[SOLVED] Windows VM Migration issues (BSOD) Safe mode boots fine

[Morehouse]

As the title suggests I'm having some issues migrating several Windows Guests (2012 R2 and 2016) from XenServer 7 to Proxmox 4.3. All my attempts have the same issue. A normal boot fails just after the windows logo appears with a blue screen saying "Your PC ran into problems and needs to restart", reboots, does the same thing again then boots into automatic repair. Windows 2016 is slightly different as I get a similar blue screen but provides me the error "System thread exception not handled" I've been migrating the VM's by exporting a snapshot to a .xva file, unarchiving export and using xenmigrate script to produce a .raw format. I have attempted to resolve this issue by performing the following operations:

- Attached boot drive as IDE, SATA, and VirtIO.
- Removed/uninstalled ghost devices
- Scanned with system file checker (SFC /Scannow)
- Rebuild boot record using bootrec
- Removed previous guest additions ( Done before and after VM migration )
- Tried a "Clean Boot"
- Changed VM's SCSI Controller type.

I'm starting to run out of ideas of what to try. For what it's worth, I believe the issue is caused by a driver or lack there of, due to the fact that safe mode loads without an issue. While in safe mode I've tried to install VirtIO guest drivers but I receive a "data is invlaid" error with every attempt. I've performed this with and without MsiServer running and even tried it with a different virtio iso. Linux guests work without a hitch, but I have noticed upon first boot they do repair something very quickly before stating "/dev/sda clean" and loading console login prompt.

root@prox-ceph3:~# qm config 106
balloon: 0
boot: cdn
bootdisk: sata0
cores: 2
ide2: none,media=cdrom
kvm: 0
memory: 4096
name: TinyTest
net0: e1000=86:E1:D0:2B:E0:56
numa: 0
ostype: win8
sata0: workspace:106/vm-106-disk-1.raw,size=100G
smbios1: uuid=56941e5d-af0d-44ba-81d6-40d99f4bf9de
sockets: 1

Server Stats:
3 node cluster with cepth each with:
- Dual Intel Xeon CPU E5-2620
- 128GB DDR4 ECC unbuffered RAM
- 60GB SSD - OS
- 6 400GB Intel DC S3710 SSDs - Ceph OSDs

I know that this has been mentioned numerous times, but I haven't yet found anything that works. I apologize if I've overlooked a previously discussed solution.

Thanks

 

[Morehouse]

I was able to solve the issue myself while browsing a citrix discussion board. http://discussions.citrix.com/topic/347782-unable-to-installuninstall-xen-tools/

The part that did it for me was removing all traces of xen*.* from the system32 directory and subdirectories.

Afterwards, Server 2012 R2 booted no problem. Still working on Windows 2016, will update if this resolves issue as well.

Edit: Windows 2016 working as well.

 

[cristian.ion]

Hi, i have kind of the same problem. I am trying to migrate a Windows Server 2016 from XenServer to Proxmox and i am keep getting the BSOD with "System thread exception not handled".
Still, i am able to boot into safe mode, but not in normal mode.

Steps that i made to migrate:
- export VM from xenserver as *.raw file.
- Create a new VM on Proxmox with the same characteristics as the one on XenServer
- use xenmigrate script to import the raw file to proxmox

Now i am out of options... i tried (as written above) to delete the xen directories and subdir. from system32 but i can't do it because the Administrator user is not in SYSTEM group.

pveversion:
pve-manager/4.4-13/7ea56165 (running kernel: 4.4.62-1-pve)