Your VMware Fusion 11 license entitles you to 18 months of complimentary email support from the date of product registration. Telephone support is available by purchasing Per Incident Support (for all Fusion customers) or Basic Support (for Fusion 11 Pro customers only with a minimum quantity of 10) from the VMware Online Store. VMware Fusion 12. VMware Fusion delivers the best way to run Windows on the Mac, and the ultimate development and testing tool for building apps to run on any platform. Ready for macOS 11.0 Big Sur, Fusion 12 supports macOS 10.15 Catalina and includes new features for developers, IT.
VMware Fusion 12 | 14 September 2020 | Build 16880131 |
What's in the Release Notes
Vmware Fusion Big Sur
The release notes cover the following topics:About VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion® 12 is the easiest, fastest, and most reliable way to run Windows and other x86 based operating systems on a Mac without rebooting.
For more information, see the broader VMware Fusion documentation. Cloudtv 3 9 9 0.
System Requirements
- Hardware
Mac models that support macOS 10.15 Catalina and newer version.- Mac models that support macOS 10.15 Catalina - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT21022.
- Software
macOS 10.15 Catalina and newer versions.
What's New
- Free Product for Personal Non-Commercial UseFusion Player (previously Fusion Standard) is now free for personal non-commercial use.
- Support macOS 11 Big Sur
- Run macOS 11 Big Sur as a host operating system.
- Run macOS 11 Big Sur as a virtual machine.
- DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 Support
- Support has been added for DirectX 11 (DX11) and OpenGL 4.1 in the guest operating system.
- Hardware requirements for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1:
- MacPro 2013 and later
- iMac 27-inch 2014 and later
- MacBook Pro 13-inch 2015 and later
- MacBook Pro 15-inch 2015 with dual graphics and later
- MacBook Air 2015 and later
- MacBook 2015 and later
- iMac 21-inch 2015 and later
- iMac Pro 2017 and later
- MacMini 2018 and later
- Software requirements for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1:
- Guest OS: Windows 7 or higher, or Linux with vmwgfx.
- External GPU supportFusion provides support for external GPU when an external GPU is connected to the host. Choose the Prefer External GPU option from the Fusion UI.
- Sandboxed GraphicsVirtual machine security is enhanced by removing graphics render from vmx and running it as a separate sandbox process.
- New Guest Operating Systems Support
- RHEL 8.2
- Debian 10.5
- Fedora 32
- CentOS 8.2
- SLE 15 SP2
- FreeBSD 11.4
- ESXi 7.0
- USB 3.1 Controller SupportThe virtual machine's virtual XHCI controller is changed from USB 3.0 to USB 3.1 to support 10 Gbps.
- Larger Scale VM
- 32 virtual CPUs
- 128 GB virtual memory
Note: Running virtual machines with 32 vCPUs requires that your host and guest operating systems both support 32 logical processors. - 8 GB virtual graphics memory
- Create VM from APFS Recovery Partition (Now limited to macOS 10.15 host)
- Performance Improvements
- Improved file transfer speeds (Drag and Drop, Copy and Paste, HGFS)
- Improved virtual machine shutdown time.
- Improved container performance.
- vSphere 7.0 SupportIn Fusion 12 you can perform the following:
- Connect to vSphere 7.0.
- Upload a local virtual machine to vSphere 7.0.
- Download a remote virtual machine running on vSphere 7.0 to the local desktop.
- Login to Container Image RegistryAbility to login to a container image registry with the vctl login command has been added.
- Kubernetes SupportFusion 12 now supports KIND kubernetes clusters.
- Improved Accessibility SupportAccessibility improvements have been added so Fusion is compliant with WCAG 2.1 criteria.
Product Support Notices
- Removal of restricted virtual machines
Restricted virtual machine has reached end of life and been removed from VMware Fusion 12. - REST API security hardening
REST API is now only available on local host.
Important Fixes
This release of VMware Fusion addresses the following issues:
- Fusion addresses a privilege escalation vulnerability due to the way it allows configuring the system wide path. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2020-3980 to this issue. For more information, see VMSA-2020-0020.
Resolved Issues
- USB devices are not recognized after the Mac wakes up from sleep modeA USB device connected to guest OS is not recognized after the Mac woken up from sleep mode.This issue is now resolved.
- Unable to use a 2 TB USB drive in the guest OS after upgrading to Fusion 11.5.52 TB USB drives are not recognized in guest OS.This issue is now resolved.
- Unable to use the USB devices in macOS Mojave guest operating systems.Unable to connect USB devices to macOS Mojave guest operating systems as they are not recognized. Path finder 9 0 8 x 6.This issue is now resolved.
- User data in an anonymous volume is lost when the container is stoppedIf a host directory is not mounted to an anonymous volume of a container, the user data in the anonymous volume is not persistent after the container is stopped.This issue is now resolved.
Vmware Fusion Trial
Known Issues
- Unable to access port forwarding on a NAT virtual machine, if the traffic is routed through the host IP stack on Big Sur hostsOn Big Sur hosts, if user configures NAT port forwarding in Fusion, the service running in the virtual machine is unavailable on the macOS host using localhost:exposedPort, hostIP:exposedPort, or 127.0.0.1:exposedPort; Port forwarding is also not accessible inside a NAT virtual machine using hostIP:exposedPort.Workaround: Access the NAT port forwarding through another physical machine with Windows or macOS; or
access the NAT port forwarding from a bridged virtual machine running on the same Mac machine as the NAT virtual machine. - Virtual machine's IP address must be changed for NAT port forwarding to work after upgrading Fusion on Big Sur hostsIf user configures NAT port forwarding on Fusion 11, the port forwarding may be not accessible after upgrading to Fusion 12 on Big Sur because the virtual machine's IP address changes after upgrade.Workaround: Change the IP address used for the port forwarding to the current IP address assigned to the virtual machine.
- Users are unable to capture transfer packets in the same subnet of a virtual network inside a virtual machine.Virtual machine's virtual interface doesn't report packet exchanges between other virtual machines in the same subnet on Big Sur hosts.Workaround: Use the virtual interface on the host to capture traffic information in the subnet. For example, use the interface bridge100 on macOS host to capture the traffic in the subnet.
- If you are using multiple displays in Full Screen mode and the external display is unplugged and re-plugged, multiple full screen spaces will be created in the same displayThe guest OS screen can't be refreshed to the expected screen topology and the user is unable to interact with guest OS using keyboard and mouse after unplugging and re-plugging an external monitor.Workaround: Go back to Single Window mode, then switch to Full Screen again.
- Jumbo Frame can't be enabled for NAT and Host-only virtual networks on Big Sur hostsMTU configuration option is not available in the Fusion UI on Big Sur hosts.Workaround:
- To enable jumbo frames on macOS host, navigate to System Preferences > Network> Advanced >Hardware > MTU.
- Change the virtual machine network to bridged mode to use the jumbo frame feature.
- Can't boot a macOS Big Sur virtual machine into Recovery mode or install macOS Big Sur from host RecoveryA virtual machine running macOS Big Sur is stuck in a reboot loop after attempting to boot the guest OS into Recovery by holding the Command+R key during boot. Attempting to create a new Big Sur virtual machine from the host's Recovery partition results in the same failure.To restore normal operation of an existing macOS Big Sur virtual machine, clear the virtual machine's nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) by holding the Command+Option+P+R key combination.
- After the easy install operation is complete, the VMware Tools is not installed in the guest operating systemEasy install will not install VMware tools in some guest operating systems including Windows 7, Windows server 2012 R2 and Windows server 2008 R2. This is because some specific Windows update packages need to be installed manually prior to VMware Tools installation.Workaround: Perform the following steps after the guest operating system becomes ready:
For Windows 7 and Windows server 2008 R2 Guest:- Review the information available here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4472027/2019-sha-2-code-signing-support-requirement-for-windows-and-wsus.
- Manually get the windows update, then download and install the required Windows updates, available at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4474419/sha-2-code-signing-support-update and https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4490628/servicing-stack-update-for-windows-7-sp1-and-windows-server-2008-r2.
- Manually install VMware Tools in the guest operating system.
For Windows server 2012 R2 Guest:- Manually get the windows update, then download and install the Update Package (KB2919355) from https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/download/details.aspx?id=42334.
- Install the .NET 3.5 Framework from Add Roles and Features Wizard.
- Manually install VMware Tools in the guest operating system.
To manually install VMware Tools:- Mount the /Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Library/isoimages/windows.iso to the virtual machine's CD/DVD, then connect to the CD/DVD.
- Open the CD/DVD in guest and install the VMware Tools in the guest operating system.
Editor's Rating | |
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Features | |
Overall | |
Price | |
Customer Service |
Positives
- Boot Camp support
- Strong graphical performance
- Simplified OS installs
- Migration of an existing PC to Mac
- Windows apps appear in Dock, Launchpad
- Lifetime license per user
Negatives
- Can't install Windows without a disk
- Lacks energy efficiency settings
Mac users seeking to run multiple desktop operating systems without the need for a new computer have only one option: virtual machines. VMware Fusion 10 is one of the best solutions for this specific purpose on the market, both for home and business users. Its clean and Mac-friendly user interface and great performance make it a great tool for everyday use. Skeptics can try the software for free for 30 days and, if they like it, buy a VMware Fusion license that can be used on multiple Macs for as low as $79.99.
The company behind VMware Fusion for Mac is VMware, Inc., a subsidiary of Dell Technologies, focusing on cloud computing and platform virtualization software and services. VMware, Inc. provides a wide variety of services mainly for enterprise users, such as its data center and cloud infrastructure vSphere, networking and security tools, cloud management platforms, and desktop and application virtualization. VMware Fusion is part of VMware's personal desktop offerings, which includes extra software such as Horizon FLEX and Workstation Player.
Features
VMware Fusion lets you run more than 200 operating systems as virtual machines. Nearly all programs that run natively on these operating systems will run within VMware Fusion. Apps can range from widely used productivity suites (for example Microsoft Office) to graphics-intensive programs such as AutoCAD or SolidWorks, and much more.
Thanks to its 3D-accelerated graphics support, VMware Fusion 10 allows users to play most games that require DirectX 10.0 or OpenGL 3.3 in a virtual Windows environment, covering the whole range between XP Service Pack 3 all the way through to Windows 10. The VMware feature list includes support for NVMe devices, UEFI Secure Boot, UEFI boot, and TPM chips.
InstallerSelect Operating SystemLack of Install DiskChoose FirmwareSummary
Select Operating System
Choose Windows Firmware
Vmware Fusion 12
When you delete files from your virtual machine, Fusion does not return the space to your Mac. Users can perform a manual or automated cleanup of virtual machines to free up space on the Mac. The cleanup compacts and defragments the virtual machine.
File Sharing
Perhaps the most stand-out feature of VMware is the simplicity of its sharing settings. During setup you'll be prompted to choose between a “seamless” or “more isolated” integration of the operating system. The former means VMware Fusion will share the Mac's documents and apps with Windows, and any files on the Mac that Windows supports can be opened in Windows software if necessary. That, however, will raise some security concerns, so the use of antivirus software is highly recommended.
If shared folders are enabled, then users can either set a custom folder or use any of the preset locations to allow Windows to access files. If isolated mode is chosen – our preference for security reasons – users can then drag and drop files to copy them from one OS to another, though copying and pasting between systems works too.
Integration
Guest operating systems can be run either in a separate window or integrated ‘natively’ into macOS. VMware Fusion calls this feature “Unity” and is activated easily with just a click on its dedicated button in the top right corner of the window. If enabled, a VMware Fusion Unity icon will appear in the Dock, alongside the addition of various Windows taskbar icons within the macOS menu bar. But the biggest change is that any apps running in Windows will appear in the Dock as regular macOS apps, only with a Windows label attached. Unity mode with VMware is less annoying and better integrated than its competitors, so if this is your preferred mode of running Windows, then you'll definitely appreciate it.
Integration OptionsSharingPreferencesHardware AllocationPerfect for GamingApp ConfigurationCopy&PasteUSB Prompt
Enable Shared Folders
VMware Fusion Hardware Allocation Options
Windows Applications Settings
Connected USB Device Prompt
Omni recover 2 0 3 download free. It’s worth noting that when you delete files from your virtual machine, Fusion does not return the space to your Mac. Users can perform a manual or automated cleanup of virtual machines to free this space on the Mac up by compacting and defragmenting the virtual machine.
Performance
In our testing on our MacBook Pro (late 2016) we set Windows 10 to start up alongside the launch of VMware Fusion for Mac. The boot times are somewhat inconsistent, at first taking sub-30 seconds, but later taking almost a minute to launch both VMware Fusion and Windows. However, users can set up VMware to save the state of the virtual machine so that it can be restored to that point if necessary, and in this case the boot up time is reduced significantly – in our tests rebooting took only 17 seconds.
When it comes to data transfer, VMware smartly asks you to select the platform that you want a connected drive to associate itself with. VMware isn’t the quickest when it comes to data transfer, though, with a 4.36GB file transfer between systems from an NTFS-formatted pen drive taking 48 seconds.
Thanks to its Metal support, the graphics capabilities of VMware Fusion Pro are really great. This gives the virtual machine you are using a boost to performance and stability, although it's anything but energy efficient.
Setup
Setting up VMware Fusion is less streamlined than it should be, as users need to go through several steps before they can actually use the software and install the desired operating system.
After purchase, users need to register the product by creating a VMware Fusion Account. Only after that hassle are they able to access their license key and start the download process.
From that moment on, getting Windows on a Mac is just a matter of having an install disk/DVD to hand or virtual machine that you want to import. The installation process is straightforward once you’ve decided which custom operating system (guest OS) you want to use with the virtual machine, including a variety of Windows platforms, Apple operating systems, Linux, Novel Netware, and much more. VMware Fusion users can also import previously used virtual machines.
Vmware Fusion Trial
The operating system will use the Mac's internet settings to connect to networks and printers, so getting started is hassle free.
Pricing
The $79.99 VMware Fusion license price tag includes the virtual machine software license and eligibility for an upgrade to the next major release. Upgrading from an earlier VMware Fusion version is cheaper, though, at $49.99. Fusion Pro, which includes additional features such as the ability to create linked clones, advanced networking, secure VM encryption, and other extras comes with a higher price tag of $159.99. However, before committing to a license users have 30 days to decide whether this virtual machine and its features fit their needs.
$79.99
- Easily switch from a PC to a Mac
- Use specific Windows-only devices on the Mac
- Upgrade pricing eligibility with next major release
- –
- –
$159.99
- Create linked clones to save time and disk space
- Connect to vSphere to run, download or upload virtual machines
- Create custom virtual networking configurations
- Create restricted virtual machines that can expire
For that price the user will get a lifetime VMware Fusion license for the available version. However, compared to its primary competitor, Parallels, VMware offers a per-user license and not per-Mac. This means users can install VMware Fusion on multiple Macs without any extra charge and the number of connected computers will appear in the My VMware account.
The company accepts all major credit card – Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, JCB – as well as Diner's Club, PayPal, purchase order, and wire transfer.
Customer Service
If you happen to run into issues while using VMware Fusion Pro, then the best way to get support is by visiting the Fusion Support Center. You can use the search field to find a quick answer in the knowledge base, read the guides, or get support by logging into your My VMware account.
Some of the knowledge base articles are accompanied by videos, which are very useful for understanding how things work. In case this doesn't answer your question, VMware provides access to a community forum (registration required) where users can share their information and experiences, as well as user groups (VMUGs) for a group of live, local gatherings of VMware users. Every purchase includes complimentary installation support for up to 18 months following product registration.
Vmware Fusion For Mac
Knowledge BaseKnowledge Base ArticleGuidesMyVMwareCommunity
VMware Fusion Knowledge Base Article With Video
VMware Fusion Account
Additional phone or web support from a Technical Support Engineer is available for purchase from the VMware store. Pricing depends on the number of incidents you expect to have per year.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a solid, user-friendly virtual machine, VMware Fusion is one of the best solutions you can get. What makes this product outstanding is not only its stability, Mac-friendly user interface and the accessibility of available features, but the graphical performance thanks to its support for Apple's Metal Host Graphics Rendering Engine.
Although it lacks some of the features of its competitors, a major advantage of VMware Fusion is the company's pricing strategy: instead of requiring a subscription you get a lifetime license, which is per-user not per-Mac – an obvious boon for users with multiple Macs. Of course, VMware will charge you for every major upgrade, but the software will still function regardless, so it’s up to the user to decide whether the extra features are appealing enough to shell out the money.
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