VMware Fusion after update to Tahoe OS deactivates Windows 11 Home Edition (license bought in Microsoft online store)

[Natalia Korzanova]

I have been successfully running Windows 11 Home edition on VMware Fusion (properly licensed) since late November on my MacBook Pro M4. After upgrading to Tahoe OS (should have created a backup but I did not), Windows got deactivated. Regular troubleshooting did not help. After spending hours with Microsoft support, reinstalling Windows twice and having 4 different agents try to reassign the product key, I was recommended to look for a solution on VMware side. Would appreciate any suggestions.

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

[Technogeezer]

Did you upgrade to Fusion 25H2 at the same time you upgraded to macOS Tahoe? There are changes in the EFI firmware in Fusion 25H2 that could have made Windows think it was running on different hardware. (A new EFI firmware version and changes to virtual PCI device assignment come to mind as noticeable changes  

Is that Windows Home license a Retail license purchases from an official Microsoft reseller, an OEM or System Builder license, or a license from a source that's not an official Microsoft partner? My first question would be: where did you get the license? We've had reports of a license obtained from a third party vendor (not an official Microsoft partner)  that would not activate on an uograded Fusion VM. The error messages that were found indicated that the license activation was rejected by Microsoft.

------------------------------
Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
------------------------------

[Natalia Korzanova]

I am not sure, but most likely they got up upgraded together. I bought license from Microsoft online store.

[Technogeezer]

I assume as well that you are logged into Windows with a Microsoft account? Microsoft has been slowly but surely making changes to Windows Home and Pro that make it more and more difficult to set up Windows without using a Microsoft account for your login. 

------------------------------
Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2025
------------------------------

[Natalia Korzanova]

I am. I don’t think it is possible to login without a Microsoft account.

On Fri, Feb 6, 2026 at 6:43 PM Technogeezer via Broadcom <[e-mail]>
wrote:

> I assume as well that you are logged into Windows with a Microsoft
> account? Microsoft has been slowly but surely making changes to Windows
> Home... -posted to the "Fusion" community
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> Post New Message <[e-mail]>
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>
> I assume as well that you are logged into Windows with a Microsoft
> account? Microsoft has been slowly but surely making changes to Windows
> Home and Pro that make it more and more difficult to set up Windows without
> using a Microsoft account for your login.
>
>
> ------------------------------
> Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
> vExpert 2025
> ------------------------------
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> -------------------------------------------
> Original Message:
> Sent: Feb 06, 2026 06:28 PM
> From: Natalia Korzanova
> Subject: VMware Fusion after update to Tahoe OS deactivates Windows 11
> Home Edition (license bought in Microsoft online store)
>
> I am not sure, but most likely they got up upgraded together. I bought
> license from Microsoft online store.
>
> Original Message:
> Sent: Feb 06, 2026 02:29 PM
> From: Technogeezer
> Subject: VMware Fusion after update to Tahoe OS deactivates Windows 11
> Home Edition (license bought in Microsoft online store)
>
> Did you upgrade to Fusion 25H2 at the same time you upgraded to macOS
> Tahoe? There are changes in the EFI firmware in Fusion 25H2 that could have
> made Windows think it was running on different hardware. (A new EFI
> firmware version and changes to virtual PCI device assignment come to mind
> as noticeable changes
>
> Is that Windows Home license a Retail license purchases from an official
> Microsoft reseller, an OEM or System Builder license, or a license from a
> source that's not an official Microsoft partner? My first question would
> be: where did you get the license? We've had reports of a license obtained
> from a third party vendor (not an official Microsoft partner) that would
> not activate on an uograded Fusion VM. The error messages that were found
> indicated that the license activation was rejected by Microsoft.
>
>
> ------------------------------
> Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
> vExpert 2025
>
> Original Message:
> Sent: Feb 06, 2026 01:01 PM
> From: Natalia Korzanova
> Subject: VMware Fusion after update to Tahoe OS deactivates Windows 11
> Home Edition (license bought in Microsoft online store)
>
> I have been successfully running Windows 11 Home edition on VMware Fusion
> (properly licensed) since late November on my MacBook Pro M4. After
> upgrading to Tahoe OS (should have created a backup but I did not), Windows
> got deactivated. Regular troubleshooting did not help. After spending hours
> with Microsoft support, reinstalling Windows twice and having 4 different
> agents try to reassign the product key, I was recommended to look for a
> solution on VMware side. Would appreciate any suggestions.
>
>
> -------------------------------------------
>
>
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