Installing Windows 11 on ARM using VMware Fusion 13

Like previous tests, I installed Windows 11 on ARM using the procedure outlined in the Companion document. After installation, Winver reported that I was running Windows 22H2 22621.1. On the final page of the installation process, I deselected 'Apply updates' and selected the latest public release build from uupdump - 22621.819.

I also attempted to install Windows 11 on ARM by building an ISO file using uudump on my macOS machine. The update finished with Windows 11 22H2 22621.819 installed, and it then offered to update itself to Windows 11 22H2 (as expected).

Microsoft Store and Windows Security worked as expected, and the VM was updated via Windows Update to Windows 11 21H2 22000.1281. I did not encounter any issues when starting Windows Security from the Privacy & Security section of Settings.

After installing the Store Experience Host and Microsoft Store, the store would now execute. However, it would not start immediately after installation. To fully install the Microsoft Store, I dropped into a command prompt as an administrator and used 'wsreset.exe -i'.

After running Windows Update, a few more updates installed, and the system updated itself to 22000.318. I followed the instructions in the Companion document to install Windows 11 Pro from the ISO file (inserting drivers at the point described in the Companion).

I selected the latest 21H2 build 22000.1281 (labeled as an Insider Preview channel release) from uupdump and deselected 'Apply updates' on the final page, since I was building on a macOS machine.

This document will be updated as the community experiences with Fusion 13 grows and is discussed in the forums. If you have any questions or comments about this Companion document, please post them to the Fusion forums.

Additional Resources

For those looking for more information, there are plenty of resources available, including Ubuntu and Fedora guides that can help you install Windows 11 on ARM using VMware Fusion 13.

If you're a Linux arm64 user, don't worry - this section has got you covered as well. The section on Windows 11 on ARM is particularly useful for Windows users who want to know more about installing the operating system on their Apple Silicon Mac.

Before posting any questions in the forum, be sure to check out the Companion document first - it may already contain an answer to your question. Take a look at it before creating VMs on Apple Silicon Macs, and you might find something that makes your life easier.

The Companion document is a collection of tips and techniques provided by the broader Fusion community while running Tech Preview releases on Apple Silicon Macs. It's not published by VMware, but it can save you searching the forum for frequently encountered issues.

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