Hi, I just installed Unraid and I am very new to it, so please excuse my stupidness. I am trying to make my dektop into a 2 station PC, one GPU for each station. I am trying to setup Libvirt, but after I start the array, in VMs tab it just says "Libvirt Service failed to start." I haven't setup anything else except enabling VMs from VM manager, is there something I am missing? Thanks for any help.

Please post the diagnostics

Im not sure if I am suppose to jump onto another thread or not but I just built a new server and I am running into the same issue.

This thread might as well belong to you since OP abandoned it.

On 8/20/2025 at 3:18 AM, JorgeB said:

Please post the diagnostics

Ok well, then in my case I had this exact same error come up; however, I was doing something a bit different. I had/have 1 gpu installed and everything works fine. I shutdown, installed the second card, checked everything in bios, but when I boot up again I get the same issue as OP. "Libvirt Service failed to start." and it wont even boot. I remove the second card and it works fine. I did enable and check everything in bios and it reads/registers both cards but Unraid is throwing that issue. I cant post a diagnostic when it wont boot. I can post one now if You wish but I have since removed the secondary card (verified working as its my old one that I replaced only because of the single fan would make alot of noise during gaming so got a 3 fan one) Both cards are the same card just different models.

Would a diagnostic now solve anything that the card has been removed?

• Thanks

35 minutes ago, imrobertcampbell said:

but when I boot up again I get the same issue as OP. "Libvirt Service failed to start." and it wont even boot.

Not sure I follow. If you see the libvirt failed to start error, it means Unraid is booting.

No, I mean the VM wont boot. I am in/can get into Unraid OS.

• Thanks

Do You think this has anything to do with the fact I am using a trial key until I get this working and then I can move my license?

1 hour ago, imrobertcampbell said:

No, I mean the VM wont boot. I am in/can get into Unraid OS.

In that case, please post the diagnostics

9 hours ago, JorgeB said:

In that case, please post the diagnostics

• I have created the diagnostic zip file. I have attached it.

• Thanks

home-server-diagnostics-20260326-1629.zip

Doesn't look like you have any assigned storage so no place for libvirt

I have m.2 drives in the rig. Plus when I get everything setup on the new rig I am bringing all my 2.5in ssds from current unraid server into it.

I would like to use the entire 250 gb m.2 drive as my Windows 11 Pro vm and the 2tb m.2 as the games folder just like I have it setup in Windows 11 Pro on my gaming pc right now. I created an entire image file for restore into a vm.

If I set that m.2 as the drive for the VM cant I use the restore image to restore my Windows 11 Pro install? If not I will just install a fresh 11 Pro and transfer the files manually from the backup.

My issue still remains on the libvert though. What are the steps to fully allocated the entire 250gb m.2 to a VM to use for Windows 11 Pro?

• Thanks!

Im starting to think that the reason I cant start a Docker and I am getting this error is because I am on a trial version? I just went back into my old server and docker works fine there. The old server is marganially worse spec wise then my current rig so I know the new rig can handle everything fine its just getting it setup is the problem. I will transfer my license to the new server once completed.

I will create a new/seperate thread with questions about the actual migration of ssds but I need to get my new server setup properly beforehand.

- Thanks

8 minutes ago, imrobertcampbell said:

Im starting to think that the reason I cant start a Docker and I am getting this error is because I am on a trial version?

No, it's because you don't have any storage assigned for unraid itself to use.

You can assign full drives for VMs but you still need at least one more drive to make a pool for Unraid itself to store the system share (and appdata if you want to use Docker).

Edited March 26Mar 26 by Kilrah

Ok, I will check into that.

Odd that You say that though because on my old unraid server I literally only have the USB stick and (3) 1TB ssd's which contain my data/files. I dont think Unraid got installed to them at all and I think its installed on the USB or something. I literally have no other drives attached.

Ill see what I can do. Thanks!

Unraid doesn't get "installed" to them but stores data on a configured array or pool. If you have neither of these it can't. You likely have at least one of those on your existing server.

Edited March 26Mar 26 by Kilrah

Ok, I will have to determine how to store this data then. I wanted the full 250gb m.2 to be my Windows 11 Pro VM and the full 2tb be for my games install. (the same as it is now on my current Windows Gaming PC. I have a full restorable iso that I took from it that I hoped to restore into a VM.)

For data/files I have the (3) 1 TB SSD's that is currently in the old machine. What would happen if I simply remove those from the old server and placed them into the new one? I assume this where the data from Unraid is being stored as its the only storage media in the machine besides the USB.

Could I format the 250gb m.2 and split it say 50gb for the OS and cache and 200gb for the the VM?

What do You/Anyone recommend my plan of action be?

• Regards

Edited March 27Mar 27 by imrobertcampbell
Added more context and another question.