VMware Workstation 17.0 Pro: Windows 11 guest OS & virtual TPM 2.0 support

Windows 11

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by Alexandru Poloboc 

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Key notes

  • In case you didn't know, VMware Workstation 17.0 Pro is now live for all users.
  • This new version now supports virtual Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.
  • The virtualization software now officially supports Windows 11 as a guest OS.
vmware 17 pro workstation

There’s absolutely no denying the fact that virtualization products such as VMware Workstation are quite important to developers trying to test their software on multiple operating systems.

Or, maybe they just want to fiddle around in the depths of an operating system without risking their primary machine’s safety.

That being said, today, VMware Workstation 17.0 Pro has been released, and it brings lots of new features that will likely please many users.

VMware Workstation 17.0 Pro is now live

Let’s kick this off by saying that the key highlight of this release is that VMware Workstation 17.0 Pro now supports virtual Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.

You might remember this since it is a mandatory requirement for running Windows 11 through official means. T

The introduction of this new feature means that the virtualization software now officially supports Windows 11 as a guest OS, even though there was already a workaround before.

That’s not all, however, there are many other new additions such as Windows Server 2022, RHEL 9, Debian 11.x, and Ubuntu 22.04.

Note that there are also several other useful features added, including:

  • auto start of local virtual machines when the host machine boots up
  • the ability to choose between Full or Fast encryption, support for OpenGL 4.3 (guest OS should be Windows 7 or higher, or Linux with Mesa 22.0.0, or Linux kernel 5.16.0)
  • Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version 1.2.

An extremely important detail here is that it is no longer possible to mount a virtual machine to a drive on the host OS.

There are a couple of known issues to be aware of too, and you might see the incorrect version number when you select an ISO image of a FreeBSD, but it does not impact the actual installation.

Furthermore, you may also encounter a blank screen on the virtual machine console on host boot-up if you have configured auto-start.

Now, VMware Workstation Pro has joined the ranks of VirtualBox in offering official support for Windows 11 through a virtual TPM 2.0.

Have you already tried it out? Share your experience with us in the dedicated comments section below.

More about the topics: VMware Workstation

Alexandru Poloboc

Alexandru Poloboc Shield

Tech Journalist

With an overpowering desire to always get to the bottom of things and uncover the truth, Alex spent most of his time working as a news reporter, anchor, as well as TV and radio entertainment show host. A certified gadget freak, he always feels the need to surround himself with next-generation electronics. When he is not working, he splits his free time between making music, gaming, playing football, basketball and taking his dogs on adventures.