Can't enter safe mode/keyboard doesn't work

[mattmthomas]

Greetings,

I have a Windows 2003 std server which was converted from Microsoft Virtual Server to ESXi 3.5u3 vm. Unfortunately, it is only using one of the four cores assigned to it. From another thread, it appears that I need to change from halacpi.dll to halmacpi.dll. So, I created a snapshot and the extracted the halmacpi.dl_ to hal.dll as that thread suggested. The author there said to next boot in safe mode. I can press F8 to get the boot menu, but then I'm stuck; the keyboard stops responding. I can't actually select and enter safe mode. There is another vm on this machine, and I can enter safe mode fine on that vm. Does anyone have any suggestions or insight?

Thanks,

Matt

[RParker]

Unfortunately, it is only using one of the four cores assigned to it. From another thread, it appears that I need to change from halacpi.dll to halmacpi.dll.

Actually the other way around. you are going from the mult-acpi to a uni. So the one you have now is correct. you may need to pop the cd in the drive, boot, and install as you would for a new install. When it gets to where you install it to the drive, it should recognize the existing installation and you should have the option to repair the install. Then it will continue as if for a new install, but you won't lose any settings.

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[admin]

Not sure why F8 isn't working, but you can edit the boot.ini to add the /safeboot switch and then reboot to get it into safe mode.

More details here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833721

www.phdvirtual.com

[mattmthomas]

Actually the other way around. you are going from the mult-acpi to a uni. So the one you have now is correct. you may need to pop the cd in the drive, boot, and install as you would for a new install. When it gets to where you install it to the drive, it should recognize the existing installation and you should have the option to repair the install. Then it will continue as if for a new install, but you won't lose any settings.

Aha, thank you. So it would use macpi if it was seeing one processor with several cores, but when it is presented with several cores as separate processors each one uses the uniprocessor driver? Good to know. I'll try the repair install next.

[RParker]

Aha, thank you. So it would use macpi if it was seeing one processor with several cores, but when it is presented with several cores as separate processors each one uses the uniprocessor driver? Good to know. I'll try the repair install next.

NO. A VM only see's 1 processor (if you allocated 1 processor in the configuration). If your host has 2 sockets, each socket is a quad core, that means you have 8 total core processors. If you assign one to a VM, that's all the VM will see. It will not see that it's a multi-core processor, it will only see it as one available processor. You could have 16 or 32 cores, your VM will still see only 1 processor. It's the maximum number of CPU you assigned to the VM

>I created a snapshot and the extracted the halmacpi.dl_ to hal.dll

is a multiprocessor hal. A uniprocssor hal would be halacpi.dll . If you assigned 2 processors to the VM, then you would need the halmacpi.dl_ but since you only have 1, you use the uniprocessor.

hence multi and uni

ACPI Multiprocessor PC = Halmacpi.dl_

ACPI Uniprocessor PC = Halacpi.dl_

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC = Halacpi.dl_

MPS Multiprocessor PC = Halmps.dl_

MPS Uniprocessor PC = Halapic.dl_

Standard PC = Hal.dl_

Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible = Halsp.dl_

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[mattmthomas]

RParker wrote:

I created a snapshot and the extracted the halmacpi.dl_ to hal.dll

is a multiprocessor hal. A uniprocssor hal would be halacpi.dll . If you assigned 2 processors to the VM, then you would need the halmacpi.dl_ but since you only have 1, you use the uniprocessor.

hence multi and uni

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Hmm, okay. Maybe I wasn't clear in my original post, then. I have assigned this VM 4 processors. There are two quad-core processors on the server. The VM is only utilizing one of the four cores that it has been assigned and maxing out that one (mostly steady 25% utilization on the VIclient performance monitor -- 100% util in the VMs performance monitor). The four processors show up in the device manager. The hal.dll is referencing halacpi.dll. The other VM on that server has been assigned two cores, is using both and is referencing the halmacpi.dll.

[mattmthomas]

I was unable to resolve the issue on the guest os. A repair install did not fix the problem. I built a new VM and migrated the apps and data and the new guest OS is working properly.