VM Guest Services Install Fail? Fix Error 13206 in Virtual Machine Manager

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Hey folks! Ever had that annoying “Error 13206” pop up when trying to install System Center Virtual Machine Manager guest services? Yeah, me too. It’s a real headache. But don’t worry, we’re gonna dive into this issue, figure out why it’s happening, and walk through some solid solutions.

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Decoding the Dreaded Error 13206¶

So, what’s the deal with this error? It basically means that Virtual Machine Manager can’t find the boot or system volume on your virtual machine. This can lead to all sorts of problems, like your VM not starting or running properly. You might see an error message like this:

Error (13206)

Virtual Machine Manager cannot locate the boot or system volume on virtual machine . The resulting virtual machine might not start or operate properly.

And if you check the job trace, you’ll probably see something like this:

MountedVhd.cs,87,0x00000000,MountedVhd windows volume not found,{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000},4,

Why is This Happening?¶

The most common culprit is a wonky disk partition setup. Specifically, when your boot and system files are on separate partitions, and the Windows directory is on an extended partition instead of a primary one. This throws Virtual Machine Manager for a loop when it tries to mount the VHD for integration services.

Fixing the Problem: Two Solid Workarounds¶

Okay, so how do we fix this mess? Here are two reliable workarounds:

1. The Clean Slate: Create a brand new VM with only primary partitions. Then, copy all the content from your problematic VM to this new, organized disk structure. It’s like starting fresh, but with all your stuff.

2. The Manual Install: Ditch Virtual Machine Manager for a moment and install the integration services manually through Hyper-V. It’s a bit more hands-on, but it often gets the job done.

Automating the Integration Services Installation¶

Now, for those who love automation (who doesn’t?), here’s a way to install integration components without any user interaction. The VM will even reboot automatically if needed. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Copy the Goods: From your Hyper-V server, copy the entire C:\\Windows\\VMguest directory to your VM. You can put it anywhere you like on the VM, but let’s say you put it in C:\\Temp\\VMguest for this example.

2. PsExec to the Rescue: Use the psexec.exe tool to kick off the integration component installation remotely. On your Hyper-V server, run the following command, replacing <virtual machine name> with the actual name of your VM:

psexec.exe \\\\<virtual machine name> -i C:\\Temp\\VMguest\\Support\\x86\\setup.exe /quiet

This command uses psexec to connect to your VM, execute the setup.exe file located within the copied VMguest folder, and the /quiet switch ensures a silent installation.

teks: For more details on psexec, check out the official Microsoft documentation.

Automating with Autorun¶

Want even more automation? You can modify the autorun.inf file on the root of an ISO. If autorun is enabled on the VM’s operating system, this will trigger the automatic installation of integration components, just like we described above. This is super handy for streamlining the setup process.

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Wrapping Up¶

So there you have it! A comprehensive guide to tackling that pesky Error 13206. Hopefully, these solutions help you get your VMs running smoothly again. Remember, a well-partitioned VM is a happy VM!

Now, I’d love to hear from you! Did these solutions work for you? Do you have any other tips or tricks for dealing with this error? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below. Let’s help each other out! And if you’re looking for more information on virtual machine management, be sure to check back for more articles and tutorials.