How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

In this article, I’m going to show you how to install VMware tools on macOS High Sierra to fix screen resolution and other problems. If you have tried to install macOS High Sierra, the old version of Mac Operating System on your Windows PC on VMware or VirtualBox. You have seen this issue that you can’t use the operating system in a full-screen mode. So you need to install VMware tools to prevent this problem.

Related Post:

Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

I’m not going to waste your time, so let’s start the process. Make sure you guys read the article deeply to prevent any problem. If you again faced any issue, just put a comment down below this post. We will answer it as soon as possible.

Step #1. Download the patch tool for macOS High Sierra.

Note: The VM Tool iso file is in the Tools folder in Patch tool.

Step #2. First, you need to power on the macOS High Sierra VM that you want to install VMware tools on it. Now, Right Click on macOS High Sierra tab then click on Removable Devices > CD/DVD (SATA) > Settings.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

VirtualBox Settings

Step #3. Browse for the VMware Tools you downloaded in step #1. Navigate to Tools>Patch Tool and choose VMware Tools.iso.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Browse VMware Tools

Step #4. Once you have chosen the VMware tools.iso, then click OK.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Choose VMware Tools

Step #5. The VMware tools will automatically appear on your desktop. You have to click on Install VMware tools.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Click Install VMware Tools

Step #6. On the welcome to VMware tools Installer page, click Continue.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Welcome to the VMware Tools Installer

Step #7. Click on the Install button to continue.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Standard Install

Step #8. Now, you will see a warning message and don’t worry about that, click Continue Installation.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Install VMware Tools

Step #9. Type your username plus password and click Install Software.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Enter your Username and Password

Step #10. Once the installation is successfully done, click the Restart button.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

The Installation is Completed Successfully

Step #11. Just Set back and relax. Here it’s finished.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

Restart your Virtual Machine

VMware Tools Did not work out & Screen Resolution is not Fixed

If the screen resolution is not fixed and you have the same problem. Just follow up the below steps. When the VMware tools did work for you. You might see the error below in the shot.

How to Install VMware Tools on macOS High Sierra

System Extension is Blocked

Step #1. Open up System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy.

Step #2. The system developer blocks the VMware tools. From the General section click Allow button to continue the process.

Security & Privacy

Step #3. Now, you have to Restart your machine.

Step #4. Once you restarted your machine, enter your username and password click Enter.

Summary

To fix screen resolution on macOS High Sierra on VMware what you need to install VMware Tools. To install VMware tools, download VMware tools and browse it to your macOS High Sierra virtual machine. VMware tools appear on your desktop and click on Install VMware tools. Click Continue for a couple of times and restart your device. That’s all how you can install VMware tools on macOS High Sierra to fix screen resolution and graphics issues. If you have any other question feel to hit a comment down below this post.

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Mukhtar Jafari is the founder and CEO of wikigain.com. He is CISCO CCENT & CCNA Certified and has got his diploma in IT Networking from North Metro TAFE PERTH. He is currently working as a Help Desk Technician at DEEPTECH Perth Western Australia. In addition, he loves helping other tech enthusiasts so he is working part-time on wikigain.com. He shares his experience through this website for IT beginners.

45 Comments

  1. blankThapelo Mokoena Reply

    Hi everyone
    I have installed MacOs high sierra on vmware workstation 15 and I have a problem installing vmware tools so I can share my windows folders.
    The problem is that it when I click on install “install VMware Tools” it doesn’t do anything and I have done all the necessary steps

  2. blankheythem Reply

    I’ll share the result of more than try with MAC Os X and vmware tools. if you removed your vmware tools after the install it won’t work again correctly it’ll be corrupted actually “the display + full screen and shared folders” to be specific
    2- if you clicked on view–> fit guest now from Vmware software the screen display won’t work like it was and the “fit guest option will disappear. I don’t have any fix for these issues

  3. blankYAG Reply

    For those whose screen resolution automatically returns to HDPI.
    You need to configure the VM, select a monitor and check the box opposite Specify Monitor Settings

  4. blankhugo Reply

    thank you for this post.. works not for the display resolution.. There is no aduio, do you have a fix for that? It can see the devices and I have chose different ones and rebooted; but no joy. I have an el capitain one that has sound. running workstation 14

  5. blankhugo Reply

    thank you for thise post. the only issue I have now is no sound. The vm sees the audio devices but no joy.

  6. blankDavid Reply

    I do not know if at some point I worked the configuration that indicated each comment or if it was enough with the post since I could not have the full resolution, however, after trying everything I decided to check the vmware options, surprise … is what I changed “view / autosize / autofit guest” with “autofit window”, nothing of restarts, maybe it will help someone.

    Tested on VMware® Workstation 14 Pro

    PD: If something is wrong written, sorry, the translator is at fault: v

  7. blankFrank Reply

    Can confirm that VMware Player 14 works – but a few changes have to be made:
    1. The link to the patch tool in this article (as well as in the “install High Sierra” article) is outdated, unlocker 208 does not work with player 14. You will need unlocker 2.1, f.e. from here:
    https://github.com/DrDonk/unlocker

    2. You can install VMware Tools, but it has no effect. The very last step after reboot is: Open the terminal in macOS and paste:
    sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled

    After reboot the display switched from 1024×768 to my native 2560×1440

  8. blankNic Reply

    Hi All,
    Running VMWARE Player 12.5.9 build-7535481
    MacOS High Sierra 10.13.4
    Installed VM Tool 10.2.0

    Yet I still cannot change the screen resolution, if I select Display Preference then select Scaled I have 2 choices 3840×2160 or 1920×1080 everytime I select 1920×1080 it just reverts back to 3840×2160 with no change to the screen

    Any advice would be great

    Thanks

      1. blankNic

        Thanks I have tried this and still MacOS is stuck on 384×2160 resolution.

        If I reduce the resolution in my windows setting to 1920×1080 then all is OK

        This issue only occurred when I updated VMWare player from 12.5.7 to 12.5.9 hence the reason I installed the latest 10.2.0 version of VM Tools

        Any other clues?
        Thanks

      2. blankNic

        Having uninstalled and reinstalled different VM Tools versions I only get the following display resolution options with macOS 1920×1080 or 960×540 (HiDPI) and only 1920×1080 is selectable?? Seem to have lost 3840×2160 and no matter how many restarts just will not come back even though windows is running this resolution?
        Please help, pulling my hair out here 🙂

    1. blankJørgen Mølbach Reply

      I had the same issues, and what helped me, was to turn off the setting called “Automatically adjust user interface size in the virtual machine” under VM Options->Hardware->Display. Reboot VM.

  9. blankAndrey Medvedev Reply

    Can’t move to fullscreen even after installing tools and executing above commands. But all daemons i thinks works..
    ps -ax | grep .vm.
    86 ?? 0:00.62 /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools/vmware-tools-daemon –name vmsvc –common-path /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools/Plugins/Common –plugin-path /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools/Plugins/System
    352 ?? 0:00.39 /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools/vmware-tools-daemon –name vmusr –common-path /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools/Plugins/Common –plugin-path /Library/Application Support/VMware Tools/Plugins/User
    410 ttys000 0:00.01 grep .vm.

  10. blankWD Reply

    First, thanks to Wikigain for this page!

    I have a different problem than others have reported. I’m running macOS 10.13.1 and I can get VMware tools installed, but I can’t change resolutions in Display Preferences. I can go full screen, things like clipboard sharing and Shared Folders work, but when I go to Display Perferences, under Resolution “Default for display is selected” and if I select Scaled, 1024×768 is the only resolution available. I tried the Terminal command, sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool false but it didn’t make a difference.

    I’m running VMWare Workstation 14, maybe that’s part of the problem? I’ve tried different settings such as enabling 3D acceleration and giving it more Graphics Memory but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. When I bring up About this Mac, under Graphics it says “Display 128MB”.

    Any ideas?

      1. blankWD

        Thanks Mukhtar. I will try v12 and see if makes a difference.

        Everything else works great. The patch applied which let me select MacOS for the VM type, etc. I just can’t change resolutions and the video is sluggish even at 1024×768.

  11. blankfabio Reply

    hi guys, I’ve installed a mac OS 10.13.1 virtual machine on vmware, but when I launch the tools that I downloaded from this page, the system says “this package is incompatible with this version of mac os and may fail yo install” indeed it fails every time, ideas? thanks a lot

    1. blankMukhtar Jafari Post author Reply

      Once apply this command on Terminal
      1. Open Terminal and run the following command
      sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool false

      2. Reboot
      If it works for you let me know.

      1. blankjnavas

        I did this, but when enter full screen mode, the resolution falls back to a too small one.

        Tried the install over and over again, still the same issue.

        Thanks for any suggestions.

  12. blankJonathan Amendolara Reply

    Hi! I’ve managed to solve the problem
    1. Run this command in Terminal:
    sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.windowserver.plist DisplayResolutionEnabled -bool false

    2. Reboot

    And there should be a fixed resolution

  13. blankDave Reply

    Problem I have is it detects 1920*1080 as a resolution, but it also finds 960*540 (hiDPI) and will not let me change it from that, if I selesct 1080p or default is just flashes and goes back to the weird 960.

    1. blankPaulo Reply

      Same problem as @Dave. Won’t stay at 1920×1080.
      1) Shows at 1920×1080 at the login screen.
      2) As soon as I type the password, goes back to 960×540.

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