Using Mac Keyboard Layout with VMware Fusion

Problem: How can I send keystrokes or perform functions that know from Windows PC keyboards when using VMware Fusion virtual machines?

Solution: Below is the lists of PC keystrokes and provides methods to accomplish the corresponding keystroke / function using a Macintosh / VMware Fusion keyboard.

Ctrl+Alt+Del

In order to send Ctrl+Alt+Del to virtual machine:
– From the Fusion menu, go to Virtual Machine > Send Ctrl-Alt-Delete.
– On a Macintosh notebook keyboard, press Fn+Ctrl+Option+Delete.
– On a full-sized Macintosh keyboard, press Control+Option+|X>. |X> (Forward Delete) key is below the Help key.

Delete

Delete key on Mac keyboard is actually the backspace key to all other operating systems. In order to send Windows PC Delete key to virtual machine:
– From the Fusion menu, go to Virtual Machine > Send Key > |X> (Forward Delete).
– On a Macintosh notebook keyboard, press Fn+Delete.
– On a full-sized Macintosh keyboard, press |X>. |X> (Forward Delete) key is below the Help key.

Insert

In order to send Insert key to virtual machine:
– On older Macintosh keyboards, this is the Help key.
– On older Macintosh notebook keyboards, press Fn+M.
– Newer Macintosh notebooks do not support Fn+M. To map the Insert key to any convenient key combination you choose, navigate to VMware Fusion > Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse > Key Mappings.

Print Screen

In order to send Print Screen key to virtual machine:
– From the Fusion menu, go to Virtual Machine > Send Key > Print Scrn.
– On a full-sized Macintosh keyboard, press F13.

Alt-Gr

In order to send Alt-Gr key to virtual machine:
– On a full-sized Macintosh keyboard, press the right Option (or Alt) key, or press the Enter key on the number pad.
– On European Macintosh notebook keyboards, press the Option (or Alt) key next to the right Command key.

Selecting multiple list items

Press and hold Ctrl-Option while clicking to select multiple items.

Num Lock

In order to send Num Lock key to virtual machine:
– From the Fusion menu, go to Virtual Machine > Send Key > Clear (Num Lock).
– On a full-sized Macintosh keyboard, press Clear.

Function keys

In order to send Function key (for example, F1 or F3) to virtual machine:
– Press Fn+.

Windows key

By default, Windows key is mapped to Either Command key, but it can also be mapped to Right Command key or Left Command key according to your choice. In order to map the Windows key to any convenient key you choose, navigate to VMware Fusion > Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse > Key Mappings.

Reference: VMware KB: Tips on using a Macintosh keyboard (1001675)