Windows 2008 R2 Randomly Locking Up (ESXi 4.0 Update 1)

[Stewd]

I am having issues with Windows 2008 R2 locking up randomly even after applying patches (including Update 1). I have verified that the patches are up to date with vSphere Host Update Utility as of Feb. 19, 2010 and have updated VMWare Tools on the Windows 2008 R2 server after applying patches. I am able to ping the server, but like other people that have reported the issue, VMWare console stops responding and I can't Remote Desktop to the server. I have tried to remotely restart the server using "shutdown" command, but that doesn't work either.

Thanks in advance

Stew Davis

[Whitmore29]

Can you eleaborate on the issues with ESET AV (we are using ESET corporately)? Note: I haven't had an issue since updating my vmware tools client after installing update 1 to correct the SVGA graphics driver issues with 2008R2 / Windows 7 (fingers crossed) ...

[hansherlighed]

Hi,

There are several post about NOD32 freezing some servers over at http://www.wilderssecurity.com/

It's not all servers, just some. ESET even made a KB about it: http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2567

[CPRAO]

Guys is VT enabled on the host before installing the Windows 2008 OS on VM ?

[hansherlighed]

I'm using an AMD processor and IOMMU(AMD's name for VT) is active, otherwise ESXI cannot install Win2008 R2 as far as I have read.

Never the less, IOMMU is enabled.

[Whitmore29]

VT needs to be enabled to install 64 bit guests, so yes it is enabled.  I just had another freeze right now going to try the ESET fix outlined above as it is relevant to me. Hopefully this solves my issues. Anyone else hear anything new on this ?

Chris 

[hernandez80]

Hello,

I'm having the exact same issue with a windows 2008 R2 VM (also SP1).

I've tried a fresh install from scratch on a VM. nothing special installed, no Antivirus. The VM boots, but after some minutes it just freezes (from VM console) and vCpu gets to 100 %. Only solution is a strong power off.

The problem is occuring only on one of three tests ESXi servers. They all are in 4.1 U1 with latest patches.

Windows 2003 VMs are working just fine on that host, only having issues with w2k8 R2 (haven't tried yet w2k8 without R2)

I also tried the video driver trick but does not change anything.

I opened a SR 2 weeks ago, but no solution for the moment. I've been asked to contact HP to check if there were any Hardware issue --> nothing to declare.

Now i have to open a case at Microsoft, to ask them if we can find any log files explaining what happens.

Why do I have that strange behaviour on only one host ? all three are exactly the same ..

Hope someone has a good explanation one day !

[Exospark]

Hi,

I also had that problem with all my Windows 2008 R2 VMs on ESX and ESXi (Extremely poor VMs performance an sometimes VMs were freezing / locking up). I just fixed the problem today.

Here is what I did to correct the problem:

1-      - Manually set the video memory to 64MB on the virtual graphic adapter

2-      - Manually reinstall the video driver on the VM using the following path: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VMware\Drivers\wddm_video

3-      - Disable Serial & Parallel ports + the floppy drive within the VM BIOS

      Hopefully it also work for you.

hjh

[hansherlighed]

Hi,

Thansk for the advice, this solve the freezing / locking up issue, but not the issue not being able to get into safe mode. That problem still persist. I cannot figure out what the H... is going on. I have not been able to find an answer any where and been able to solve it either:-(

Any suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks

Morten.

[hernandez80]

Hello,

I don't know if that will help anybody, but here is what solved my problem :

I had 2 ESX servers, ESX1 with 4 CPUs and 64 Gb of RAM, ESX2 with 2 CPUs and 32 GB.

I added CPUs 3, 4 and Memory modules from ESX1 to ESX2.

Once rebooted and quickly tested, my problem was deported to ESX2. I did not have that before !

I removed the added CPUs from ESX2 and i couldn't reproduce the problem.

Finally, I called HP, they changed the 2 CPUs from original ESX1.

Everything seems to be OK now.

All diagnostics were fine, i did not try any other CPU bench that the wonderful one from HP (Smartstart...)

I hope i won't encounter that strange behaviour anymore ..

Regards

Patrick

[ehinkle]

Has anyone found a fix for this issue. I have the same thing happening on a Dell server running ESXi 4. I have exchange 2010 on 2008R2 with all the roles on one server and when I shut the server down (power off) and then back on it randomly hangs before getting to the windows logo screen. If I look at performance on the esx host for the VM. There is brief cpu/disk activity but then flat lines. I then have to power off the guest and power back on several times. I have even had to go into window startup recovery because I have to hard power it down and windows is seeing it as a problem and wanting to do a recovery.

I have not upgraded to 4.1 because I was not sure if that was going to fix the issues or make it worst. I have seen the 2008r2 video issue before on other 2008r2 servers, not on this server, and did not configure the vmware video drivers on that server because of that.

help!!

[Gasaraki]

I went to the bios of the VM and turned off all useless items like serial ports, parallel ports, com ports, etc. That seems to have fixed my lock up problems.

[bckirsch]

It's a known issue is the video driver for 2008, sometime switching drivers can help but the only true solution that is coming will be the next version of virtual hardware and VM tools.

[ehinkle]

are you talking about the next version past hardware version 7 and esx 4.1? When installing vmware tools I unchecked the opiton to install video drivers so it is just running the default driver.