We are doing some VM testing trying to replace several Windows XP machines with XP vms to update the hardware on some of our PLC interface computers.
We are testing with a Gigabyte board, B250m-D3H. When we passthrough add-on cards via the PCI slots, everything works fine and as expected.
Whenever we try to pass anything through on the PCI-e slots, the cards do not work. I have tried amd and Nvidia graphics cards, usb cards, and 2 port serial cards.
If I take the same pci-e 2 port serial card and put it in the actual XP computer, it works fine once drivers are loaded. If I run it in vmware on the xp vm created using the VMware converter from the live machine, the serial port in Realterm will show connection with the 2 ports, but will never send the packs, tx light stays on, and never receives anything. This is using a null modem between the two ports.
If i take a 2 port serial card, PCI instead of PCI-e it works fine once drivers are loaded. If I take the same card, plug it into a PCI to PCI-e adapter and plug it into the PCI-e port on the motherboard, i get the same exact result as plugging in a PCI-e serial card to the PCI-e Port.
USB card will add to the system and show that its there and should work, will never recognize a connected device.
Graphics cards, NVidia come up with error code 10, which is a driver issue normally i believe, but I have tried every version of nvidia driver available from their site, with the same outcome. Normally with higher end Nvidia cards you get the error code 43, which is nvidia not allowing the cards in vmware. I have tried 4 nvidia cards, different models, all with the same error.
ATI card never shows up properly and just says the device has errors.
I have tried two different motherboards, same model, same results. I have tried Vmware 6.0 and 6.5u1 same results.
I believe there is an issue with how VMware is handling the PCI-e slots on this board, but am unsure of what else to try aside from another board from another vendor. Thoughts?
Does anyone know of a verified working board with 2 PCI slots and 3+ pci-e slots that would work otherwise?
