Win 2012 R2 boot loop problem

sstegh

New Member
May 16, 2014
5
0
1
I know this has been covered but I can't find a solution. I've searched the forum, tried different CPU flags (individually and on their own), tried every CPU available with 1, 2, and 4 cores, every combination of IDE, SCSI, and VirtIO drive.... My host is an HP xw6600 workstation with E5440 Xeon processors (2 of them, 8 cores total), with 16GB of RAM. I haven't had any problems with Win2008 R2, Win7, Win XP, etc. Any help would be very much appreciated. My config is below:

pveversion:
pve-manager/3.2-4/e24a91c1 (running kernel: 2.6.32-29-pve)

VM:
root@proxmox:/etc/pve/qemu-server# cat 102.conf
boot: cdn
bootdisk: ide3
cores: 1
cpu: qemu64
ide0: local:iso/virtio-win-0.1-74.iso,media=cdrom,size=59836K
ide2: local:iso/SW_DVD9_Windows_Svr_Std_and_DataCtr_2012_R2_64Bit_English_-3_MLF_X19-53588.ISO,media=cdrom
ide3: VM_Store_1:102/vm-102-disk-1.vmdk,format=vmdk,size=120G
memory: 8192
name: WIN2012
net0: e1000=6A:88:57:92:4B:FE,bridge=vmbr0
ostype: win8
sockets: 1
 
I believe that your virtual disk comes of a ESX(i), right?
or, are you trying install a OS Windows?

Generally the first hard disk for boot is 0, so that you must have ide0, virtio0 or whatever.

Also i think that your problem is that the driver isn't installed in the kernel of your Windows system, so that OS can't boot correctly.

Please, we need that you tell us with more details for that we can help you.
 
Yes, I am trying to install Win 2012 R2 from an ISO on a new VM, not moving from another environment. the VM starts up and the installer starts, then I see the Windows logo and the VM reboots itself.
 
Yes, I am trying to install Win 2012 R2 from an ISO on a new VM, not moving from another environment. the VM starts up and the installer starts, then I see the Windows logo and the VM reboots itself.

My suggestion - should be in this order:

1- Select ide0 as Hard Disk for your VM
2- Select ide2 as CDROM
3- Select Virtio for your Network Device
4- Select as Boot device only the CDROM and here should be the Win 2012r2 ISO installer
5- Start the VM and install Win2012r2 (removing old instalations)
6- When the installation is finished, power off this VM.
7- Add a Virtual disk more of mode provisory, very small (1GB.) configured as Virtio0
8- Select the Boot only for ide0
9- Select the ISO file of Virtio Drivers for your CDROM
10- Start this VM
11- Install the virtio-network and virtio-disk drivers from your CDROM - of the folders /WIN8/AMD64 (for OS of 64 Bits) or /WIN8/x86 (for OS of 32 Bits) as correspond
12- Power off this VM
13- Remove the Virtio0 Hard Disk of manner definitive (remove it two times)
14- Remove the ide0 Hard Disk (so will show as hard disk without use)
15- For this hard disk without use, you should to do double click of mouse for add it as Virtio0
16- Select for your CDROM: "do not use any media"
17- Select as boot and unique option: Virtio0
18- Start the VM
19- Enjoy of your new VM Win 2012r2

Notes:
1- With this procedure, the kernel of your Win 2012r2 will have two hard disk drivers installed, the ide and the Virtio, so that this OS will can boot with any of these devices of hard disks in any moment.

2- Please, comment the results

Best regards
Cesar
 
Last edited:
Built the VM as recommended then booted it up (step 5) with the same results. Setup starts, I see the Windows logo, then it restarts itself.
 
Built the VM as recommended then booted it up (step 5) with the same results. Setup starts, I see the Windows logo, then it restarts itself.

Ohh, that problem... I suspect it's a hardware problem

1- What is the brand and model of your mainboard?
2- Do you have a RAID controller?, if yes, tell me the brand and model.
3- Show me the result of the configuration of your VM as i recommended ... cat /etc/pve/qemu-server/<number id>.conf
4- In the PVE Host, show me the result of this command "free -h"
5- Do you have other VMs/CTs running in this PC?, if yes, how many RAM memory have assigned in total?
6- Do you have tested your DVD?
7- Have you tried installing from the DVD Win 2012r2 directly in a PC?

8- Also, test the RAM Memory (PVE have this option at the moment of start grub)

Best regards
Cesar
 
Last edited:
Don't know the main board model but it is a Intel chipset 5400B. Two Xeon 5440 processors and 16GB RAM tested good with memory test (from proxmox grub boot menu)

No SCSI controller only 1 SATA disk.

root@proxmox:/etc/pve/qemu-server# cat 102.conf
boot: d
cores: 2
ide0: VM_Store_1:102/vm-102-disk-1.qcow2,format=qcow2,size=120G
ide2: local:iso/SW_DVD9_Windows_Svr_Std_and_DataCtr_2012_R2_64Bit_English_-3_MLF_X19-53588.ISO,media=cdrom
memory: 4096
name: Win2012R2
net0: virtio=A6:A8:31:DE:B6:43,bridge=vmbr0
ostype: win8
sockets: 1
root@proxmox:/etc/pve/qemu-server#


root@proxmox:~# free -h
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 15G 829M 14G 0B 50M 360M
-/+ buffers/cache: 418M 15G
Swap: 14G 0B 14G
root@proxmox:~#
 
Last edited:
ohh, i forget tell you about of type of processor, please run these steps (in this order):

1- Stop the VM completely
2- Change the type of processor to "Host"
3- Start the VM

4- Only if the above don't works: run the same steps show above, but this time select type of processor "QEMU64"

Other idea (if the above don't works):
May be that the HDD have problems, with a live cd (as knoppix or some other) boot the Host and test all your partitions on the hard disk (not mounted), especially for find bad blocks!!!

(I hope you find the problem because I'm running out of the ideas)

@someone
If somebody can help to ssteg, please, feel free to bring ideas

Best regards
Cesar

Re-Edited: Test your Windows 2012r2 ISO Installer
 
Last edited:
thanks for the advise. Unfortunately it didn't help. I've tried all processor types with 1 2 and 4 cores but nothing has helped. I'm wondering if it has something to do with the host PC. I read somewhere that someone had this same problem on their HP host but had no problem on their Dell host (mine is HP). I'm not sure what could be special about HP, they didn't offer any other information on the problem...
 
When I had this issue it was because of the virtio drivers for the disk and balloon memory.I installed Windows with standard ide disk and fixed memory.Then I added a virtio NIC, and installed drivers from there.I was never able to accomplish a virtio disk with Server 2012
 

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