macOS Ventura VM looping in VMWare Fusion 13 (Intel)

[karthik_mac]

Hi,

I am using VMWare Fusion 13 on an Intel Mac running macOS Ventura. I am able to install macOS Ventura as VM but after installation the VM keeps restarting. After installation, it goes till Setup Assistant and restarts. Does macOS Ventura VM supports in VMWare Fusion 13 on Intel Mac?

Thanks.

[scott28tt]

Yes on an Intel Mac: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Fusion/13/com.vmware.fusion.using.doc/GUID-474FC78E-4E77-42B7-A1C6...

[karthikeyan_mac]

The link shows macOS 13.0 as supported guest operating system. 

Is VM reboot loop expected in VMWare Fusion 13 on macOS Ventura guest OS?

Thanks.

[gringley]

After you complete the initial installation, check and make sure the CD-ROM install media is disconnected.

[karthikeyan_mac]

Yes, CD/DVD Drive is disconnected from VM but keeps restarting. 

[gringley]

I remember what I had to do now...you have to run setup with SVGA...then when setup completes power the VM off then convert it to AppleGPU and then the installed setup will run.  In case you have not played with AppleGPU before you should have these two lines in your VMX:

Edit this line to FALSE:
svga.present="FALSE"

Then add this line right beneath the SVGA line:
appleGPU0.present="TRUE"

Then the installation should work.  I recall now I had one loop and tried this and it worked for me.

Which reminds me to ask again - when it the 3D checkbox going to do this automatically for MacOS guests?  Or is it never going to be production...

[Technogeezer]

I just upgraded a Big Sur VM to Ventura and have not had to switch to the Apple GPU to get the VM to run. I have had to change the VMs virtual NIC type from ‘e1000e’ to ‘vmxnet3’ by editing the VMX file. 

[gringley]

You are right about the network step also. Don't know why I could not remember it. Sorry...

[skerkvli]

I think my vm only rebooted two times but then was hung 1/2 way through the progress bar with the Apple Logo. I let it sit for more than an hour with no drive activity taking place. I edited ethernet setting and powered the vm back up and it finally made it through the progress bar, saying 9 minutes remaining. Why on earth would one have to edit the vmx file like this! Should Fusion not handle OS updates?

[Technogeezer]

Vmware admitted that this is a regression/bug in Fusion 13 that they didn't catch and admits (and I'm paraphrasing here) that in a perfect world you should not have to go back and do that edit. They say they'll fix it in an future Fusion update.

Now when that will be, you and I can only wonder.

[skerkvli]

Although I was able to get the Ventura OS install completed and while in the VM things appears normal while viewing it from the host, when I try and do a screen sharing into the VM from another computer on the netowrk or access a hosted database it is unusable.  The screen sharing is blurry and it may take 20 or more seconds before a window that is moved refreshes on the screen.

I had reinstalled the VMware Tools

Again, while in the VM directly from the host it seams fast.   Is this possibly an issue with the network setting I had to edit in the VMX file?

[ColoradoBrent]

I have experienced the same issues as Skerkvli with regarding to Screen Sharing. in Ventura when  virtualized in VMWare fusion.

This was not an issue in Monterey.

[ColoradoMarmot]

I bet that in Ventura it now uses 3d accelerated graphics, which isn't supported for MacOS guests.

[Technogeezer]

Do you think the experimental hack to the vmx file to enable macOS 3D acceleration might improve things?

[RustedRoot]

I was able to bypass the boot loop with Ventura by changing the video card setting to Auto-detect