vmware has encountered an error and has shut down windows

[nemo2k14]

Constantly receiving this error. Used to resolve by deleting .lck file but no .lck files in sight and I have also disabled 3d graphics accelerationg. Vmware.log is attached. Any help is appreciated!

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Attachment(s)

vmware.log   369 KB 1 version

[Technogeezer]

This error looks like one we've seen when a Windows ARM VM has Norton 360 installed? If that's the case here, try uninstalling Norton and see if the problem goes away. 

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Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)
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[nemo2k14]

That would explain it! I am also having issues similar to the other thread I posted the other day where I take snapshots and then cannot start them up so it may also be related to Norton. Uninstalling now. Thank you for picking up on this!!

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[hollistonma]

Coincidentally I also received the same error a couple of days ago.  I was running Quicken in Windows 11.

I'm not using Norton 360 based on your input so am wondering if there's another reason in my case. 

I've attached a log file...would appreciate it if you can determine the cause.  (1st time I received this message since I installed VMWare on my MBP.)

Apple M4 Pro running 26.3.1 (25D2128)

Win11 AMR Home 25H2 on Fusion Player 25H2u1 (25219963).  

Thanks in advance for your help.

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Hollistonma
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Attachment(s)

fusion.log   1 KB 1 version

[Technogeezer]

That log file doesn't contain much information that's useful. Can you create a zip file with all the files with a .log extension that are found in the VM's bundle folder (find the VM in the Finder, right click on it, and then select "Show Package Contents".). Then post that file here and we'll take a look at it.

Are you running any other 3rd party anti-virus in this VM? We've also seen Avast cause this same issue. If you are running any third party AV, try uninstalling it and running Microsoft Defender and Windows Firewall solutions both of which are a standard part of Windows 11.   

Broadcom: Can someone please take a look at the instruction that's causing this panic. This issue has been reported several times and doesn't appear to be a fluke. All the instances of this issue we've seen has the same ARM instruction causing this vmx panic: 0xad400420. It's being flagged in all the logs I've seen with this issue as an unhandled exit - which seems to me to indicate that programs are executing an ARM instruction that's trapping back and Fusion doesn't know what to do it. 

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Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)
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[hollistonma]

Paul,

Here you go.

No 3rd party anti-virus in the VM...just Windows Defender and Windows Firewall per your advice.

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Hollistonma
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Attachment(s)

Fusion Logs.zip   236 KB 1 version

[Technogeezer]

This is a different error than the one that's due to the AV utility incompatibility. This snippet is from the vmware-1.log file:

2026-03-11T18:15:13.058Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] mksSandboxLog: MTLRenderer: Error during command buffer execution: Discarded (victim of GPU error/recovery) (00000005:kIOGPUCommandBufferCallbackErrorInnocentVictim)
2026-03-11T18:15:13.058Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] mksSandboxLog: PANIC: Error during command buffer execution: Discarded (victim of GPU error/recovery) (00000005:kIOGPUCommandBufferCallbackErrorInnocentVictim)
2026-03-11T18:15:13.058Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] mksSandboxLog: 
2026-03-11T18:15:13.058Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] mksSandboxLog: 
2026-03-11T18:15:13.058Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] mksSandboxLog: The core dump limit is set to ZERO; no core dump should be expected
2026-03-11T18:15:13.060Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] The vmx lost its connection to the mksSandbox.
2026-03-11T18:15:13.060Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] The mksSandbox process may have crashed or hung.
2026-03-11T18:15:13.060Z -WARNING vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] Check the mksSandbox.log and vmware.log for more details.
2026-03-11T18:15:13.060Z -CRITICAL vmware-vmx 56501 [fusion@4413 threadName="mks"] PANIC: ISBRendererComm: Lost connection to mksSandbox (3850)

According to the logs, the mksSandbox process crashed (it handles the mouse, keyboard, and screen on behalf ot the VM), taking down the virtual machine along with it. The full crash report for mksSandbox is in the mksSandbox-1.log file, and it's saying the same thing (victim of GPU error/recovery). 

Someone from Broadcom would have to take a look at this and see what might be happening. 

What version of VMware Tools are you running in the VM? Fusion 25H2u1 bundles the latest 13.0.10 version, so if you aren't running that version in the VM, you might want to try upgrading it to see if anything changes.

Another thing to try would to be to disable 3D acceleration for the VM and also see if anything changes. 

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Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)
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[hollistonma]

I'm running 13.0.1.0.  I do see an option in the VMWare menu under "Virtual Machine" to "Update VMWare Tools".  Not sure why that's the case when the Windows App>Installed apps screens shows I'm running 13.0.1.0.

What's the downside of disabling 3D acceleration?  I only run Quicken and two other Windows program...no gaming at all.  I assume I won't notice much change?  I'll give it a shot.

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Hollistonma
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[Technogeezer]

The version of VMware Tools bundled with Fusion 25H2u1 is 13.0.10.0 (I left out the trailing .0 on the version in my prior reply - apologies for the confusion). That would explain why Fusion is asking you to upgrade VMware Tools if you're running with 13.0.1.0. 

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Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)
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[Technogeezer]

I also noticed that this VM had been running for over 5 hours before the crash occurred (13:00 UTC - 18:15 UTC).  By any chance did the Mac go to sleep while the VM was running?

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Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)
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[hollistonma]

No, I was actually using Quicken when the crash occurred.  However the Mac probably did go to sleep at some point during those 5 hours.  I typically shut down Win and exit Fusion after each use.  This time I left it running as I was doing a few other things around the house.

I have the crash logs if that's of any help.

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Hollistonma
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[Technogeezer]

You may not see any difference for what you're doing so disabling 3D acceleration is worth a try.

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Paul Rockwell (technogeezer)
vExpert 2026 (3x)
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