VMWare WS - Cannot install 64 bit guest OS

[Madrilleno]

I am trying to install a 64 bit guest OS on VMWare Workstation. I have created a new VM using the custom option and selected MS Server 2003 Standard 64 bit as the OS I want to use.

The VM starts, but as soon as the CD ISO mount and boots, I get an error message saying that VT is not enabled on the CPU. The boot screen behind the error message says that I cannot install a 64 bit OS on this system, and that I need to install a 32 bit one instead.

The host system is a HP DL320 G5 with an Intel Xeon dual core 2.4GHz CPU and 8GB RAM. The host operating system is Windows Server 2003 Standard edition 64 bit.

I have enabled VT in the BIOS and done a full power off reset after setting it.

Anyone have any suggestions please?

Madrilleno

[Liz]

have you run the compatibility tester? It could be (although Id agree it seems odd) that its not compatible.

[Madrilleno]

The compatibility analyzer says that "This host is capable of running a 64-bit guest operating system under this VMware product"

It says this whether or not I have enabled VT in the BIOS.

Madrilleno

[admin]

Please download this ISO , burn it to a CD, and boot from the CD. Let me know what it says. Thanks!

[Madrilleno]

This is the output from the CD created with vt.iso:

Reporting VT Capability for 2 logical CPUs...

CPU 0 : VT is enabled on this core

CPU 1 : Feature control MSR is unlocked

CPU 1 : VT is disabled in the feature control MSR

(Copyright notice)

\*** CPU 1 halted ***

Madrilleno

[phdillinger]

As you already found my thread (http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=75616&tstart=0) with exact the same problem, you might also know the workaround to get 64 bit guest started:

Configure the virtual machine with only one CPU and after starting the guest, set the processor affinity of the vmware-vmx.exe process to the CPU where VT is enabled (CPU0 in our case).

The start is a little bit tricky because VMware is resistent to every tool that tries to set processor affinity on process execution. So it's more or less luck if it grabs the "right" CPU. What helps for us, is to start all 32 bit guests before, set all these processes to CPU1, and at last start the 64 bit guest. In most cases it grabs CPU0 because of the heavy utilization of the other CPU. Then quick change this process's affinity. If you like, allow the 32 bit guests to use both CPUs.

Meanwhile we are in contact with HP support. Besides clarification of the exact nature of our problem we achieved that the second level support is involved.

As it seems to affect not only our ProLiant server it looks more like a buggy BIOS.

I will give more update here when I got more information from HP.

[Madrilleno]

I'm marking pdhilliger's replay as helpful and have started a support call with HP. I will post any further info as soon as I receive it, but I don't expect much from the HP behemoth.

[Madrilleno]

Got into an argument yesterday with HP about VT support. They said that VT is implemented properly on the DL320. They also said that VMware was not supported on this platform. I went on to say that VMware was not the problem, any program using VT extensions would fail on this hardware. I need to prove this using ESX and XEN. This takes the OS out of the equation.

What i really need is an independent way to verify that VT is enabled on this server. Can anyone help? I'll be trawling through Google in the meantime.

[phdillinger]

You can try XenExpress (http://xensource.com/download/xenexpress.html). It's free (you must register and will receive newsletter then), it's an iso you can boot from, and as far as I know it will verify VT during it's preinstallation check.

But I'm not sure, if Xen (Epress) IS supported by HP to admit a bug in their BIOS.

I already sent them the addresses of our threads and the vt.iso from Jim that they can check their hardware by themselves.

[Madrilleno]

I have already tried Xen, it gives me the same result - you cannot install a 64 bit OS because VT is not enabled. It will not complain about VT during installation.

I have tried phdillinger's suggestion to force affinity onto CPU0 and it works. To me this proves that the EM64T implementation on the DL320G5 is either buggy or because EM64T is not specifically noted in the server spec, it is disabled. But why would HP disable it, but still leave a setting in the BIOS?

[phdillinger]

A short update.

Got a phone call today from HP support. He said the Indian :smileyalert: support team rejected the support case. Reason "VMware WS is not supported".

The man on the phone was very insightfully and offers by himself to report the Indian team that this solution is very disappointing for us. Although this will have not much effect, it opens the possibility to start an official complain to get this bug fixed.

As soon as I will get the next response from HP about how to complain I will let you know.

[Madrilleno]

My case is still ongoing with HP, but it's gone very quiet. I am arguing that VMWare is only prooving that VT is not properly enabled, and that any program using VT will not work because of this bug.

I went on to state that I had tried several other programs with the same result. HP do not state that VMWare, or any other virtualisation technology will not work, they just do not support it. If you turn your issue into a VT problem rather than a VMWare problem, maybe you can get it reopened. They do not, after all, state that VT is not implemented.

[rthinds]

Using VMWare Server on Windows x64 2003 R2 on anHP Proliant DL320 G5 and I get the exact same problem when installing 64 bit guest OS's.

Called HP to lend weight to the problem and got "it's a software problem" and was transferred to the Microsoft team, who transferred me to the Hardware team, who then transferred me to the VMWare team, who tranferred me back to the Hardware team.

To shorten the amount of storytelling when talking to the various departments at HP, I simply explained that enabling the VT extensions in the BIOS only enabled them on one of the cores, and not both, and that any VT technology is likely to fail because of this.

135 minutes after starting the call, he played the "it's not supported" card.

[Madrilleno]

Maybe HP could supply a list of supported software? Or not supported? HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Has HP deliberately disabled (or not enabled) VT on CPU1? If so, why is this not documented?

[rthinds]

Just updated my DL320 G5 with the latest HP Firmware Maintenance cd - (7.80) to no avail. The VT extensions are still disabled on the second core.

Sigh.

[phdillinger]

Hi guys,

a new BIOS (SP35551) from HP has been released (http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/26918.html):

"This System ROM upgrade integrates a new version of Intel support code for Dual-Core Intel Xeon 3000 Series processors. This Intel support code was provided to HP as a critical software update. This System ROM update has no known performance impact."

I've been asked from HP support to test it and report, if it works now. Maybe you can assist me in reporting here, if this BIOS update helps.

[Madrilleno]

I had the same email yesterday. I had already flashed the BIOS to this release and it did not cure the problem. The output from vt.iso is:-

Reporting VT Capability for 2 logical CPUs...

CPU 0 : VT is enabled on this core

CPU 1 : Feature control MSR is unlocked!

CPU 1 : VT is disabled in the feature control MSR!

(Copyright notice)

\*** CPU 1 halted ***

It is worth noting that competitor's product report that VT is not enabled, so this is not a software vendor specific problem.

Madrilleno

[phdillinger]

Doh, got the same message

The only difference I experience from the new BIOS is that it will power down instead of rebooting when chaning the VT settings.

It starts annoying me not gotting reasonable support from HP...

[dev-nu11]

I have the same issue with an IBM Intellistation M50 (E6600) - IBM released a new BIOS (1.30) yesterday for them and the "Virtualisation Technology" option now appears in the BIOS.

I reset the BIOS back to Factory Default, Enabled VT , cold started the machine but it doesn't look like VT has properly been enabled. If I boot the computer to Ubuntu with a live cd, the output of 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' shows the vmx flag. The VMware Processor check tool reports that the processor is 64-bit guest capable.

However, if I run the vt.iso image from this page within VMware WS 6 running on Vista 32-bit, I get the following:

CPU 0: Feature control MSR is unlocked!

CPU 0: VT is disabled in the feature control MSR!

CPU 1: Feature control MSR is unlocked!

CPU 1: VT is disabled in the feature control MSR!

\*** CPU 1 HALTED ***

So have I missed something out when trying to install a 64-bit guest OS? I am using Vista 32-bit with the released version of WS 6. As I have enabled VT after I installed WS 6, would removing and re-installing WS 6 make any difference?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[petr]

However, if I run the vt.iso image from this page

within VMware WS 6 running on Vista 32-bit, I get the

following:

Guest does not support VT. It means that you cannot run Viridian (when/if it gets released) or KVM in the VM, but nothing else should be affected.

When I boot the ISO directly on the hardware however

(as in not from within VMware), I get the following

output.

CPU 0: VT is enabled on this core

CPU 1: VT is enabled on this core

Great. So I think that everything should work for you. So what happens when you install 64bit OS? If vt.iso on your host reports this then you should not have any problem.