How to Install Windows 7 on VMware Fusion in macOS / Mac

Have you ever wanted to run Windows 7 on a virtual machine using VMware Fusion 12 Pro on your MacOS-based Mac computer? In this article, I will walk you through the procedure of installing Windows 7 on a virtual machine. Moreover, I will show you how to create a new VM, configure virtual hardware settings, and optimize the installation for the best performance.

Whether you want to explore Microsoft’s legacy operating systems or create a secure and isolated environment to run Windows 7, it doesn’t matter! Get Win7 up and running on your Mac with our professional guide!

How to Set Up Windows 7 on a Virtual Machine on Mac / macOS using VMware Fusion 12 Pro

Windows 7 has made a significant impact on users over the years. Microsoft released it on October 22, 2009, and was ambitious in terms of performance and security compared to earlier systems.

With the increase of emerging system vulnerabilities and malicious software, Microsoft always offered new updates to keep its users safe. However, it ended the Windows 7 version on January 14, 2020, as it started developing Windows 8x versions.

Users who still use Windows 7 on their physical computers should update their systems to newer versions for safer computing.

Users who are curious about Microsoft’s old versions or want to experience nostalgia can run Windows 7 on virtual machines. Thus, they can achieve a more secure experience by isolating the VM’s Internet connection and its connection to the host.

Suppose you have an Apple Mac computer, and you plan to use this system in a VM. In that case, you can use the VMware Fusion virtualization program. Any operations you do on a Windows operating system that you run in a virtual machine on your Mac will not affect your host system.

When you want to experience old versions of Windows or Linux, you can run them on virtual machines and delete them whenever you want with peace of mind.

You can also prefer the Boot Camp software, an integrated feature of the macOS operating system, to install Windows 7. However, when you want to switch to a system you have installed with Boot Camp, you will always have to restart your system.

We recommend using VMware Fusion software, which makes it easy for you to run a virtual operating system in a VM without rebooting.

How to Create a New VM for Windows 7

Once you’ve installed VMware Fusion on your Mac, you have the convenient option of simply dragging and dropping the ISO file directly onto the program. In short, this allows you to set up a virtual computer swiftly without any hassle.

Step 1

After running Fusion Pro, select Create a custom virtual machine in the installation method selection window, and then click the Continue button.

Step 2

In the operating system selection window, you need to select the platform and version of the virtual operating system you will run on macOS. If you are going to run the x64 architecture of Windows 7, choose Microsoft Windows / Windows 7 x64 and click Continue.

Step 3

Configure the virtual computer’s firmware type as Legacy BIOS and continue.

Step 4

Suppose you have a disk of a virtual operating system that you have installed before in the virtual disk selection window. In that case, you can add it with the Add an existing disk option. You can also make or create a new virtual disk and continue to install Windows 7 from scratch.

Step 5

In the summary window showing your virtual machine’s installation details, click “Customize Settings” to make detailed changes to the hardware settings. When you’re done, click “Save” to confirm where to install the VM.

Step 6

Click Processors & Memory in the settings of the Windows 7 guest machine and increase the number of virtual processors depending on the hardware performance of your host computer. Also, configure the virtual memory size in accordance with the RAM capacity of your host so that it does not force your system.

In addition, if you are going to use hypervisor virtualization software on your virtual computer, tick the Enable Hypervisor applications option. You can also tick IOMMU for a better system experience by converting virtual memory addresses to physical addresses in the VM.

Step 7

In Network Adapter hardware settings, select Ethernet to connect your VM to your host’s local network. When you choose Ethernet, your virtual PC will get an IP over the local DHCP server. This way, you will be able to see your VM as an additional computer on your local network.

Step 8

The bus type of the virtual disk of the Windows 7 guest machine is SCSI by default. You can choose to use the SCSI or SATA bus type according to your purposes. If you are going to use SATA, you can select SATA instead of SCSI in the pop-up window from the Bus Type section and click the Apply button.

Step 9

You must attach the ISO image to the Windows 7 machine. Thus, you can select the CD/DVD (SATA) device and then choose the option to select a disc image from the ensuing pop-up window.

Step 10

To continue, download Windows 7 x64 Ultimate ISO from the list in the article below. Immediately afterward, find the image you saved on your computer and then click the “Open” button.

Step 11

To use USB 3.0/3.1 devices in the virtual machine, open the USB & Bluetooth settings, click Advanced USB Options, and change the USB Compatibility value to USB 3.1.

Step 12

If you are not going to use a printer on your Windows 7 machine, click the Printer device and then click Remove Printer Port / Remove.

Step 13

To improve system performance in the advanced settings of the virtual machine, change the Troubleshooting property to None and disable Side Channel Mitigations.

Step 14

Run the virtual computer that you prepared to start the Windows 7 installation.

How to Install Windows 7 on the macOS PC

After you create a virtual machine with Fusion on your Mac computer, run it, and open the Windows wizard, you can continue as if you were installing it on a physical PC.

Step 1

Select your system language, keyboard layout, and time format in the Windows 7 setup wizard and click Next.

Step 2

In this window, you can repair your system or click the Install Now button to start the Windows installation.

Step 3

Continue after reading and accepting the license terms of the Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1 operating system.

Step 4

In the installation type selection window, click Custom, as you will perform a clean system installation.

Step 5

You need to edit the virtual disk for installation, so click Drive Options.

Step 6

Click New to configure the unallocated disk space on the guest machine, and then click the Apply button to confirm the automatically determined disk size. Click OK in the window informing you that additional fields will be created for Windows features to work correctly.

Step 7

After partitioning the virtual disk, select the Primary partition and click Next.

Step 8

Wait while expanding Windows files for installation. At this stage, your virtual system may restart several times, so do not shut down your system.

Step 9

Type a different user and computer name to distinguish your guest machine from other computers in your local network.

Step 10

If you do not want unwanted users to access your virtual system, create a solid and memorable password.

Step 11

Type your Windows 7 x64 Ultimate product key and continue. If you do not have a product key, leave the relevant field blank and click Next.

Step 12

If you want to install important and recommended updates automatically, click on Use Recommended Settings.

Step 13

Configure the time zone according to where you live and click Next after checking the system time.

Step 14

Configure the current location of the guest machine as a Home, Work, or Public network.

Step 15

Wait while the wizard configures your Windows 7 desktop environment and necessary system settings.

Step 16

After installation, the Windows 7 desktop screen will be in the default view as below.

How to Install VMware Tools in macOS Windows 7 VM

After installing Windows 7 with VMware Fusion on macOS, you need to install VMware Tools in order to use the virtual computer with better performance or to transfer files between the host and the VM.

However, when you try to install the latest version of VMware Tools on the Win7 guest machine you installed with Fusion 12 Pro, you will get the following errors, and the installation will not be complete. So, you can fix these problems by installing version 11 of VM Tools.

• Setup failed to install the Memory Control driver automatically. This driver will have to be installed manually.
• Setup failed to install the VSock Virtual Machine Communication Interface Sockets driver automatically. This driver will have to be installed manually.
• Setup failed to install the Host-Guest Shared Folders driver automatically. This driver will have to be installed manually.

Step 1

Click on https://packages.vmware.com/tools/releases/11.0.0/windows/VMware-tools-windows-11.0.0-14549434.iso to download VMware Tools 11. Then, click Virtual Machine / CD/DVD (SATA) / Choose Disc or Disc Image in the tool menu to add the downloaded ISO file to the virtual machine.

Step 2

Select the VMware-tools-windows-11.0.0-14549434.iso file and click Open.

Step 3

If the installation wizard doesn’t start automatically, you can open the VMware Tools image file yourself. If so, go to My Computer and double-click on it.

Step 4

Click Next to continue using the VMware Tools setup wizard.

Step 5

If you plan to use your Windows 7 virtual computer in other VMware products in the future, select Complete and click Next.

Step 6

If we have any changes to make, you can go back or click the Install button to start the installation.

Step 7

After installing VMware Tools on Windows 7, do not restart your virtual system and close your virtual system entirely from the Start menu.

Step 8

When you restart your virtual computer after installing the old version of VM Tools, the Fusion software will try to install your virtual system’s tools automatically. Therefore, you need to edit the VMX file of the guest operating system to configure the automatic update process manually.

If you have installed your VM in the default location, click Home / Virtual Machines in the Finder and right-click / Show Package Contents on the guest machine.

You can see multiple virtual disk files and configuration files in the guest machine’s content. Right-click / Open With / TextEdit on the Windows 7 x64.vmx file.

Step 9

When you open the Windows 7 x64.vmx file, you can see that the “tools.upgrade.policy” value is “upgradeAtPowerCycle.” If you do not change this option, the Fusion software will automatically update VMware Tools when you start your virtual system.

Step 10

Change the “tools.upgrade.policy” value to manual in the VMX file and close the text editor. Then, run your virtual computer and check the status of the VM Tools update wizard.

Step 11

After successfully installing VMware Tools, you can transfer files between your Mac and guest machine by drag and drop.

Step 12

You can also click View / Full Screen to use the virtual machine in full-screen resolution.

How to Install USB 3.0/3.1 Driver

You can send files faster using your USB 3.0/3.1 devices in a Windows 7 VM. If you switch the USB compatibility to 3.1 in the Virtual PC’s USB & Bluetooth settings, you’ll need to install the USB drivers.

Step 1

After downloading the USB 3.0/3.1 drivers for Windows 7 x64 from the table at the bottom of the article to your computer, right-click My Computer and click Manage.

In Computer Management, click Device Manager. Look under Other Devices for Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller. If you see it there, it means the drivers aren’t installed automatically.

Double-click the USB device and click the Update Driver button from the pop-up window. In the Update Driver Software window, click Browse my computer for driver software.

Step 2

To specify the location of the USB driver folder, click Browse, select the USB 3.0 Driver folder, and click OK.

Step 3

After clicking Next to install the USB drivers from the specified location, you can see the Intel(R) USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller installed successfully.

Step 4

In Device Manager, an Unknown Device appears because the USB Root Hub driver is not installed. To install the Root Hub driver, select the USB 3.0 Root Hub in the folder and click OK.

Step 5

After installing the Root Hub driver, you can start using your USB 3.0/3.1 devices on the Windows 7 guest machine.

How to Use USB Flash Memory

You may want to consider transferring files on your Mac using a USB 3.0-supported flash drive in your Windows 7 virtual system.

Step 1

After enabling USB 3.0/3.1 support, plug your flash disk into your Mac. When the Fusion program asks you where you want to connect your USB stick, connect it to your Mac first.

Step 2

Before you can use your USB device on macOS, you need to change the file format. After opening Disk Utility, right-click on your device and then click Erase.

Step 3

Click the Erase button again to format your USB 3.0 flash memory with ExFAT file format.

Step 4

On your Mac, create a new folder called Backup on your flash drive.

Step 5

Click Virtual Machine / USB & Bluetooth / Connect (Name of Your USB) in the tool menu to connect your USB stick to the guest machine.

Step 6

You can now use your USB 3.0 flash disk on your Windows 7 machine without any problems.

How to Configure the Shared Folder in Windows 7

You can also use Shared Folders to transfer files between your Mac and your virtual machine. With this feature, you can share a folder you choose or create between your computer and the virtual machine.

Step 1

After opening the Windows 7 guest machine settings, click Sharing.

Step 2

Enable Shared Folders and then click the + button. After selecting the relevant option, you can see that you have created the VMware Shared Folders shortcut on your virtual system desktop.

Step 3

Create a folder named Win7VM on the desktop location of your macOS system.

Step 4

Create a new folder in the Win7VM folder and check that you can access that folder on a Mac and guest machine.

How to Check Internet Connection in macOS Windows 7 Guest PC

After installing a Windows or Linux operating system in the virtual machine, it is helpful to check that your network connection is OK. Therefore, on Windows guest machines, you can test your connection by pinging any Internet site using the CMD command prompt.

Step 1

After pressing the Windows Key + R, execute the cmd command in the Run window. Test your connection by pinging the Google homepage using the ping 8.8.8.8 command at the command prompt.

Step 2

Also, check your connection by visiting Google using Internet Explorer or another web browser.

How to Connect to a Guest Machine from a Mac using Microsoft Remote Desktop

You can manage your work over LAN or WAN by making a remote desktop connection from your macOS computer to the VM. On Mac systems, you can configure remote connections using the Microsoft Remote Desktop application.

Step 1

After downloading the Microsoft Remote Desktop software from the App Store, double-click the setup file.

Step 2

Read and accept the license terms of the remote desktop application.

Step 3

In the window that states that the program will use 145 MB of disk space on your virtual computer, click Install to start the installation.

Step 4

To continue the installation, type your user account password and click Install Software.

Step 5

After installing the Microsoft Remote Desktop program on your macOS system, close the wizard.

Step 6

Open Applications in Finder and find and run Microsoft Remote Desktop.

Step 7

After running the program, allow access to your computer’s camera and microphone device for remote connections.

Step 8

Open Computer Management on your Windows 7 machine and click Local Users and Groups / Users, then right-click / Set Password on User from the listed user accounts.

Click the Proceed button in the warning window that informs you to log in to your system with the password you created in the next session.

Step 9

In the password creation window, type the same password in both text boxes and click OK.

Step 10

To enable remote connections in Windows 7, go to My Computer, click on Properties, then choose Remote Settings. Select the option that allows connections from any version of Remote Desktop, and click OK.

Step 11

Click the Add PC button in the Remote Desktop application.

Step 12

Type the IP address of your virtual computer in the PC name field, view the options in the User Account section, and click Add User Account.

Step 13

Type your Windows 7 system login credentials and click the Add button.

Step 14

Right-click / Connect on the virtual system you have added to the Remote Desktop application. Click Continue when you receive a certificate error while connecting to the remote machine.

Step 15

After establishing a remote connection from your Mac to the Windows 7 VM, you can continue with your work.

Video

Download Windows 7 and USB Drivers

Conclusion

As a result, you have seen that you can quickly run Windows 7 systems in a virtual machine using VMware Fusion 12 Pro. You can prepare a safe and isolated environment to explore Microsoft’s legacy operating systems.

You can quickly create a Windows 7 VM with the details I summarized and explained in this guide. At the same time, you can easily install and optimize this system so that you can experience it with ease. In summary, you can use this system that you plan to use for nostalgia purposes with Fusion virtualization.

This software offers you a convenient and effective solution to run it without affecting your central system. My last word is to embrace the power of virtualization and enjoy seamless experiences on different platforms!