Uninstall VMware Fusion on Mac and Keep Your VMs

Uninstall VMware Fusion only after deciding which virtual machines to keep. Broadcom's removal guidance separates the app from existing virtual machines: removing Fusion does not delete them. That is useful for a reinstall, but also means the app's removal alone will not recover the space occupied by those machines.

Locate and keep the virtual machines first

Use Broadcom's bundle-location instructions to reveal each machine in Finder from Fusion's library. A .vmwarevm bundle contains virtual disks and settings. Record its actual location before removing the app, including any machines on external disks.

Do not assume one universal default. Check ~/Virtual Machines.localized and the Documents locations described by Broadcom, but use the location of each actual machine as the authority. A folder's absence is not an uninstall error and does not justify deleting a broader parent folder.

Shut down the guest operating systems, quit Fusion, then copy the complete bundles you want to keep to separate storage. Check that each copy completed before proceeding. Keep any passwords needed to use those machines available. Do not treat synchronization as an independent backup or assume a partial copy of a virtual disk is the whole machine.

Remove the app before optional local data

Broadcom's instructions cover Fusion 10 and later: there is no separate uninstaller, and the application bundle can be moved from Applications to the Trash. Start with that change if you only want to reinstall Fusion. Keep the VM bundles and support folders unchanged during the first test.

For a full local reset, review the additional paths in the same official article. These are examples from that list, not instructions to delete everything with VMware in its name:

~/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion
~/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion
~/Library/Preferences/com.vmware.fusion.plist
~/Library/Caches/com.vmware.fusion
/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion
/Library/Application Support/VMware/VMware Fusion
/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion

Inspect support data for anything you still need before moving it. Broadcom also lists a USB rules file shared with other VMware products and explicitly says not to delete it when those products are in use. Preserve shared files and unknown contents instead of deleting the VMware parent directory.

Treat networking components as version-specific

Do not extend the current list into guessed networking helpers, kernel extensions or launch daemons. The linked Fusion 10-and-later article does not provide a blanket daemon-removal procedure. If a component remains active, record its exact name and installed Fusion version and ask Broadcom for the matching procedure before changing system services.

If you use another hypervisor too, keep its installation separate. The Parallels removal guide covers that product; its paths are not interchangeable with Fusion's.

Verify the result before giving up recovery

For a reinstall, install the intended compatible Fusion version, open the retained machine and check the guest files that matter before discarding backups. If it cannot open, keep the original bundle and investigate the error rather than removing more VM files.

For permanent removal, confirm that every wanted bundle remains at its recorded location. Keep removed items in the Trash during verification; recovery from there depends on the items still being present. For broader app-removal decisions, see app bundles and leftovers.

Where Mole Fits

Mole Mac can identify .vmwarevm bundles in the home folder's Virtual Machines.localized directory and, with Full Disk Access, its Documents counterpart as read-only storage rows. Those rows cannot be selected for cleanup. This is storage visibility, not proof that every VM location or Fusion networking component has been found or uninstalled.

FAQ

Does uninstalling Fusion delete my VMs?

Broadcom says it does not. Removing the app and removing VM bundles are separate operations; keep the bundles you want before resetting support data.

Must I delete preferences to reinstall?

Do not make that the first change. Try replacing the app with the VM bundles and support data kept, then consider a documented local reset if needed.

Can I delete every VMware launch daemon?

Not from a name match alone. Identify the component and version, preserve anything shared, and obtain the matching vendor instructions first.