'Failed to generate VirtualCenter symmetric encryption key' while installing vCenter Server 6.x

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• vCenter Server 6.x Installation on Windows fails.
• You see the error:
  
  Failed to generate VirtualCenter symmetric encryption key.
   
• Installing vCenter Server 6.5 U2 or 6.7 fails during firstboot with this message in the UI similar to:
  
  Failed to generate VirtualCenter symmetric encryption key.
   
• In the vpxd_firstboot.py_###_stdout.log file, you see this error similar to:
  
  Failed to generate vpxd symmetric encryption key.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.5.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the Microsoft security patches, MS17-010 and MS17-012, are not applied on the Windows 2008 R2 prior to installation. 

For more information on these patches, see the Microsoft security bulletin documentation at March 2017 Microsoft Security Bulletin for Windows 2008 R2 SP1 - KB4012212

Resolution

To resolve this issue, update the Windows machine with the Microsoft security patches Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010 and Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-012 before installing vCenter Server.

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Additional Information

Firstboot Failed during Install/Deployment, Upgrade or Migration in vCenter Server and vCenter Server Appliance 6.7 (55746)