License

[TECH198]

Will the Tech Preview 2023 expire ?

I left supplied key and its valid.. and confirmed it exist in correct path /Library/Preferences/VMWare, as showed, but i got message today it will expire in "5 days"

Can this be ignored??

[Technogeezer · Accepted solution]

VMware has in the past put embedded license keys in the Tech Preview that expire.  It would not surprise me if they did the same for this one.

I believe the thought is that "well we'll put a temp key for just long enough to cover the time we want to run the public beta, which should be about the time we release the real software". They don't want public beta use to go on forever.

VMware has also in the past not released the real software by the time the public beta key expires. They've had to re-spin the public beta with a new key that extends the beta period. That might be the case here.

I'm not seeing this message, but in full disclosure, I installed the Tech Preview over the top of my existing Fusion 13 Pro installation. I believe that my existing Fusion 13 Pro license key is being used instead of the one bundled with the TP installer. If that's so, that's probably a workaround - install a Fusion 13 key and it'll keep working - but.... if you install a Fusion 13 Player key, (even the personal use key) that may restrict the functionality you'll get in the TP to Fusion Player and not Pro.

@Mikero (Fusion product manager) are we in danger of everyone's 2023 Tech Preview suddenly turning into a pumpkin in about 5 days' time?

[TECH198]

ok.. well this is a clean install of TP,, not an upgrade of public VMWare fusion 13, because I clean installed of Mac partition, so i gathered rather than installing Fusion 13, which i'll never use now, i'll just install TP and be ok with that.. Using Fusion 13 key seems ok now..

[Technogeezer · Accepted solution]

So as an experiment, I uninstalled my copy of the 2023 TP, removed the licensing file, and reinstalled the TP.

The license key file was re-initialized.

When starting a VM under the TP, it displayed the notification that the license will expire in 5 days. And if I go the the menu bar and click VMware Fusion -> Buy now or enter license..., I get the following:

So I entered my Fusion 13 Pro license and restarted Fusion. The TP no longer displays the license expiration warning when I start a VM. And the menu bar has changed to VMware Fusion -> License... - and the dialog now displays my license instead of a nag to enter a new license or purchase another one.

Looks like the workaround of using a Fusion 13 license key will keep the lights on until either VMware re-spins the TP with a new key, or they release the real product. I would put my money on the former - but I hope I'm wrong and they release the new Fusion right after Apple releases Sonoma tomorrow 09-26.

[TECH198]

Ya, i got license invalid when i clean installed TP today, and to purchase new key etc...... so i think i'll just use existing 13 key from now on.

[DeeannHolland]

Thank you for giving us your time, I appreciate you for helping me out as well.