Every time I make a change to UnRAID where I have to reboot the server, I have to go through the installation process with Windows 8.1. I also have to do this if I want to make a change to the VM itself. Is there a way I can avoid this?

You do not provide any info about what errors you get, so not easy to help...

Unless you provide XML of the VM and what errors you get, it's near impossible to give you an advice.

I don't get any errors. Every time I restart the VM, I have to reinstall Windows 8.1 from scratch.

I don't get any errors. Every time I restart the VM, I have to reinstall Windows 8.1 from scratch.

Are you saying that the VM is not there the next time around; it is there but will not boot; etc.  You need to provide more information.   

 

What you are describing is definitely not normal behaviour whatever the details.

I don't get any errors. Every time I restart the VM, I have to reinstall Windows 8.1 from scratch.

So it boots directly to the install media?

You need to provide the xml of the vm.

Sounds like the install .iso is auto starting.

Sounds like the install .iso is auto starting.

If that is the case then it is just a case of editing the XML to change the boot order.

I think you guys are correct. Here is the XML......

 

<domain type='kvm' id='6'>

  <name>VMWindows8</name>

  <uuid>92f35f71-5522-72df-7bce-84276250db16</uuid>

  <description>This is a test!</description>

  <metadata>

    <vmtemplate name="Custom" icon="windows.png" os="windows"/>

  </metadata>

  <memory unit='KiB'>8388608</memory>

  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>8388608</currentMemory>

  <memoryBacking>

    <nosharepages/>

    <locked/>

  </memoryBacking>

  <vcpu placement='static'>8</vcpu>

  <cputune>

    <vcpupin vcpu='0' cpuset='0'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='1' cpuset='1'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='2' cpuset='2'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='3' cpuset='3'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='4' cpuset='4'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='5' cpuset='5'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='6' cpuset='6'/>

    <vcpupin vcpu='7' cpuset='7'/>

  </cputune>

  <resource>

    <partition>/machine</partition>

  </resource>

  <os>

    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-q35-2.3'>hvm</type>

  </os>

  <features>

    <acpi/>

    <apic/>

    <hyperv>

      <relaxed state='on'/>

      <vapic state='on'/>

      <spinlocks state='on' retries='8191'/>

    </hyperv>

  </features>

  <cpu mode='host-passthrough'>

    <topology sockets='1' cores='8' threads='1'/>

  </cpu>

  <clock offset='localtime'>

    <timer name='hypervclock' present='yes'/>

    <timer name='hpet' present='no'/>

  </clock>

  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>

  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>

  <on_crash>restart</on_crash>

  <devices>

    <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>

    <disk type='file' device='disk'>

      <driver name='qemu' type='raw' cache='writeback'/>

      <source file='/mnt/cache/VMWindows8/vdisk1.img'/>

      <backingStore/>

      <target dev='hdc' bus='virtio'/>

      <boot order='1'/>

      <alias name='virtio-disk2'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x04' function='0x0'/>

    </disk>

    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>

      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>

      <source file='/mnt/user/BeallStorage1/Software/Windows 8.1 ISO image.iso'/>

      <backingStore/>

      <target dev='hda' bus='sata'/>

      <readonly/>

      <boot order='2'/>

      <alias name='sata0-0-0'/>

      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>

    </disk>

    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>

      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>

      <source file='/mnt/user/VMStorage/virtio-win-0.1.102.iso'/>

      <backingStore/>

      <target dev='hdb' bus='sata'/>

      <readonly/>

      <alias name='sata0-0-1'/>

      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='1'/>

    </disk>

    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-ehci1'>

      <alias name='usb'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x02' function='0x7'/>

    </controller>

    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci1'>

      <alias name='usb'/>

      <master startport='0'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x02' function='0x0' multifunction='on'/>

    </controller>

    <controller type='sata' index='0'>

      <alias name='ide'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1f' function='0x2'/>

    </controller>

    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pcie-root'>

      <alias name='pcie.0'/>

    </controller>

    <controller type='pci' index='1' model='dmi-to-pci-bridge'>

      <alias name='pci.1'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1e' function='0x0'/>

    </controller>

    <controller type='pci' index='2' model='pci-bridge'>

      <alias name='pci.2'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x01' slot='0x01' function='0x0'/>

    </controller>

    <controller type='virtio-serial' index='0'>

      <alias name='virtio-serial0'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x03' function='0x0'/>

    </controller>

    <interface type='bridge'>

      <mac address='52:54:00:2b:93:f6'/>

      <source bridge='virbr0'/>

      <target dev='vnet0'/>

      <model type='virtio'/>

      <alias name='net0'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x01' function='0x0'/>

    </interface>

    <serial type='pty'>

      <source path='/dev/pts/0'/>

      <target port='0'/>

      <alias name='serial0'/>

    </serial>

    <console type='pty' tty='/dev/pts/0'>

      <source path='/dev/pts/0'/>

      <target type='serial' port='0'/>

      <alias name='serial0'/>

    </console>

    <channel type='unix'>

      <source mode='bind' path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/VMWindows8.org.qemu.guest_agent.0'/>

      <target type='virtio' name='org.qemu.guest_agent.0' state='disconnected'/>

      <alias name='channel0'/>

      <address type='virtio-serial' controller='0' bus='0' port='1'/>

    </channel>

    <input type='tablet' bus='usb'>

      <alias name='input0'/>

    </input>

    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'/>

    <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'/>

    <graphics type='vnc' port='5900' autoport='yes' websocket='5700' listen='0.0.0.0' keymap='en-us'>

      <listen type='address' address='0.0.0.0'/>

    </graphics>

    <video>

      <model type='vmvga' vram='16384' heads='1'/>

      <alias name='video0'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x01' function='0x0'/>

    </video>

    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>

      <driver name='vfio'/>

      <source>

        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1b' function='0x0'/>

      </source>

      <alias name='hostdev0'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x05' function='0x0'/>

    </hostdev>

    <memballoon model='virtio'>

      <alias name='balloon0'/>

      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x02' slot='0x06' function='0x0'/>

    </memballoon>

  </devices>

</domain>

 

What XML change do I need to make?