test for HyperV (Windows 2008x64 virtualisation) and AMD Athlon compatibility

Gilles Vollant

Hello,

Do you known what motherboard support Hyper-V (the new hypervisor
virtualisation for Windows 2008 server x64) ?

Hyper-V uses AMD-V (AMD virtualisation instructions, named Pacifica), which
is supported on AM2/AM2+ Athlon. But if you have an Athlon stepping "F1", a
bug prevent using HyperV. If you have stepping "F2" (there is a lot of "F2"
stepping Athlon 64 for AM2), HyperV is supported only if your bios contain a
special fix code. If you have stepping "F3", you just need enable AMD-V.

Some web pages about this problem
http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy...heck-tool.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy...er-v-beta.aspx
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/...5472&SiteID=17
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/...5209&SiteID=17

An AMD utility to test compatibility with HyperV without install Windows
2008:
AMD VirtualizationT Technology and Microsoft Hyper-V System Compatibility
Check Utility
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/..._14098,00.html
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/cont...ck_Utility.zip

An utility to known your exact AMD Athlon stepping and motherboard name and
Bios: CPUZ
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

If you want download a trial of Windows 2008 and latest HyperV
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...-software.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

I have success (both with AMD utility and using HyperV) with an "AMD
Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3800+" stepping "DH-F2" and a motherboard Asrock
ALiveNF7G-HD720p R5.0 with latest Bios 2.20 and enabling Virtualisation on
Bios setup.

If you have an AM2 processor running Windows, can you download both CpuZ and
the AMD check utility, and post here the name and stepping of your CPU (from
"CPU" tab of CpuZ, the manboard exact name and Bios version "from Mainboard"
tab of Cpuz) and the result of Amd utility ? Just be sur, if you have a
virtualisation option on Bios setup, to enable it.

regards,
Gilles