If you are looking for the pre-installed Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard VMware image, then this post will be useful to find out the correct image and show the steps to install it on VMware Player or Workstation. In this guide, we discuss the 10.6.4 version which can be upgraded to a certain level in VMWare on your Windows computer.
The following method is completely for testing and learning purpose only. Do not use in the production or permanent use. Obviously, we can’t expect a good performance inside the VM, but overall it will be a good experience to learn and test macOS on Windows computer.
We have already mentioned several guides to install Mac on Windows computer by using virtualization technology, you can check them here to find out the latest version.
Installing the Mac OS on VMware which is based in Intel-based is not straight forward. You need to prepare the installation medium on a real Mac computer (or in a working Mac OS X VM), setup the proper boot loader, patch the software, and modify the VMX configuration file. To avoid these all steps, we can use the preinstalled image as shown in this guide.
Why Pre Installed Mac Snow Leopard Image?
- Easy to import in VMware and start using it.
- Mac Installation already is done, DVD or ISO not required.
- Saves your time by avoiding installation and patching for x86 computers.
- Drivers already installed. Sound, Network and Screen resolution working fine in this image.
- Updating to other versions working well.
- Not required to install any boot loaders.
My PC Configuration;
I have done the below demonstration on my Intel computer which has the following configuration.
- Intel Core2Duo 2.66GHz
- 3GB DDR2 RAM
- Intel P35 Chipset
- Windows 7 32 Bit Host
Required Products: Mac 10.6.4 Snow Leopard on VMware
I’m going to install and use this image on VMware Player, you can try on the VMware workstation as well. I have published similar posts about installing OS X 10.5 Leopard on VMware and Oracle VirtualBox with a pre-installed image earlier, you can check the links below.
Install Mac 10.5 Leopard on VMware Workstation
Install Mac 10.5.5 Leopard on Oracle VirtualBox
Products Needed for this method:
- Latest VMware Player or Workstation.
- Snow Leopard VMware Image (It’s a torrent download. Size is approximately 2.3GB with 7z compressed format.)
- Read this post and make sure VT is enabled on host computer BIOS.
Installation Steps
1) Extract the image. It contains VMX, VMDK and other tools required.
2) Make sure hardware VT is enabled.
3) Open Mac OS Snow Leopard.vmx file in VMware Player.
Edit virtual machine settings as you like. I suggest increasing the RAM and number of Processor Cores. If Mac OS stuck with any kernel errors, then change processor core to 1. Do not change any more settings in virtualization engine under processors.
4) Power on the virtual machine. I’m sure you will get Snow Leopard desktop without any problems. Do not worry about the language you see on the screen. I already changed it to English. Follow the steps below to change the language inside the virtual machine.
5) Click on Preferences icon on the desktop.
6) Click Languages icon.
7) Press Edit List button and remove unwanted language and leave U.S English. Also, go to Formats and change the region that matches your location.
Log off and log in, you will see the U.S English desktop and menus.
8) Admin Password for Image
Admin user name for this image is svp and the password is 123. You can use this 123 password to reset a new password for root.
9) USB devises Access
Yes, it worked. My external USB hard disk and flash disks worked inside Mac Virtual machine without any glitches. I had to mount the external hard disk in disk utility to make it work.
10) Network
Bridged and NAT network worked out-of-the-box without any patches in this image.
11) Multiple Screen resolutions and Wide Screen support available on this VM. The best part is, if you change the VMware Player screen size, Snow Leopard screen size also changes according it to fit the screen.
Check my earlier post here to learn how to install multiple screen resolutions in Mac OS X virtual machines.
12) Sound
For some reasons, the sound did not work for me straight away. If it doesn’t work for you, go to the extracted folder (from the download) and locate the SVP folder. Install EnsoniqAudioPCI.mpkg in Mac virtual machine. Restart the machine, the sound will work after it.
13) Software update
This image is having updates up to 10.6.2. Software update to 10.6.4 worked without any issues. I downloaded 10.6.4 combo updates from Apple site and updated successfully.
There you go, you are having a working Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on VMware with your normal Intel PC. I’m sure this will work on the all latest Intel processors as long as hardware virtualization (VT) support available.
Here is a screenshot of a working virtual machine with this pre-installed VMDK image. If you are using it on VMware workstation, you will be able to take snapshots. That will be helpful to revert back the VM state if anything goes wrong.
14) Booting Issues
If the booting process stuck with the Apple logo, you can try this method.
Shut down the VM completely, open Mac OS Snow Leopard.vmx file in a text editor, look for smc.present=”TRUE” line. Change this value to FALSE. So, it should be smc.present=”FALSE”.
This step may solve any booting issues and keyboard, mouse delay. We have published a new guide on using macOS Bug Sur on VMware.
541 Comments
I have downloaded the same torrent but when i tried to play with the virtual machine the syste said: “Operating system not found” ??? Someone have the same problem??
You must set the cdRom to the included .iso file to boot. You may need to select the .iso each time you boot.
Worked with out any problems on windows 7.. i7 processor ..thanks for the post..
i have shared a folder in windows 7 using vmplayer GUI and i saw the corresponding entries are made in .vmx file..
Can you please let me know how to access these folders from snow leopard? thanks in advance
Actually i get following error:
“The folder “VMware Shared Folders” can’t be opened because you don’t have permission to see its contents”
when i tried access vmware shared folders on mac desktop.
I also get the “no operating system found error” I have made sure the darwin iso file has been selected every time.. I have tried it over and over.. I get the same os not found.. Any clues?
Also, running i5 and enabled VT.
If you still get os not found, make sure you have set the cd to “Connect at power on” Also, browse to the .iso file even if you see the path to the iso in the “Use iso image” field.
I have the problem “no boot device found” too. I run VMware player on Ubuntu 10.04 . i saw the log and saw this message
“TOOLS INSTALL ‘/usr/lib/vmware/isoimages/darwin.iso’ not present or not readable”
what is this darwin.iso file??? and where can i have it?
Im not getting it.
PLS help me.
i am waiting for the dvd to load and it takes forever.
Im still waiting to get it.
And if i press any key it is cancelled and i press c and another boot menu comes up
shrivaas10@gmail.com
Hi, darwin.iso file is inside downloaded folder. Make sure this iso is loaded in virtual machine CD drive and connected. Set CD as first boot device. Automatically darwin boot loader will detect the Mac disk and load from it.
Let me know if this solve your probs
I’m experimenting “Operating system not found” problem too and I think that other people that have reported it, don’t realize that first time system starts to boot (it says: “Loading darwin/x86”) but when it seems that has finished (because the apple logo appears on the screen), vm restarts with CD NOT connected and then “Operating system not found” appears on screen.
I’ve tried to load with -v and ? options… but vm always restart. Any ideas why is this happening?.
Sorry for my poor English, I hope that I have explained the problem well :).
I also got no luck with snow leopard.
your leopard (10.5.x) runs fine here.
vm reboots or stucks at the point where the desktop comes up.
so I investigate with linux kvm, turns out:
Loading Darwin/x86
Invalid front-side bus frequency 45 Hz
Disabling the CPU
What I realized during comparing both iso’s:
darwin.iso is all uppercase !?
mainboard Intel DH55H
cpu Intel i5 661
comments ?
Do you have to have a serial for VMware in order to use this?
Same issue than joe testing on VirtualBox:
Loading Darwin/x86
Invalid front-side bus frequency 45 Hz
Disabling the CPU
laptop with Intel i5 430M
Hi Xabi
I got it running, complete with updates, but (sorry Dinesh) this way:
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/04/iboot-multibeast-install-mac-os-x-on.html
torrent here:
http://www.torrent2crazy.com/torrent/7795493/mac-os-x-10-6-snow-leopard-final-retail-iso-bootable
But before doing this, try this
after install and furter reading I found this
http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=642
maybe that an answer to that Invalid front-side bus frequency problem ?!
do you get QE/CI with this? (that is can you run Final Cut Studio with this?)
I have exactly the same problem as several others here. darwin.iso is loaded then osx tries to boot but the vm restarts as soon as the apple logo appears. darwin.iso is automatically ejected and the message no operation system found is displayed. I’m running an i5 430. I tried altering the busratio but without any success…
anyy suggestions?
Anyone tried this on AMD? There seems to be a big difference between AMD and Intel processors even if you are installing in a virtual machine … Thanks
Hi, in my HP6910p run (my S.O. is Windows Vista).
I try tu run Mail but not work. Why? Where is the problem?
I want to test applications because I am going to buy a Mac.
Thanks.
when i play the vm it says “Mac OS X is not supported with software virtualization. To run Mac OS X you need a host which VMware Workstation supports hardware virtualization”
I have solved my problem
http://www.aatkcoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/boot-virtualization.jpg
I have a problem installing iPhone sdk 3.2. “system extension “/System/Library/Extensions/AppleACIPS2Nub.kext” was installed improperly and cannot be used. please try reinstalling it, or contact the product’s vendor for an update.”
Any idea how to solve this problem?
You can ignore those errors. The sdk should run just fine. It does for me.
Hi, it seems thar this preinstalled mac cannot be run with most of 2010 intel i series processors.
Busratio command solution neither worked for me so I followed Joe links and I created a new VM using “iBoot Supported”.
Thanks for your help Joe!
Hi Dinesh, thank you very much for this, it works great! Amazing this works right out of the box
The only problem i have is that the graphics appear slightly laggy, especially when i multitask and use expose. Also, the audio crackles when i’m playing music.
I am running this on a Win 7 with VMware 7.
Hardware specs –
Core i7 820QM
6GB DDR3 Ram (i gave Mac 4GB)
Graphic card ATI Mobility Radeon 4670
Any advice/tweaking i can do to make it utilise my hardware better, and to make the UI smoother?