After MacOS 15/Sequoia repetitive asks if I've moved or copied the file

[checkyourmirror]

After upgrading to MacOS 15.0 I am getting asked over and over, after reboots, etc if I've moved or copied the VM. How can I get this to stop?

[Technogeezer]

This issue has been reported by users running on Intel Macs. Try answering the question with "I moved it" and see if Fusion stops asking - that seems to have helped others. 

Can you check something? If you're running on a WiFi connection, open the macOS System Settings, and open the WiFi settings. There should be a "Details..." button next to your currently connect WiFi network. Click on it, and check the setting for "Private WiFi Address". Is it set to "Off", "Static" or "Rotating"?

[checkyourmirror]

I’ve been selecting “Moved” so I guess I should try Copied instead, and I changed the Wifi Privacy option this morning because VM kept losing connectivity, and also Norton 360 kept asking to allow various connections. I’ll update when I have some time under the new settings.

[ScottR-H]

When I tried "copied" instead of "moved", I then had to activate MS Windows again.

[Technogeezer]

Don't use "Copied". It doesn't appear to make a difference in the symptoms. What it does do is changes the virtual machine configuration (especially the BIOS UUID) so that Windows thinks you've swapped out a motherboard or restored Windows to a new piece of hardware. That will require you to re-activate Windows.

"Moved" doesn't make those changes and is the preferred answer to that question in this case. You did not make a copy of the VM on the same host.

Can you check the same thing that I asked a prior poster - is your WiFi Private IP address setting set to "Off", "Static" or "Rotating"?

[ScottR-H]

It’s currently set to “Off”

[Technogeezer]

Could anyone that's experiencing this issue please post the vmware.log file for a VM that's having this happen? (The log file is found in the VM's bundle - find the VM in the Finder, then right click on the VM and select "Show Package Contents". Youll find the file there).

It might give us a clue as to what's going on.

[Technogeezer]

@ScottR-H thank you for that. and it eliminates one possible cause. Would you happen to be running any third party anti-virus or network firewall?

[ScottR-H]

I have McAfee Total Protection installed but have it configured only to scan my drive. I do not have its firewall enabled. 

[Technogeezer]

Is McAfee configured to exclude your virtual machines from scanning? (for example, you should exclude the folder that your VMs are stored in, or file extension .vmwarevm?). It's not out of the realm of possibility that an AV scan could be touching or changing something that's triggering Fusion to think that the VM is not where it was left.

[ScottR-H]

I am excluding the VM in McAfee. 

I do want to note that I do not get the error every time I fire up my VM (and I’ve still not determined a pattern).

The next time it occurs, I’ll note the time and grab the appropriate vmware.log

[Rajeswara Reddy Kotla]

Hi @checkyourmirror

Can you please provide confirmation for below queries

1.Have you selected "moved or "copied" when you encountered the prompt ?

2.If you have selected "moved" are you seeing any issue post power on ?

3.If you have selected "copied" are you seeing any issue post power on ?

4.As you mentioned repetitive asks in the title, is it with same VM ? If same vm, then which option have you selected ?

[ScottR-H]

Attached is a vmware.log file which shows the error.

[bjru]

I have exact the same behaviour. Asking me every time I start up a VM.

I don't have installed any virus scanners. 

Hopping I never will press copied instead moved 🫣

[Henry Lizano Mora]

I have the same problem with Fusion 13.6.0, Mac OS X 15.0.1 and ESET 8.1.6.0

[Peter Vogt]

Fusion was working perfectly fine until I upgraded my 2019 MacBook Pro to Sequoia 15.0. Since then, every time I start a VM (Linux or MS-Windows VMs alike),  I am getting asked if I've moved or copied the VM, which is very annoying. Attached is a log file from a Debian VM.

[Aaron Mitchell]

I have the same issue.  I'm using Sequoia 15.0.1, Fusion Professional 13.6.0, and no antivirus installed.  It asks every time I try to run a VM if it has been moved or copied.

[Technogeezer]

There may be a common thread among those reporting these issues. I'm running on an Apple Silicon Mac, and are not seeing these issues since upgrading to both Fusion 13.6 and macOS 16. 

Is anyone running an Apple Silicon Mac seeing this issue? Are those of you seeing this issue running on Intel Macs?

[Aaron Mitchell]

I have a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel i9.

[Peter Vogt]

Happens on 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro with an 2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9.

Deactivated my MS-Windows VM after I accidentally hit 'copied'; could restore the VM from a backup.

[ScottR-H]

I, too, have an Intel Mac. 
2.2GHz 6-core i7