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dsesdg
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Workstation 16.1.2 Pro, under Windows 11 host, Windows guest in VM crashes on startup

This Reddit post sums up this issue well:  https://www.reddit.com/r/vmware/comments/ph590g/vm_does_not_start_on_workstation_1612_pro_windows/

Basically using Workstation Pro 16.1.2 on a Windows 11 host, if you create a Windows guest VM, and the host system has Hyper-V enabled in any form (in my case its present because I have WSL2 enabled in the host), and if you have more than one processor and/or one core per processor selected for the guest, the Windows guest VM crashes at boot:

VMware Workstation unrecoverable error: (vcpu-0)

Exception 0xc0000005 (access violation) has occurred.

A log file is available in "C:\Users\test\Documents\Virtual Machines\Windows 10 x64\vmware.log".

You can request support.

To collect data to submit to VMware support, choose "Collect Support Data" from the Help menu.

You can also run the "vm-support" script in the Workstation folder directly.

We will respond on the basis of your support entitlement.

In my case, I'm running this all on the released Windows 11 using an AMD Ryzen 5950x.  This same host configuration works without issue under Windows 10 (multiple processors, multiple threads per processor, etc.)  Also, if I disable and remove all instances of WSL2/Hyper-V on the Windows 11 host, then everything works fine in the guest with multiple threads enabled.

A similar issue appears to have been reported here back three months ago as well:  https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Pro/VMWARE-16-1-2-on-Windows-11-host/m-p/285495...

It may be interesting to note that I also have several Linux guests running in the same host, and they work without issue (one processor, 32 threads per processor).  So this appears to be related only to Windows guest operation in this host configuration.  It doesn't matter if the guest installation is Windows 10 or Windows 11, the crash is the same.  

It'd be great to learn if VMware is working on this issue for an update soon...it's unfortunate that I can only run Windows guests using one core + one thread, on a 32 thread machine...

Thank you!

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Secret_Sqrl
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I'm downloading it now. I forget that y'all are in pacific time.

Downloading and installing now

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Secret_Sqrl
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Ran the update and all is good! 

Thank you for all the hard work, I apologize if I was an a$$ on the other post.

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Modge
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Issue fixed thanks 🙂

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BrianBuresh
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Confirmed fixed, i can now add multiple cores again. Thanks!

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Mouri_Naruto
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It has solved the crashes on startup, but has a huge performance drop even disable Side Channel Mitigations for Hyper-V enabled hosts.

Environment: i7-11800H, RTX 3070 Laptop, 64GB Memory, Windows 11 (10.0.22000.438), VMware Workstation Pro 16.2.2

Kenji Mouri

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Modge
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You should open a ticket 😉

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wisch
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Unfortunately, it does not work for me yet.
"This PC does not meet the minimum system requirements...."

Which of the Windows features should be enabled?

Dell Precision 7760 mobile Workstation, Windows 11 pro for Workstation, Intel Xeon W-11955M 8 Core, IOS-Modus UEFI, System M.2 2280 1 TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, Daten M.2 2280 2-TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, RAM 32 GB DDR4 3.200 MHz, NVIDIA RTX A5000 w/16 GB GDDR6
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erleed
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Hello Mikero or Anyone,

I confirm that VMWare Workstation 16.2.2 works with Windows Hypervisor Platform, but should we be able to also enable Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox?

I'm getting the same error when those two are enabled.

 

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CWmorin
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All problems related to this issue appear to be resolved. I confirmed on two different computers I can:

1) enable

a. Windows Hypervisor platform

b. Virtual Machine Platform

c.Windows Subsystem for Linux 

2) Set wsl to version 2 (Windows terminal wsl --set-default-version 2

3) Launch VMware Workstation

4) Install Windows 11 Home VM

5) Install Windows 11 Pro VM 

6) Run both Win11 VMs with no issues

7) Run Windows Server 2019

😎Run Windows 

 

Thank you to the VMware Dev team for getting this done so quickly! 

Now NO MORE EXCUSES...lets get to work my Homelab peeps!

-Charles Morin

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erleed
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@CWmorin 

I also have two computers, and one is working but not the other.  Your assertion that it's resolved is for your setup, shouldn't speak for everyone else.

What is required for this update to work?  

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CWmorin
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Wish I could help...I only have Pro in a VM on that computer and since the CPU does not meet the spec, the sandbox will not run. BUT VMware workstation containers should work for you.

 

 

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CWmorin
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I do apologize you are still having an issue. My position is that all the issues known to date and addressed in the Update appeared to have resolved all my issues and many others I was working with. Also, I did update my message indicating the issues "appear" to be resolved based on my testing.

If you can provide some additional issues on what the problem is maybe we can work together? I have contacts that might also be able to assist.  This is of course in the event you are not already working directly with VMware support.

Let me know,

Charles

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erleed
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@CWmorin Welp... Creating a new VM and using my existing virtual hard drive seemed to have done the trick.  I have no idea what could have persisted in my old machine that was causing the issue.  I went through all options comparing to the other machine that's working.

I was able to enable all virtualization features within Windows 10, and VMWare Workstation Pro! W00t w00t!!

 

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wisch
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Again my question to you specialists:

Which of the Windows features should be enabled?

 

 

Dell Precision 7760 mobile Workstation, Windows 11 pro for Workstation, Intel Xeon W-11955M 8 Core, IOS-Modus UEFI, System M.2 2280 1 TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, Daten M.2 2280 2-TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, RAM 32 GB DDR4 3.200 MHz, NVIDIA RTX A5000 w/16 GB GDDR6
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redsolja
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To be honest, the one that you are having wisch is a different issue.

The problem we were discussing was because we had a feature *enabled* (Hyper-V platform). This is by default on Windows 11.

Not sure what the problem you are facing is. The first thing I would do is to go to DELL's BIOS and check whether virtualization is enabled there, not sure of the setting name etc (it might be called Intel VT-x ?).

Good luck

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wisch
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Yes, yes, it's about the fact that I still can't install W11 on my VM, despite updating to v. 16.2.2. I still get the error message that my laptop should not be suitable for this.

Dell Precision 7760 mobile Workstation, Windows 11 pro for Workstation, Intel Xeon W-11955M 8 Core, IOS-Modus UEFI, System M.2 2280 1 TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, Daten M.2 2280 2-TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, RAM 32 GB DDR4 3.200 MHz, NVIDIA RTX A5000 w/16 GB GDDR6
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gkobler
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Did you add the TPM to the hardwarelist?

gkobler_0-1642600745205.png

 

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CWmorin
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Yes, You need to have a TPM in the hardware list as shown. 

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wisch
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TPM cannot be added.

wisch_0-1642602218386.png


Here's how it looks for me.
My NVMe are encrypted with Bitlocker.

Dell Precision 7760 mobile Workstation, Windows 11 pro for Workstation, Intel Xeon W-11955M 8 Core, IOS-Modus UEFI, System M.2 2280 1 TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, Daten M.2 2280 2-TB Gen 4 PCIe x4 NVMe, RAM 32 GB DDR4 3.200 MHz, NVIDIA RTX A5000 w/16 GB GDDR6
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