Windows 10 VM bsod with more than 1 CPU

[bluforce]

We are having issues with a Windows 10 VM getting a bsod "fvevol.sys  System thread exception not handled" (attachment) if we have more than one CPU selected.  If we have 1 CPU selected, it will successfully boot, but very slowly.  

This version of VMware tools is installed on this VM:  VMware-tools-12.2.0-21223074-x86_64.exe.

Windows 10 Enterprise 64bit.  Version:  21H2.  Build 10.0.19044.2486.

This is a domain-joined VM.  A couple of the guys on the team thought it could be related to an OU issue getting certain policies.  Why does it work with 1CPU though?  Yesterday, I setup a couple of test Windows 10 VMs from a template and joined them to the domain.  Today, with more than 1CPU selected, they both bsod.  However, flip the CPU to 1, and both boot.  The VMs are just not useable with 1CPU though.  

The Hyper-V feature is disabled in each Win10 VM.  

Whats interesting is that a Server 2019 or Server 2022 VM will not bsod when you change CPU or cores per socket.  Does this sound policy related?  According to google, "fvevol.sys" has to do with Bitlocker, but Bitlocker is not enabled on these VMs.

Could anyone please help guide us on this?  Thanks!

[rkochery]

Did you ever manage to find a solution? Experiencing same issue.

[bluforce]

Unfortunately, no.  We deployed a newer image and it started working.  However, I'm not sure if another group updated vCD or did something on the backend.  One thing I did notice though was after a BSOD, change the CPU to 1 and start the VM. Then gracefully power off the VM and change the CPUs back to what you need.  Then power it on.  Ours would come up after a graceful shutdown.  Good luck.

[bluefirestorm]

Check the vmx configuration file of the VM and see whether this line is there

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

If it isn't there, add it.

[rkochery]

Okay, Thanks for the inputs, really appreciate it. 

Actually, in my case, I am doing nested virtualization. 

I am trying to boot windows server 2019 in CML (Cisco Modeling Labs)

Basically it is Ubuntu 20.04 deployed in ESXI, and inside Ubuntu i am running Windows 2019 image using KVM. 

This worked for many customers, So i know that it will work, but cant get this to work for one of them. 

[bluefirestorm]

So in your case, the Windows 2019 server going through BSOD under a KVM hypervisor running inside Ubuntu VM running within ESXi hypervisor. Other than BSOD, your case is nowhere near "the same" as the original post; I wouldn't even call it similar.