As part of working with FileVault on macOS Mojave, I’ve been using VMs running in VMware Fusion 11.x for testing. As part of that, I’ve seen a problem where the mouse doesn’t move when the VM has booted to the FileVault login screen. The keyboard responds and arrow keys can be used to select users, but the mouse itself is immovable and does not respond.
After some research, I ran across someone who had the same issue and found a workaround. For more details, please see below the jump.
By default, VMware Fusion 11.02 sets up VMs to use Hardware Version 16, which is the latest available.
Downgrading to Hardware Version 14 allows the mouse to move at the FileVault login screen again.
To downgrade hardware versions for your VM, please use the procedure shown below.
- Shut down the VM.
- Open the VM’s Settings window.
- Select Compatibility
- Click the arrow for Advanced options
- Click on the Use Hardware Version: drop-down menu and select 14.
- Click the Apply button.
- Close the VM’s Settings window.
- Start the VM.
The mouse should now move at the FileVault login window.
