Windows 10 x86 Install Crashes in Workstation Player 17.5

[VMware Community Member]

I cannot build a Windows 10 x86 (32 bit) VM on Workstation Player 17.5.

It gets through the "Copying Windows files" step and then crashes to a BSOD with the message "Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart". The BSOD message goes away after a few seconds, replaced by a black screen with the message "An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system.".

This is using the official ISO from Microsoft, downloaded using the Media Creation Tool. I downloaded a fresh copy for each test, so it's definitely not a corrupted ISO.

I can build anything else (e.g. Windows 10 64 bit, Windows 11, Windows 7 x64, and Windows 7 x86). My workaround for now is to build Windows 7 x86 and then upgrade it to Windows 10 x86. Windows 10 x86 runs just fine in the VM. It just can't be built directly.

I tried this on two different computers. Same problem.

Is this a known issue? Is there a fix?

[Mohamed Hamdy Boraik Ahmed]

try another one .. maybe this iso have a crashes files

[VMware Community Member]

I'm using the official Microsoft ISO provided by the Media Creation Tool. It works fine for upgrades and bare metal builds. There is nothing wrong with the ISO.

[Technogeezer]

Two thoughts:

Make sure the virtual machine operating system type is set to Windows 10 and not Windows 10 64-bit.

Can you try to install Windows 10 without using Easy Install?

[VMware Community Member]

I'm using Player. I do not see any option for selecting the bitness.

I also see no option for enabling or disabling easy install.

[VMware Community Member]

I really would appreciate hearing from someone who has actually built a Windows 10 x86 VM on Workstation Player 17. Anyone?

[Technogeezer]

D'0h. Serious brain cramp here - I apologize since I read "Windows 7" instead of "Windows 10"

I'll try to download Windows 10 32-bit and see if I can reproduce. 

[VMware Community Member]

The official download is done using the Media Creation Tool from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You can also get the same ISO directly from here:

https://massgrave.dev/windows_10_links.html

 

[Technogeezer]

I've reproduced this with Workstation Player 17.0 and a freshly downloaded Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft. 

It looks like the Windows 10 32-bit installer has an issue with the NVMe hard drive that Workstation creates for the VM by default.

I was able to get around this:

• Modify the VM's configuration.
• Remove the existing hard drive.
• Add a new hard drive.
• When prompted for the virtual drive type select a SCSI drive, not the recommended NVMe.
• Size the virtual disk appropriately.
• Take the default virtual disk name.

Your VM should now install. 

[VMware Community Member]

I found that SATA also works fine.

For anyone else encountering this issue, here are the exact steps I used to build Windows 10 x86:

1. Create a New Virtual Machine
2. Select your Windows 10 x86 ISO, Next
3. Edit the name as desired, Next
4. Accept default disk options, Next
5. Uncheck "Power on this virtual machine after creation", Finish
6. Select Windows 10 x86 VM, Edit virtual machine settings
7. Hard Disk (NVMe), Remove
8. Add, Hard Disk, Next, SATA, Next
9. Use an existing virtual disk, Next
10. Select the existing VMDK, Finish, OK
11. Play virtual machine and continue your build

[Technogeezer]

Glad it worked out for you - and you provided a more elegant solution. 

The other option would have been to manually edit the vmx file to change the virtual disk controller and type, but this approach is much easier.

[VMware Community Member]

Since this is an easily replicated issue and probably easy for VMWare to fix (by changing the default drive type to SATA for Window 10 x86) is there any way we can get a fix request to the developers?