Unable to run Windows PE 26100 on 7.0.20

[Naoki28]

I've been trying to get Windows 11 installed (and Windows 11 IoT for that matter) but every time I try to run the setup program, it just hangs after trying to load the ramdisk. I've tried to change many settings to figure out what is causing this, and even tried to slipstream the VBox drivers into the boot image just in case that was an issue but can't seem to get this working on several computers.

My VM settings are 2 CPUs, 4GB RAM, ICH9 (tried PIIX3), TPM V2.0, EFI, SecureBoot, 128MB Video, VBoxSVGA, a 120GB VHD on ACHI storage and a 16GB VHD attached as USB HDD storage.

My host machine is a Windows 10 22H2 computer, 8GB RAM, Core i5 7300U.
I've tried to adjust so many settings and look at the logs but I just can't figure this out. It loads from USB/HD/ISO and seems like it should work, but just hangs at the UEFI screen.

I have tried:

• Different chipsets
• Different CPU count and settings
• Different RAM amounts
• Changing from UEFI to BIOS with a suitable boot media
• Different VHDs and controllers
• Disabling unnescary features
• Completely uninstalling and reinstalling all parts of VirtualBox and the extension pack.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be really greatful to hear. Also, just to pre-empt the question, I need to be able to boot the setup app, so a work around to install Windows 11 isn't going to help here.

Thanks!

[multiOS]

There is no official VirtualBox support for Windows Insider builds (either as Host or Guest) but 24H2 might still install where all of Microsoft's specs are met by the VM's configuration. However, if your Host PC/Laptop has an 'unsupported' CPU, which seems to be the case, then, AFAIK, there is no alternative to using one of the known methods of "bypassing" Microsoft's entitlement checks when installing/upgrading to a 'new' Windows 11 version.

[Naoki28]

I dont believe that has anything to do with my question. This is a regular, retail version of Windows 11 and the RTM of WinPE, not an insider build. It's the installer for both versions which is based on the same PE archtitecture. The CPU support requirement also doesn't come into this I dont believe as Windows 11 and Windows PE both boot on this laptop natively, thus whilst it's not on the official compatiblity list, I can confirm that it's not the CPU causing this to not boot. Further to this, I have a similarly specced Intel NUC where the same ISO/USB boots fine on it, but not on VirtualBox.

IMG_5409.jpeg (45.07 KiB) Viewed 4846 times

Thank you
N

[klaus]

The log shows

00:00:39.030722 GIM: HyperV: Guest indicates a fatal condition! P0=0xa P1=0x7fffffff0000 P2=0xff P3=0x0 P4=0xfffff806d5e98836

So the VM doesn't hang, it runs into a IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD quite early. Not a known issue with usual Windows 11 installers. Did you try with an official ISO image? Because you seem to be using some USB stick image to boot.

Anything which is at least very close to a standard VM config in VirtualBox might give some hint.

[Naoki28]

Yes the same bug happens when I run the standard ISO from Microsofts download page.

For the record, the Windows PE USB is still the same as the Windows setup app on their ISO, just this does not have the actual windows setup files.

[Naoki28]

Ok, I will apologise and say I was wrong, the Windows 11 iso from microsoft *does* boot. But I have found that the Windows PE image that Microsoft currently supply does not work. I followed the instructions as given here and it resulted in the hang: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windo ... windows-11

[Naoki28]

Is anyone else able to confirm this?

[freezer]

Today Microsoft posted Windows 11 24H2 to MSDN. But I cannot get VirtualBox to boot the official 24H2 ISO. The BIOS loads and as soon as it transfers control to the ISO then the VM hangs. If I switch the VM to 23H2 then it boots correctly, but will not boot 24H2.