Where Does VMware Fusion Store Virtual Machines?
Fusion stores each VM as a .vmwarevm package in ~/Virtual Machines. Older installs used Documents; the prefs file sets the default.
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Fusion stores each virtual machine as a single .vmwarevm package holding the .vmx settings and virtual disks. Fresh installs of Fusion 11 and later default to ~/Virtual Machines in your home folder. Installs upgraded from older versions often still point at ~/Documents/Virtual Machines, including localized variants. The last custom location you picked becomes the default for the next VM.
The default itself lives in ~/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/preferences under prefvmx.defaultVMPath. Editing that line (with Fusion quit) redirects future VMs without touching existing ones. For scripting, vmrun wants the .vmx path inside the package, not the package itself.
Where VMware Fusion stores this, by platform
~/Virtual Machines
One .vmwarevm package per VM with .vmx plus virtual disks. Legacy path ~/Documents/Virtual Machines still applies to upgraded installs. Default for new VMs set via prefvmx.defaultVMPath in the preferences file.
Frequently asked questions
how do i find where a fusion vm is stored
Open the Virtual Machine Library, Ctrl-click the VM, and choose Show in Finder. The library knows the true location even when you forgot a custom path during creation.
how do i move a fusion vm safely
Power it off, remove it from the library with Keep File, move the .vmwarevm package in Finder, then double-click it and choose I Moved It. Powering off first avoids split-brain disk state.
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