Windows Server: 2019 / 2022 Hyper-V Live Migration of VMs on hosts with different CPU generations may fail

Summary: After installing the March 2024 security update, Hyper-V hosts with different generations of CPUs attempting to perform live migration of VMs may fail.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

Impacted OS: 

  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2022 
  • HCI OS (23H2) Versions

 

If Live Migration is attempted, an error like the below is seen:

"The virtual machine cannot be moved to the destination computer. The hardware on the destination computer is not compatible with the hardware requirements of this virtual machine."


Error Window showing the Migration Failure message. 

The issue impacts 14G, 15G, and 16G Intel based PowerEdge servers even if Processor compatibility is selected:
Processor compatibility setting 


The following cross-generation live migration scenarios have been seen and tested. This table is updated when additional scenarios are seen. 

Source Destination Update Level Hyper-V Scheduler Type Live Migration Status
14G-Cascade (x2xx) 15G-Icelake (x3xx) Without March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration is working from 14G to 15G and vice versa.
14G-Cascade (x2xx) 16G-Sapphire Rapids (x4xx) Without March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration is failing from 14G to 16G |16G to 14G Live Migration working.
14G-Cascade (x2xx) 15G-Icelake (x3xx) With March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration is working from 14G to 15G and vice-versa.
14G-Cascade (x2xx) 16G-Sapphire Rapids (x4xx) With March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration failing from 14G to 16G and vice versa
15G-Icelake (x3xx) 16G-Sapphire Rapids (x4xx) Without March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration failing from 15G to 16G | 16G to 15G Live Migration working
15G-Icelake (x3xx) 16G-Sapphire Rapids (x4xx) With March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration failing from 15G to 16G and vice versa
x2xx or newer CPU 14G-Skylake (x1xx) With March '24 Updates Default-Core Live migration failing from x2xx or newer to Skylake (x1xx)

 

Note: AMD-based platforms are not impacted.

 

 

UPDATE

As of October 2024 security updating in Windows Server 2022, Live Migration from 14G and 15G systems is now successful to 16G.  

16G hosts are still unable to Live Migrate to 15G and earlier hosts.

Generation LM status
14G to 15G Working
14G to 16G Working
15G to 14G Working
15G to 16G Working
16G to 15G Failed
16G to 14G Failed


 

Cause

Root cause is ongoing. 

Resolution

There are two potential workarounds for this issue:

  1. Quick migrate VMs. Powered off Virtual machines can be migrated between hosts successfully.

  2. Remove March 2024 or later security updating and use the below change to the scheduler if still having issues live migrating the VMs.

  • From an elevated CMD prompt, type in the following: 
    bcdedit /set hypervisorschedulertype classic
  • To revert this change, run: 
    bcdedit /set hypervisorschedulertype core

 

Affected Products

Integrated System for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub, Microsoft Windows Server 2019, Microsoft Windows Server 2022
Article Properties
Article Number: 000217566
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 26 Jun 2025
Version:  6
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