[Solved] AMD fTPM switch and SVM Mode always gets disabled in UEFI 4.6 BIOS

[hannibalstgt]

Hello,
I am using UEFI 4.6 BIOS on an ASRock motherboard.
Since some time I get the message, that VirtualBox cannot establish a new session
because the SVM Mode is switched off.
So, whenever I want to use VirtualBox I have to change the Advanced CPU Configuration.
to SVM Mode "enabled" in the BIOS.
The permanent storing of this setting (when exiting with save setting) does not work.
I use windows 10 64 Bit Version 21H1 build 19043.1165

Has anybody an idea why this happens.

Wolfgang

[mpack]

Please provide a VM log file. Make sure the VM is fully shut down, then right click it in the manager UI. Select "Show Log" and save "VBox.log" (no other file) to a zip file. Attach the zip here.

[hannibalstgt]

Ubuntu2041-2021-09-08-10-27-15.zip

The zipped Log of the failing session

(5.93 KiB) Downloaded 8 times

Hello mpack,
as attachment the required ZIP File

Thank you in advance

[mpack]

00:00:03.491452 HM: HMR3Init: Attempting fall back to NEM: AMD-V is disabled in the BIOS (or by the host OS)

You need to enable AMD-V (sometimes called SVM) in the host PC BIOS. VirtualBox has no influence on host PC BIOS settings - if you have problems with that then you need to contact the PC manufacturers support.

[hannibalstgt]

Hello mpack,

I do enable SVM in the host BIOS (UEFI 4.6) and I exit the BIOS with saving the changed values.
But this saving has no effect.
Next time when I start VirtualBox (after a system restart) the old values are still used.
Obviously they are reset to the default ( ? ) values when the sytem starts up.

Is that a problem of UEFi 4.6 and ASROCK has to take care about that ?

Thanks for the quick response.
Wolfgang

[scottgus1]

Is that a problem of UEFi 4.6 and ASROCK has to take care about that ?

Yes. Virtualbox has no way to turn off SVM in the computer's BIOS. Asrock will have to fix this problem.

[pt58]

Maybe the CMOS backup battery on the motherboard has died and is not keeping the changed BIOS settings when the system is powered down.
Do you get a warning when you power the system up saying that BIOS defaults have been loaded?

[mpack]

I admit that it's many years since I cared about this kind of detail on a PC motherboard, but surely in this day and age such settings would be kept in flash? The CMOS battery (if present at all) would be there only to keep the RTC powered.

All of which is not to say that the suggestion should be ignored. If the backup battery is accessible then by all means test it, or just replace it if that proves easy (i.e. if it's not soldered in).

[fth0]

Two additional ideas to consider:

For people with German keyboards, there is a chance to press the wrong "Y" key in the BIOS.

Some BIOS CPU settings get only effective after a power cycle.

[hannibalstgt]

Hello,
thanks to all of you.
I think, that the most likely reason is a week battery on the motherboard.
I will replace it.
That the different location of the Y and Z keys on the German keyboard causes the
failure is in my oppinion less likely, because I asume, the keys still generate the correct keycode.
But I will test that also.

Regards
Wolfgang

[fth0]

That the different location of the Y and Z keys on the German keyboard causes the
failure is in my oppinion less likely, because I asume, the keys still generate the correct keycode.

In the old days, BIOSes had no keyboard drivers and only interpreted the scancodes of the keys. And the key between the "T" and the "U" key generates the same scancode, independent on what's engraved in the key cap. In consequence, you had to press the "Z" key on German keyboards to enter a "Y".

[hannibalstgt]

Hello to all,

the problem is solved !

It was the dead battery. After having it replaced, everything works fine.
The UEFI Settings are now kept.
The keys "Y" and "Z" worked correctly.

By the way, in my System the UEFI Display is a GUI. You can press a button to provide
a lot of input values.
And now UEFI 6.0 is installed )

Regards
Wolfgang

[mpack]

I'm glad for you that the proposed solution was correct. I will mark the topic as solved.