Fusion can't find OS in Windows 10 partition

[gustavopinent]

Hi. I have searched for answers around the web about this situation and there is more people like me: no Windows 10 boot and no answer why.

I have a mid 2012 Macbook Pro with Bootcamp 6 and macOS 10.11.6. I did a pendrive with Bootcamp to install Windows 10, did all three steps. I have a second HDD in the old DVD drive's bay so have more freedom to manage it to install dual boot. Even so, my Macbook has died several times... but I could install Windows with the help of Paragon Hard Disk Manager that has some specific functions for a partition made by Bootcamp, some "fix this", "fix that", I honestly don't know exactly how a Mac perform a boot.

After all installing drama, I can boot my Windows 10 by turning off and booting with Aly/Option pressed and choosing EFI volume, since the Windows boot partition won't appear in startup disk list. It still have some issues, but Windows always got some issues, so I can say it works OK, I can play my Steam games! But there is some Windows only programs I wish to run inside a virtual machine, also make ease to share files. But Fusion won't boot Windows. It will find BOOTCAMP NTFS partition in second HDD but when press play, don't find the IDE Hard Disk and starts trying other options (DVD Network...) until give up with "can't find OS" message.

Before installing windows, I already had Tuxera NTFS that I use to open NTFS disks when I need and Paragon NTFS deactivated (too expansive option). I don't know if those guys can disturb Fusion when trying to boot, can be a problem?

Why Macbook can boot Windows 10 and Fusion can't? What is missing?

EDIT: There an observation here: VMWare won't support any other method of installing Windows than Bootcamp (https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=10146...). However, as veteran mac user, I can say there is a lot of situations when you have to use some third part solution. In this particular model (Macbook Pro mid 2012), I could not find a pure bootcamp solution, it seams it just won't work at all. So answers here might be very useful for those have already bought Fusion!

Mensagem editada por: Gustavo Pinent

[nancyz]

Hi gustavopinent ,

Welcome to fusion community.

But there is some Windows only programs I wish to run inside a virtual machine, also make ease to share files. But Fusion won't boot Windows. It will find BOOTCAMP NTFS partition in second HDD but when press play, don't find the IDE Hard Disk and starts trying other options (DVD Network...) until give up with "can't find OS" message.

Could you please attach a screen shot for this problem? Also, please attach Fusion support bundle.It could be gathered via Fusion Help->Collect Support Information.Thanks a lot.

Nancy

[gustavopinent]

Ok, so I have this screen after pressing play:

Than the final one:

I also attached the file generated by function Help->Collect Support Information

[ColoradoMarmot]

You've essentially answered your own question - Fusion only supports brand-name bootcamp.  Virtualizing existing windows installs is finicky at best, and having to deal with third-party software and a myriad of configurations isn't something really possible.

[gustavopinent]

I was hoping there was some adjustment or some hack to make it work... As long is not the 100% bootcamp, since Macbook do can boot by this partition, there is a way. The fact could be unlimited third part solutions does not mean unlimited situations because won't work at all, there will be only a limited situations that bios can handle - though. Of course, might be virtually impossible to solve because of the efforts demanded to this particular issue, I will leave it to developers / support people to evaluate if there is a good number of machines to justify the efforts needed (since pure bootcamp won't work on these machines at all).

dlhotka: Should I leave the question open or mark your answer as correct one? (this might to frighten potential customers)

[ColoradoMarmot]

I'd leave it open, never say never.  Boot camp VM's are pretty fragile and finicky as it is, so while there may be a hack to get it working, I wouldn't get my hopes up for a supported option for third party boot managers.

[wila]

Hi,

Doesn't mean it can't be done.

Just means that there's no automated way.

Have a look here:

Creating a raw disk VMDK and adding it to the Virtual machine in Fusion (2097401) | VMware KB

--

Wil

[gustavopinent]

Thank you Wil, but it didn't work. It is the same trick used to attach a physical disk to VirtualBox. I know VirtualBox might work, but it seams will run slower and have some issues: the environment is different from physical booting. I might use it only in case of emergency...

By referencing the Windows partition, we maybe did a 360 degree turn and ended in the same point - vmware "bios" cannot find the right file inside the windows partition to start up the OS.

[nancyz]

Hi gustavopinent ,

Please try the following steps:

1.Shutdown you boot camp VM.

2.Open the vmx file of your bootcamp VM(Right-click your BootCamp VM on VM Library window with option/alt key is pressed on your Mac, then select 'Open config file in editor')

3.Delete the entry "firmware = 'efi'" in vmx file.

4.Start up your BootCamp VM again.

Please let me know whether your bootcamp vm could start with this method.

[gustavopinent]

Hi nancyz

First, I came back to Boot Camp.vmdk (I was trying rawDiskFile.vmdk as suggested above). Than I deleted the line you suggested and this is the result:

I also tried to replace the "efi" value to gpt and mbr since it is a hybrid system but I always got the same result. I might try to get some details of the partition managed by Paragon Hard Disk Manager - what they did that make it work for the Macbook but not for VMWare...

[nancyz]

Hi gustavopinent ,

Would you please remove your BootCamp VM and re-create it? Then remove the line "firmware='efi'", and power on the VM.

If this problem still exists, please collect the support bundle by Fusion Help-> Collect Support Information and attached the support bundle. Thanks  a lot.