VMware 12.1.1 workstation W7 VM running slooooow

[nunhead_man]

I've been trying to work out why a VMware 12.1.1 workstation W7 VM is running so slooooow

This is on a Dell Workstation with an i5 cpu650 @  3.2ghz and 8GB of RAM

It runs Avira Pro for firewall and AV, not the native Windoze facilities

There is little running when it starts but I was wondering about "iastore" - this seems to relate to intel hardware but I cannot find much about it

Any thoughts on this an other possibles?

[eroztech]

Hi,

Please make sure vm-tools are installed in guest vm.

[nunhead_man]

Thanks but that is VM ware lesson 101 - we also have two VMware ESxi servers that I maintain!

[Scillonian]

How many CPUs do you have allocated to the Windows 7 VM?

For several months now there have been problems with Windows Update in Windows 7 for both physical and virtual machines where the svchost.exe instance hosting Windows Update would take a CPU core to 100% for several hours to days at a time while searching for updates. If you only had a single CPU allocated to the VM it would be very sluggish.

The installation of KB3161608 in Windows 7 has fixed the Windows Update issues for now. (If Windows 7 has already started checking for updates KB3161608 will not install until the check has finished. I have found the best way is to copy KB3161608 to the machine, disconnect the network, reboot, install KB3161608, reboot to finish installation then reconnect network.)

[jk3]

My vm has been trying to download for 5 hours. The progress indicator shows 0% (see pic).

I've never installed an update manually, but that's what I'm going to try.

EDIT (and I think maybe a solution):

Turn off automatic check for updates, restart, then manually install the update.  Otherwise it's the checking part that takes 5 hours. KB3161608 just installed in 20 seconds!

[nunhead_man]

Thanks - one core - this is a multi core single processor

Re "the installation of KB3161608 in Windows 7 has fixed the Windows Update issues for now"   - trying that now....

Machine reports it is already installed  - hmmmmm - will watch and report

Also to change number of cores used  I cannot seem to get to that - can i only do that on set up?

[Scillonian]

‌Tthe VM needs to be shutdown, not suspended or hibernated, to be able to change the CPU/core setting.

[nunhead_man]

Well in fact I've updated the host to Windoze 10 and the W7 VM is much quicker

As a supplementary  I was trying to update the  VM from W7Pro to W10Ro and it complains  about no 3D video driver  - assume this is chicken and egg  re the verion of VM tools as I've built a new W10 VM  which is fine.

Thanks to all!

[nunhead_man]

Yup - thanks - no improvement under the W7 host

[Scillonian]

‌The best way I found to upgrade Windows 7 VMs to Windows 10 is to use a Windows 10 installation ISO instead of the Get Windows 10 online upgrade. If the ISO installer does complain about the VMware SVGA driver then just uninstall VMware Tools but I can't remember it doing so. (I think the graphics driver thing is a quirk of the online updated as it also faults the VirtualBox graphics driver which also works quite happily with Windows 10.)

The ISO can be downloaded using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft.

Take a snapshot of the VM before you upgrade so you can revert if the upgrade goes bad — it does happen, I've had them!