VMware Workstation users may encounter the “Module VPMC Power on Failed” error when attempting to start a virtual machine. This issue often arises after moving a VM to different hardware or creating a new virtual machine. The error message typically reads:
VMware Workstation does not support virtualized performance counters on this host.
Module ‘VPMC’ power on failed.
Failed to start the virtual machine.
VPMC stands for Virtual CPU Performance Monitoring Counters, which are used to monitor and measure the performance of virtual CPUs within a VM. When this error occurs, it prevents the virtual machine from starting. Let’s explore several methods to resolve this issue.
Step 1: Disable CPU performance counters in VMware Workstation.
This is often the most effective solution:
1. Open VMware Workstation and power off the affected virtual machine.
2. Right-click on the virtual machine and select “Settings”.
3. Go to the “Hardware” tab and select “Processors”.
4. In the “Virtualization engine” section, uncheck the option “Virtualize CPU performance counters”.
5. Click “OK” to save the changes.
6. Try powering on the virtual machine again.
If you’re working with a deployment virtual machine, you can alternatively edit the VM’s configuration file directly:
1. Locate your virtual machine’s folder (usually in your Documents folder under “Virtual Machines”).
2. Find the .vmx file for your virtual machine.
3. Open the .vmx file with a text editor.
4. Add or modify this line: vpmc.enable = "FALSE"
5. Save the file and try starting the VM again.
Step 2: Disable hardware virtualization if the previous step doesn’t work.
Sometimes, disabling CPU Performance Monitoring Counters can trigger another error related to nested virtualization. If this happens, try the following:
1. Power off the virtual machine.
2. Right-click on the VM and select “Settings”.
3. Go to “Hardware” > “Processors”.
4. In the “Virtualization engine” section, uncheck “Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI”.
5. Click “OK” to save changes.
6. Attempt to start the virtual machine again.
Step 3: Reimport the virtual machine image.
If the previous methods don’t resolve the issue, try reimporting the virtual machine:
1. Ensure the virtual machine is powered off.
2. Create a new virtual machine in VMware Workstation.
3. During setup, choose the option to use an existing virtual disk.
4. Select the .vmdk file from your original virtual machine.
5. Complete the setup process and try starting the new VM.
This method can help if the issue was caused by the VM being powered on during image creation or transfer to new hardware.
Step 4: Disable Hyper-V on Windows (if applicable).
If you’re running VMware Workstation on a Windows system, Hyper-V might interfere with VMware’s virtualization:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Go to “Programs and Features”.
3. Click “Turn Windows features on or off”.
4. Uncheck “Hyper-V” and click “OK”.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Try creating or starting your virtual machine in VMware Workstation again.
Remember that disabling Hyper-V will affect other applications that rely on it, such as Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) or Windows Sandbox.
These solutions should help resolve the Module VPMC Power on Failed error in most cases. If you continue to experience issues, consider updating VMware Workstation to the latest version or contacting VMware support for further assistance.