Using Workarounds to Share Folders between a Mac Host and a Windows VM in VMware Fusion

Are you looking for ways to share folders between your Mac host and a Windows VM running on VMware Fusion? While the VMware Tools included with Fusion 13 for Windows 11 ARM do not currently support Fusion's Shared Folders functionality, there are several workarounds that can help you achieve this.

One of the most promising workarounds is to keep an eye out for an announcement on the Fusion forum regarding the release of VMware Tools for Windows 11 ARM. Rumors suggest that such a release may be imminent, possibly as early as summer this year. Once released, these tools are expected to enable shared folders functionality between your Mac host and Windows VM.

In the meantime, you can consider building a Windows 11 ARM VM on your M1 or M2 Mac with Fusion 13. Although the current version of VMware Tools may not support shared folders, it's worth noting that past experience suggests that existing VMs will continue to work in future releases of Fusion. Furthermore, Parallels provides in-guest tools that support copy/paste/drag/drop and shared folders, which could be a viable alternative for those who require these features.

However, the lack of copy/paste may still be an issue for some users. In this case, you may need to rely on workarounds or consider using Parallels instead of VMware Fusion. It's also worth noting that Microsoft does not release Windows 11 ARM ISOs for consumer download, so you'll need to add it manually during the installation process.

While installing a Windows VM can be a bit more complex than using an 'easy install' option like Fusion or Parallels, the process is relatively straightforward if you follow the steps for installing Windows from an ISO. Once installed, your Windows 11 ARM VM will run smoothly on VMware Fusion, with full support available today for M1 and M2 Macs.

In summary, while there are currently no built-in shared folders capabilities between a Mac host and a Windows VM running on VMware Fusion 13 for Windows 11 ARM, several workarounds can help you achieve this. Keep an eye out for announcements regarding the release of VMware Tools for Windows 11 ARM, consider building a Windows 11 ARM VM, and explore alternatives like Parallels if needed.

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