[SOLVED] Proxmox 7.1 + OVMF + Windows 10 ISO cannot boot

[Emilien]

Hi,
here I have a new install of Proxmox:

Kernel Version Linux 5.13.19-3-pve #1 SMP PVE 5.13.19-7 (Thu, 20 Jan 2022 16:37:56 +0100)
PVE Manager Version pve-manager/7.1-10/6ddebafe

I setup a VM to install Windows 10 in UEFI mode:

agent: 1
bios: ovmf
boot: order=ide0;scsi1
cores: 8
cpu: IvyBridge
efidisk0: local:101/vm-101-disk-0.qcow2,efitype=4m,pre-enrolled-keys=1,size=528K
ide0: local:iso/Win10_21H2_Italian_x64.iso,media=cdrom,size=5666466K
ide2: local:iso/virtio-win-0.1.215.iso,media=cdrom,size=528322K
machine: pc-q35-6.1
memory: 32768
meta: creation-qemu=6.1.0,ctime=1642763510
name: client1
net0: virtio=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,bridge=vmbr0,firewall=1
numa: 0
ostype: win10
scsi1: nvme:vm-101-disk-0,cache=writeback,discard=on,size=300G
scsihw: virtio-scsi-pci
smbios1: uuid=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx86db
sockets: 1
vmgenid: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxfb5

No way to boot ISO (with Secure boot ON or OFF):
Win10_21H1_Italian_x64.iso
Win10_21H2_Italian_x64.iso
At boot Press a key to Install... for few seconds show Proxmox boot logo and than reset automatically VM.

Meanwhile with same config this ISO is booting fine and installing:
Win10_1909_Italian_x64.iso
than Windows Update try to update to 20H2 and after reboot it stuck on Proxmox boot logo.
Stop VM and start manually than Windows Update try to update again but same issue at reboot.
At third attempt Windows Update didn't update anymore with error: 0x1900101

It is possible to activate a debug mode in the UEFI bios to show error details?

I tried different versions of q35 but always same issue.
With Seabios zero issue, boot and install fine 21H2 but if I try to convert to UEFI with mbr2gpt and reboot vm changing to OVMF didn't boot and got stuck on Proxmox boot logo.

Any suggestions?

Best regards,
Emilien

 

[FGD-Garuda]

Similar problem here, OVMF has a lot of posts on the forums stating it not working or being very difficult to find the right configuration.

I am mainly subscribing to this thread to see if anyone comes up with a solution, but have you tried following some posts about booting from EFI File from within the OVMF BIOS? Some people manually boot from file like Bootx64.EFI or stuff like that...
I can't find that post again (have it on another machine though) but the guy listed something like 15 steps to follow. Didn't work for me but I haven't had time to troubleshoot, maybe it will work for you!

 

[Emilien]

Hi,
I tried to manually to add boot entry and also Boot from file... but nothing happened if I keep push Enter when I'm over Bootx64.EFI you see the screen black for a second than come back to folder files...

This guy have a similar config with OVMF and he was mistake to change Seabios to OVMF after installing Windows and without running mbr2gpt before changing to OVMF:
https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/v...d-rom-gpu-passthrough-vm-config-setup.103599/
At the end he was able to boot and reinstall the Windows ISO.

I just tried with Win10_21H2_English_x64.iso, same issue no boot.
I'm trying to play with the same CPU flags of the above link...

Windows 2019 ISO OVMF boot zero issue.

 

[FGD-Garuda]

add boot entry and also Boot from file... but nothing happened if I keep push Enter when I'm over Bootx64.EFI you see the screen black for a second than come back to folder files...

I get the same behavior... we are not alone then, hopefully some explanation will be posted at some point.

 

[Emilien]

Oh finally I have found the culprit!
!!! cpu: IvyBridge !!! Don't use it with OVMF!
I changed to host and now is booting every Windows ISO!

At the end I modify manually the VM config with a text editor:
cpu: host,hidden=1,flags=+pcid
and added this line:
args: -cpu 'host,+kvm_pv_unhalt,+kvm_pv_eoi,kvm=off'

Next step adding PCIE main GPU to Windows 10 VM.

I hope this help all other Proxmox users, like my post wil be appreciated!

 

[FGD-Garuda]

Wow you are awesome! I will try that, but I have AMD so I might need to select a different cpu. See how sensitive it is, the fine details do matter.

 

[Emilien]

Use this:

At the end I modify manually the VM config with a text editor:
cpu: host,hidden=1,flags=+pcid
and added thsi line:
args: -cpu 'host,+kvm_pv_unhalt,+kvm_pv_eoi,kvm=off'

Will take the CPU Host name plus some flags for PCIE redirection and to avoid Nvidia driver hardware check...

 

[bototheclown]

Oh finally I have found the culprit!
!!! cpu: IvyBridge !!! Don't use it with OVMF!
I changed to host and now is booting every Windows ISO!

At the end I modify manually the VM config with a text editor:
cpu: host,hidden=1,flags=+pcid
and added this line:
args: -cpu 'host,+kvm_pv_unhalt,+kvm_pv_eoi,kvm=off'

Next step adding PCIE main GPU to Windows 10 VM.

I hope this help all other Proxmox users, like my post wil be appreciated!

THANKS!!!
After installing AMD GPU drivers in Windows 11 VM, it wasn't booting anymore (endless rotating dots)
These 2 lines solved it. GPU works flawlessly in VM now.

 

[StreetPiet]

i had a similar problem with a self-made windows 11 24H2 .ISO:
it would not boot at all on a OVMF machine.
Setting the CPU type to "host" did the trick