VMHardDiskDrive: Unable to create new VM with DSC

[trevonmckay]

Problem description

I am writing a DSC v3.0 configuration file (YAML) to provision a new Hyper-V VM but when I run it, I receive the error Exception: Hyper-V was unable to find a virtual machine with name "<machine name>"

Verbose logs

2025-10-14T11:07:04.180318Z ERROR PID 17192: Exception: Hyper-V was unable to find a virtual machine with name "SSRSDDCM101".
2025-10-14T11:07:04.211292Z ERROR Error: Command: Resource 'powershell' [exit code 1] manifest description: Error

DSC configuration

        # =========================
        # VM: SSRSDDCM101
        # =========================
        # Wiki: https://github.com/dsccommunity/HyperVDsc/wiki/Vhd
        - name: SSRSDDCM101_Disk_OS
          type: HyperVDsc/VHD
          properties:
            Name: SSRSDDCM101_OS.vhdx
            Path: 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks'
            Generation: Vhdx
            Type: Dynamic
            MaximumSizeBytes: 68719476736  # 64GB in bytes (UInt64)
            Ensure: Present

        - name: SSRSDDCM101
          type: HyperVDsc/VMHyperV
          properties:
            Name: SSRSDDCM101
            Ensure: Present
            Generation: 2
            Path: 'D:\Hyper-V'
            VhdPath: 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\SSRSDDCM101_OS.vhdx'
            StartupMemory: 8589934592  # 8GB in bytes (UInt64)
            ProcessorCount: 2  # UInt32
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VHD::SSRSDDCM101_Disk_OS

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_NIC_Network_Adapter
          type: HyperVDsc/VMNetworkAdapter
          properties:
            Id: SSRSDDCM101-NIC
            Name: Network Adapter
            VMName: SSRSDDCM101
            SwitchName: MGMTSwitch
            Ensure: Present
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_MemoryAdv
          type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script
          properties:
            GetScript: |
              @{ Result = 'VMMemory' }
            TestScript: |
              $vm = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
              if (-not $vm) { return $false }
              $m = Get-VMMemory -VMName 'SSRSDDCM101'
              if ([bool]$m.DynamicMemoryEnabled -ne $true) { return $false }
              if ($true) {
                if (([UInt64]$m.MinimumBytes -ne [UInt64]4294967296) -or
                    ([UInt64]$m.MaximumBytes -ne [UInt64]12884901888) -or
                    ([int]$m.Buffer -ne 20) -or
                    ([int]$m.Priority -ne 50)) { return $false }
              }
              return $true
            SetScript: |
              Set-VMMemory -VMName 'SSRSDDCM101' -DynamicMemoryEnabled $true -MinimumBytes 4294967296 -MaximumBytes 12884901888 -Buffer 20 -Priority 50
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_Disk_TEMP
          type: HyperVDsc/VHD
          properties:
            Name: SSRSDDCM101_TEMP.vhdx
            Path: 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks'
            Generation: Vhdx
            Type: Dynamic
            MaximumSizeBytes: 68719476736  # 64GB in bytes (UInt64)
            Ensure: Present

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_Attach_TEMP
          type: HyperVDsc/VMHardDiskDrive
          properties:
            VMName: SSRSDDCM101
            Path: 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\SSRSDDCM101_TEMP.vhdx'
            ControllerType: SCSI
            ControllerNumber: 0
            ControllerLocation: 1
            Ensure: Present
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101
            - HyperVDsc/VHD::SSRSDDCM101_Disk_TEMP

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_SecureBoot
          type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script
          properties:
            GetScript: |
              @{ Result = 'SecureBoot' }
            TestScript: |
              $vm = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
              if (-not $vm) { return $false }
              $f = Get-VMFirmware -VMName 'SSRSDDCM101'
              if ([bool]$f.SecureBootEnabled -ne $false) { return $false }
              if ('MicrosoftWindows' -and ($f.SecureBootTemplate -ne 'MicrosoftWindows')) { return $false }
              return $true
            SetScript: |
              Set-VMFirmware -VMName 'SSRSDDCM101' -EnableSecureBoot Off
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_CheckpointType
          type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script
          properties:
            GetScript: |
              @{ Result = 'CheckpointType' }
            TestScript: |
              $vm = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
              if (-not $vm) { return $false }
              $v = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101'
              return ($v.CheckpointType.ToString() -eq 'Production')
            SetScript: |
              Set-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -CheckpointType Production
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_IntegrationServices
          type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script
          properties:
            GetScript: |
              @{ Result = 'IntegrationServices' }
            TestScript: |
              $vm = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
              if (-not $vm) { return $false }
              $services = Get-VMIntegrationService -VMName 'SSRSDDCM101'
              $required = @('Time Synchronization', 'Heartbeat', 'Key-Value Pair Exchange', 'Shutdown', 'VSS')
              foreach ($svc in $services | Where-Object {$_.Name -in $required}) {
                if (-not $svc.Enabled) { return $false }
              }
              return $true
            SetScript: |
              Enable-VMIntegrationService -VMName 'SSRSDDCM101' -Name 'Time Synchronization', 'Heartbeat', 'Key-Value Pair Exchange', 'Shutdown', 'VSS'
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101

        - name: SSRSDDCM101_AutoStart
          type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script
          properties:
            GetScript: |
              @{ Result = 'AutoStart' }
            TestScript: |
              $vm = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
              if (-not $vm) { return $false }
              $v = Get-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101'
              return ($v.AutomaticStartAction -eq 'Start' -and $v.AutomaticStartDelay -eq 90)
            SetScript: |
              Set-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -AutomaticStartAction Start -AutomaticStartDelay 90
              Set-VM -Name 'SSRSDDCM101' -AutomaticStopAction ShutDown
          dependsOn:
            - HyperVDsc/VMHyperV::SSRSDDCM101

Suggested solution

If dependsOn is configured then I'd expect that this wouldn't fail as we know the VM does not yet exist and must be created first.

Operating system the target node is running

OsName               : Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
OsOperatingSystemSKU : DatacenterServerEdition
OsArchitecture       : 64-bit
WindowsVersion       : 2009
WindowsBuildLabEx    : 20348.1.amd64fre.fe_release.210507-1500
OsLanguage           : en-US
OsMuiLanguages       : {en-US, de-DE, es-ES, fr-FR…}

PowerShell version and build the target node is running

Name                           Value
----                           -----
PSVersion                      7.5.3
PSEdition                      Core
GitCommitId                    7.5.3
OS                             Microsoft Windows 10.0.20348
Platform                       Win32NT
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0…}
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1
WSManStackVersion              3.0

HyperVDsc version

HyperVDsc 4.0.0   C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\HyperVDsc\4.0.0\HyperVDsc.psd1

[dan-hughes]

I'm assuming you have the WindowsPowerShell adapter being used as these are script based resources? Your file should start with the following...

$schema: https://aka.ms/dsc/schemas/v3/bundled/config/document.json
resources:
- name: PSDSC Stuff
  type: Microsoft.Windows/WindowsPowerShell
  properties:
    resources:

Does it create the disk?

Also is the user running the configuration a member of Administrators or HyperV Administrators?

Also, also, you have HyperV RSAT installed?

[dan-hughes]

The following works for me:

Install DSC module using PS5 (important!)
Microsoft.DSC installed via winget
dsc config set -f .\HVDscTest.yml

I ran as Admin, but minimum is the user will need to be a member of HyperV Administrators.
Specifying the 'Microsoft.Windows/WindowsPowerShell' adapter is essential.

$schema: https://aka.ms/dsc/schemas/v3/bundled/config/document.json
resources:
- name: Build a VM
  type: Microsoft.Windows/WindowsPowerShell
  properties:
    resources: 
    - name: SSRSDDCM101_Disk_OS
      type: HyperVDsc/VHD
      properties:
        Name: SSRSDDCM101_OS.vhdx
        Path: 'H:\Virtual Hard Disks'
        Generation: Vhdx
        Type: Dynamic
        MaximumSizeBytes: 68719476736  # 64GB in bytes (UInt64)
        Ensure: Present

    - name: SSRSDDCM101
      type: HyperVDsc/VMHyperV
      properties:
        Name: SSRSDDCM101
        Ensure: Present
        Generation: 2
        Path: 'H:\Hyper-V\Virtual Machines'
        VhdPath: 'H:\Virtual Hard Disks\SSRSDDCM101_OS.vhdx'
        StartupMemory: 8589934592  # 8GB in bytes (UInt64)
        ProcessorCount: 2  # UInt32
      dependsOn:
        - HyperVDsc/VHD::SSRSDDCM101_Disk_OS