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vmware Fusion Installer bypass
Hello! I am currently looking for a bypass to the this
"VMware Fusion requires administrative privileges to perform one-time setup including copying to the Applications folder"
Is there a way without using any sort of administrative privileges?
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I don't believe so. Fusion wants to copy the executable into /Applications which requires admin privileges (Fusion is built to run from /Applications, nowhere else). I believe needs to ask for additional privileges which requires admin privileges.
Why do you want to do this?
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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I also checked out the instructions on mass deployment of Fusion found here: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2058680
The instructions do give some flexibility in installation location, (unlike the default installer which wants to install in /Applications) but don't seem to negate the need to run as admin for an initial setup. I just tried using it to install Fusion in an alternate location (which did work) but it still asked for an admin password for initial setup.
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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I want to run this because I want to play games but since im on a old MDM device and I cannot remove it. So thats why I want to bypas the installer.
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@Thecoolfridge wrote:I want to run this because I want to play games but since im on a old MDM device and I cannot remove it. So thats why I want to bypas the installer.
So do I understand correctly that the Mac that you're running is under control of a MDM solution with provisioning policies that have been installed? Is your user account an admin account, or is the real problem that you aren't running as an admin account or don't know an admin account password?
Are MDM policies restricting you from installing new software and you're trying to work around that?
In any case, Fusion does need admin privileges to perform some activities (not just copying the software) so that it can run. Without it, you're not going to get very far.
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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What are some instances that it need administrator like partitioning a separate drive?
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Also is there another version that would not need to access administrator privileges?
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No.
There are security preferences that Fusion needs to have modified (thanks to Apple) in order to run. If I remember correctly, one of them (allow application to control the computer) absolutely requires admin privileges (and the change asks for it) in order for it to be changed, and Fusion won't run without it.
Unless you have admin privileges on that Mac and can provide your password (or the password of another admin user), I don't believe you're going to get Fusion to run.
Organizations that install MDM profiles on systems usually have a good reason to do so. Like controlling what software can be installed so that something they have no idea about doesn't compromise a corporate network or sensitive information that's on the device. Or even not wanting to be bothered with supporting every piece of software that a user might want to install on a corporate asset.
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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@Thecoolfridge wrote:Also is there another version that would not need to access administrator privileges?
Probably not.
Starting in macOS High Sierra and lasting through Catalina, Fusion used kernel extensions that required the user to allow them - that required admin privileges for a first-time setup. Even though Fusion 12 and beyond on Big Sur and later did not require kernel extensions, they do have to deal with macOS Security & Privacy settings. At least one of the required settings needs admin privileges to configure it.
You'd have to go pretty far back to get a macOS and Fusion versions that may not require admin privileges. But they are likely so old that unless you have ancient hardware you're not going to get them to run. That's not even taking into account the severe security issues that are present in both macOS and Fusion in those old versions.
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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@Thecoolfridge wrote:
What are some instances that it need administrator like partitioning a separate drive?
Because unlike a word processor or other simple application, a virtualization engine requires many system-level components installed and running in order to create a computer completely from software. Even as Paul said there *might* be a VERY old version which did not require Administrative privileges, I highly doubt it - Workstation has ALWAYS had some system-level components which need to be installed in system-controlled areas of the OS - and Fusion is running very much the same. So no, you will not find a portable App style version of a virtualization engine. Possibly an emulation software, but definitely not virtualization software.