Downloading fusion for Monterey

[licensedtoquill]

Does anyone know why i am sent around in circles when I try to download Fusion 8.6.10?   8.5.9 says "update to newest version" and then, continuously, unable to connect to the update server!

[Technogeezer]

I'm assuming that you're getting the "unable to connect to the update server" message because you're trying to use the in-product updater. If so, that's caused by older versions of Fusion not knowing about the changes that Broadcom has made to their software update infrastructure. Broadcom isn't going to go back and change out-of-support versions of Fusion to make them work with the new infrastructure. You'll need to download  a newer version of the Fusion installer from the software download site.

The problem here for what you want to do is that Broadcom won't allow downloads of Fusion product installers prior to 13.5.2 if you don't have an active support contract. Which most of us that bought Fusion don't have. Fusion versions after 13.5.2 are freely available for all use cases (commercial, educational, and personal) and are able to be downloaded from Broadcom's download site. 

There are "back doors" available to get the content used by the in-product upgraders from their software update server. You'd then have to unpack it manually and copy the Fusion application to the Applications folder (the install isn't automated). And you'd have to search for other updaters for things like VMware Tools. 

Note that since VMware products are subject to export controls, the only way you'll find out about using the "back door" is to search the forums. 

Fusion 8..10 won't run on macOS Monterey. You need Fusion 12 or later due to Apple's changes in macOS. My suggestion is to download Fusion 13.5.2. That's the last version that runs on Monterey (this is the version I'm running on a 2014 Mac mini that is running Monterey). It's available from the Broadcom software download site. No license required - it's free for all use cases (just use the personal use option when you install it). 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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[licensedtoquill]

thank you for your very complete message. I'd never have guessed that an earlier version of 13 was appropriate!

I did kinda suspect that I was being directed into a wild goose chase, - only to find once I installed 8.6.10 that all my VMs have been upgraded to 13

[licensedtoquill]

Now comes the difficult bit: Once logged into the Broadcom site, how do I find the download cent'er to click onto 13.5.2 please?

[Technogeezer]

only to find once I installed 8.6.10 that all my VMs have been upgraded to 13

By "VMs have been upgraded to 13", I'm interpreting that to mean that you elected to upgrade the virtual machine hardware version after Fusion 8.6.10 was installed, and that the resulting virtual hardware version was version 13. The virtual hardware version of the VM is not the same as the Fusion product version. For example, Fusion 13.6.2 creates virtual machines with virtual hardware version 21 by default -- but it can open and run VMs with earlier virtual hardware versions. 

See https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/307078/virtual-machine-hardware-version-compati.html for more information about virtual hardware versions with Fusion. Highly recommended to refer to the linked article in that article that breaks down the virtual hardware versions and the product versions that first started supporting them.  

As far as where to download Fusion from Broadcom's download center, see the Broadcom article  Download and license VMware Desktop Hypervisor (Fusion Pro and Workstation Pro)

I do find one inaccuracy in the Broadcom KB article. It implies that you can download versions of product earlier than 13.5.2 if you have a valid license. This is false. They will not let you download earlier versions unless you have an active support contract (which, by the way, they no longer sell). And certainly you can't download earlier product with a basic license. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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[licensedtoquill]

Goddit. Thanks again. The upgrades were because I smashed my MBP screen and am having it repaired. SO I am using a backup MBP  running Mojave > Monterey with the 13 VMs pending getting the main computer back.