How I Do Download The Freeware Edition from VMware Workstation Pro for Windows ?

[Anton Graf]

How I Do Download The Freeware Edition from VMware Workstation Pro for Windows ?

I have never Paid for It, Have no Pro Key. Have only the Trail Versions Tested on Vmware.com.

Now I like to the the newest Version VMware-workstation-full-17.5.2-23775571.exe.

I can see the Download but the Download Button is "No Entitled" cant Download.

Why ?. Many Side in www say It's now a Freeware Edition with a possibility to Buy for It.

But you don't have to buy it as a private consumer. I'm a Private Consumer.

Question1: Why I can't Download the Freeware Edition not ?

Question2: I have Call to The Support Phone and Have say I can Download the Freeware Edition without an Broadcom Site ID. It's this wrong ?

Thank You for the Help

Anton Graf

https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productfiles?subFamily=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro&displayGroup=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro%2017.0%20for%20Windows&release=17.5.2&os=&servicePk=520398&language=EN

[AbbedSedkaoui]

Hi Anton, 

In the top right, with your name, select "VMware Cloud Foundation",

then go to "My Downloads" in the left menu,

this is the link

https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/downloads

then look at the bottom for "Workstation Pro"

then click "VMware Workstation Pro 17.0 for Personal Use (Windows)"

then click 17.5.2

the download icon will show "screening required"

click and enter required field in red in the new page

then you can download

If it help , please click "Recommend" button in this answer for others to find the solution, thanks

Abidi

[robnicholsonmalt]

Ahh you have to open the link first, not look on this page. And the option is to the left of your name.

[Andrew Macaulay]

Having the same problem - have registered account on Broadcom but still not showing any options to download the free to use Workstation Pro. Have searched everywhere and nothing is helping. Have now contacted support and will see if they can assist.

Certainly not feeling user friendly in the way this is being handled.

[Andrew Macaulay]

Is this working? Just posted a reply and not showing....

I'm having the same problem. Have registered user name on Broadcom (not especially happy being forced to do this) but still can't get at any downloads for VMWare Workstation Pro for personal use!

Have searched knowledgebase and nothing. Have submitted case to support so will see what happens there.

Not a very user-friendly experience for non-enterprise customers!

[Michael Roy]

Have you (and others) tried following the steps I outlined over on my blog?
https://www.mikeroysoft.com/post/download-fusion-ws/

Summary

1. Go to broadcom.com
2. In the upper right corner, select 'Support Portal'
3. Either log in by clicking 'Go To Portal' or 'Register' for a basic Broadcom account Quick link to the registration form
4. Once logged in, go to support.broadcom.com if you're not redirected there
5. Click the dropdown to choose the VMware Cloud Foundation division
6. On the left, click 'My Downloads'
7. Search for either Fusion or Workstation
8. Click the product name (VMware Fusion or VMware Workstation Pro )
9. Notice the dropdown for the Personal Use edition (it is the exact same binaries as the Commercial one)
10. Select 17.5.2 or 13.5.2
11. Download and install

[RDPetruska]

Michael -

I've followed the instructions on your blog post to get to the appropriate page in the support section of the website.  However, I am unable to actually download anything - the cloud/arrow icon is greyed out, and if I hover over it, it says "not entitled".  I have older VMware licenses - as well as a current Silver subscription - and on this @#$&*%#$@( Broadcom site, all it says is "not entitled"....  DEFINITELY horrible customer service and NOT a good way for this new parent company to attract new customers as it pisses off existing ones!

[John Austin]

I have been trying to download 17.5.2 Pro for 2 days.

I have followed the recipe above but always get the message

"Account verification is Pending. Please try after some time." when I select download.

I now have obtained a  "case number"  (by phone) and am awaiting an email/progress.

Frustrating!

[Michael Roy]

Unfortunately there's a backlog in the manual account verification process. It's my understanding that the central IT teams are working through it.

[John Austin]

Hi Michael

Thank you for the feedback.

I should have said I do have a full licence for WS 17.
The down loads I have previously been using are of the form

-rwxrwxrwx. 1 ja ja 487M Feb 28 15:11 VMware-Workstation-Full-17.5.1-23298084.x86_64.bundle

With the help of "Michal Kubeček mkubecek" they have been working fine up to
and including Fedora 40.

Regards

John

: Moderator: Removed extra meta/reply content, email addresses from this reply :

[Michael Roy]

If you have 17.5.1 installed, the in-app updater should work. I just tested it on an Ubuntu host.

Otherwise, like I mentioned the 'For Personal Use' download is the exact same bits.

[John Austin]

Yes - the download does work but I was nervous about continuing.

I checked the downloaded file and it was
./.cache/vmware/cds/cdstmp_ws-linux_17.5.2_23775571/VMware-Workstation-17.5.2-23775571.x86_64.bundle

-rwxr-xr-x. 1 ja ja 193M May 24 14:36 VMware-Workstation-17.5.2-23775571.x86_64.bundle

The size is 193MB and not 487MB, the file name does not include "Full".

Is it the same thing, I'm sure its not!

Thanks

John

: Moderator: Removed extra meta/reply content again... email addresses from this reply :
PLEASE BE MINDFUL WHEN REPLYING FROM EMAIL THAT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS MAY BE IN THE MESSAGE AND SHOULDN'T BE POSTED PUBLICLY

[Michael Roy]

Replies are all out of order... weird...

Anyway... In our build system we have 2 different outputs (actually more but for the purposes of this discussion...)

One is a 'full', and the other is a 'lite'. The difference is that the Lite doesn't have as many optional components installed by default (they are downloaded when needed).

The core of the bits are the same.

But I was under the impression that we only ever posted the Full bits.

So... I'll have to double check with Release engineering about what happened here.

But given the same build numbers, it's the same core bits. 

[Michael Roy]

1) Did you click the 'I agree to the EULA' checkbox?

2) Are you viewing the 'For Personal Use' download and not the 'regular' one?

Entitlements for accounts that don't have an active contract (SnS) are a bit behind for the 'regular' one, but every approved account (regardless of other entitlements) should have access to all the "For Personal Use" bits.

They're the same bits, so if you have a commercial key you can use it to license it for commercial use. 

[RDPetruska]

"1) Did you click the 'I agree to the EULA' checkbox?

2) Are you viewing the 'For Personal Use' download and not the 'regular' one?"

No, actually I have been attempting to download the 'regular' one - since I have a license key.  And honestly, since I am sticking with 16.1.2 because you guys broke, then removed, the most important feature I need for my work after that, I'm only looking to download the binaries for archival purposes.  It appears that nobody who actually owned VMware products, and therefore should be entitled to still GET them, actually can, between reading all the posts here as well as my own experience.

What is MUCH more concerning to me, however, is that this wonderful Broadcom portal under my dashboard shows I have no contracts - when I most certainly DO (or at least DID with VMware!) - #30023446, most recently renewed on 06Sep2022, so I should have more than a complete year left on it!  If this is how the company is treating paying customers, it's no wonder they can't handle the free ones.

I honestly do not understand why you guys sold your souls to the devil, and why you couldn't just own yourselves.  Every single part of the company has been absolute crap since Broadcom took over - and more and more customers are jumping off the ship every day.  It's sad that, being a customer since 2003, I find myself having an extremely tough time recommending your products any longer.

[Michael Roy]

Thanks for sharing. It's not like any of us had any real say in the acquisition. 

I'm just trying to do the best I can with the situation. I don't have control over almost any of this, so all I can really do is raise the issue and stress the importance of resolving it. I'm just trying to help with what little influence I have these days.

In the mean time... you can still download the bits from the 'for personal use' group (again... LITERALLY the same bits...)...

I was just trying to do a good thing for the community by making Pro free for personal use, I had no idea the entitlements were going to be an issue... 

[RDPetruska]

"Thanks for sharing. It's not like any of us had any real say in the acquisition. 

I'm just trying to do the best I can with the situation. I don't have control over almost any of this, so all I can really do is raise the issue and stress the importance of resolving it. I'm just trying to help with what little influence I have these days."

I'm sorry - none of my ranting was meant as a personal attack on you, Michael - I know that while you're the product manager, you are still likely quite low on the food chain in the corporation.   Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to let the folks who actually need to know at Broadcom that these problems exist... and all of their decisions from day one of the acquisition have been driving customers away by the truckload.  It has been extremely frustrating seeing your former company, once great - the absolute leader in the virtualization environment - being decimated by corporate raiders (or whatever the actual story is - that's what it appears like to us outsiders, though).  I've been a loyal customer since 2003... and even renewed my support contract in 2022, even though I had no desire to upgrade to version 17... I figured the company was still worth supporting with my dollars.  Unfortunately the way things are looking, I'm seriously rethinking if I will renew it when it expires next year (if that will even still be an option under the Broadcom umbrella).  It's sad.

[David Mancini]

I completely agree.  I purchased the VMware Desktop Hypervisor Pro three days ago (I need to run existing VMs on a Windows 11 machine), and I STILL cannot download the product.  They took my $120 right away, but my profile has not been approved yet, and I am dead in the water until I can download this.  I have spoken to three different people who say they have escalated the ticket, and that I will receive a call with a couple of hours.  No call has arrived yet.  
This is my first interaction with VMware and with Broadcom, and it sucks.  My impression is that it is nothing but a scam call center taking your money and giving you nothing in return.  I'm about to call the bank to have the charge reversed and move on to other solutions.

[Michael Roy]

You can get a refund from Digital River (the store.cloudvista .com folks)... I know they're being issued.

Problems are arising particularly when folks use non-corporate email addresses. So @outlook, @gmail, etc are flagged for some reason.

[goldeneye_007]

Once you start hearing this, "Entitlements". You're screwed.

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[RaSystemlord]

Since this is still open, although it is an old thread:

I understand that the original post was referring to times when VMware Workstation was not Free. Thus most of the sentiments is irrelevant now. I'm not saying that the Web pages are any good, but for VMware Workstation use, you don't need them for nothing.

You can easily download this version from archive dot org - as most versions can. If not there, "anywhere from Internet" like you always do with various of Windows programs.

For a short while, EVERY version and variation could be loaded from vmware page, but that possibility was removed some months ago.

What is the functionality that 16.x has that 17.5.2 doesn't have? The latter is a relevant version for all use, as far as I know, as is a VMware Team version (as it seems so).

[Technogeezer]

That doesn't work if you are locked onto a version of Workstation prior to 17 because of bugs and other feature omissions brought to us in Workstation 17. There are customers out there that can't move to Workstation 17.5  - so they need access to their license keys and downloads for that older product that they bought perpetual licenses for. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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[Vinicius Jales]

How can I see only the ''for personal use'' options available?

[Alexander Ott]

Thank you for this post. The download isn't quite intuitive but if anybody missed it, the "additional screening" needs you to click a checkbox  underneath the search bar before you can proceed with the download.

[MD Clay]

I filled in my address on the Screening Required page, left I Agree selected, clicked [Submit], and it took me back to the download page, but what should be a Download icon is still Screening Required.  Lather, rinse, repeat 3-4x, but no download.  It does not even remember my address from prior attempts.

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[JJ ASDF]

The following is my experience in overcoming trouble downloading VMware Workstation Pro for Windows 17.6.4


Downloading VMware Workstation Pro
(https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleNumber=344595)

1. Log in to the Broadcom Support Portal - https://support.broadcom.com
2. After successful login, access the VMware Workstation Pro downloads using the link,

Download VMware Workstation Pro.
https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productdownloads?subfamily=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro

For the free versions of VMware Workstation Pro, use this link
https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productdownloads?subfamily=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro&freeDownloads=true


3. Expand "VMware Workstation Pro <version> for Windows"
4. Select the version you want to download under the release column.

For additional information on installation and upgrade, refer,

- Installing Workstation Pro (https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleNumber=387947)
- Upgrading Workstation Pro (https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleNumber=343514)


VMware Workstation Pro for Windows 17.6.4

URL: https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/productfiles?subFamily=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro&displayGroup=VMware%20Workstation%20Pro%2017.0%20for%20Linux&release=17.6.4&os=&servicePk=533273&language=EN&freeDownloads=true




Part of the workaround: Download Steps
-==-=-=-=-=-=--==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Next to the "I agree to the Terms and Conditions", click on the Terms and Conditions hyperlink

Then https://www.broadcom.com/company/legal/licensing will load

Click on End User Agreement English (https://docs.broadcom.com/docs/end-user-agreement-english)

Next, "end-user-agreement-english.pdf" will load in a pop-up window

----> Scroll to the bottom of the PDF <-----

Return to the tab for the download, and now you should be able to
Check off "I agree to the Terms and Conditions "

The download link to the right of the File should be active now.


--James

[AbbedSedkaoui]

Click Terms and Conditions link, this unlock the I Agree checkbox.

-------------------------------------------

[JJ ASDF]

It's a bit counterintuitive. You have to skim the digital agreement (terms and conditions PDF) first, even though there is no direct acceptance link inside the PDF itself. Once you've done that, return to the download page, where the Acceptance link will now be active, allowing you to proceed with the download.

-------------------------------------------

[MD Clay]

I did skim the digital agreement (PDF), clicked the checkbox to accept said Terms & Conditions. 
 What should be a [Download] icon is a [Screening required] icon. 
 I clicked the icon, filled in my address info, clicked [Submit]. 
 That took me back to the download page, but the icon is still [Screening required].
 Lather, rinse, repeat, ... no joy.  Still [Screening required].

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-- M.D.Clay, Digital Mercenary
!~}>
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[Yagami]

Thats works here XD

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月を見る度思い出せ...
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[MD Clay]

Glad it is working for you, Yagami. 

It is still broken for me.

I finally gave up on Broadcom, Googled the MD5 (b387e0a655798ba356d9a7331d98851a), and downloaded from somewhere else.

Yes, I validated the MD5 and the SHA2 hashes before actually opening the installer.

TLDR:  I am now a happy VMware Workstation Pro 17.6.4 user.

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-- M.D.Clay, Digital Mercenary
!~}>
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[Yagami]

I dont take away your reason,especially since Broadcom acquired VMWare everything about VMWare has become extremely buggy u.u

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月を見る度思い出せ...
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