Windows 2012 Server R2 preview installation fails: Your PC needs to restart | Please hold down the power button | Error Code 0x000000C4

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

The image I'm trying to install is (​http://technet.microsoft.com/evalcenter/dn205286.aspx):

$ sha1sum 9431.0.WINMAIN_BLUEMP.130615-1214_X64FRE_SERVER_EN-US-IMP_SSS_X64FRE_EN-US_DV5.ISO
df8396b8ea3eb74e0d678e098d050cb51d2fcc36  9431.0.WINMAIN_BLUEMP.130615-1214_X64FRE_SERVER_EN-US-IMP_SSS_X64FRE_EN-US_DV5.ISO

My host is: Linux 3.9 i686 PAE, CentOS 6.4, 16GB RAM

VM settings tested:

RAM: 2048MB
HDD: 64GB
VRAM: 128MB
IO APIC: Enabled
Processor: from 1 to 4
PAE/NX: Enabled
Storage: SATA (Both HDD and Optical Drive)
Audio: Disabled/Enabled
Network: Disabled/Enabled
Serial Port: Disabled
USB: Enabled/Disabled

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

VM logs, settings and storage

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

This bug affects Windows 8.1 preview installation as well.

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

The solution is to run this command:

VBoxManage setextradata [vmname] VBoxInternal/CPUM/CMPXCHG16B 1

Hopefully the next VBox release will have this instruction enabled by default.

[gernst]

The solution with CMPXCHG16B is NOT working for me in Windows 8.1 preview. Still the same error message.

[Piotr Orwat]

try

VBoxManage setextradata global VBoxInternal/CPUM/CMPXCHG16B 1

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

Replying to gernst:

The solution with CMPXCHG16B is NOT working for me in Windows 8.1 preview. Still the same error message.

What is your CPU? Some old 64bit AMD CPUs don't have this instruction.

[Frank Mehnert]

A VBox.log file would include information about his CPU.

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

Replying to frank:

A VBox.log file would include information about his CPU.

gernst hasn't provided a log file.

[Frank Mehnert]

Therefore I wrote 'would' :)

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

Replying to frank:

Therefore I wrote 'would' :)

My bad :) I haven't noticed "would" :)

[gernst]

I tried also global, but still not working. Logfile attached.

[Frank Mehnert]

Fix included in VBox 4.2.16. Make sure to select the Windows 8.1 OS type.

[gernst]

VBox 4.2.16 installed, machine for Windows 8.1 newly created. Tried Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 (64bit), still the same error. Nothing has changed. It looks like no one has read my log file. My CPU is a Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650. Let me know if someone needs a new log file.

Ernst

[Artem S. Tashkinov]

Replying to gernst:

VBox 4.2.16 installed, machine for Windows 8.1 newly created. Tried Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 (64bit), still the same error. Nothing has changed. It looks like no one has read my log file. My CPU is a Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650. Let me know if someone needs a new log file.

Ernst

Create a new Windows 8.1 guest in VBox 4.2.16 and append its log here.

(If you have the same error as I did I have reasons to believe that the CMPXCHG16B instruction is disabled somewhere on your PC - I cannot imagine how).

[gernst]

Here is my new log file. As I have written in my previous post I have created everything totally new from ground up. That means I have all Windows 8.1 guest removed and newly created. But still the same error when I start from CD to install. The CMPXCHG16B instruction is enabled, as shown in the log file.

Ernst

[Yuhong Bao]

"WARNING: Can't turn on NX/XD when the host doesn't support it!!"

Check your BIOS and make sure this is enabled.

[gernst]

Thats it. NX/xd was not enabled. Thanks.

Ernst

[Yuhong Bao]

I hope CMPXCHG16B will be enabled regardless of the OS setting in the future.

[ConcreteGannet]

Same problem with VirtualBox 4.3.14 and Intel i7 processor. setextradata fixed it for me too. Why is the fix not standard in VirtualBox by now?