Migration

[Mormor58]

How can I migrate my VMware Fusion 12.2.3 from an iMac to a MacBook Air M1?

[ColoradoMarmot]

You can't migrate.  You will need to build a new ARM-based virtual machine using the Fusion Tech Preview.  Intel based guests do not, and will not run on an M1 machine using Fusion.

Before someone chimes in, yes there's hacks using other platforms like QEMU, but the performance is abysmal and the stability is horrible - experimental at best and not suited for anything other than playing around.  The advice remains true - if you need an intel guest, run an intel machine.

 

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Fusion-for-Apple-Silicon-Tech/ct-p/3022

It sounds like there's a new version coming sometime this month FWIW, that might have better windows support.  Note that's Windows 11 ARM, not windows intel.

 

 

 

[Mormor58]

Thanks for your quick reply.

Can I migrate to a Mac mini (late 2014 version).

Have 1.5 TB available on 2 TB storage.

[Technogeezer]

Yes. The 2014 mini still has an Intel CPU, and will run Monterey/Big Sur and Fusion 12.2.3. The 2014 mini has 2 cores, so don't expect to run more than 1 VM at a time. Also depending on how much memory you have you may be limited as to how large of a VM you can run. Unfortunately with this model the memory is not upgradable. You should have at least 8GB, and 16GB would be better.

Hopefully you have a Fusion drive on that mini (or have replaced the stock drive with an SSD). Any macOS version that requires an APFS boot disk (either Big Sur or Monterey) does not run well on a "spinning rust" HDD - especially the 5400 RPM ones that Apple put in that mini. 

I have one of these 2014 minis  (8GB with a 500GB SATA SSD replacing a 1 TB non-Fusion HDD). It will run one Windows 10/11 or Linux VM configured with 4GB memory and 2 vCPU with acceptable performance if you aren't taxing the Mac with other activities.