Windows11 install of config manager as 32bit

[Max Budnick]

Hello, I'm currently installing windows11 on VMWare Fusion. I'm currently attempting to install the win11 VM on a MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip. After following the default prompts and getting to the windows desktop I attempt to install configuration manager and it installs as the 32bit version. I really need the 64 bit version and I cannot make that happen. 

Is this related to the M2 chip and has anyone experienced this with other software installs on a win11 VM on top of an M2 pro chip? 

Fusion really doesn't have a lot of options when it comes to provisioning the VM. Is there anyway for me to virtualize another CPU as to maybe mitigate this problem? 

[Technogeezer]

I attempt to install configuration manager and it installs as the 32bit version. I really need the 64 bit version and I cannot make that happen. 

Fusion doesn't control this.  Fusion provides the Windows 11 ARM VM with a virtualized 64-bit ARM architecture CPU (NOT an Intel CPU). The application installer is installing what's in the installation package.  

Is the application compiled to run natively under Windows ARM? If not (and since you're saying that it's trying to install a 32-bit version I'm assuming that it isn't) then it's compiled for Windows running on Intel. In which case, it will need Microsoft's Prism Intel to ARM translator to run. 

If you have questions about what's being installed on Windows 11 ARM and if there's a native ARM 64-bit version, I suggest you contact the publisher of the application.

Is there anyway for me to virtualize another CPU as to maybe mitigate this problem? 

Virtualizing another CPU isn't going to solve this for you. 

Fusion really doesn't have a lot of options when it comes to provisioning the VM.

Fusion does have options for provisioning the VM.  If you want to modify the default configuration before starting a Windows installation, there's a button on the "Finish" dialog of the new VM wizard that will allow you to customize the configuration. You can also modify the configuration through the VM's Settings after installation. You can also clone an existing VM. New in Fusion 13.6 is the vmcli command line tool that allows you to build and customize a VM. All are described in the documentation.

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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[Technogeezer]

I may have misinterpreted your statement:

Is there anyway for me to virtualize another CPU as to maybe mitigate this problem? 

If you mean "is there a way to switch to a different CPU type - such as from a 32-bit CPU to a 64-bit CPU" the answer is no. Fusion virtualizes the underlying CPU of the host it's running on. That means the VM gets 64-bit ARM CPUs. There's no way to change that to anything else.

Fusion certainly doesn't provide emulation so you can run operating systems compiled for Intel/AMD 32- or 64-bit chips. 

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- Paul (technogeezer)
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