"msg.cpuid.FeatureName" error powering on a virtual machine

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Provide information on how to troubleshoot and fix a VM which will not power on with the error msg.cpuid.feature.

Symptoms:
Virtual machine (VM) will not power on with the error: msg.cpuid.feature

Environment

VMware ESXi 6.5.x
VMware ESXi 6.7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x
VMware ESXi 6.0.x

Cause

This issue occurs due to the VM requires a specific CPU processor feature which is not available to the ESXi host the VM resides on.

Resolution

ESXI host CPU features can be affected by:

• The built-in features of the CPU itself
• ESXi OS patch level
• ESXi server hardware BIOS level
• ESXi server BIOS settings
• ESXi host cluster EVC level

To resolve this issue, preform one of the following:

• Move the VM back to its previous ESXi host with the required features
• Edit the VM's .vmx file to remove any unneeded, the requirement. See Tips for editing a .vmx file
• Ensure the EVC settings for the cluster the ESXi host is in, as well as the CPUs for these ESXi host servers, in to see if a higher EVC setting can be used which would include the missing features, see:
  • “The target host does not support the virtual machine’s current hardware requirements” error vMotioning a VM
  • “The target host does not support the virtual machine’s current hardware requirements” error vMotioning a VM
  • Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) Explained
• Ensuring the BIOS settings and patch level of the ESXi host allows the required features
  • Check your ESXi server hardware documentation or consult with your vendor
• Checking the release notes for ESXi for any issues on your version:
  • See VMware vSphere 7.0 Release Notes

Additional Information

Failed to power on virtual machine

Impact/Risks:
Changing Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) level, or ESXi host processor features changes the processor presented to the VM.