[SOLVED] VM not working on Workstation Pro 16 - Intel VT-x Issue

[Karan_Jain]

Trying to run EVE-NG on HP14-dv0054TU having Windows 10 Home Single Language Version 20H2 Build 19042.1081 Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3530.0 with VMWare Workstation Pro 16.0.0 build-16894299.

Checked "Virtualize Intel VT-X/EPT" while creating VM. Windows/Laptop crashed as soon as the VM is powered on. Tried with Pro 14 & Pro 15.5.5; got the same result.

Researched online and found 2 Windows Features - Windows Hypervisor Platform and Virtual Machine Platform.

I turned on "Virtual Machine Platform" feature and rebooted. VM started to work this time (no crash) but a dialog box came mentioned "Virtualize Intel VT-X/EPT or AMD-V/RI is not supported on this platform. Continue with Intel VT-X/EPT or AMD-V/RI ?" If clicked "no", VM fails to start and If selected "yes", gets an error "VMWare Workstation does not support nested virtualization. Module HV power on failed."

If I uncheck "Virtualize Intel VT-X/EPT" in VM settings, the VM loads just fine.

The issue I am facing is in using the network devices on VM (EVE-NG). I have to use security devices (Cisco FWs and Palo Alto) images on EVE-NG for study purposes. These are loaded to /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/. But these are not getting started.

"Virtualize Intel VT-X/EPT" in VM settings is the primary requirement for VM (EVE-NG) to run smoothly but with selecting this feature, VM don't even load/power-on.

I also tried adding/changing values in Regedit.msc but it didn't help.

Attached is the SystemInfo output.

[splainr]

I too am experiencing this issue. 

My laptop processor is: 

Intel® Core™ i7-2960XM Processor Extreme Edition (8M Cache, up to 3.70 GHz) Product Specifications

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/compare.html?productIds=53478

...and definitely supports VT-x technology, and all are enabled in bios.

it appears I can't license Eve-ng Pro, since this new VMWare Workstation 16 Pro i just bought doesn't seem to communicate VT-x status to Eve-ng Pro. Help?

[Karan_Jain]

Team, please assist with the issue. 

Any response or idea will be highly appreciated.

[scott28tt]

@Karan_Jain 

In case you didn't know, VMTN is a user community forum, where people help voluntarily in their own time (in the most part).

[Karan_Jain]

I found the solution. Its a Windows 10 Home edition workaround.

Run the following command in CMD (open as "Run as Administrator") --- bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Once the command is executed, reboot the system.

This way VMware is able to set Virtualize Intel VT-X/EPT in VM settings.

You can follow the video on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTSYfjAgbZc 

[lucifer3]

bro it worked

[jdl69]

False for me, a look around suggest to use SCVMM in order to convert vmx to use the poor HYPER V, the problem is still here cause of defender. my Host OS windows 11 family, maybe vmware could do an update of VMWARE WORK PRO 16.2.4 ?

PS :The pb is for nested VM

JDL

[ushakiran_9]

Hi Karan,

Could you please help me to resolve the same issue to me.

i am unable to fix the issue.

[Technogeezer]

@jdl69 @ushakiran_9 The underlying issue is that Hyper-V does a very poor job of allowing nested virtualization for third-party hypervisors for its own Hyper-V virtual machines and an even worse job of supporting it for third-party hypervisors. If Workstation detects Hyper-V components enabled on your system, it will use Hyper-V as an upper-level monitor to run your VMs. The workarounds that have been posted disable Hyper-V and any other associated Windows technology that uses Hyper-V components such as memory integrity and workstation based security. You have to find out which ones are enabled on your system (research the posts here in the forum) and get them all. Once those all are disabled, Workstation will use the VMware hypervisor and nested virtualization should work.

The situation isn't going to change until Microsoft fixes Hyper-V. They have started allow nested virtualization for Hyper-V VMs for some AMD EPYC/Ryzen chips, but they've done diddly-squat, zippo, zilch, nada, bupkis, nothing for other chipsets or virtualization offerings. Yet.

[xxxDEV1xxx]

Edit virtual machine settings-> Options->Advanced-> uncheck! Enable VBS, then, check! Disable side channel mitigations for hyper-v enabled hosts then,

Click Hardware -> Processors->uncheck all 3 boxes that say virtualize.

This solves VPMC module issue as well as this HV module issue.

Just make these changes before trying to boot on the copied VM, or you might have a brick Good luck