VMware Communities
kvanderstarren
Contributor
Contributor

VMWare Workstation Pro Causing BSOD on Windows 10 Host

I'm having a problem with VMWare Workstation Pro causing a blue screen of death on a Windows 10 x64 host. The BSOD occurs during the resume process after the system has been put into sleep mode. I suspect that VMWare is causing the issue because it doesn't occur once VMWare Workstation has been uninstalled. I've repeated the process of uninstalling VMWare and using the system for a while (with numerous instances of it going into sleep mode) before reinstalling VMWare and the behaviour is the same ever time - shortly after reinstalling VMWare, the problem starts to reoccur. I also tried VirtualBox for a while and the same issue doesn't occur.

I used WhoCrashed to analyze the dump files and it indicated that the VMWare USB monitor (hcmon.sys) might be causing the issue (see below).

Can anyone offer any pointers of things that I might try to eliminate the BSOD? I'm using VMWare Workstation 12.5.2 build-4638234 if it makes any difference. If there's any additional information I can provide, please let me know and I would be happy to do that.

On Sat 2016-12-17 11:56:01 AM GMT your computer crashed

crash dump file: C:\WINDOWS\memory.dmp

This was probably caused by the following module: hcmon.sys (hcmon+0x2DF1)

Bugcheck code: 0xA (0x18, 0x2, 0x0, 0xFFFFF801A241C680)

Error: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

file path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\hcmon.sys

product: VMware USB monitor

company: VMware, Inc.

description: VMware USB monitor

Bug check description: This indicates that Microsoft Windows or a kernel-mode driver accessed paged memory at DISPATCH_LEVEL or above.

This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.

A third party driver was identified as the probable root cause of this system error. It is suggested you look for an update for the following driver: hcmon.sys (VMware USB monitor, VMware, Inc.).

Google query: VMware, Inc. IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Reply
0 Kudos
19 Replies
kvanderstarren
Contributor
Contributor

Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this? I just reinstalled VMWare Workstation after replacing it with Virtual Box for a while and the problem started happening again right after the reinstall so I'm pretty sure the issue is associated with VMWare. The WhoCrashed analysis of the most recent crash (this morning) points to the VMWare USB monitor (hcmon.sys) as being the source of the problem.

On Wed 2016-12-21 11:26:48 AM GMT your computer crashed

crash dump file: C:\WINDOWS\memory.dmp

This was probably caused by the following module: hcmon.sys (hcmon+0x2DF1)

Bugcheck code: 0xA (0x18, 0x2, 0x0, 0xFFFFF80056A1C680)

Error: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

file path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\hcmon.sys

product: VMware USB monitor

company: VMware, Inc.

description: VMware USB monitor

Bug check description: This indicates that Microsoft Windows or a kernel-mode driver accessed paged memory at DISPATCH_LEVEL or above.

This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.

A third party driver was identified as the probable root cause of this system error. It is suggested you look for an update for the following driver: hcmon.sys (VMware USB monitor, VMware, Inc.).

Google query: VMware, Inc. IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Reply
0 Kudos
kvanderstarren
Contributor
Contributor

If anyone else is facing this issue, disabling the "VMWare USB Arbitration Service" seems to have resolved the issue. Not sure what that may do to the functioning of VMWare but I haven't had a blue screen in a few days now and they were occurring on almost a daily basis before.

screenshot.jpg

James_Banach
Contributor
Contributor

I have no answer, but I would also like to add I am using the same build VMWare Workstation 12.5.2 build-4638234 but on a Windows 7 HP zbook G2. I am also getting BSOD, when I put machine to sleep. I get a network wireless driver blue screen error. Then after recovery from BSOD I can no longer use WiFi, because the wireless NIC seems to be consumed by Vmware and will only get an IP of 169.xxx.xxx.xxx. I have tried unstalling driver, releasing IP, manually entering IP (works until I restart my computer thanks to GPO policy). I did not have sufficient rights on my machine to show details of issue or to try and do uninstall and reinstall. I have not reinstalled VMware and have moved to Viirtual Box, I have had zero BSOD since then. Hope this gets resolved, I enjoy using VMware products, I should be able to put my computer to sleep and not have to shut down VMware every time I close my laptop.

Reply
0 Kudos
kvanderstarren
Contributor
Contributor

Hi James. If you have sufficient privileges, you may want to try disabling the "Arbitration" service the way I did. I tried a whole bunch of things (reinstalling, shutting VMware down before shutting my laptop, etc) and disabling the service was the only thing that worked for me. I too had no BSODs with VirtualBox but I had problems with "Seamless Mode", the VB equivalent to Unity, so decided to bang my head against the BSOD problem until I discovered the solution of disabling the service.

Regards,

Kris

Reply
0 Kudos
BillFlynn
Contributor
Contributor

I don't have an answer either, but I do have some additional information that I believe confirms the suspicion that VMWare's USB code has problems.

I have a brand new Dell XPS 8910 Tower PC.  I did a fresh install of VMWare Workstation Pro 12.5.2 build 4638234, release date 2016-11-13.  Created a brand new VM, installing Windows 10 Home.  I configured the VM identical to a VM on my old system that I've been using without problems for a long time.  But I did make one change.  I added the USB Controller to the hardware list.  I did this because I was going to use a thumb drive to move files from my old VM on my old PC to my new VM on my new PC.

I copied several gigabytes of files from my old VM onto my thumb drive without a problem.  But when I tried copying the files from the thumb drive to my new VM, that's when the problems began.  The first problem was, in Windows File Explorer it would complain that there was not enough memory.  That was odd, because the Windows Task Manager showed less than 1GB of 3GB of memory in use.  There was just over 2GB of memory free.  But, if I kept clicking the Retry button, it would eventually copy the files, although sometimes it would complain a file was no longer on the source drive, even though it was.

The next problem was bugchecks.  The VM guest OS would freeze, as would the host OS.  Mhy only recourse was to power off and restart.  There were two 0x1e bugchecks, one 0x1c bugcheck and one 0x80 bugcheck.

At that point I headed here and found this post.  I didn't stop the VMWare USB Arbritation Server.  Instead, I removed the USB Controller from the VM's hardware list.  I then enabled Shared Folders and pointed it at the drive letter of the USB thumb drive in the host OS.

Back in the guest OS, I was able to quickly and successfully copy multiple gigabytes of data to my VM's hard drive.  And I haven't seen any more bugchecks or OS freezes.

Reply
0 Kudos
Simone2017
Contributor
Contributor

@

I opened ticket yesterday VMware Pro 12 crashes Windows 10 Host with BSOD

I'm going to reinstall Windows and then will try your suggestion.

Reply
0 Kudos
MPKLLC
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I'm also getting BSODs in/from VMware® Workstation 14 Pro,  v14.1.1 build-7528167 running under Windows 10 Pro 1709, Build 16299.309. Crashes seem to happen during heavy disk activity (e.g. copying large files, shutting down a VM with a large amount of memory allocated to it). Before the BSOD, the disk activity may be around 90% (not unusual) as displayed by Task Manager, but several seconds before the BSOD, the disk activity in Task Manger jumps to 100% and stays there. At that point, the machine becomes totally unresponsive until the BSOD occurs. The BSOD indicates it is due to a DPC Watchdog Violation.

Reply
0 Kudos
yanw
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Hi, MPKLLC:

Would you please upload the C:\WINDOWS\memory.dmp files? Thanks very much

Reply
0 Kudos
MPKLLC
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi, Yanw

I just had one a little while ago, but the dump size was set to full. The DMP file is about 64 Gbytes! I'll save a copy so it doesn't get overwritten. I'll have to get you another, smaller dump file. Meanwhile, I'll set the dump size to a level that will provide enough info, but still be able to be uploaded. Let me know if you would like to make arrangements for me to send the large one to you via other means.

Reply
0 Kudos
MPKLLC
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Yanw,

I created a minidump of the 64 Gbyte full dump and uploaded it to you.

Reply
0 Kudos
MarianoSilva
Contributor
Contributor

Was there any further development on this thread? Still having the same issue ....


Regards,

Mariano

Reply
0 Kudos
geirove
Contributor
Contributor

Hello,

I also have this problem: Windows 10 crashing at an arbitrary time after recovering from hibernation with several VMWare Workstation 12.5.9 build-7535481 VMs running.

I have a customer running the same machine as mine that I configured for them running VMWare. However, this computer is always running, never sleeping or hibernating,

It has run for months with no problem.

That's when suspected Running VMWare Machines & Hibernation was the problem.

I have used VMWare for years, and have had no major problems: I sincerly hope VMWare steps up and fixes this problem both for existing versions and new versions.

The problem has costed me countless hours of error searching and cleaning up after crashes!

Reply
0 Kudos
ThisReallySucks
Contributor
Contributor

Is there an update on this thread. I am having the same problem with Windows 10 and Workstation PRO 15.1

Reply
0 Kudos
MrKenny
Contributor
Contributor

Yesterday, I had the same Bluescreens on Windows 10 using VMWare Workstation Pro 15.1 for months without any troubles. After removing Antivirus (AVAST) from Computer, VMWare worked without problems again.

Reply
0 Kudos
JEANCULELESMOUC
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks, that is EXACTLY your message that helped me and made me figure out in a flash what was causing these insane BSODs , insane because

- everything was working fine

- no VMWare update, no Windows update

- no VM corrupted

...the only reason was I had installed Avast like 10 days ago... and got rid of it as soon as I've read your post... this became crystal clear, and guess what..

it worked.

Avast + VMWare = your Windows 10 (can't say for others) crash .. instantly, Blue Screen of Death

... Death to AVast, I got rid of that crap immediately and I am happily able to use VMWare again.

❤️

Reply
0 Kudos
specific
Contributor
Contributor

Uninstalling AVAST likewise worked for me... so which a/v is compatible ?

Reply
0 Kudos
b4dend
Contributor
Contributor

Same issue for me Win 10 (v2004), tried with VMware Workstation Player and Workstation Pro (15). I don't have Avast, but I use Comodo. I disabled the USB as in the post above, and that worked for me.

Reply
0 Kudos
BK27
Contributor
Contributor

I used to get a BSOD on resume from sleep randomly (not every time). It got really frustrating after a while. In my case, analysis of the crash dump file implicated the graphics driver (AMD at the time), I updated the driver to no avail. Eventually I ended up replacing the graphics card with an nVidia one thinking it might be an intermittent issue with the AMD card. Only to find the problem persisted with the crash analyser implicating the nVidia gfx driver instead.

I can't remember how, but I somehow I figured it was VMPlayer causing the issue and the problem disappeared once I uninstalled it.

I think all this was back in 2019 with Player v.15.1.0.

I'm about to install v16.2.3. I hope the problem has been fixed. Wish me luck!

Reply
0 Kudos
continuum
Immortal
Immortal

You reply to un unsolved post that is 2 years ago. That will reduce your chances for a good suggestion significantly.
Create a new post and explain if you get the BSODs in the host or in the guest.
Avoid letting the guest go into sleep mode - use suspend instead.

By the way - the brand of the VGA card of the host usually does not matter that much ...

 

 


________________________________________________
Do you need support with a VMFS recovery problem ? - send a message via skype "sanbarrow"
I do not support Workstation 16 at this time ...

Reply
0 Kudos