Windows 11 mandates UEFI boot with Secure Boot enabled. VMware Workstation 15 Pro supports UEFI firmware, but Secure Boot is disabled by default for legacy operating systems. You must manually enable it.
Windows 11 is not officially supported as a host for VMware Workstation 15. Users report that it may work for some, but many encounter crashes, especially with newer CPUs (Intel 11th Gen+) due to Hyper-V conflicts that were only patched in version 16.2 and later. Guest OS Support: vmware workstation 15 pro windows 11
If the vTPM method seems daunting or you’re just testing, you can bypass the TPM and Secure Boot checks entirely. This is not recommended for production, but works flawlessly. Windows 11 mandates UEFI boot with Secure Boot enabled