How to Install macOS Ventura on VMWare? Full Guide

Apple has released the macOS Ventura recently. The new macOS is released with tons of new features and changes in the interface. The interface is users friendly for both big and small screens in addition to numerous new widgets and new features. To use macOS Ventura or macOS 13 without uninstalling your current OS, you can use virtualization software like VMware. So, here is how to install macOS Ventura on VMware.

How to install macOS Ventura on VMware?

Here I have divided the installation into different steps. Make sure to complete one step and then continue to the next one. If you have already installed macOS on VMware before then this is going to be easy for you. Installation of macOS on VMware is totally the same. Minor changes are due to different versions of macOS still the entire process is almost the same.

1- Prerequisites of macOS on VMware

Before we continue the installation process, you will need to make sure, you have the following files downloaded or options enabled. Once all the prerequisites are completed then you will continue to the next step.

Download macOS Ventura: first thing you will need to do is to download macOS Ventura. I have seen methods where you will download Assistant Utility or terminal to download the macOS. However; I would recommend you to use this link for downloading macOS Ventura for VMware, as this will be an easier way to perform the installation of macOS Ventura on VMware.

Enable Virtualization: make sure you have enabled virtualization on your system. Users who are performing virtualization for the first time, probably have the option disabled. They can use this “Enable Virtualization” to enable the feature. For those who are using AMD or other processors, this can help “Enable VT-x or AMD-v in BIOS or UEFI Firmware”.

Installation of VMware: even though this is the obvious one, still I would like to state it once more. Perform the installation of VMware Workstation or Player on your PC. You can download the VMware from this link here.

Related: How to Enable Virtualization on Windows 11?

2- Install Unlocker on VMware

In this step, you are going to install the Unlocker. Installation of Unlocker is a must, as, without unlocker, you won’t be able to use macOS as a guest OS.

VMware is powerful and efficient virtualization software. The application can run a different OS like Windows OS, Chrome OS, and even mobile systems like Android. However; to run macOS on VMware, you will need to install Unlocker first.

If VMware is running on your system, then you will stop the app first. Go to the menu option at the top and select Exit. Also check the Task Manager, if VMware is running in the background.

Stop the VMware and use this link to download VMware Unlocker. Once downloaded, you are going to extract all the files inside using a third-party tool such as WinRAR.

Inside the extracted files, you will navigate and find “win-install.cmd”. Right-click on “win-install.cd” and select run as administrator.

3- Create a new VM for macOS Ventura

After the installation of Unlocker, you are going to create a new VM. Run VMware and select Create a new Virtual Machine.

You will see the Welcome to New Virtual Machine Wizard window. Select the Typical (recommended) option and click on Next.

You are now asked for a Virtual disk. Here we are going to select Create a new virtual disk and then click on Next. If you are using the macOS Ventura VMDK file then you will select the second option, for now, we are using an ISO file, so we will select the first option.

Now, you will select I will install the operating system later option in the Guest Operating System Installation window and then click on Next.

Here you will see the Guest operating system and Version in Select a Guest Operating System.

Select Apple Mac OS X as Guest OS and macOS 13 as the version and then click on Next.

In the next window, you are going to name your VM and give it a location. Name your VM as “macOS Ventura” in the Virtual machine name and click on Browse in the Location section. Select a folder where you want your VM to be created and then click on Next.

Note: make sure to create the VM in a place accessible to you. As of later, you are going to make a few changes to the newly created VM.

In Specify Disk Capacity, you are going to provide certain storage space. Try to provide at least 120 GB of storage for the VM and select Store virtual disk as a single file option. Then click on Next. 

4- Configure the VM of Ventura

You are now placed in the Ready to Create Virtual Machine window. Instead of clicking on Finish, you are going to click on Customize Hardware option, as there are some options that require your attention.

First, you are going to select Memory and then provide the amount of RAM memory to your VM in Memory for this virtual machine section. It is recommended to provide at least 4 GB of RAM to your VM.

Then you will select the Processor section and select the Number of processors, Numbers of cores per processor, and Total processor cores. 

Note: you should provide at least two processor cores for your VM. As macOS Ventura requires two processor cores within less the macOS won’t perform at all. If by any change the VM got running, you will experience poor performance.

Now select New CD/DVD (SATA) and there you will select the Use ISO image file option. Click on Browse and a new window will appear. Here you are going to browse and find the newly downloaded macOS Ventura. Once the macOS file is selected, you are going to Close the window.

You will again see the Ready to Create Virtual Machine on your screen, but now you will click on Finish.

5- Modify the VM of macOS Ventura

Close your VMware and navigate to the folder where you have created your VM. This is the same location that I mentioned earlier. Open the folder and select macOS Ventura VM.

Right-click on macOS Ventura (VMware Virtual Machine Configuration) and open it with Notepad.

Inside the Notepad, you are going to scroll down and find “smc.version = “””. Once found, you are going to change it with the value below:

smc.version = "0"

Save the changes made to the new VM and exit the Notepad.

6- Install macOS Ventura on VMware

Let’s begin the installation of Ventura on VMware. Run VMware on your system, select macOS Ventura VM, and click on Power on this Virtual Machine.

The VMware will run the VM, and now you are at the installation stages. Select the Language of your macOS and click on Next.

Now select the Disk Utility and click on Continue.

In the next stage, you will select VMware Virtual SATA Hard Drive Media then click on Erase. You are going to fill in the following:

Name: macOS Ventura
Format: APFS
Scheme: GUID Partition Map

Once you have created your Disk, now you will close the Disk Utility.

Select Install macOS 13 and click on Continue. Again, select macOS Ventura, and soon popup will appear with a progress bar.

7- Install macOS Ventura on VMware

Soon the progress bar will be completed and you will be placed in the installation phases of macOS. Begin the installation by selecting your country in the Select Your Country and Region window and then click on Continue.

In Accessibility, you can change the options and make the macOS more personalized. Or you will click on Not now to keep the options as default.

For internet connection, you can either select the Ethernet option or My Computer does not connect to the internet option. Selecting the second option will pop up a warning. Ignore the warning the same we do with the terms and conditions.

Select Your Time Zone and select Continue.

In Data & Privacy, you will click on Continue.

Since we have created a new VM and performed a clean installation of macOS, then we will select the Not now in the Migration window.

Agree with the terms and conditions.

Create a new user, with a password for your macOS. Once the name and password are created, you will click on Continue.

Click on Continue in Make This your New Mac.

Users who are interesting in the time they spent on their system can set up the Screen time feature else click on Setup later.

Configure your Siri and click on Continue.

And at last, you will select a theme for your macOS then click on Continue.

So, that’s how you install macOS Ventura on VMware. If you got any further questions related, then comment down. If you got any errors after the installation, then you can scroll down and check the error sections. Users who didn’t find the answers to their macOS errors can contact us or comment in the comment section. This way, I would be able to help you and other users with the same error.

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Can’t use Ethernet connection on macOS Ventura on VMware?

There are some users who have selected ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi during or after the installation of macOS. After selecting the connection there is still no internet connection. Navigating through the options, they were asked to configure manually.

After configuring the ethernet connection to DHCP still they got the “I don’t have internet”. To fix the problem, you are going to open the folder where you have created your VM.

Here you will open macOS Ventura (VMware Virtual Machine Configuration) file with Notepad. Inside the notepad, you are going to scroll down and find ethernet0.virtualDev = “e1000e”.

Now replaced the ethernet0.virtualDev = “e1000e” with the command below:

ethernet0.virtualDev = “vmxnet3”

Fix the full-screen option of macOS Ventura on VMware

To fix the full-screen option, there are two different ways. You can either install VMware Tools on your VMware or manually do some changes. The VMware tool is an option for users who have installed VMware newly.

Users who have already installed VMware Tools will need to manually change some values. This method is also appliable for users after installing the VMware tool and still experiencing the full-screen issue.

Go to the folder where you have created your VM. Now select your macOS Ventura (VMware Virtual Machine Configuration) file. Open the file with Notepad and change the svga.present=”FALSE” to the command below: 

appleGPU0.present="TRUE"

This way, you will fix the full-screen error of macOS Ventura on VMware.

Related: How to Fix macOS Monterey Stuck Black Screen?

How to fix screen resolution error after the installation of macOS Ventura on VMware?

There is only one way to fix the screen resolution of macOS Ventura on VMware which is the VMware tool. Download VMware tools and perform the installation.

Now, you will run VMware > Removable Device > DV/DVD > Settings. Inside the System Settings, you are going to navigate through Privacy & Security and soon a pop-up will appear. Here you will click on Allow.

Inside the VMware, you will run VMware Tools. Perform the installation of VMware Tool. Once the installation got completed then you will restart your VMware. Run your VM of macOS Ventura and you have fixed the issue.