AMD-V Not being correctly detected on VM Wkst 10.0.3 build-1895310 running on Windows 8.1

[CARLOS_BUSH]

Hello everyone,

I want to pick your mind today by exposing a case that´s driving me nuts, and  still can´t fix it. Here is the deal :  I am running  VM Workstation  10.0.3 build-1895310 on Windows 8.1, 64-bit  (Build 9600) 6.3.9600 ( both of them with all vendor-mandatory updates applied ) on a laptop with 6 GB RAM ( 4 GB free at the time of testing ). I want my VMs to perform faster since this laptop reports that it support the AMD-V extensions. Here´s the report of a utility named speccy on the CPU :

AMD A6-5200

  Cores 4

  Threads 4

  Name AMD A6-5200

  Code Name Kabini

  Package Socket FT3 (BGA769)

  Technology 28nm

  Specification AMD A6-5200 APU with Radeon HD Graphics

  Family F

  Extended Family 16

  Model 0

  Extended Model 0

  Stepping 1

  Revision KB-A1

  Instructions MMX (+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A, AMD 64, NX, VMX, AES, AVX

  Virtualization Supported, Enabled

  Hyperthreading Not supported

  Bus Speed 99.8 MHz

  Stock Core Speed 2000 MHz

  Stock Bus Speed 100 MHz

  Average Temperature 49 °C

Whenever I set the Virtualization engine preferred mode in  VM > settings > Processors  to "intel-VTx or AMD-V", after trying to start a Windows XP 32 bit VM, i get the following error message and the reversion to binary translationmode :

Preferred mode unavailable. Using binary translation instead.

This host supports AMD-V, but AMD-V is disabled.

AMD-V might be disabled if it has been disabled in the BIOS/firmware settings or the host has not been power-cycled since changing this setting.

(1) Verify that the BIOS/firmware settings enable AMD-V.

(2) Power-cycle the host if this BIOS/firmware setting has been changed.

(3) Power-cycle the host if you have not done so since installing VMware Workstation.

(4) Update the host's BIOS/firmware to the latest version.

I have done ALL that this error message is suggesting and looked everywhere on other forums, but I still can´t figure out why is this happenning.

It´s been suiggested somewhere that other virtualization platforms may interfere with VM Wkst "grabbing and using" these extension, so I made shure there are no other of a kind.

I am attaching a screenshoot of the VMware error.

Any insights on this will be highly appreciated !

Thanks a lot

Carlos

[digipeng]

quick question was the settings verified after the flash?

When a bios gets flashed sometimes the settings go to default.

[CARLOS_BUSH]

I forgot to add that strangely, my laptop is not showing on the BIOS a setting to turn on/off these extensions. Some website claimed that thay are ALWAYS enabled, but again, I was not able to confirm this.

Hope you can shed a light on this.

Carlos

[CARLOS_BUSH]

hello !

thanks for your reply

The BIOS setting that should enable/disable the extensions is MISSING. Still, Speccy reports it is supported and enabled

CPU-Z also reports that the laptop has the extension, but will not say if they are on or off

Carlos

[digipeng]

What's the laptops  year make and model?

[CARLOS_BUSH]

Gateway NE 522

I am attaching the full specs as a .txt file

[CARLOS_BUSH]

Bought Nov 2013

[digipeng]

Okay I see a possibility here. Although Trouble-shooting Intel VT-x Issues say it only works with Intel, I think the part of  "You have McAfee Deep Defender installed on your host" is promising.

DigiPen

[digipeng]

If that doesn't work the community is welcome to pitch in where we left off.

[CARLOS_BUSH]

Hello !

apparently, this is a toughie ...

thank you very much  for the help, but unfortunately I am not running Mcafee Deep defender, another Mcafee suite is running though (mcafee security center 12.8 and the whole suite of crapware  under it  )...

I am going to try and disable the components, and see if that does any good

the article also says that it doesn´t relate to AMD-V, but it was well worth the shot

Anyone care to solve this mistery ? all help is deeply appreciated

Carlos