Finally, macOS Catalina released with its handy features for the public. Still, you might face the issue of how to install it on VMware, VirtualBox, and PC-Hackintosh. But the big issue that I am facing is the installation of macOS Catalina on VMware on AMD systems. At the time of macOS Mojave also, you might be unable to install it on AMD because of the technology and other circumstances. However, macOS Catalina install files to download is pretty easy, whether you can download from Apple Mac App Store, with your developer account, or the below link in the description. Naturally while installing every operating system on PC after that, the auto-update will appear to update into the latest version.
You might be familiar with the ways of installing macOS Catalina on VMware, installing macOS Catalina on VirtualBox, or installing macOS Catalina on PC-Hackintosh. Moreover, if you are a Windows user and you have a compatible PC also there is an easy method to Dual boot macOS Catalina with Windows on the same SDD/HDD.
However, we’ve bypassed the procedure of installing macOS Catalina on Intel computers. But here we want to take out the installation of macOS Catalina on AMD systems. And I think it might be a bit difficult to do that. Because there is a huge difference between AMD and Intel hardware systems. The things which you are performing on Intel then inversely you are doing on AMD systems. In case, it can happen that you could not install macOS Catalina on AMD systems. But it is a bit tricky to go through that, therefore, in this article, I will show you how to install macOS Catalina on VMware on AMD systems.
Table of Contents
Install macOS Catalina on VMware on AMD Systems.
When talking about macOS Catalina installation on AMD system, it means it takes all the AMD versions. You might think it should be impossible to install macOS Catalina 10.15 on AMD systems. Indeed the installation procedure needs efforts to handle it. I think the installation on Intel PCs always may be easy without any pieces of stuff. But in case, on the AMD system required some pieces of stuff to do that.
For example. if checked out the installation of macOS Catalina on VirtualBox on Intel systems. We needed only a small piece of code to go overhead to the installation. But in the installation of macOS Catalina on AMD we need some more of them to apply during creating the virtual machine.
What is the AMD System?
AMD is abbreviated from the word “Advanced Micro Devices” is an American multinational semiconductor company that develops computer processors. Also, there if huge differences between AMD and Intel system, according to my conception Intel processors, on average, are far more powerful than AMD processors. This doesn’t necessarily mean we will need Intel through. For the gamer, the AMD processor is plenty powerful enough. When upgrading to the latest version of AMD you will see enough changes in gaming performance. Also, effects on boot time, program loading time, and many more.
Required Files
Before getting started to the main point, you need some important kinds of stuff like VMware Workstation/VMware Player, Unlocker, WinRaR/7Zip, macOS Catalina VMDK “Virtual Machines Disk file”. After that, when you got the files, then it requires to be installed on a computer. The most important for this procedure are VMDK files and VMware Unlocker. Do you have an idea about Unlocker? Unlocker is a helper utility tool allow you to use Apple services on VMware Workstation/Player. Without Unlocker, you will not be able to install a macOS operating system on VMware. For the macOS Catalina installation on VMware on the AMD system try to use the latest version of VMware Workstation.
Once, the macOS Unlocker downloaded go ahead and extract it. Find out the file Win-install then right-click and Run it As Administrator.
Run As Administrator
For the Extraction of macOS Catalina 10.15 VMDK file, I told you to use WinRAR or 7Zip. Right-click on the VMDK file and select “Extract Here” this process will take some time.
Extract Here
Create a New Virtual Machine
Once VMware Workstation installed launch it, then on the main window click on “Create a New Virtual Machine”.
- When the welcome wizard pops-up select the “Custom Advanced” option and click next.
- Choose the Virtual Machine Hardware Compatibility, the hardware recommend for AMD systems is Workstation 15.x. By default, it will select the VMware hardware then click next.
Custom Advanced & Hardware Compatibility
- Here select the option “I will install the operating system later” and click next.
- Select the Guest operating system “Apple Mac OS X” and the version “10.15” then click next.
- Type a name for the Virtual Machine, to be known for you, type macOS Catalina on AMD. Then specify the location where you want to store macOS Catalina and click next.
- Specify the numbers of processors for the virtual machine, then click next.
Name the virtual machine & increase the number of processors
- Increase the size of Memory for the Virtual Machine, I think 4GB is enough or you can increase it. After that, click next.
- On the network type” select the second option “Use Network address translation (NAT), then click next.
Increase Memory size & Network Type
- Select I/O Controller types “LSI Logic (Controller) then click next.
- Select a Disk type, the recommended disk is “SATA (Recommended), once selected click next.
Select I/O controller types & Disk type
- Now select the option “Use an existing virtual disk” and click next.
- Click the Browse option then insert the macOS Catalina VMDK file. After inserting the VMDK, VMware Workstation will pop-up. There you have to click “Keep existing Format”.
Use an existing virtual disk
Once you completed the steps till here, then the Virtual machine will be ready to create after you click Finish.
Click Finish
Edit Virtual Machine VMX Code
With the codes, you won’t be able to continue into the installation process. To configure the codes find where to placed macOS Catalina 10.15. Once you find out right-click on macOS Catalina selects “Open With” then select “Notepad”.
Open with Notepad
Once the notepad opened scroll down at last of the codes. Then copy and paste the below codes into VMX file, and click save.
smc.version = “0”
cpuid.0.eax = “0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:1011”
cpuid.0.ebx = “0111:0101:0110:1110:0110:0101:0100:0111”
cpuid.0.ecx = “0110:1100:0110:0101:0111:0100:0110:1110”
cpuid.0.edx = “0100:1001:0110:0101:0110:1110:0110:1001”
cpuid.1.eax = “0000:0000:0000:0001:0000:0110:0111:0001”
cpuid.1.ebx = “0000:0010:0000:0001:0000:1000:0000:0000”
cpuid.1.ecx = “1000:0010:1001:1000:0010:0010:0000:0011”
cpuid.1.edx = “0000:1111:1010:1011:1111:1011:1111:1111”
featureCompat.enable = “FALSE”
Copy the codes
Install macOS Catalina on VMware on AMD Systems
Once, everything is performed clearly go ahead and launch the VMware Workstation. Then select the created Virtual machine of macOS Catalina and click Power on this Virtual Machine.
Power on the Virtual Machine
Once you powered on the virtual machine, then I am a hundred percent sure that you will be stuck on Apple Logo. OK, to fix that just Power off the Virtual Machine, then select the VM click on Settings. Once the settings window opened beside the “Hardware” tab click on “Options”. Change the “Apple Mac OS X” to “Microsoft Windows” then click OK. Overhead to VM then again Power on it.
Change Apple Mac OS X to Microsoft Windows
Wait until the Apple Logo should bypass
Installing macOS Catalina installation, once this process completed the Virtual machine will restart.
Installing macOS Catalina
Once the Virtual machine restarted, quickly Power off the virtual machine. Then open the VM setting, when opened change the “Microsoft Windows” to “Apple Mac OS X”. As previously we changed Apple Mac OS X to Microsoft Windows, However, once it changed click OK.
Change Microsoft Windows to Apple Mac OS X
Again select the VM and click Power on the Virtual Machine. At the first window select your country and click continue.
Select your country
- Now select your keyboard layout and click continue.
- Choose, don’t transfer information now.
- Click on Sign Up later, and click Skip.
- Agree to terms and conditions.
- Create a computer account.
- Click sign in later to screen time.
- Continue on express setup.
- Choose your look for macOS Catalina 10.15.
- Wait for some seconds until it should be ready for the first use.
However, once the installation is completed you might be curious to use macOS Catalina 10.15 full-screen mode on VMware Workstation on AMD System. Therefore, we covered all those things and the article is ready for you you can check the below link on how to do it. Or simply click on the top menu bar on VM than in the below list click Install VMware Tools.
- How To Use macOS Catalina full screen on VMware on Windows
- How to Install Guest Tool on macOS 10.15 Catalina on VirtualBox
Install VMware tools
Bottom Line
That’s all about How to install macOS Catalina on VMware on AMD Systems. I hope you have gotten something important point through this article. If you think the article was useful then share it with your friends on social networks. Or if you think something is remaining on this article then feel free to share with us below in the comment section.
Mike
The vmdk image is from the VirtualBox guide for AMD. For VMware you need a different patched kernel to run on AMD, the only one available for is Mojave not Catalina.
Jackson Lee
I followed these instructions with a Catelina ISO (Not the vmdk provided) and worked perfectly 🙂
Surya Prakash M
Hi after following these steps i am getting the following error “failed to start the virtual machine”
My system details
OS: Windows 10 x64 bit
Processor: AMD Radeon R5 Graphics
SEb
Try to use older vmware like 15.1
GreyGold
VMware v15.1 doesn’t have macOS support.
GreyGold
Regardless of whether starting from the .vmdk file or from a distribution .iso, and regardless of whether the OS is identified as Mac OS or Windows, power on fails with the following message:
Feature ‘cpuid.pclmulqdq’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.ssse3’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.sse41’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.sse42’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.aes’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.ds’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.ss’ was absent, but must be present.
Feature ‘cpuid.intel’ was absent, but must be present.
Module ‘FeatureCompatLate’ power on failed.
Value ““FALSE”” for variable “featureCompat.enable” is not a valid boolean value. Using value “TRUE”.
Value ““0”” for variable “smc.version” is not a valid integer value. Using value “-1”.
Failed to start the virtual machine.
Emre
“The CPU has been disabled by the guest operating system. Power off or reset the virtual machine.” 2 i cannot fix this error. pfffff