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rgdn
Contributor
Contributor

"start pxe over ipv4" or "No operating system" errors - Macbook air M1

I downloaded the Vmware Fusion Tech Preview and the ISO from Microsoft (Windows 11).

Configured correctly following the protocols for this combo of variables.
I always get to this screen "start pxe over ipv4", after a few seconds "start pxe over ipv6", and eventually it goes into the BIOS.

I tried creating new Virtual Machines from scratch, reinstalling VMware Fusion, tried using different ISO files, nothing works.

 

When I go to the BIOS and disable 'boot from the network' options then I get an error "No operating system was found, check your Startup Disk...)

My current hypothesis is that, for some reason, VMware cannot read or find the ISO file.
And I tried a couple different files and the error is so quick that, imo, VMware does not even look for the file or cannot find it for some reason, no matter which file I select.
It always ends up on the same error screen.

Any tips?

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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

Moderator:  probably should move this to FusionPreview

 

Couple of points - as you'll see in the preview guide, Win 11 is unsupported.  There is guidance in there on how to do it in an unsupported mode.  What most folks are doing is converting the VHDX instead of a fresh install.

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rgdn
Contributor
Contributor

I tried this method as well, but when I try to use the converted (from VHDX to .vmdk) the options to select the files are greyed out.

Any idea of how I could proceed?
Thanks again.

Screen Shot 2021-10-06 at 21.00.55.png

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viking1304
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Your vmdx is 68.72GB?! It should be 9.97GB if you have converted the right vhdx and if you converted that properly.

Be sure that you have downloaded ARM64 vhdx, for example Windows11_InsiderPreview_Client_ARM64_en-us__22454.vhdx

Use this command to convert vhdx to vmdk

qemu-img convert Windows11_InsiderPreview_Client_ARM64_en-us__22454.vhdx -O vmdk Windows11.vmdk -p

 

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rgdn
Contributor
Contributor

Not really, this is just an artifact, the file is 10GB, you can see it when you open its properties info.

I saw other people online with the same artifact happening to them when converting it.  
And I have converted it using other methods too, but the file does not seem to be the issue here...

Screen Shot 2021-10-06 at 22.49.50.png

 

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viking1304
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Which vhdx have you used? Windows11_InsiderPreview_Client_ARM64_en-us__22454.vhdx or some other? Are you sure that you used -O vmdk (capital letter O, not the lowercase one)?

rgdn
Contributor
Contributor

THANKS!!!

I changed that info on the command and indeed the file turned out to be 9.7GB now and no artifacts.
And now it's booting up!

I hope I can figure the rest of this out smoothly, I need Windows for my work, unfortunately...
Thanks so much for the assistance, guys!

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ColoradoMarmot
Champion
Champion

Check out the tips here to get networking available, and the other one on resizing the guest.  That latter I haven't tried, but it's ninja-level workaround for an unsupported environment.

 

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Musicmaker81
Contributor
Contributor

I have this same problem with the latest ARM version of Windows 11: start PXE over IPV4.
Can't get it to work.

So I decided to install a virtual macOS Monterey machine for testing purposes (application packages etc.). I created the VM and selected the macOS Monterey installer.
When starting the VM it also begins with start pxe over IPV4. 
Obviously it is not related to Windows only.

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

In either case whatever you are trying to boot isn't recognized as having a bootable operating system. It's falling through to the PXE boot because of that.

You won't be able to build a Monterey VM on an Apple Silicon device for "testing purposes". Won't work. VMware doesn't support a macOS guest yet because of the major "proprietary" changes made by Apple for Apple Silicon (such as boot process, virtualization APIs).

You'd be better off trying one of the Linux for arm64 distributions such as Fedora, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, etc to prove to yourself that you can boot from CD/DVD based installers.

Back to Windows. Questions:

  • What "latest ARM version of Windows 11" do you have?
  • If it's the Insider Preview vhdx file, I assume that you have converted it using tools such as qemu-img from vhdx to vmdk format, and you have configured the resulting virtual disk to your VM as your first Hard Disk (the boot disk).
  • If you have an ISO for your Windows install, have you tried to boot to firmware (Virtual Machine -> Power on to firmware), then use the Boot Manager to manually boot from the EFI CD/DVD device?

Technogeezer_0-1642437464514.png

Technogeezer_1-1642437490151.png

 

If it is a bootable ISO image and the boot from the Boot Manager doesn't work (that is, you don't get the prompt to press any key to boot from cd/dvd), then it appears that you might have something up with your boot media and you should double check it.

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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Musicmaker81
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for your reply.
Good to know that at this point it isn't possible to create a Monterey virtual machine on an Apple Silicon Mac.


I'm using "22533.1001_MULTI_ARM64_EN-US.ISO" which was downloaded on January 13th 2022 from uupdump.net.
I do get the prompt 'Press any key....' but immediately after showing that line it will show 'Start PXE over IPv4'.
I also went in the firmware and selected DVD/CD. Then it takes a little bit more time that this line is showing, but it will also start trying to boot over PXE.

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

I can confirm that this build doesn't boot. Something set in this ISO doesn't like what Fusion's providing.

I've had better luck with the beta channel builds. Have you tried the Windows 11 Insider Preview 10.0.22000.160 (co_release) build from the latest Beta channel - build?

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
akshayabalan96
Contributor
Contributor

Facing the same issue

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

The same issue for what operating system? Please elaborate. 

Windows 11 for ARM can be extremely finicky to install from ISO. I’ve not gotten a Release Preview build ISO from uupdump.net to boot. They all fail to find a bootable OS and drop to PXE boot. The only ISOs I’ve been able to get to boot and install are the Latest Beta Channel build.

An easier route is to sign up for the Windows Insider program, download the Windows for ARM Insider Preview HyperV virtual disk, and convert that to vmdk format. There are threads in this board with instructions on how to do it. 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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aalessa
Contributor
Contributor

I have same issue

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

“I have same issue “ doesn’t give us enough information to help out. 

Details about what OS (assuming it’s Windows 11 for ARM) and specifically what build you are trying to install from ISO would be very helpful. 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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Musicmaker81
Contributor
Contributor

@Technogeezer 

"I can confirm that this build doesn't boot. Something set in this ISO doesn't like what Fusion's providing.

I've had better luck with the beta channel builds. Have you tried the Windows 11 Insider Preview 10.0.22000.160 (co_release) build from the latest Beta channel - build?"


I've tried the 10.0.22000.160 build and that one actually does boot! Thanks for that.
One thing I can't get into that OS are the RSAT tools (not with Powershell nor through Add features). But that isn't a VMware / macOS thing. So only if someone has a hint..... 
For now my PXE boot problem has resolved.

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styladj
Contributor
Contributor

I have a similar issue with Fusion Technical Preview Build 19431034 on a MacBook Pro M1 2020 running Mac OS 12.3.1. The Fusion VM cannot boot from the latest Debian 11 ARM DVD ISO.  

I gave Debian 10 also a try, but with no success. 

Was anyone here able to boot an ARM-based Linux installer with Fusion Technical Preview?

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Technogeezer
Immortal
Immortal

If the ISO has been updated within the last 1 ½ months, you may be out of luck.

Most Linux distributions that updated their installer since the beginning of March are having problems booting/running because of changes made to the Linux kernel lto address a security issue. Most of the distributions are picking up these changes which have been back ported to older kernel versions. 

Reportedly this is due to the kernel now using am ARM CPU register that Fusion (and other ARM virtualization products) didn't implement. There's not much you can do until VMware releases another update for the Tech Preview other than trying to find a distribution released before March 2022, and don't let it update the kernel. For Debian, that means you'll have to go to https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/archive and find a release from before March 2022. Debian 11.2 worked fine for me.

Or run QEMU/UTM or Parallels that reportedly have the fix implemented.

 

- Paul (Technogeezer)
Editor of the Unofficial Fusion Companion Guides
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reguengos
Contributor
Contributor

On folder "virtual Machines" go to your named machine: mine is "Windows 11 -arm" right click and select "show content" then you'll find a file: in my case is: "windows 11 -arm.vmx" right click and open with text editor:

Change the line: to

guestOS = "arm-windows11-64"

save.

After that will create a file: "Windows 11 -arm.vmx.lck" - Remove it. 

Start the VM again.