Choose the exact version matching your installer image (e.g., macOS 13 or macOS 14).
Ensure you select the virtual optical drive within the running macOS guest environment, mount the darwin.iso file provided by the patch utility, and run the VMware Tools package installer.
: If you have an AMD processor, running macOS requires specific CPUID modifications (as noted above) to prevent crashing on boot.
The tool stops all active VMware background daemons (such as vmware-authd , VMware NAT Service , and VMware USB Arbitration Service ) to release file locks. vmware unlocker workstation 17 pro
Before proceeding, close all running VMware applications, background services, and virtual machines to prevent file-lock errors. Step 1: Download and Extract the Unlocker
The Unlocker works by:
Always download the Unlocker from official sources (GitHub), verify checksums when possible, and keep backups of your important virtual machine files. Choose the exact version matching your installer image (e
: Add "Apple macOS" as a guest operating system option during virtual machine creation. Patch the Virtual SMC
The is a third-party patching utility designed to bypass software-level restrictions that prevent macOS from running on non-Apple hardware. While VMware Workstation 17 Pro natively supports over 200 operating systems, including various versions of Windows and Linux, it restricts Apple macOS guests to users running VMware on physical Apple hardware. What is the VMware Unlocker?
Note: As of November 2024, VMware Workstation Pro is free for both personal and commercial use. What Does the Unlocker Do? The tool stops all active VMware background daemons
: Be aware that using VMware Unlocker may void your warranty and could potentially introduce security risks. Use at your own discretion.
Open the Windows app ( services.msc ), locate the VMware services, right-click them, and select Stop . Step 3: Extract and Run the Patch
Before using the unlocker, ensure your host hardware and software meet the baseline requirements for running a macOS virtual machine. Hardware Prerequisites
After patching, creating a macOS VM requires a few more tweaks:
Originally created by a developer known as Zenith432 and later maintained by DrDonk and the paolo-projects team, the unlocker works by tricking VMware into thinking it is running on Apple hardware (or by removing the explicit block that prevents OS X/macOS from booting).