"Transport (VMDB) error -14: Pipe connection has been broken." How to resolve this?

[TheRahan]

After upgrade to VMware Fusion pro 12.2 already installed Windows 10 VM (and of course in saved state) can not start anymore.

I too get the Transport (VMDB) error -14...

Creating new Windows 10 (21H1) VM will yield the same error.

Removing VMware Fusion pro 12.2 (including configuration files via AppCleaner.app) and reinstalling won't change a thing.
Removing Windows 10 VM and trying to make a new one won't change a thing.
This only affect Windows 10 VMs. I have a Debian 10 VM and it's still running perfectly.

Ther /tmp related solution did not help either, ie: creating the "user" (/tmp/vmware-[username]) directory and chown -R user:staff + chmod -R 777  (with sudo)

Is there a working fix or path to this behavior in 12.2.0 ?

Currently on Monterey beta 10 (21A5552a) previous upgrading to 12.2.0 everything was working.

Until then I am currently in the middle of downgrade tests campaign for vmware fusion to see how it goes if I go "back in time"...

[MjtBiz]

I have the same problem and have looked at every post I can find, but there does not appear to be any resolution.  I have a Mac Mini with an M1 chip, running the latest version of Big Sur and VMware Fusion Professional Version 12.2.1 (18811640).  This is the x86 version running under rosetta.  I tried the beta version for the M1 chip and had the same problem.  I am now going to download Parallels to see if I can get that working.

[Technogeezer]

@MjtBiz -

Big question: is the VM you are looking to run on Fusion an Intel x86_64 architecture? For example, a Windows 7 or 10 VM that's running on an Intel Mac? Or are you trying to install a copy of Windows that's designed to run on a Intel/AMD PC?

If so, what you're seeing may not be the same problem as the OP. Please note the following:

• Fusion 12.x may appear to install and "run: (at least the GUI will appear) on Apple Silicon-based Macs using Rosetta 2, but it is not supported (see https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2005196) and more importantly will NOT work. Fusion can not run Intel/AMD architecture operating systems (such as PC Windows 10/11) on Apple Silicon. While Rosetta 2 does a remarkable job with translating Intel Mac application code to run on Apple Silicon, it was not built by Apple to provide everything a virtualization solution will need to run Intel operating systems. 
• The Tech Preview only runs on Apple-Silicon Macs, but will only virtualize ARM (arm64, aarch64) operating systems. It can not run Intel/AMD architecture VMs for similar reasons. 
• Neither Fusion nor Parallels will run Intel architecture VMs on Apple Silicon chips., ARM architecture only. The virtualization provided by these products does not translate/emulate a different CPU architecture.

[MjtBiz]

Technogeezer,.

Thanks for chiming in on this.  I discovered the issue with the M1 chip and Windows 10 when I tried to setup the VM using Parallels.  Rather than allowing me to setup the machine as if it would work then, upon launching it, throwing a random error that had no relevant explanation in either a web search or a VMware help search, Parallels informed me immediately that Windows 10 would not work with the M1 chip.  It then guided me through the process of downloading a copy of the Windows 11 OS and had me up and running in Windows 11 in a matter of minutes.  This was a much more useful and productive user experience that VMWare.

Given the fundamental nature of this particular issue, one would think that VMWare might be able to have a more relevant and understandable error message regarding this.  I should not have to spend 3 hours searching the web for a solution, and you should not have to spend your time explaining it to me.

Regards and thanks again.

mjtbiz

[Technogeezer]

@MjtBiz you are welcome. Admittedly this particular error message is a bit unhelpful as is (but I've come across many like it in my career in this business - technically correct but practically useless).

Just another thing to be aware of: Microsoft does not support Apple Silicon to run Windows 10/11 for ARM (either GA or insider preview releases). This has led to VMware not supporting Windows for ARM on the Tech Preview release and limits what they will say about running Windows on it. (Parallels seems to look the other way on this issue).

Although there are those of us that have gotten it working (albeit without VMWare Tools support, but it seems to work OK). Check out the Fusion for Apple Silicon Tech Preview discussions for more details : https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Fusion-for-Apple-Silicon-Tech/bd-p/160004