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dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

ESX 5.5 - Windows 8 / 8.1 - Filehandling "Problems"

Hi there,

i hope to be quite at the correct spot at the forum to find help and be able to describe the problem as detailed as possible.

The Situation:

We're trying to run Windows 8.1 with ESX 5.5, on first spot there seems to be no problem, but after some "virtual working" the magic begins...

Current testing Hard-/Software:

ESX Server:

Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5-2650 v2 @ 2.60GHz

RAM: 262.111 MB

ESX-Version: VMware ESXi, 5.5.0, 1331820

VM Host: (also created in different variations to eliminate configuration errors)

Guest OS: Microsoft Windows 8 (64-Bit)

Compatibility: ESXi 5.5 und höher (VM-Version 10)

RAM: 8 GB

SCSI-Adapter: LSI Logic SAS

HDD: 128 GB (on local RAID 6 over LSI Controller)

Possible Workflow - (magic bug) - This is just one way to generate our Problem:

- Windows 8.1 is up to date

- In the example i use Firefox, but it's not dependable on the software used, IE produces the same phenomen. Downloads or new files created with other software also _CAN_ (<- evil - magic word -) produce this problem.

- Try to download something (strangly, the problem occurs very accidentaly - here i tried to download some default software)

   pastedImage_10.png

(You may can't see the problem, buwhahaha ...yeah... but this is what i currently see, nothing, exactly... the download hangs up at "1 second")

- The file-writing process stopped

- Trying to access the downloaded - incomplete - file: "explorer.exe" stopped reacting

- Closing Firefox (kill it!) releases the filehandle and i can rename the downloaded ".part".-file -> works!

- The temporary ".exe" file (firefox created) is existing (0 byte). The Process of "moving" the temporary download file ".part" to the finished ".exe" file seems to fail?

- Downloading the same file again can or cannot work, its strangly randomly

- Downloading a file with internet explorer may already stop at any point between 1 to 100% download, firefox always hangs @ 99 or 100%

Now you may think thats not a VM Problem... but...

The same problem does occur working with microsoft office products or other third party tools like yEd.

Also, there are no microsoft log entries except the "Application Hang" that Firefox returns...

We already changed the ESX-configuration to default, used another server (other hardware!).

We reinstalled Windows 8 ... let me recount... countless Smiley Happy

We have no problems with other OS like (Windows Server 2012 R2 (i thought that 2012 may have the same problem.. but nope!), Windows XP, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Ubuntu, Centos, Red Had, SuSE, ...)

Writing files to a network share does not result in this error!

Also copy local files or install programs either.

Its only the creation of new files by (any) software!

I think this will only happen if the Software write temporary files and moves them afterwards.

Do you have any expirience with this bug or a hint, where to look for log entries / settings?

Except this filehandling-bug Windows 8.1 performs fine Smiley Happy

Thank you all in advance, i want to try the best to fix this and let you know the results.

Edit:

Added the possible solution to use another browser or software, this will not help since the bug is appearing with every Applikation that writes files. I hope this will clarify the facts for future discussions

Edit 2:

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13 Replies
ScreamingSilenc

Have you tried downloading the same with IE ?

Which version of Firefox are you using ?

Please consider marking this answer "correct" or "helpful" if you found it useful.
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dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

Thank you for the fast reply,


unfortunately the behavior of the internet explorer is the same (except that filewriting processes already died at 1-99% not like Firefox at 100%)

I fixed my description to clearify, that all Applikations that write Files (only on user behavior?) can have failures.

Also, the files can be downloaded repeatetly and the outcome differs, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Firefox 28.0

Greets Daniel

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DanielOprea
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hi,

Please, look this article:

http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/pdf/VMware_GOS_Compatibility_Guide.pdf

What  version do you have network adapter?

PLEASE CONSIDER AWARDING any HELPFUL or CORRECT answer. Thanks!!
Por favor CONSIDERA PREMIAR cualquier respuesta ÚTIL o CORRECTA. ¡¡Muchas gracias!!
Blogs: https://danieloprea.blogspot.com/
dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks DanielOprea,

network adapters tested: e1000, e1000e and VMXNET 3

HDD Controller tested: LSI Logic SAS, SATA and VMware Paravirtual as Bustype

No change so far.

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DanielOprea
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Hello,

Please apply this KB to see if the network configuration is correct.

Look at this article to see the performance of SCSI controllers that you should choose.

Also apply this KB to see if all of the ESX configuration is correct.

PLEASE CONSIDER AWARDING any HELPFUL or CORRECT answer. Thanks!!
Por favor CONSIDERA PREMIAR cualquier respuesta ÚTIL o CORRECTA. ¡¡Muchas gracias!!
Blogs: https://danieloprea.blogspot.com/
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MKguy
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I really don't think something so specific inside the Guest OS like that is a VMware related problem, especially as you said other OSes (even 2012R2 which shares a lot of the code base) or things like file copies are fine.

Is this a vanilla Windows 8.1 install with no other software or whatever custom nuts and bolts? For example, I regularly see hangs when finishing large downloads on my physical Windows clients because the virus scanner immediately chimes in to scan the file.

If anything, try to update your GA ESXi 5.5. to U1 (disregarding this problem, at least apply the recent critical openssl security patch) but I doubt this will make a difference in your case.

-- http://alpacapowered.wordpress.com
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dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

Let me just make this clear.. its NOT a Software related Problem, since its coming up with EVERY fresh GuestOS-installation with Windows 8 + it is ONLY related to local disk space (no such problems writing files to a network share).

Does anyone has an idea what we may doing wrong with our installation?

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JPM300
Commander
Commander

What is the install process you are using to install Windows 8 /8.1.  Are you using a template? are you installing fresh from an ISO file?  When do you install it do you click Custome instead of upgrade?  Do you have to inject any drivers for the install or does everythign go fine with no errors?  Does the same error occur if you use E1000 instead of VMXET3?  Do you install the Windows 8/8.1 VM onto the same Datastore as your 2012R2 installations?


Let me know,  Seeing as Windows 8 is the same kerenel version as Windows Server 2012, and Windows 8.1 is the same kernel version as Server 2012R2 and you don't have issues with the Server 2012R2 systems it should work.

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dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

We're installing Windows 8.1 fresh from Microsoft Partner ISO (same way as the Windows Server 2012).

> Clicking Custom

> Everything goes fine with no errors, no injects

> The problem occures with both E1000 and VMXNET3

> The problem also occures with different storage controllers

The Datastore is the same one as the one of the Win Server 2012 installation.

The installation on another completly different ESX-Host also works without success (that means, the same issue).

This whole 2012 <> Windows 8.1 thing is confusing me either, as you mentioned its the same kernel it should "work" the same way...

I will now retry to copy the 2012 VM settings and reinstall Windows 8.1 on the "same" vritual hardware setup

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JPM300
Commander
Commander

Yeah let us know how that goes.


If you move the VM to a different host, does it have the same issue?

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dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

It seems, creating a new VM with Settings exactly identical to the windows server 2012 Setup works.

No Local-Disk writing problems occured since that day.

Since i do not have the time to test each setting yet, i'm not sure wich settings solved the problem exactly.

I will update this post as soon as possible!

Thanks to all the helpers Smiley Happy

spsuser
Contributor
Contributor

Did you ever figure this out?  I have been having the same issues  on my Windows 8.1 U1 View images running on ESXi 5.5.

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dpetsys
Contributor
Contributor

As far as i can see now, for a longer testing period, we solved the original problem with the following setup/workaround:

Some general settings:

16 CPUS

16 GB RAM

HDD1: 50 GB vHDD (RAID 6 Datastore)

HDD2: 150 GB vHDD (RAID 6 Datastore)

1 x Network (E1000E) Connected at Startup

1x 4 MB vGPU

Compatibility: ESXi 5.0 or higher (VM-Version 😎

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Setup:

Installed the OS on the SECOND! Virtual HDD (150GB). The first vHDD is not used, or for "scratch"

- i know it sounds like ... w000t?, but i think that solved the problem, since its the only difference to the other VMs with the "writing" bug

Updated the OS to with newest updates etc. Downloads etc. now working properly.

Somtime we have performance issues feeling like "buffering problems", but i think i have to discuss this on another thread.

PS: The only software not-working, as far as i know, is pyCharm: every 5-10 minutes it hangs up (killing the process and restart, solves the problem for another couple of minutes). This happens ONLY in VM, i think its related.

I have to revoke my decision "it workes" ... today i got writing errors again! I will soon update this with more Details

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