Each step below provides instructions and a link to a document, for performing the step and taking corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and to identify the proper resolution. They are also ordered in the most appropriate sequence to minimize data loss. After completing each step, restart the virtual machine and see if it is more responsive and using less of the CPU. Work through each troubleshooting step in order, and do not skip a step.
To troubleshoot a Fusion virtual machine that uses 100% of the guest CPU:
- Look for any applications / processes that are either using 100% of the CPU or that push the total CPU usage to 100% when combined with the other running applications and processes. For more information, see Investigating operating system CPU usage (1004016).
Note: Any services that have a high CPU usage might cause this issue. If possible, disable these services. A web search for the name of the process usually helps you to identify the application to which it belongs. You can stop that application from automatically starting up or you can uninstall it.
- Make sure that you have allocated enough resources from your Mac to your virtual machine. If you have allocated less RAM than the virtual machine's operating system and its applications need, then the virtual machine frequently writes the contents of its RAM to the disk. This operation can have a significant impact on your virtual machine's performance. For more information, see Investigating virtual machine resources in VMware Fusion (1022213).
- Make sure that AutoProtect is turned off. As part of its process, AutoProtect writes the contents of your virtual machine's RAM to the disk.
To turn off AutoProtect:
In Fusion 10.x:
- In the Fusion menu bar, go to Virtual Machine > Snapshots
- Ensure that the AutoProtect check box is unchecked.
In Fusion 4.x, and above:
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- In the Fusion menu bar, go to Virtual Machine > Snapshots.
- Ensure that the AutoProtect switch is set to OFF.
In Fusion 2.x and 3.x:
- In the Fusion menu bar, go to Virtual Machine > Settings.
- Click AutoProtect.Deselect Enable AutoProtect.
For more information, see these topics in the Fusion help:
- Using Snapshots and AutoProtect
- Set Up Automatic Snapshots with AutoProtect
- Make sure you do not have any USB devices connected to your virtual machine. For more information, see Working with printers, disks, and other devices in VMware Fusion (1014523).
- Reboot your Mac.
If the issue continues to exist after trying the steps in this article: