[SOLVED] Problems installing Windows 10 VM: No input when language setting window appears

[lte5g]

Hi there,

I just set up PVE 8.2.4 on my newly built home server with AMD 7500 CPU, no issue for creating and running of a Debian VM, but encountered a strange problem when tried to install a Windows 10 VM. The Windows ISO image was downloaded from Microsoft website, which is attached to IDE2, the virtio-win iso is attached to IDE0.

Here is the configuration of the Windows VM:

agent: 1
args: -cpu 'host,+kvm_pv_unhalt,+kvm_pv_eoi,kvm=off'
boot: order=ide0;ide2;scsi0;net0
cores: 2
cpu: host,hidden=1,flags=-pcid;-spec-ctrl;-ssbd;+ibpb;+virt-ssbd;+amd-ssbd;+amd-no-ssb
efidisk0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-0,efitype=4m,pre-enrolled-keys=1,size=4M
ide0: local:iso/virtio-win.iso,media=cdrom,size=708140K
ide2: local:iso/Win10_22H2_Chinese_Simplified_x32v1.iso,media=cdrom,size=4261992K
kvm: 1
machine: pc-q35-7.2
memory: 8192
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.0,ctime=1723112152
name: Win10
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:EA:72:E4,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: win11
scsi0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-1,discard=on,iothread=1,size=50G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=be294481-d5c8-4850-bc82-d19beb79c653
sockets: 1
tablet: 1
tpmstate0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-2,size=4M,version=v2.0
vga: memory=256
vmgenid: 1a355edc-5629-466a-b613-12052c54709f

I have tried with various hardware changes but no luck.
1) If BIOS was set to UEFI, the ISO would not be loaded at all and console prompted with no bootable disks found, so I have to choose BIOS as SeaBIOS;
2)Tried Display type as Default, VMware Compatible, Standard VGA, Virtio-GPU; didn't try SPICE yet, as need to install virt-viewer manager on my Mac, not done it yet;
3)Machine tried to set as default (i440fx), nothing would appear; has to be with "q35", tried many differnet versions (8.2, 7.2, 6.2..)

Symptom:
with current VM config, NoVNC console can receive input "ESC" when option "press ESC for boot menu" and able to press number to select different boot options; whie when Windows started installation and asked to select lanaguage (as below image - I tried to install Windows with simplified Chinese), no any input could be captured by the console. The only choice for me was to stop the VM, "shutdown" even doesn't work (assume VM is started correctly yet).



Much appreciate if anyone could shed a light how to fix. Thanks!

 

[fireon]

Is the ISO OK? Does Microsoft have a checksum?

I have tested this with the current (but german ISO) version. Works normally. Can you test it with my default config?

ios: ovmf
bios: ovmf
boot: order=ide2
cores: 8
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
efidisk0: local-lvm:vm-148-disk-0,efitype=4m,pre-enrolled-keys=1,size=4M
ide0: iso-images:iso/virtio-win-0.1.240.iso,media=cdrom,size=612812K
ide2: iso-images:iso/Win10_22H2_German_x64v1.iso,media=cdrom,size=6010038K
machine: pc-q35-9.0
memory: 6144
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.0,ctime=1723204533
name: testwin
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:A6:8E:FE,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 1
ostype: win10
scsi0: local-lvm:vm-148-disk-1,discard=on,iothread=1,size=100G,ssd=1
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=b04ff22f-3eb3-44e8-ac72-980ce742723e
sockets: 1
tpmstate0: local-lvm:vm-148-disk-2,size=4M,version=v2.0
vmgenid: 9a790877-4acf-4759-81e0-541ca9e48642

 

[lte5g]

Is the ISO OK? Does Microsoft have a checksum?

I have tested this with the current (but german ISO) version. Works normally. Can you test it with my default config?

ios: ovmf
bios: ovmf
boot: order=ide2
cores: 8
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
efidisk0: local-lvm:vm-148-disk-0,efitype=4m,pre-enrolled-keys=1,size=4M
ide0: iso-images:iso/virtio-win-0.1.240.iso,media=cdrom,size=612812K
ide2: iso-images:iso/Win10_22H2_German_x64v1.iso,media=cdrom,size=6010038K
machine: pc-q35-9.0
memory: 6144
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.0,ctime=1723204533
name: testwin
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:A6:8E:FE,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 1
ostype: win10
scsi0: local-lvm:vm-148-disk-1,discard=on,iothread=1,size=100G,ssd=1
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=b04ff22f-3eb3-44e8-ac72-980ce742723e
sockets: 1
tpmstate0: local-lvm:vm-148-disk-2,size=4M,version=v2.0
vmgenid: 9a790877-4acf-4759-81e0-541ca9e48642

Hi Fireon, thanks for your reply.

I tried to modify the VM config to align most of your shared default config, but got same "failed to load boot ..." errors as before, when I changed the BIOS to UEFI from default SeaBIOS.



Then I downloaded an English version 64-bit windows 10 ISO file, and had to remove ide0 loaded with virtio-win iso file, then tried again, this time no problem to proceed the installation, keyboard input were working

Here is the current VM config for reference:

bios: ovmf
boot: order=ide2;scsi0
cores: 2
cpu: x86-64-v2-AES
efidisk0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-0,efitype=4m,pre-enrolled-keys=1,size=4M
ide2: local:iso/Win10_22H2_English_x64v1.iso,media=cdrom,size=5997046K
machine: pc-q35-8.2
memory: 8192
meta: creation-qemu=9.0.0,ctime=1723112152
name: Win10
net0: virtio=BC:24:11:EA:72:E4,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 1
ostype: win10
scsi0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-1,discard=on,iothread=1,size=50G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-single
smbios1: uuid=be294481-d5c8-4850-bc82-d19beb79c653
sockets: 1
tablet: 1
tpmstate0: local-lvm:vm-101-disk-2,size=4M,version=v2.0
vmgenid: 1a355edc-5629-466a-b613-12052c54709f


Thanks a lot for your kind help!

 

[fireon]

Then I downloaded an English version 64-bit windows 10 ISO file, and had to remove ide0 loaded with virtio-win iso file, then tried again, this time no problem to proceed the installation, keyboard input were working.

If I understand you correctly, was it the ISO? You can install the English version and then install your language. The German ISO, for example, also has a bug with the network. That's why I always use the English ISO.

 

[fireon]

If your issue is resolved, please mark your thread as "solved". You can do this by editing your first post and setting the flag.

 

[quarcskter]

I encountered the same issue. There is no input when you try to install Windows 10 32 bit. Windows 10 x64 installation works as expected.

 

[quarcskter]

It looks the issue is in the RAM amount. The OP assigned 8 GB of RAM to 32bit OS and it couldn't start properly. If you start the VM with 3GB the input will work.

 

[fiona]

Hi,
for more information about the issue see: https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/3...after-upgrading-to-pve-8-2.150217/post-684986

If I understand you correctly, was it the ISO? You can install the English version and then install your language. The German ISO, for example, also has a bug with the network. That's why I always use the English ISO.

FYI, we do have a workaround for that bug since pve-qemu-kvm >= 8.1.2-2: https://git.proxmox.com/?p=pve-qemu.git;a=commit;h=c38e337f5d62b19cb176965cb26aeb8bebd438b4
Should Microsoft ever fix the issue: https://gitlab.com/qemu-project/qemu/-/issues/774#note_1755788392