You get the following error when you create a new virtual image in Hyper-V on a Windows 8 Professional computer, configure it to boot from an ISO image, and then try and start the newly created virtual machine.
An attempt to initialize VM saved state failed
This error is also seen on Windows Server 2008 R2 server.
Configure the permissions on the drive where the virtual machine files are located. In my case my virtual hard disk, virtual machine configuration file and snapshots were configured on drive D.
On the root of the drive, configure the permissions so the Authenticated Users group has List permissions for the root folder. You don’t need to give the Authenticated Users group any permissions on the sub-folders at all. It only needs List permissions on the root folder. You will need to use the Advanced link on the Security tab to configure the permissions for “This folder only.” It will also add Read and Read & execute permissions, as shown below.
There is no need to reboot your Windows 8 computer. Try to start the VM. It should start up fine.
Microsoft has made some major changes to its server operating system in Windows Server 2012, which is in beta at the time of writing. One of the new features in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in Windows Server 2012 is the ability to clone a virtualized Domain Controller (DC). In this article, I will explain how cloning works, describe the XML files that are required for cloning, and walk you through step-by-step process of cloning a virtualized DC.
Remember all the pain you had to go through to deploy a virtualized DC replicas in the previous versions of Windows Servers? All the messing around with sysprep images, promoting the DC manually and then going through all the post-configuration process is now the thing of the past because in Windows Server 2012 you can create replicas of virtualized DCs by cloning the existing DCs. Simply copy the virtual hard disk (VHD) of a virtualized DC, insert a configuration file, and create a new virtualized DC pointing to the copied VHD. Imagine how much time you will be saving. Okay, you do have to do some work for the first time so I don’t want to give you the impression that you are going to wave your magic wand and everything will take place magically. However, the steps to clone a virtualized DC are not as complicated any more.
According to Microsoft, the requirements for virtualized DC cloning are as follows:
The Cloning Process
Here’s how the cloning process works.
Understanding the XML Files for Cloning
There are three xml files used by the cloning process. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Step-By-Step Process of Cloning a DC
Now that you have a better understanding of the cloning process and the different files that are used for cloning, let’s walk through the step-by-step procedure of cloning a virtualized DC. There are 5 major steps to clone a virtualized DC.
Step 1: Make sure you meet the prerequisites.
Step 2: Grant the source virtualized DC the permission to be cloned.
Step 3: Create DCCloneConfig.xml file.
Step 4: Run Get-ADDCCloningExcludedApplicationList cmdlet.
Step 5: Export the VM of the source virtualized DC and then import it.
Step 1 – Meet the Prerequisites
Step 2 – Grant Source Virtualized DC Proper Permissions
Step 3 – Create DCCloneConfig.xml File
Step 4 – Run Get-ADDCCloningExcludedApplicationList Cmdlet
Step 5 – Export and then Import the Source Virtualized DC
The final step is to export the VM of the source virtualized DC and then import it. Here’s how.
This completes the process of cloning a virtualized DC. For more information visit Microsoft’s Web site.
I work with Hyper-V a lot. Recently I have been doing some work that required audio support inside the virtual machines (VMs) on my Windows Server 2008 R2 computers. Here’s the procedure you can use to enable audio support inside the VMs.
1. Login to the virtual machine.
2. Run the Services Console (Start, Run, services.msc).
3. Configure the Windows Audio service to start automatically and then start the service.
4. Go to Start, Administrative Tools, Remote Desktop Services, Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration.
5. Double-click RDP-Tcp in the Connections section.
6. Click Client Settings tab.
7. Clear the boxes Audio and video playback and Audio recording and then click OK.
8. Your audio should now work in the VM.
I recently ran into a situation where I wasn’t able to start virtual machines on a newly installed Windows Server 2008 R2 computer. After a little research I ran into the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article 2517374:
Here’s the scenario. I installed Windows Server 2008 R2 on a computer with an Intel CPU that supported the Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) feature. I installed the Hyper-V server role and then imported a virtual machine. However, when I tried to start the virtual machine I received an error indicating that the virtual machine failed to initialize. I enabled hardware assisted virtualization in the BIOS but that didn’t help. I then found the KB251374 article and discovered that Windows Server 2008 R2 doesn’t support the AVX feature. Luckily, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 adds the support for AVX. Because my server was a brand new installation, I hadn’t installed SP1. As soon as I installed SP1 I was able to start the virtual machine.
The KB article also documents a workaround where you can force compatible CPU flags by setting a WMI property. However, the workaround has two issues that makes it a pain in the neck. I recommend you install SP1 rather than messing with a problematic workaround.
When working with Microsoft Hyper-V, it is helpful to understand the difference between the Saved State and a Snapshot. Here is a brief explanation of both.
Snapshot
A snapshot can be taken whether the virtual machine (VM) is running or not. It is a point in time of the state of a VM. You can revert back to a previous point in time whenever there is a need. For example, if you plan to install a service pack, you can take a snapshot before you install the service pack and if things go wrong, you can revert to the point in time before you installed the service pack. It is similar to the System Restore concept in Microsoft operating systems. A snapshot consists of three components:
Saved State
A Saved state is a point in time of a running VM, however, unlike a Snapshot, a Saved state can only take place on a VM that is running. Also, a Saved state can be restored only once (as long as you have not applied a Snapshot since the system state was saved). This is different than Snapshot because a Snapshot can be restored multiple times. In fact, you can go back and forth between different Snapshots to the exact point in time when the Snapshots were taken.
Taking a Snapshot
To take a Snapshot, simply right-click a VM in the Hyper-V console and select Snapshot. The VM may be running or shutdown. You may also delete a Snapshot, whether the VM is running or not.
Saving the State
To save the system state, right-click the VM while it is running and select Save. Your VM will appear to be shutdown. To resume, you simply right-click the Saved VM and select Start.
As great as Snapshots are, keep in mind that according to Microsoft if you have more than three Snapshots for a VM, you may experience performance degradation. However, the degradation will depend on the amount of RAM and processors that are available and how you have configured the system resources.
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