Adding VirtIO SCSI driver into a busted Windows install

content/blog/install-virtio-drivers-from-windows-recovery.md

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+---
+title: "Installing VirtIO (or any driver) from Windows Recovery"
+date: 2024-04-23T20:52:20.7148891+08:00
+draft: false
+---
+
+Today I was migrating an older Windows VM running under VMware to Proxmox and
+encountered a frustrating sudden roadblock: no PVSCSI drivers! My newer builds
+all use VMware PVSCSI, but this VM was an older build still using LSI SAS.
+
+Now staring at the `INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE` BSOD, your options are abort or
+press ahead. In this article, we charge forward and overcome our lack of
+prepardness!
+
+# Enter Windows Recovery
+
+Reset the VM a few times while at the Windows loading screen and it'll dump you
+into the recovery environment. From here you can perform an advanced repair and
+summon a command prompt.
+
+# Mount an ISO Containing Drivers
+
+In this example, I've neglected to install the VirtIO SCSI driver so I'll mount
+the VirtIO ISO for Windows. You can grab it from [here](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso)
+![Screenshot of CD-ROM config with VirtIO ISO mounted](/images/virtio-drivers/iso-selection.png)
+
+Switch to your disc in the Command Prompt using its drive letter (usually `D:`)
+![Screenshot showing the directory listing of the VirtIO driver disc](/images/virtio-drivers/virtio-contents.png)
+
+# Load the SCSI Driver
+
+Find the driver you wish to load. (`vioscsi.inf` in my case)
+![Screenshot showing the folder containing the VirtIO SCSI driver](/images/virtio-drivers/driver-folder.png)
+
+Load the driver by running `drvload vioscsi.inf`
+![Screenshot demonstrating drvload](/images/virtio-drivers/drvload.png)
+
+# List Disks
+
+Use `diskpart` to list your disks to confirm they're now visible
+![Screenshot of diskpart showing the results of a successful list disk operation](/images/virtio-drivers/diskpart-disks.png)
+
+Use `list volume` to see what drive letter your Windows drive got assigned
+![Screenshot of diskpart showing the results of a successful list volume operation](/images/virtio-drivers/diskpart-volumes.png)
+
+My Windows partition was now visible on drive letter `E:`
+![Screenshot showing the contents of my Windows partition](/images/virtio-drivers/e-drive.png)
+
+# Add the Driver to Windows
+
+Use `dism` to insert the driver into your Windows install
+
+```
+dism /Image:E:\ /Add-Driver:D:\vioscsi\2k19\amd64\vioscsi.inf
+```
+![Screenshot of dism adding the vioscsi driver to Windows](/images/virtio-drivers/dism.png)
+
+# Success!
+
+Reboot into Windows and enjoy your new SCSI driver.
+![Screenshot of device manager showing the VirtIO SCSI controller](/images/virtio-drivers/device-manager.png)