Workstation 7.1 freezes when launched from SSD

[Zonk2008]

Hi,

I recently installed an OCZ Vertex 2 to speed up working with an already existing VM. I've copied this VM from a SATA HDD to this new SSD and encounter a complete (Host and Guest) freeze since then.

There are no errors in file system on the SSD partition. A second VM on the same SDD works perfectly well. It does not matter if I'm using the VMware Player or VMware Workstation at this time. Both cause a freeze.

I've noticed this issue first with VMware Workstation 7.1.3 build-324285 and gave the latest available version 7.1.4 build-385536 a try, too, just to be sure. However, still facing the same freeze. My system configuration:

Host - Windows 7 Ultimate, 64 bit, SP1, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 260,

Guest - Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit, w/o SP1 (with Visual Studio 2010 Pro, Visual Studio Debugger disabled), Memory 2.3 GB, 2 Processors, HDD 32 GB

Of course VMware Tools are up to date, network is bridged. VS 2010 is not running inside the VM when the freeze happens. The last time it happend I've just started Firefox 4.0.

As mentioned above the freeze seems to be caused by the VM and causes Win64, the host, to stop responding. After this I've to reset the PC using the reset switch. I cannot use the task manager or similar. The cursor does not move any more and Win7 does not accept any input from keyboard e.g. ctrl+alt+del.

The host runs well since ages, no memory problems, blue screens or anything else. At the time the freeze occurs no other applications are running. The anti-virus, GData 2012, does not scan the VM directories.

Giving a last try I've copied the VM back again to the HDD and do not see any problems with this. Hence, I suspect the SSD to be the problem here.

Any guess what's causing this issue? Any hints I could give a try to get a proper running VM from the SSD?

Thanks,

Michael

Edit: vmware.log attached, updated after the last freeze at 10.27 pm

[continuum]

the vmdk "T:\Visual Studio 2010 Pro\Visual Studio 2010 Pro-000003.vmdk" is corrupt.

If the VM still works on a normal HD remove the snapshots and then try to fix theholes with vmware-vdiskmanager -R <vmdk>

[Zonk2008]

Hi,

thanks for your reply!

You mentioned the *00003.vmdk file is corrupt. May I ask you where you find this information inside the attached log file? As written above, the copied VM works on a normal HD w/o any problems, at least it seems so because after a few minutes of usage there, still no freeze appears and I'm using the snapshots there, too.

OTH I've now turned off 3D acceleration support from the VM on th SSD and it seems it now runs well. Further testing is needed, though. At the end I'm a little bit confused as the VMs are the same but running from different devices may crash the host and guest because of 3d acc turned on?

Michael

[continuum]

you find disk related issues by scanning vmware.logs for the keyword DISKLIB

[Zonk2008]

Hi,

I've now deleted the 3rd snapshot from within VMware Workstation, repaired the remaining, using the command you provided and restarted from the SSD.

As a result, the VM freezed again, including the host. Previously I've written that turning off 3D acceleration seems to fix the issue. I was wrong however, w/ or w/o this option the VM crashed.

So nothing new here...

Michael

[Scissor]

Perhaps a compatibility problem between your SSD and your computer's motherboard?  I suggest checking for BIOS/firmware updates.

[Zonk2008]

Hi Scissor,

maybe, however, I'm using a second SSD in the same PC, of same type and manufacturer, where I've installed my programs and OS (Windows x64) and all runs well. Just one single VM started from the mentioned SSD is causing some problems.

In the meantime I've cloned the VM from the HDD to a single VM on the SSD again (without any snapshots, of course) and still facing this freeze at the end again.

I don't know exactly, however, could it be that any graphics driver (host or guest - OK VMware Tools are up to date so are the guest graphics drivers, I assume) or any missing or not started VMware service can cause the troubles? Other VMs from the HDD do run perfectly though.

OTH so far I saw the freeze only after a successful login into the guest OS, after some time. Yesterday the freeze even occurred during the startup of the VM which means Windows was displaying its boot screen at that time.

Michael

[Scissor]

Does the problem occur if you build a new VM from scratch on the SSD?  Or is the problem limited to just this one Guest? (*EDIT* I see that you have other VMs running successfully off the SSD)

If you want to attach the vmware.log file from the directory containing your problem Guest we can take a look at it and see if anything obvious jumps out in the log file.

[Scissor]

*doh* I see that you already included the vmware.log file in your original post.  Sorry for the oversight.  Let me look at it now.

[Scissor]

Does your Host show anything "interesting" in its Event Logs around the time of your freezes?

Just a guess, but does the problem still occur if you re-configure your Guest with 1 vCPU?

[Zonk2008]

Hi,

took some time to do some further testin on this matter 😉

The host does not show anything in its event viewer. I have already tested running the VM with a single CPU, to no avail either.

OTH I've now those freezes on other VMs, loaded from a normal harddisk, too. Again I get a complete freeze of the host. The client is again Windows 7. So far I did not encounter any problems with Windows XP. All clients are running x86 OSs but I Windows clients more often than XP ones.

I've updated the host's graphics driver (ATI, btw) and switched off the anti virus (GData 2011). Unfortunately I still get freezes on the host. As already mentioned, the host runs Windows x64 with 8GB RAM, enough for a VM to run smoothly I guess, and I don't have any other problems with the host.

Anyone did see this so far?

I've attached the log file from a VM which is running from a SATA drive and which freezed my host lately.