Windows virtual machine configured to use a BusLogic SCSI controller reports that the operating system does not support the controller
Article ID: 309046
Updated On:
Products
VMware vCenter Server
VMware vSphere ESXi
Issue/Introduction
Symptoms:
- When a Windows virtual machine is powered on, the Tasks and Events tab of the virtual machine on the vSphere Client displays this warning under Events:
The guest operating system is <Windows OS> and one or more virtual SCSI devices are installed in the virtual machine. <Windows OS> does not support the BusLogic SCSI adapter that VMware ESX currently uses for virtual SCSI devices. Install the VMware driver in the virtual machine. Download the driver from " http://vmware.com/info?id=43 ". Click OK to continue or Cancel to cancel.
- The virtual machine may fail to power on with a similar warning
- The virtual machine power on operation succeeds, but booting the virtual machine fails with a BSOD
- This warning message can also be found in the virtual machine's vmware.log file
- This issue occurs with Windows operating systems later than Windows 2000, such as Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista
Environment
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x
VMware ESX 4.0.x
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded
VMware ESX 4.1.x
VMware ESX Server 3.5.x
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Embedded
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
VMware ESXi 3.5.x Installable
VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
Cause
This issue occurs when any of the SCSI controllers of these Windows virtual machines are configured as BusLogic Parallel.
By default, the device drivers for BusLogic SCSI adapters are not built-in with the Windows operating systems, such as Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista.
Resolution
- You can ignore this message in the Events tab if the power on operation of the virtual machine is successful and all the virtual disks are visible inside the virtual machine.
- If you are experiencing this issue during the guest operating system installation, you must provide the driver for the BusLogic SCSI controller during the installation process.
- If the guest operating system is experiencing performance issues, verify if it is using the correct SCSI controller.
Note: If you are installing a Windows operating system later than Windows 2000, except Windows XP, you can avoid installing the Buslogic SCSI controller drivers by converting the SCSI controller type to LSI Logic Parallel. These operating systems have built-in support for LSI Logic SCSI controller drivers, but Windows XP does not have this built-in support. To change the SCSI controller type to LSI Logic Parallel, follow the steps in Procedure 1.
The BusLogic SCSI controller driver comes bundled with VMware ESX/ESXi. It is available on the host as a floppy image at /vmimages/floppies/vmscsi.flp. If you are unable to find the file on the host, you can download it from http://download3.vmware.com/software/vmscsi-1.2.0.4.flp.
Attach this floppy image to the virtual floppy drive of the virtual machine and continue with the Windows operating system installation. For detailed steps, see Windows XP setup cannot find any hard disk drives during installation (1000863).
- Use one of these procedures if:
- The power on operation of an already installed virtual machine is failing with a BSOD.
- Some of the virtual disks that are accessed through SCSI controller of type BusLogic Parallel are not visible inside the virtual machine.
Procedure 1 - Change the SCSI controller type of the virtual machine to LSI Logic Parallel
Note: Use this procedure if you are not particular about using the BusLogic Parallel type SCSI controller within the virtual machine.
To change the SCSI controller type of the virtual machine to LSI Logic Parallel:
Note: Before proceeding, ensure that the virtual disks on the controller do not have any snapshots.
- Ensure that the virtual machine is powered off.
- Select the virtual machine and click Edit Settings.
- Select the SCSI controller field that is configured as type BusLogic Parallel.
- Click Change Type.
- Select LSI Logic Parallel and click OK.
- Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for all the SCSI controller fields that are configured as type BusLogic Parallel.
- Power on the virtual machine.
Procedure 2 - Install the BusLogic Parallel drivers
Note: Use this procedure if you are particular about using the BusLogic Parallel type SCSI controller within the virtual machine.
To install the necessary drivers in the virtual machine when you want to use BusLogic Parallel:
- If the virtual machine power on operation results in a BSOD, use Procedure 1 and convert the SCSI controller type of the boot virtual disk to LSI Logic Parallel.
- Power on the virtual machine.
- Download the VMware SCSI driver from http://download3.vmware.com/software/vmscsi-1.2.0.4.flp.
Note: The floppy image is also available on the ESX host at /vmimages/floppies/vmscsi.flp.
- Copy the VMware SCSI driver files to the desktop or any other easily accessible location on the virtual machine.
Note: The VMware SCSI driver is also bundled with VMware Tools package. Installing VMware Tools on a virtual machine that is configured with a BusLogic Parallel type SCSI controller automatically installs the VMware SCSI driver.
- Power off the virtual machine.
- Add a new SCSI controller of type BusLogic Parallel to the virtual machine.
To add a new SCSI controller of type BusLogic Parallel:
- Add a new hard disk of small size, say 1MB.
- For the Virtual Device Node selection in the wizard, select the controller that is different from the controller for the boot device.
For example, if the boot virtual disk of the virtual machine is on controller 0 (when the Virtual Device Node for the boot virtual disk is one of SCSI (0:x)), then select SCSI (1:0) as the
Virtual Device Node for the newly added hard disk.
- After the hard disk is added, it adds a New SCSI Controller entry corresponding to the Virtual Device Node selected in Step b.
- Change the SCSI controller type to BusLogic Parallel, by selecting the new SCSI controller and clicking the Change Type button.
- Power on the virtual machine.
- Follow the Found New Hardware wizard or the Windows device manager inside the Windows guest and provide the location of the VMware SCSI driver downloaded in Step 3. This installs the drivers for the BusLogic SCSI controller inside the guest operating system.
Note: Instead of using the Found New Hardware wizard and providing the downloaded VMware SCSI driver, you can also try installing or upgrading VMware Tools on the virtual machine. This automatically installs the VMware SCSI driver.
- Power off the virtual machine.
- Remove the hard disk that is added in Step 6 from the virtual machine.
- Change the type of the remaining SCSI controller(s) to BusLogic Parallel.
- Power on the virtual machine.
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