Another problem with 15.5.5 - not the keyboard issues, BSODs installing x86 editions of Windows

[hanness_rdu]

With Windows 10 2004 now generally available, I'm setting up a few reference Win 10 2004 reference systems, both x64 and x86 in VMware.

I'm finding that very early in the setup process, I'm getting frequent BSODs when I attempt to install Win 10 x86 editions. It doesn't happen every single time but has happened multiple time during the first few screens of setup, before I even get to the point where Windows starts copying files.

Note that I have not yet seen issues with x64 editions.

Here is my configuration:

Host computer:

HP Spectre x360 15-BL012DX laptop computer

Intel Core i7-7500U Processor (Kaby Lake)

32GB RAM

Seagate 1TB FireCuda 510 NVMe SSD

Intel HD Graphics 620 and Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics with a 4k 15-inch display

Windows 10 Pro 2004 (final released build)

Again, the guest OS being installed is Windows 10 Pro 2004 x86.

Is this a known issue with 15.5.5? I've never run into it before, but there have been 2 major changes - Upgraded from Win 10 1909 to 2004 and VMware 15.5.2 to 15.5.5.

[Mits2020]

This is going to be tricky to debug, since you changed 3 variables at the same time: host OS, WS version and guest OS.

I'd start from the guest OS first. Have you tried installing a different OS as guest, e.g. Win7 or a Linux mainstream distro? If these work normally, then the host and WS installation are OK, and Win10 2004 just hates being a slave in a VM.

If these guests also have the problem, then we must check the other two variables.

[hanness_rdu]

For the past couple of hours I have been doing that - eliminating variables. I reverted back to VMware 15.5.2 and absolutely hammered on it, installing in precisely the same manner as before. There are no problems in 15.5.2. So, that pretty much leaves only one item - VMware Workstation Pro 15.5.5.