Virtual machine hardware versions
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Virtual machine hardware versions

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Article ID: 315655

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Updated On: 03-25-2025

Products

VMware Desktop Hypervisor VMware vCenter Server VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article details the process of determining if a virtual machine's hardware version is the most up to date for the VMware product in use. This resource also explains why a virtual machine created with one product may not power on from another product.

The information in this article may help to resolve any problems related to virtual machine's hardware version. 

For information specific to:

Symptoms:

  • A virtual machine fails to power on.
  • Some virtual machine operations are greyed out and unavailable.
  • Unexpected behavior in a guest operating system.
  • Guest OS may report backing storage as a hard disk as opposed to a solid state drive.
  • A virtual machine's EVC mode will reflect the highest supported by the vHW version.

Environment

VMware Fusion 1.0 VMware Fusion 13.0 / 13.5 VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0 VMware Workstation 12.0
VMware Fusion 2.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 3.0 VMware Workstation 1.0 VMware Workstation 13.0
VMware Fusion 3.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 3.5 VMware Workstation 2.0 VMware Workstation 14.0
VMware Fusion 4.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 4.0 VMware Workstation 3.0 VMware Workstation 15.0
VMware Fusion 5.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 4.1 VMware Workstation 4.0 VMware Workstation 16.0
VMware Fusion 6.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0 VMware Workstation 5.0 VMware Workstation 17.0
VMware Fusion 7.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1 VMware Workstation 6.0 VMware Workstation 17.5
VMware Fusion 8.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5 VMware Workstation 7.0  
VMware Fusion 9.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0 VMware Workstation 8.0  
VMware Fusion 10.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5 VMware Workstation 9.0  
VMware Fusion 11.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7 VMware Workstation 10.0  
VMware Fusion 12.0 VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0 VMware Workstation 11.0  

Resolution

VMware products and their virtual hardware version

This table lists VMware products and their virtual hardware version:
 

Virtual Hardware Version Products
21 ESXi 8.0 U2 (8.0.2)
Fusion 13.6
Workstation Pro 17.6
Workstation Player 17.6
20 ESXi 8.0
Fusion 13.x
Workstation Pro 17.x
Workstation Player 17.x
19 ESXi 7.0 U2 (7.0.2)
Fusion 12.2.x
Workstation Pro 16.2.x
Workstation Player 16.2.x
18 ESXi 7.0 U1 (7.0.1)
Fusion 12.x
Workstation Pro 16.x
Workstation Player 16.x
17 ESXi 7.0  (7.0.0)
16 Fusion 11.x
Workstation Pro 15.x
Workstation Player 15.x
15 ESXi 6.7 U2
14 ESXi 6.7
Fusion 10.x
Workstation Pro 14.x
Workstation Player 14.x
13 ESXi 6.5
12 Fusion 8.x
Workstation Pro 12.x
Workstation Player 12.x
11 ESXi 6.0
Fusion 7.x
Workstation 11.x
Player 7.x
10 ESXi 5.5
Fusion 6.x
Workstation 10.x
Player 6.x
9 ESXi 5.1
Fusion 5.x
Workstation 9.x
Player 5.x
8 ESXi 5.0
Fusion 4.x
Workstation 8.x
Player 4.x
7 ESXi/ESX 4.x
Fusion 3.x
Fusion 2.x
Workstation 7.x
Workstation 6.5.x
Player 3.x
Server 2.x
6 Workstation 6.0.x
4 ESX 3.x
ACE 2.x
Fusion 1.x
Player 2.x
3 and 4 ACE 1.x
Lab Manager 2.x
Player 1.x
Server 1.x
Workstation 5.x
Workstation 4.x
3 ESX 2.x
GSX Server 3.x

 

Virtual Hardware Version Considerations

  • Warning: Upgrading a VM's HW version is not recommended unless features in the new version are needed. Upgrading a Virtual Machine to the latest hardware version is the physical equivalent of swapping the drive out of one system and placing it into a new one. Its success will depend on the resiliency of the guest operating system in the face of hardware changes. For more information, see Upgrading a virtual machine to the latest hardware version (multiple versions) (1010675).

  • A VMware product cannot power on a virtual machine with a virtual hardware version that is higher than what it supports.
    • Note: If a virtual machine is created on a VMware product that supports a given virtual hardware version and is then migrated to a VMware product that does not support this level of virtual hardware, it does not power on. Consult the chart above. Virtual machines created by VMware products and versions located higher up in the chart cannot be powered on by products lower on the chart.

  • A VMware product can power on a virtual machine with a virtual hardware version that is lower than what it supports, but functionality may be lost. Lost functionality results in menu items related to virtual machine operations being grayed out and unavailable.

  • Virtual machines cannot be vmotioned to ESXi versions which do not support their vHW version.

  • In some cases vCenter will not be able to properly manage a virtual machine with a vHW version above what existed when it was released. For example, to create, run, and manage hardware version 15 VMs, both the ESXi hosts in the cluster and vCenter need to be upgraded to at least 6.7u2.
     
  • A virtual machine's hardware version can be downgraded only by Workstation 6.x or later, Converter 3.x or later, and Fusion 2.x or later.
     
  • Any VMware product in the chart above, with the exception of VMware Player, is able to upgrade the version of a virtual machine's hardware to the highest version that it supports.

 

Upgrading the virtual hardware

To upgrade the virtual hardware:

  1. Power on the virtual machine.
  2. Install VMware Tools.
  3. Power off the virtual machine.
  4. Change the hardware setting:

    In Workstation 8, navigate to VM > Manage > Change Hardware Compatibility.

    In ESXi/ESX, Server, Lab Manager, or GSX, depending on the version in use, right-click the entry for the virtual machine, then select:
     
    • Upgrade or Change Version
    • Upgrade Virtual Machine
       
  5. In VMware Player, open the virtual machine's .vmx file using a text editor.

    For more information on editing, see Editing the .vmx file of a VMware Workstation and VMware Player Virtual machine(2057902).

     
  6. Locate the entry virtualHW.version = "8".
  7. Change the above entry to:

    virtualHW.version = "11"
     
  8. Save and close the .vmx file.

    Note: Changes made to the .vmx file do not take effect until the next time VMware Workstation or VMware Player is opened.

Additional Information

Reactivation of a Windows guest operating system is not needed after upgrading the virtual hardware version. Update the VMware Tools version on the virtual machine for better performance, if prompted.

For information about features in each virtual hardware version, see Hardware Features Available with Virtual Machine Compatibility Settings.

For information on virtual hardware versions and limitations, see Virtual machine memory limits and hardware versions (1014006).

Virtual machine hardware version compatibility for Fusion (1022060)

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