Windows Server 2022 update gave ESXi host VMs the blue screen blues

Windows Server 2022 update gave ESXi host VMs the blue screen blues

November 16, 2023 at 10:52AM

Microsoft’s Ignite event will likely not address the problematic Windows Server 2022 Virtual Machines caused by the KB5031364 October update. The update caused issues with starting VMs on VMware ESXi hosts. Microsoft released a fix in November’s update, KB5032198. Administrators had workarounds before the fix, and users expressed disappointment in Microsoft’s declining quality of updates.

Key takeaways from the meeting notes:

1. Microsoft experienced a problematic update (KB5031364) for Windows Server 2022 Virtual Machines, which caused various issues including VMs failing to start up on VMware ESXi hosts.
2. The issue was addressed in the November update (KB5032198), which solved the problem and enabled affected VMs to start up successfully.
3. The issue specifically affected VMware ESXi hosts using AMD Epyc processors, requiring specific settings to be enabled in both VMware and Windows Server 2022.
4. Administrators faced several workarounds before the fix was available, including toggling settings, deleting files, or uninstalling the patch.
5. Users expressed frustration and surprise at Microsoft releasing updates that disrupt functionality, citing previous incidents such as the Hyper-V issue during the Christmas period and an incident with VMs on VMware ESXi hosts earlier this year.
6. The meeting highlighted the importance for administrators to be prepared for unexpected issues with Windows updates.

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