Insufficient video RAM event on Windows 2008 64-bit guests

[sphilp]

When powering on or migrating a Windows 2008 64-bit guest, we are seeing the following "info" level Event in vCenter:

Message on <guest> on <host> in <datacenter>: Insufficient video RAM. The maximum resolution of the virtual machine will be limited to 1176x885 at 16 bits per pixel. To use the configured maximum resolution of 2360x1770 at 16 bits per pixel, increase the amount of video RAM allocated to this virtual machine by setting svga.vramSize="16708800" in the virtual machine's configuration file.

I'm not sure where the 2360x1770 resolution is coming from. If I RDP to the guest, I get a normal-size desktop.

The guest is configured with 4MB video ram (Edit Settings / Video Card).

Anyone have a pointer on how to fix this up?

[JoJoGabor]

Is there anything in the Virtual Machine BISO about allocating Video memory?

[sphilp]

Sorry, what's the BISO?

[Rumple]

Are you connecting from a machine with multiple monitors? the combined screensize could be larger then that size.

There was a thread somewhere on here about increasing video ram size through the config file...

And they meant the BIOS

[sphilp]

Nope, connecting from a single 1600x1200 monitor. The Event happens at guest bootup and migration time, so I'm not sure that the client monitor/resolution is related.

I'll take a look at the VMX file to see if anything looks out of whack....

[NomaanSikandar]

I was getting this same error when I was trying to install Windows 2008 WebServer edition (64bit).

The problem was that when I created the 'New virtual machine', I selected a 32 bit profile from the dropdown menu.

After creating a new vm image with the correct 64bit version profile, the error went away.

[MichalZiolk]

I'm getting the same error on many VMs, some of which were migrated from VI 3.5, some created fresh. I get it on all of my 64-bit VMs, and also on two VMs running Win2003 Enterprise x32 (other machines with the same OS are ok). I'm also getting this error on a vSphere Management Assistant VM, which I just deployed from OVF template (so I doubt something is wrong with the VM).

However, I'm only getting this error on machines running on one of the hosts in a cluster (I have a two-node HA&DRS cluster) - so I'm thinking there's something wrong with the configuration of one of the nodes. I also cannot replicate the problem at will - it happens when I vmotion and when I boot VMs, but not every time.

[davparker]

I'm getting the same error on both 32 bit Windows 2003 & 64 bit 2008 servers after migrating to vSphere.

Insufficient video RAM. The maximum resolution of the virtual machine will be

limited to 1176x885 at 16 bits per pixel. To use the configured maximum resolution of 2360x1770 at 16 bits

per pixel, increase the amount of video RAM allocated to this virtual machine by setting

svga.vramSize="16708800" in the virtual machine's configuration file.

info

[JoJoGabor]

You can increase the amount of memory allocated to the graphics card of the VM in the settings of the VM. Right click the VM, click Edit Settings, and there is an option to show all hardware. (Sorry I'm not in front of a console right now so can't check. Under the list of hardware there is a graphics card. Select this, then in the right side panel there is an option to increase the memory allocated to the virtual graphics card.

[RParker]

Insufficient video RAM. The maximum resolution of the virtual machine will be limited to 1176x885 at 16 bits per pixel

That's not an error that's information. Your VM still boots, we get this too. We just ignore it, who REALY needs MORE than 1024x768 JUST to configure a Windows machine? That's why Windows has remote desktop, you don't need the console...

[tfruth]

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, RDP does not always startup on Windows guests. Sometimes you need to use the vSphere console to reach the guest VM. We have a 64-bit host architecture running ESXi 4.1. We have been recommended to set the guest VM video RAM to Auto. There have been no 'insufficient video RAM' events since setting guest VM video RAM to Auto.