ESX 6 - Windows 2012 R2 Boot Hang

[jackson17]

I'm running ESX 6 and just installed a few Windows 2012 R2 VMs.  2 out of the 4 I built are hanging on boot after the first round of windows updates.  It just sits on the windows logo and never boots.  I had read that this was a problem in ESX 5 but was resolved in ESX 6?  Anyone have any ideas?

[C0mm4nd3r]

Hi,

do you use EFI and / or a SSD Storage?

Regards,

Patrick

[jackson17]

Hi,

I am using local SAS storage, booting ESX 6 from an SD card on a Dell R730.  I was able to boot the VM's until after the first round of Windows updates and installing the VMware tools.

Thanks

[C0mm4nd3r]

Do you use version 11 of VMs?

If not you can test to solve the problem with the following 2 options:

1.

Update VM to VM-Version 11.

2.

Web Client: Settings -> VM Options -> Advanced -> Edit Configuration

or

Fat Client: Edit Settings -> Options -> General -> Configuration Parameters

Add a new row with the following

    Name: monitor_control.enable_softResetClearTSC

    Value: True

[jackson17]

I added that already to the config parameters, no go.  I am running ESX 6 so its already version 11.  Lost at this point.

[C0mm4nd3r]

I know it sounds strange, but give the VM two CPUs and try again.

This was the solution on one of our environment and no the CPUs aren't bad 🙂

VMs created by Web or Fat-Client? The Webversion will use newer controllers for the VMs, also both are vmx11.

[jackson17]

I just tried that, no luck. 

I used the fat client to create them.

Thanks for your help.

[Dee006]

Hi,

Have all the 4 VM having same configuration or any different between those bad guys?

1.Are you able to boot the VM in safe mode?Check if any module fail to load

2.Safe mode works->try to uninstall the windows patch and reboot again the VM.

3.Check in the windows event (in Safe Mode)