EFI Internal Shell not present (HP Envy x360, Insyde F.19)

[rjolbrich]

Hello,

Months ago I successfully installed the OpenVMS OS into a

VirtualBox VM. I don't remember if I used the EFI Internal Shell.

Now my VM won't access the VM disk drive and boot. I've been

advised to use the Shell to check the status of the drives.

However, now I can't access the Shell. If I look in the Boot Manager

I see no entry for the Shell.

I've read that not all BIOS's have a feature to choose EFI. I could

not find any EFI  selection in my Insyde BIOS. Should that be the

case? If it is, I've read that you can download and install a Shell.

I'm having trouble finding such a site. Could you direct me to a site?

Does one even exist? From my vantage point today, I don't know

how I ever achieved a successfull VM without the Shell.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @rjolbrich,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I understand how frustrating it can be to troubleshoot a VM that was working perfectly before but is now inaccessible. Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this. Here are a few questions to help clarify the situation and narrow down the solution:

• Did you make any changes to the VirtualBox settings, such as disk configuration or boot settings, since the initial setup?
• Have you updated VirtualBox, the OpenVMS OS, or your host system (e.g., Windows 10) recently? Updates sometimes impact compatibility.
• When you mention not being able to access the EFI Shell, do you see any errors or messages when attempting to boot the VM, or does it go straight to a black screen or boot loop?

Here are some steps to help troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

 

Download the EFI Shell File:

• If your BIOS or VM doesn’t automatically provide access to the EFI Shell, you can download a standalone EFI Shell file.
• Look for the Shell_Full.efi file on trusted open-source repositories like GitHub or reputable sources like the TianoCore EDK2 project. Save this file to a location you can easily access.

Add the EFI Shell to VirtualBox as a Boot Option:

• In VirtualBox, go to Settings > System > Motherboard and ensure Enable EFI (special OSes only) is checked.
• Next, in the VM settings, go to Storage and add an additional virtual optical drive or floppy drive where you can insert the downloaded Shell_Full.efi file.
• Start the VM, and if it opens the EFI boot menu, select EFI Internal Shell or specify the Shell_Full.efi file.

Manually Re-add the Boot Entry:

• If the EFI Shell opens, you can try manually adding the VM disk as a boot entry. In the EFI Shell, type the following command to locate and mount the disk:

• Locate the disk (e.g., fs0: or fs1:) and navigate to it by typing fs0: (replace 0 with the correct disk number).
• Once on the correct disk, locate the bootloader file (e.g., BOOTx64.EFI), which may be under a path like \EFI\BOOT\.
• You can add this boot entry manually to test if it boots correctly.

Update VirtualBox:

• Ensure you are using the latest version of VirtualBox, as updates often include improved EFI support and bug fixes. If you are on an older version, download the latest version from the VirtualBox website.

Check Virtual Disk Permissions:

• Sometimes, VM drive access issues stem from permission changes on the host OS. Ensure that the VM disk files (such as the .vdi or .vmdk files) have full read/write permissions on your Windows host system.

These steps should help you access the EFI Shell or identify any underlying configuration issues. Let me know if you encounter any specific errors or messages during these steps,.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[rjolbrich]

My original problem of an inaccessible boot disk was solved by running

an installation disk that gave me access to OS commands. I mounted

the problem disk and received a warning that it had been dismounted

improperly. The OS automatically repaired the disk, and the disk became

available to boot. Problem solved!

I may look to fix the missing Shell at some time in the future. Thanks

for the instructions.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @rjolbrich,

That's fantastic news! Do keep us posted if anything in the future.😊 Take care