Latest VMware update is free with no license, fixes Windows 11 and Linux freezes, crashes

Earlier this year, in May, VMware Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro were made free, and thus, a license to download and install them was no longer necessary for personal users. A guide was also released by Broadcom, which walked through installation and switching.

Following that, last month, in November, the non-Pro editions were also made free, and thus, Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro were no longer purchasable products.

Earlier today, Broadcom announced new VMware updates for Workstation Pro and Workstation Player under version 17.6.2. The update makes the former free for not just personal users but also commercial and educational users. It also fixes crashing and freezing issues on Windows 11 and Linux.

Sadly, the long-standing multi-monitor issue remains unresolved. The changelog for Workstation 17.6.2 is given below:

What's New

 

Free Licensing Model

 

• VMware Workstiation Pro no longer requires a license key and is now free for commercial, educational, and personal use.

 

Bug Fixes

 

• VMware Workstation Pro 17.6.2 provides various bug fixes requested by customers.

 

Resolved Issues

 

• After performing snapshot operations in the Snapshot Manager, VMware Workstation for Linux crashes

 

Taking, deleting, or restoring snapshots through the Snapshot Manager might cause VMware Workstation for Linux to crash. This issue is resolved in VMware Workstation 17.6.2.

 

• Virtual machines on Windows 11 hosts become unresponsive after unlocking the host

 

After locking or unlocking the host with a virtual machine installed on a Windows 11 host, the virtual machine becomes unresponsive. The issue is resolved in VMware Workstation 17.6.2.

 

• The kcompactd kernel process causes virtual machines on Linux hosts to become unresponsive

 

Virtual machines on Linux hosts eventually become unresponsive because of the kcompactd kernel process. The issue is resolved in VMware Workstation 17.6.2.

 

Known Issues

 

• The multi-monitor feature might not work correctly in specific topologies

 

In specific situations, based on different hardware and topologies, the multi-monitor feature does not work as expected. You might see issues like reverting the topology to a single screen, or not cycling through monitors.

 

Workaround:

 

None.

You can download the apps from Neowin's software stories page using the following links: Workstation Pro | Workstation Player.

Source

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