old virtual machine lost due to change to macbook with m1:how can i get it back on my current system

[tresbar]

Hi there, 

i don´t use fusion often, but if i need to it is because i have an old windows based program i only have installed on that virtual machine. 

After i got my new macbook pro with m1 chip and wanted to use fusion again it didn´t start and i got the notification, that version 12 is not compatible with the m1 processor. Bummer..

Unfortunately i have no backups of that virtual windows machine. what i have though is the current installation on my macbook , which does not start. 

My idea is now: 

I backup the folder of the virtual machine of version 12, install fusion version 13, and after installing it i retrieve my  installation of the old virtual machine. Alas, i have no idea if that works and would be very thankful for any hints: 

a) whether that will work or not and if it that is possible

b) how i manage to get my old virtual machine running on my current macbook. 

Again i didn´t have to to any kind of this for a long time right now am a bit helpless. 

Thanks in advance for your effort !

[RDPetruska]

The issue is not that version 12 will not run on your new Macbook, it is that the CPU in the new Macbook is not compatible with the Operating System in the old virtual machine.  So to answer your question b - NO, it will not work.

[Technogeezer]

Extending what @RDPetruska has said:

The version of Windows that can run on M1/M2/M3 Macs (under VMware Fusion or Parallels) is Windows 11 ARM. That's the only version compatible with the CPU chips that power new Macs. All other versions of Windows (that means both Windows client and Windows Server) that are built for an Intel PC or server can not be virtualized on Fusion (or Parallels) . 

As I see it your options are:

• Run that old Windows VM on an Intel Mac or a Intel/AMD PC
• See if that old Windows application can run on Windows 11 ARM using Microsoft's Rosetta-like translation system for applications compiled on Intel PCs. You'll need to grab the installer for that old application and see if it'll install and run.
• Convert that Fusion VM to run under UTM, which can emulate an Intel CPU. Note that the performance will not be good. That's not an easy process,