Can't install windows VM - error that windows can't be installed on disk

[Saahib]

I am trying to install windows 10 on proxmox VM. However, after updating virtio drivers, I am receiver error "windows can't be installed on drive 0 partition 1.

I was following this : https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Windows_10_guest_best_practices

Screenshot :


I also tried with other win 2022 iso, same issue.
Also, tried changing disk to GPT from diskpart during install
I want to use virtio.

Here is qm config

agent: 1
boot: order=ide0;net0;ide2
cores: 4
ide0: local:iso/Windows-10-Pro.iso,media=cdrom,size=3768112K
ide2: NFS-stor1:iso/virtio-win-0.1.229-03-2023.iso,media=cdrom,size=522284K
machine: pc-q35-7.2
memory: 8192
meta: creation-qemu=7.2.0,ctime=1679131972
name: win10-test
net0: virtio=02:00:00:f9:4d:01,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 0
onboot: 1
ostype: win10
scsi0: local:6001/vm-6001-disk-0.qcow2,cache=writeback,discard=on,iothread=1,size=100G,ssd=1
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=128d68c6-0922-45f9-a797-63611591c872
sockets: 1
vmgenid: 340614ca-46bd-4b7c-b1c4-188d78795fe2

What exactly I am missing here.
Also, to add, when I add virtio drivers, its showing as virtio-scsi pass-through, is this correct driver being detected ?

 

[Saahib]

Update: If I use "SATA" mode for disk, I can install windows but as per guide (https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Windows_10_guest_best_practices) and also I know from experience that virtio I gives better performance. So how do I go with virtio based disk ?

 

[Saahib]

Update 2: I installed using SATA and then added secondary SCSI virtio disk in windows, windows installed some own drivers for it. Now from config, changed main disk type from SATA to SCSI, and it works.
What is happening here is that virtio drivers from Redhat are not working ?

 

[leesteken]

Loading the VirtIO SCSI driver 0.1.229 in the Windows 10 (Home 22H2) installer (from the IDE ISO) worked fine for me. With a very similar VM configuration. I don't know why it did not work for you.

 

[Saahib]

As you may see, had tried multiple ways and still failed. May be I am missing something small. May be someone else with similar experience can shed some light on it.

 

[cwt]

Did you try to add an EFI storage to the VM?

 

[Saahib]

Did you try to add an EFI storage to the VM?

I was planning to do that but then SATA method worked which I explained already.

 

[leesteken]

I was planning to do that but then SATA method worked which I explained already.

That is also the difference with my Windows VM. I used OVMF (with EFI disk which stores the boot sequence) instead of default SeaBIOS.

 

[NevadaTech]

almost necro-post + possible fix

So, same issues with me. I tried a number of different SCSI controllers and drives (IDE, SATA, SCSI) with the same result. I looked other places (websites+youtubes) and it seems to work fine for others.

The Solution
1. you probably had a single CDROM device for the guest VM and you swapped from your W2K22 iso to the VirtIO iso to load drivers
2. it seems like it is working fine but there's nothing telling you to reload the W2K22 install media
3. you have to swap back to the W2K22 iso installer
4. then Refresh the drive window, now the drive/Next is available

sadly, that took me like 2 hrs to figure out

Another Solution
1. add a second CDROM drive to the guest
2. mount the W2K22 iso usually IDE device 2 (?)
3. mount the VirtIO iso usually IDE device 0
4. NOTE: if you try to add the CDROM at device number 3 (because you think the W2K22 needs to boot first) then EFI chokes when the guest boots
5. when the driver prompt comes up just load drivers from the 'other' cdrom/iso then W2K22 installer continues without silliness

My hardware
* ASRock Rack X570D4U-2L2T
* AMD 5700X
* Nemix 64GB RAM
* using the SATA ports on the mobo for my ZFS drives in RAID1

 

[FoxtrotZulu]

That is also the difference with my Windows VM. I used OVMF (with EFI disk which stores the boot sequence) instead of default SeaBIOS.

This was all that was needed, change the BIOS type to OVMF and add an EFI disk. Then played a little with boot options, to make it work. Thanks a lot!

 

[somebodyoverthere]

The solution is in Options -> Boot Order, the drive where Windows will be installed must have the Enable checkbox or Windows installer will complain that the drive is not boot-able.

 

[cymesa]

The solution is in Options -> Boot Order, the drive where Windows will be installed must have the Enable checkbox or Windows installer will complain that the drive is not boot-able.

Hello, You are right 100%, I don't understand why the virtual disk comes unchecked by default! It's very weird since it is the only installable media
It shouldn't be unchecked!
Thanks and God bless the Proxmox Team! This is masterpiece software!