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alko
11-02-2008, 03:43 AM
This is a Guide for adding a SLIC enabled BIOS to VMware Fusion 2 to enable Windows Vista OEM Activation. You can download a PDF version of the guide from the link below that also includes pictures

http://www.mediafire.com/?zuyizbaj9xi

Disclaimer

1. English is not my native language so please forgive any mistakes.
2. Although this procedure is harmless I cannot be held accountable for any problems it may create or you encounter.
3. This is guide is made purely for educational purposes my intention is not to promote piracy please support software developers.

Notes

1. This Guide is made for VMware Fusion 2 it works on the previous Version as well but I find no reason to document the procedure.

2. The main idea behind this guide is that we replace the PC Bios included inside the vmware-vmx file with one of our own which has the SLIC (OEM ID) information embedded so that windows works without activation.

3. The Second part of the Guide is for Windows Vista only although the SLIC hack should also work with Windows XP there are far more easier methods to use for XP.

4. The only file that will be changed in your system is the vmware-vmx Unix Executable. The reason I do not just distribute the unix executable that needs to be edited will become clear on the next section.

5. If you break VMware Fusion you do not need to reinstall it just use Pacifist to install just the vmware-vmx where it belongs.

7. All the files ROM's and xrm-ms were created for use in the Windows version of VMware @ http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showthread.php?t=3062 thanks to reginakampher

8. I take no credit for anything else than the time to test and work this out on VMware Fusion 2.

9. I will try to be as descriptive as possible even for people who have no idea how to use a hex-editor. I know that for more advanced users this may seem cumbersome but you can skip ahead to the interesting parts easily.

10. This guide should work in future updates as well provided that you replace the correct portions of the vmware-vmx file.

The Guide

This Guide has two parts the first part is what you have to do in your Mac and the second is what you have to do inside your Virtual Machine running Vista

Part 1

1. Download Hexedit and Copy it to your Applications Folder

2. Locate the vmware-vmx (unix executable) @ /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/ (DO NOT TOUCH IT)

3. Enable the ROOT Account in you MacOS. This is potentially a SECURITY RISK so you will have to DISABLE it once you are done. To enable the Root Account open the "Directory Utility.app" Located in your Applications Folder inside the Utilities subfolder. Choose Edit from the Menu and then Enable Root User if you haven't enabled it before it will ask you to create a Password choose a password that is preferably different than the one you have in your Regular Account.
You have to enable the root user because for some reason when you edit or even just copy paste the same vmware-vmx file unedited back to its folder Fusion breaks and it doesn't start even if you edit it from an
administrator account with all the permissions set correctly and even after I touched the correct creation and modify dates. If someone with better knowledge than me knows why this is happening please post here the reason and any solution.

4. If your VMware Windows Machine is Suspended or Open you will have to Shut it Down.

5. Locate and choose what BIOS ROM (ASUS, Dell, etc FROM NOW OWN xxxx.rom) you are going to use from the files included with this Guide.

6. Quit VMware. Logout or Fast User Switch. You will now see the option "Other" in your Login Window. Enter root as Username and the password you created earlier. Do not touch ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT vmware-vmx file and Hexedit.

7. Launch Hexedit and choose OPTIONS from the menu then Enable USE DECIMAL ADDRESSES. Then go File Open and locate vmware-vmx and xxxx.rom and open them.

8. First choose the xxxx.rom window and go to the last line and mark the last 3 rows. Copy them to clipboard

9. Now choose the vmware-vmx window and go to the menu-bar item FIND and choose FIND & REPLACE. In the window that will pop-up choose where it says Matching HEX and then Paste what you copied before at the find box
(if nothing shows up press backspace once) and press Find Next (do not write anything on the Replace Box and don't press replace or any other button for that matter). It should find only one Match on the vmware-vmx make sure by pressing the Find Next Button once more.

10. Now again in the vmware-vmx window start (included) from the last line selected (The last Blue line) i.e. E9 06 E7 00 00 00 00 00 EA 66 E7 00 F0 00 00 00 and going upwards continue selecting lines (making them blue) until the counter in the upper corner of the vmware-vmx window becomes equal to 524288

11. Then we go to the xxxx.rom window and press Select All from the menu (cmd+a) and copy to clipboard. We now choose the vmware-vmx window and paste replacing the previously selected lines. The number on the upper corner of the window vmware-vmx (10636576) should remain unchanged if we copied replaced correctly.

12. Save vmware-vmx and quit Hexedit. Logout as Root and Login with your normal user account

14. Start up VMware Fusion 2 and Open your Vista Machine

Part 2

1. Install Windows Vista the appropriate OEM product key

2. You can also change your existing Windows Vista product key by using the following command in command prompt with administrator privileges:
 slmgr.vbs -ipk <new product key>

3. Copy the appropriate Microsoft signed OEM certification xxxx.xrm-ms file from the files included with the Guide folder inside your Virtual Machine, preferably to C:\ root.

4. Open a command prompt with administrator privileges and type the following command, then press Enter:

slmgr.vbs -ilc C:\xxxx.xrm-ms


This will install the digital certificate for OEM activation.

5. Check your system properties, Windows Vista should be activated.

DO NOT FORGET TO DISABLE THE ROOT ACCOUNT

Alex (2008)

anarchron
11-03-2008, 12:49 PM
Thanks for the guide.

It's a little too cumbersome to bother considering that VistaLoader does a fantastic job when used on VMWare. The main problem is getting it to work properly with Boot Camp.

whiteshark17
11-20-2008, 05:34 AM
In your post, ALKO, you say, "The Second part of the Guide is for Windows Vista only although the SLIC hack should also work with Windows XP there are far more easier methods to use for XP."

Would you please tell me what the "easier" method is for Windows XP?

Thanks!

pjddl
01-08-2009, 03:13 AM
Every time I try to paste the selected lines from xxx.ROM to the vmware-vmx file via HEXEDIT the size of vmware-vmx always increases. It's like the paste is not pasting but inserting. Is there a place I can download the already modified vmware-vmx file.

Thanks

georgiagrrl
01-12-2009, 01:44 AM
use options "overwrite mode" and you should be fine

beinbruch
03-09-2009, 06:34 PM
Hello,

i have a big prob with Fusion 2.02. When i mod the vmware-vmx an place the file back in the folder, fusion say fusion unnable to contact the virtual maschine...

I must install the fusion new, the works...then i test to copy the original vmware-vmx file and copy the file back ..the tthame problem...

wher is the bug.

have any people a working vmware-vmx file for Fusion 2.02 with a slic???

thanks

beinbruch

pjddl
03-15-2009, 03:17 PM
I have modified the vmware-vmx folling the tutorial and using the ROM image from http://www.mediafire.com/file/5kzai4...ELL-PE_SC3.ROM

I booted VMWare and installed Vista Home Premium using the key
4GPTT-6RYC4-F4GJK-KG77H-B9HD2 found at http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showthread.php?t=2581.

When I log into Vista and click and goto System under the Control Panel I see I have 29 days to activate.

What might I have done wrong?

Thanks
-PJ

ifeife2
08-12-2009, 01:24 PM
When I log into Vista and click and goto System under the Control Panel I see I have 29 days to activate.

Check what Everest or RW-Everything says for your ACPI/SLIC

Edit: Sorry didn't see this was 5 months old

MLDbios
08-13-2009, 01:55 PM
DELL SLIC v2.1 modded BIOS for VMWare Fusion Version 2.0.5 (173382) for MAC OS X 10.4.11 or later.

Used the SLIC from Win 7 & Server 08 R2 SLIC 2.1 Bin Collection
Dell[DELL-PE_SC3-DELL]2.1.BIN is in the file SLIC 2.1 BINS.ZIP

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/6313/screen1xzk.jpg

SLIC Info (using SlicInfo by FreeStyler tool)
---------------------------
OEMID: DELL

OEMTableID: PE_SC3
OEMCreatorID: DELL
OA SLP version: 2.1
SLIC type: Standard
CRC32: D178BAF


Before you start:

Make sure you have the install program for Fusion in case you mess up the permissions on the BIOS file.
Reinstalling Fusion takes just 60 seconds and doesn't need a reboot.


Instructions:

Use the finder and browse to:

/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion

Now rename the current file vmware-vmx
Caution: do not drag this file anywhere or you may change its permissions. Just rename it. Example name:vmware-vmx-noSLIC

Now drag the downloaded bios into the same VMWare Fusion folder.
(Its path will be /Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/vmware-vmxDELLSLIC21.cpio )

Use spotlight to open terminal.
When asked for a password on the second command,
enter the username for your own account (you need to be an admin).

Enter these commands (first one gives you root, 2nd changes the folder, 3rd uncompresses the bios file into the current working directory):
DON'T FORGET to enter the commands exactly, especially the quotes on the 2nd command and the space then a period at the end of the last command.



sudo bash
cd "/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion"
ditto -x vmware-vmxDELLSLIC21.cpio .


^------- Enter those 3 commands above to install the modded BIOS



p.s. this is backwards compatible with older dell Vista certificates (.xrm-ms) and OEM SLP keys

if you want a corresponding Windows 7 non blacklisted OEM SLP key or OS certificate to match the new 2.1 bios SLIC, you'll have to wait for it to be released.



Thanks to alko for the guides



download mirrors:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zd1jmmiinht
http://www.box.net/shared/ikaomck6xu
http://www.sendspace.com/file/bat6r9
http://ifile.it/96y508p
http://depositfiles.com/files/uoksc6d14

natalic
08-22-2009, 10:05 AM
I can't get it to activate...I am using VMWare Fusion 2.0.5...Anyone have another pre-modded one? I would like to run my VM.

Chrysaor
08-22-2009, 10:38 AM
MLDbios, the vmware-vmx you posted didn't work for me, it didn't POST for some reason.

I created my own Dell SLIC 2.1 ROM from old SLIC 2.0 Dell Rom and SLIC 2.1 table, then followed the guide by alko, thanks!

natalic
08-23-2009, 04:02 PM
MLDbios, the vmware-vmx you posted didn't work for me, it didn't POST for some reason.

I created my own Dell SLIC 2.1 ROM from old SLIC 2.0 Dell Rom and SLIC 2.1 table, then followed the guide by alko, thanks!

Does anyone have another working one?

roo
09-01-2009, 07:34 PM
Don't both replacing Fusion files.

Get the VMWare BIOS with SLIC strings and tell Fusion to use it.

Find the .vmx file for your virtual.

Add this line into it.
bios440.filename = "/Users/whoknows/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Windows
.vmwarevm/VMWARE65_SLP1_SLIC21_DELL.ROM"

Updating the path as appropriate.

(Here I'm using that patched BIOS available elsewhere on the forums here).

Works like a charm.

digg1980
09-29-2009, 09:10 PM
I was reading lately on few blogs that you can run Mac OS X Server in a virtual machine including the following post Apple virtualization will allow Mac OS X Server on its machines… (http://www.virtualizationteam.com/virtualization-vmware/apple-virtualization-will-allow-mac-os-x-server-on-its-machines%E2%80%A6.html) Though none was able to provide me with how to do it. All I can find is how to install the workstation version in a virtual machine, but nothing about MAC OS X Server in a virtual machine. I would appreciate it if any one can update me on this.

Thanks,
Erick
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Rock (http://www.TSMGUru.com)

spadge007
10-14-2009, 10:20 PM
Don't both replacing Fusion files.

Get the VMWare BIOS with SLIC strings and tell Fusion to use it.

Find the .vmx file for your virtual.

Add this line into it.
bios440.filename = "/Users/whoknows/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Windows
.vmwarevm/VMWARE65_SLP1_SLIC21_DELL.ROM"

Updating the path as appropriate.

(Here I'm using that patched BIOS available elsewhere on the forums here).

Works like a charm.

I would appreciate if someone could please provide me with a download link or hint to where I can find a HP SLIC 2.1 ROM to use in Fusion 2.0.5.

I need to test both Vista and Server 2008 SP2 within Fusion. I have followed the instructions within this thread to apply the Dell BIOS. Everest confirms 2.1 SLIC tables are present but I cant find a certificate which activates server 2008 successfully.

I've got the cert + key for HP SLIC which works within vmware workstation on my Vista machine.

TIA

sebus
10-15-2009, 10:16 PM
Anything wrong with search button where you are?

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showpost.php?p=159532&postcount=16

sebus

spadge007
10-23-2009, 02:16 PM
Anything wrong with search button where you are?

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/showpost.php?p=159532&postcount=16

sebus

LOL, dont know how I missed that, many thanks!

spadge007
10-28-2009, 11:35 PM
This method also works with Fusion v3.0

I just upgraded to version 3.0 and my machines are still activated ok

simchippy
10-29-2009, 02:25 AM
It's been a while since I did a new install with Fusion and windows. Downloaded and upgraded Fusion from version 2 to version 3. All my mod vm bios windows installs still worked. Nice. Decided to try out windows 7. Downloaded OEM iso and installed through Fusion 3. Installed fine. So now to apply the rom, here is what I did:

right clicked on fusion file and
Show package contents
dragged HP_SLIC_2.1.ROM into package.
Right clicked on .vmx file and added the line
bios440.filename = "HP_SLIC_2.1.ROM"
saved and closed.
Run image and it hangs on boot.
I went back and removed bios440.filename = "HP_SLIC_2.1.ROM"
and it boots fine. This is how I did all my previous installs. Is the rom correct or am I forgetting something?

Thanks
Sim

simchippy
10-30-2009, 05:05 PM
Still trying no luck. Do I need a new rom for Fusion 3? Or is it windows 7?

Any ideas?

Thanks
Sim