How to download VMWare Fusion 11.5.7

[Joe Yang]

Hi There,

I purchase VMWare Fusion 11.5 license in Mar 2021. On my MacBook Pro, the current version is 11.5.5. I ran "Check for updates", and it started to check the latest version, and prompted to download and install version 11.5.7, I clicked "Download and install", but failed with "A certificate error while connecting to the update server".

I tried to find a solution, and found Broadcom support site, but it asked me to create a Site ID for add my entitlements, but the site ID creation page always in the maintenance status. 

Can anyone help solve this issue?

Thanks

Joe

[Technogeezer]

Broadcom has essentially disabled access for anyone to download any version of their desktop hypervisor products released prior to the November 2024 announcement that they are "free for personal, educational, and commercial uses". Yes, even if you have a valid license for an older version, you can't download the installer. Those that have a support contract are a little better off - they supposedly can download older versions until their contract expires. The "gotcha" here is that they are no longer selling support contracts, so soon even contract customers will be in the same boat.

The issue you're seeing with the in-product updater is that these older versions have not been changed to reflect Broadcom's changes in their product delivery infrastructure. And VMware Fusion 11.5 has been end-of-support for quite some time now, so they're not going to go back and fix it.

There is a back-door method to get old updaters though (they are not "full releases",) You'll have to unpack them and move the VMware Fusion.app file contained within it to /Applications yourself.

First shut down all your VMs (don't suspend them). Then exit the Fusion application.

Use this link to download the 11.5.7 updater:  https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds/vmw-desktop/fusion/11.5.7/17130923/core/com.vmware.fusion.zip.tar

That will download a file com.vmware.fusion.zip.tar. Find the file in the Finder, and double click to open it. It will extract a folder called com.vmware.fusion.zip

In that folder you will find a file also named com.vmware.fusion.zip. Double click on that file to extract it. A folder named com.vmware.fusion will appear

Open that folder, and you will see a folder named "Payload". Open the Payload folder, and you will find a VMware Fusion application.

Move that file to the /Applications folder, replacing your existing VMware Fusion 11.5.5 application.

Now open Fusion. Provide administrator credentials if prompted.

[Technogeezer]

Oh, and unless you are a commercial customer, you won't get a Site ID. If you are unable to download the current freely available VMware Fusion product (13.5.2 or later) because it's saying "Account validation in progress", you should call Broadcom Support to to get it fixed. You can't get the problem fixed online - many have tried and have ended up waiting forever. A phone call indicating that you're having web site access issues (not a problem with Fusion) seems to be the only way to get the account fixed.

Note however, that you will still be unable to download versions of Fusion prior to 13.5.2. Even if you have a license for an older version. Broadcom really made a mess of things for their Fusion (and Workstation) customers that purchased licenses (but no support contract) for older product.