You can install or upgrade VMware Tools on a macOS virtual machine using an installer assistant.

For macOS VMs, the VMware Tools contains the following two kernel extension modules that are vital for certain features when running on Fusion:
  • com.vmware.kext.vmhgfs: For hgfs or shared folder support
  • com.vmware.kext.VMwareGfx: For VMware video driver
Note: macOS Big Sur onwards, Apple has deprecated support for KEXT kernel extension modules. The KEXT modules are not loaded automatically when you install the VMware tools. If you want to use the features associated with the kernel extension modules, ensure that you manually allow the loading of VMware kernel extension modules when prompted with an option.

Prerequisites

  • Power on the virtual machine.
  • Verify that the guest operating system is running.

Procedure

  1. On the host, from the VMware Fusion menu bar, select Virtual Machine > Install VMware Tools.
    If an earlier version of VMware Tools is installed, the menu item is Update VMware Tools.
    If the VMware Tools ISO file for the guest operating system is not available with the product, you get a pop-up with a link to download the VMware Tools ISO file.
  2. On the Connect VMware Tools installer CD pop-up, click Install
  3. On the VMware Tools dialog box, click Install VMware Tools.
    1. On the Welcome to the VMware Tools Installer page, click Continue.
    2. Select Standard Install on 'Macintosh HD', and then click Install.
    If this is a first-time installation on macOS Big Sur or later, a System Extension Blocked pop-up will appear for each .kext in the VMware Tools release.
  4. If you do not want to load the kernel extension modules, click OK.
    Note: If you do not load the kernel extension modules, the features associated with the kernel extension modules will not work.
  5. If you want to load the kernel extension modules, perform the following steps.
    1. Click Open Security Preference.
    2. Unlock the Security & Privacy user interface.
    3. For the System software from developer 'VMware, Inc.' was blocked from loading option, click Allow.
    4. For the restart prompt, click Not now.
    5. Re-lock the Security & Privacy user interface.
    6. Close the Security & Privacy window.
      The VMware Tools installation completes successfully.
  6. Click Restart to reboot the system with the KEXT modules loaded.
  7. Optionally, to verify that the VMware KEXT modules are loaded, log in and run the following command: 
    sudo kextstat --list-only | grep -i vmware