresh_CLIENTCONSUMER_RET_A64FRE_en-us.iso" (where the en-us will be replaced by the language that you selected for build). That's a Windows 11 for ARM ISO and this will not cause the message to appear.

If you downloaded the ISO directly from Microsoft, that's going to be named something like "Win11_22H2_English_x64v1.iso" - thats's Windows 11 for Intel CPUs. Dragging and dropping that ISO onto the Fusion "Create a new virtual machine" dialog will create a VM for Windows 11 x64. Trying to boot that will give you the message you posted.

If you open the settings of the  the VM you are creating, click on the "General" icon. The VM's general settings should be opened. What is the OS set to (it's right underneath the VM's name in the general settings dialog"

[Eric94010]

I downloaded it directly from Microsoft.  It's named this:

Win11_22H2_English_x64v1.iso

In the General Icon, The OS is set to:  Windows 11 x64

[Technogeezer]

That's your problem. That's the wrong ISO for use on an M1/M2 Mac. That's an Intel architecture ISO. 

Microsoft does not provide a direct download of an ISO for Windows 11 ARM. Use the procedure contained n the Companion Guide to obtain an ISO for Windows 11 ARM. 

Then delete your virtual machine and start over creating a new one using the procedures in the Guide.

I'll make it clearer in the next update to the Companion Guide that you can not use a Windows 11 ISO that you download from Microsoft. Until either Microsoft makes a Windows 11 ARM ISO available for download or VMware delivers a tool like Parallels does to build the ISO for you, then using the procedure in the Guide is the recommended method of obtaining Windows 11 that will install on M1/M2 Macs.

[Eric94010]

Thanks.  I will try to follow the Guide for an ISO for Windows 11 ARM.