VMware Tools - Windows Storport Miniport Driver has timed out a request

[Tore]

Hi Folks.

After installing VMware Tools 12.5.2 some weeks ago, I experience an increased rate of these ": Windows Storport Miniport Driver has timed out a request" warnings.

They occur on VMs that do not have snapshots, and not at the same time when centralized backups have been run on that particular VM.

Different MS version as well. 

Have anyone else experienced the same?

Regards, Tore

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Best Regards,
Tore
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[Andrea Consalvi]

Hi Tore,

Yes, this is a known issue starting with VMware Tools 12.5.x, especially on Windows VMs using paravirtual or LSI Logic SCSI controllers. The "Storport Miniport Driver has timed out a request" warning typically appears when the new VMware Tools storage I/O filters trigger delays under certain conditions, even without snapshots or backup jobs running.

1. Roll back to VMware Tools 12.3.5 or 12.2.5 - many users report stability returning after downgrade.

2. If you prefer to stay on 12.5.2, disable vmscsi timeout warnings in the guest registry as a temporary mitigation:

   
   
   
   
   
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\pvscsi\Parameters
   DWORD: DriverVerifier
   Value: 0
   
   
   
   
   

3. Monitor storage latency - in some environments this exposes subtle I/O contention issues that became more visible with 12.5.x.

[Tore]

Hi Andrea.

Thank you for the information.

Is this official VMware intel?

Cant find any information in the Release Notes for 12.5.x.

Regards, Tore

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Best Regards,
Tore
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[Andrea Consalvi]

Hi Tore,

no, this is not official VMware communication, but rather an issue observed by several users (myself included) after upgrading to VMware Tools 12.5.x, particularly on Windows VMs using paravirtual or LSI Logic SCSI controllers.

This is therefore a field observation, shared across various technical threads as a possible workaround, but not officially documented at this time.

Downgrading VMware Tools is certainly not recommended by VMware, especially due to security and compatibility reasons. However, in some cases, it has been attempted as a temporary measure to bypass the issue.

As correctly suggested by Adam, it’s also advisable to proceed by opening a support request.

[Mudassar Suhail]

Andrea Consalvi,
We are continuing to experience the "Storport Miniport Driver has timed out a request" alerts across multiple Windows VMs, even after applying the recommended mitigation steps.

These alerts are occurring on systems running VMware Tools versions 12.3.x, 12.2.x, and 12.5.2, and persist despite setting the following registry key as advised:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\pvscsi\Parameters
DWORD: DriverVerifier
Value: 0
Unfortunately, the alerts are still being triggered and are reopening after being cleared. This suggests that the issue may not be isolated to the VMware Tools version or the DriverVerifier setting alone.

Could you please advise on any additional steps or updated guidance to fully resolve this issue? We would also appreciate any insights into whether a patch or updated driver is being planned to address this behavior.

Thank you for your support.

[Adam Ru]

Hello all,

We are not aware of any known issue related to the "Windows Storport
Miniport Driver" that would require downgrading VMware Tools as a
workaround.

If you are encountering this issue, please open a Support Request (SR) and
attach the VM-support bundle. This will allow our engineering team to
perform a detailed analysis.

Best regards,
Adam

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[Tore]

Hi Adam.

I have created a support case as well. 

Regards, Tore.

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Best Regards,
Tore
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