VMware Fusion 5 and Boot Camp 4

[knmdk]

Hello there,

I've experienced performance difficulties in 3D-related programs of guest OS (Windows 7) in VMware Fusion 5 (inside OS X Mountain Lion). I had to install Boot Camp 4 to get my job done.

Would you please tell me if I will be able to use my hardware directly when I boot my Boot Camp drive with VMware Fusion?

I would also like to know if installing VMware Tools won't mess anything?

I still want to be able to use my Boot Camp separately from time to time (with full hardware resources avaliable).

I'm running all that on maxed-out MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Thanks

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

Would you please tell me if I will be able to use my hardware directly when I boot my Boot Camp drive with VMware Fusion?

Generally speaking the only hardware difference between a normal file based Virtual Machine and running the Boot Camp partition as a Virtual Machine is the hard disk.  With a normal file base Virtual Machine the default hard disk is a virtual one and with running the Boot Camp partition as a Virtual Machine it uses the physical volume of the physical disk.  The rest is no different meaning whatever issues you are working around booting natively will still be an issue when running the Boot Camp partition as a Virtual Machine just as if it was a normal file based Virtual Machine.

I would also like to know if installing VMware Tools won't mess anything?

Usually no however you really have no choice but to install VMware Tools when running the Boot Camp partition as a Virtual Machine otherwise WPA/OPA will be a constant issue when switching back and forth.  VMware Tools will manage swapping the WPA/OPA databases between the two environments after Windows and Microsoft Office (if installed) are activated in each environment.

I still want to be able to use my Boot Camp separately from time to time (with full hardware resources available).

You will be able to do that.