VMware Fusion 13.5
VMware has updated its VMware Fusion virtualization package to version 13.5, adding support for downloading and installing Windows 11 as a guest operating system from the Fusion user interface on M-series Macs. The release also introduces an enhanced security encryption scheme (XTS instead of CBC) for improved protection and reduced performance, enables you to import or export a virtual machine with a virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) device enabled using the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Tool, and adds support for managing power operations of encrypted virtual machines using the VMREST API. (Free/$149.99/$199.99 new, free update, 722.9 MB, release notes, macOS 12+)
Yeah, it’s a good thing they aren’t charging for this. I find using the VMware website to be one of the most tedious and annoying things I need to do to keep my software downloads up-to-date, but this release finally makes good on the paid 13 update and can be obtained using the update mechanism if you already had it installed. Pro users also have access to Workstation for Windows using their licence key. This is a security update so if you are using 13 you should upgrade.
I’ve just used this upgrade to set up a new virtual machine running Windows 11 so I can try running HyTek Meet Manager for running track meets. It took a long time (as does everything with Windows—so many steps!—but in the end, I got a working Windows installation with HyTek Meet Manager functioning and talking to my portable Canon printer (installing the Canon drivers was another effort).
The next step will be to test the connectivity to the Time Machine timing system, which requires a USB-to-serial adapter and a USB Type A to USB-C adapter. And then to see if I can get it all working through a USB hub, since my M1 MacBook Air has only two USB-C ports and I sometimes want to add a physical mouse for my volunteers too.