Backing up VMware Fusion

[JoBoy]

Originally Posted by dnanian

I copy my own VMWare images every time I back up. Note that VMWare should NOT be running when you actually perform a backup... and it doesn't matter what you're copying from.

Migration from your direct-to-drive backup (see the FAQ) is the best way to move to a new Mac. It's easy to do.

I read the FAQs before posting. The questions I posted were items that were not clear to me from reading the FAQs and VMware's web site. You cleared nearly all of it up with your reply, but what I'm still not too sure about is whether Windows cooperates during restore if a main drive has to be repaired or replaced and the SD! sparse bundle is the source or if a clone from an internal drive or external Firewire drive is used as the source. I've had way too much experience installing system software over the past couple of months and I successfully used the method you recommend. I guess the real reason I'm looking for specific reassurance about Windows' cooperation is all of the anti-piracy propaganda that MS uses on users of PCs including the mandatory, ironically named Windows Genuine Advantage app. The only advantage in it is Microsoft's. I've had a Dell XPS for 5 years that just died so that's why I'm moving to VMWare on my Mac, but visions of the anti-piracy efforts make me edgy that, with all of the file manipulation involved in saving and restoring Windows, something will blow up.