Windows 7 SP1 with NVMe driver does not load on VMWare 14

Solution 1:

The method described below apparently does not work with VMware Workstation version 14 for the installation of a Windows 7 x64 guest, and the problem seems to be with the drivers not working with the NVMe controller which is installed by VMware, and the problem appears during boot.

However, everything works perfectly when the boot is from a non-NVMe controller, where the secondary NVMe controller does not cause any problem. An attempt to extract the NVMe driver in this situation gave the stornvme driver, but it cannot be integrated into the boot since it is unsigned. However, even with pressed F8 during boot and disabling signature enforcement did not help with the boot.

I have suggested that perhaps the problem is with a 64-bit Window 7 guest, and suggested the use of a 32-bit version of Windows 7, and am currently waiting for an answer.

In any case, the NVMe controller can be used under Workstation 14, just not for booting.

The Dell article How to install Windows 7 on systems with Skylake chipset has this procedure described as :

Here you will learn how to get your Windows 7 Image ready for NVME-Drives and USB 3.0 and how to create an installation media with this image.

The summary of the procedure is as follows :

Preparations

• Create a folder named temp on drive C with these subfolders: src, mount, winremount, hotfix, drivers.
• Download the needed Intel RST and USB 3.0 drivers from this Link. Unzip and copy the included folders to C:\temp\drivers.
• Download and unzip the following Microsoft Windows Hotfixes KB2990941, KB3087873.
• Copy the .msu files from the unzipped hotfixes to C:\temp\hotfix.
• Copy all files and folders from your Windows 7 DVD image to C:\temp\src.

Modify the Image

• Run a Command Prompt (CMD) as administrator.

• Execute the following commands :

  dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:c:\temp\src\sources\boot.wim /Index:1 /MountDir:c:\temp\mount
  dism /Image:C:\temp\mount /Add-Package /PackagePath:c:\temp\hotfix
  dism /Image:C:\temp\mount /Add-Driver /Driver:c:\temp\drivers /Recurse
  dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\temp\mount /Commit
  dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:c:\temp\src\sources\boot.wim /Index:2 /MountDir:c:\temp\mount
  dism /Image:C:\temp\mount /Add-Package /PackagePath:c:\temp\hotfix
  dism /Image:C:\temp\mount /Add-Driver /Driver:c:\temp\drivers /Recurse
  

• Open Windows Explorer for C:\temp\mount\sources, sort the files by Date modified, and copy all modified files to C:\temp\src\sources.

• Execute the command

  dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\temp\mount /commit
  

• To identify the install.wim index to modify, use the command

  dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:c:\temp\src\sources\install.wim
  

• Use this number in the following commands :

  dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:c:\temp\src\sources\install.wim /Index:[INDEXNUMBER] /MountDir:c:\temp\mount
  dism /Image:C:\temp\mount /Add-Package /PackagePath:c:\temp\hotfix
  dism /Image:C:\temp\mount /Add-Driver /Driver:c:\temp\drivers /Recurse
  

• Modify the recovery partition of index 1 :

  dism /Mount-Wim /WimFile:c:\temp\mount\windows\system32\recovery\winre.wim /Index:1 /MountDir:c:\temp\winremount
  dism /Image:C:\temp\winremount /Add-Package /PackagePath:c:\temp\hotfix
  dism /Image:C:\temp\winremount /Add-Driver /Driver:c:\temp\drivers /Recurse
  

• Complete the modification process with these commands:

  dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\temp\winremount /Commit
  dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\temp\mount /Commit
  

Create the Installation Media

• To create the ISO file, download the Microsoft tool oscdimg.

• Unzip the file and copy oscdmig.exe to C:\Windows\System32\.

• In the command prompt execute this command :

  oscdimg.exe -b[Path to]efisys.bin -u2 -udfver102 [Path to files] [Path to create the image]Win7_image.iso
  

• To create the installation media, use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.