Packer not able to create Windows 2016 box with proper cpu type

[Michal Rozwadowski]

Hi all!

I have a problem with packer processing Windows Server 2016 image

My source is an OVF file.

My configuration for packer looks like this

{

  "variables": {

    "vm_name": "Win2016-Server",

    "output_dir": "output-box",

    "ovf_path": "/path/to/files/server.ovf"

  },

  "builders": [

    {

      "vm_name": "WindowsServer2016",

      "source_path": "{{user `ovf_path`}}",

      "type": "virtualbox-ovf",

      "communicator": "winrm",

      "winrm_username": "user",

      "winrm_password": "pass",

      "headless": "true",

      "winrm_port": "55985",

      "winrm_timeout": "5h",

      "shutdown_timeout": "1h",

      "shutdown_command": "shutdown /s /t 10 /f /d p:4:1 /c \"Packer Shutdown\"",

      "vboxmanage": [

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--memory", "8192" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--cpus", "1" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--chipset", "piix3" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--natpf1", "winrm,tcp,,55985,,5985"],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--ioapic", "on" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--pae", "on" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--nestedpaging", "on" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--paravirtprovider", "kvm" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--cpuexecutioncap", "50" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--vram", "64" ],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--nic1", "nat"],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--nictype1", "82540EM"],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--cableconnected1", "on"],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--nicpromisc1", "allow-all"],

        [ "modifyvm", "{{.Name}}", "--ostype", "Windows2016_64" ]

      ]

    }

  ],

  "post-processors": [

    {

      "type": "vagrant",

      "output": "{{user `output_dir`}}/{{user `vm_name`}}.box",

      "keep_input_artifact": false

    }

  ]

}

When I am running this configuration I end up with Windows server complaining about:

"Your PC/Device needs to be repaired This 64-bit application couldn't load because your PC doesn't have a 64-bit processor. If you're using Windows To Go, make sure that your USB device has a version of Windows that's compatible with the PC that you're trying to use"

When I then access this machine in VirtualBox i can shut down it, change type of OS (to Windows2012_64 for example but other 64bit types are ok as well) and start it again. At this time Windows does not complain at all and starts without any problem

I tried to provide other options to packer for ostype (Windows2016_64, Windows2012_64, Other_64 etc.) but without change in behaviour.

Am I missing any important part of configuration for packer here. or is this bug of some kind?

I am using packer .1.3.3 and virtualbox 5.2.6

Any suggestions much appreciated. 

Regards,

Michał