Windows instance faced blue screen or freeze.
Windows Server 2012R2 official images may cause a suddenly blue screen or freeze.
The workaround is to update the network driver, storage driver, and memory balloon driver.
There are two ways to update the software: using the Internet (Workaround 1) and not using the Internet (Workaround 2). Please check the following steps for each option.
Workaround 1. Update on the Internet available instances
Note: This workaround requires the Internet connection for your instance.
1. Download a virtio-win-0.1.208 image to the instance
Download a virtio-win-0.1.208 image from here for the instance for which you want to update the virtio driver.
2. Mount the ISO file
Mount the ISO file you downloaded.

3. Update network drivers
In "Server Manager", click "Tools" and select "Computer Management".

Press "Device Manager" in the left pane.

Expand "Network adapters" in the center pane.
Verify that "Red Hat VirtIO Ethernet Adapter" is displayed. (If you are using multiple logical networks, the adapter for the number of logical networks are displayed.)

Right click on the displayed adapter and select "Properties".

Select "Driver" tab in the displayed window.

Confirm that the Driver Version is "63.74.104.14100" or lower, and press "Update Driver..." in the same window.

The Windows Driver Update Wizard opens.
Click on "Browse my computer for driver software".

A dialog box appears to select the directory where the new driver software is stored.
Click "Browse..." to select the drive on which you mounted the ISO file, click "OK", and then click "Next".

When the pop-up "Would you like to install this device software?" appears, click "Install".

Then, when you see "Windows has successfully updated your device software", press "Close".

You are automatically returned to the window where you checked the version before updating the driver.
Make sure that the version is "63.85.104.20800", and press "Close".

If the driver versions do not change, please apply the update to all Network Adapters, then "6. Eject the ISO (DVD drive)", and reboot the instance and try the update again.
If you are using multiple logical networks, update the remaining Red Hat VirtIO Ethernet Adapters to version "63.85.104.20800" as well.
4. Update storage drivers
In "Server Manager", click "Tools" and select "Computer Management".

Press "Device Manager" in the left pane, and expand "Network adapters" in the center pane.
Verify that the Red Hat VirtIO SCSI contoller is displayed. (If you are using multiple disks, the adapter for the number of disks are displayed.)

Right click on the displayed adapter and select "Properties".
Check the version in "Driver" tab of the window.

Follow the same procedure for updating the network driver to the Red Hat VirtIO SCSI contoller, verify that it is upgraded to "62.85.104.20800".

If you have multiple disks, update the remaining Red Hat VirtIO SCSI contoller to version "62.85.104.20800" as well.
5. Update memory balloon drivers
Note: If you are using the official image "WindowsServer-2012R2_Standard_64_include-license_virtual-server_20", please contact us for more details.
In "Server Manager", click "Tools" and select "Computer Management".

Press "Device Manager" in the left pane, and expand "System Devices" in the center pane.
Verify that the VirtIO Balloon Driver is displayed.

Right click on the displayed adapter and select "Properties".
Check the version in "Driver" tab of the window.

Follow the same procedure for updating the network driver to the VirtIO Balloon Driver, verify that it is upgraded to "62.85.104.20800".

6. Eject the ISO (DVD drive)
Eject the ISO (DVD drive).

7. Reboot the instance
Reboot the WindowsServer instance.
Workaround 2. Update on the Internet unreachable instances
Note: With this workaround, it is possible to update virtio drivers even if your instance does not have the Internet connection. However, since the procedure includes the creation of a temporary instance and volume, a fee will be charged.
1. Create a temporary volume with a virtio-win-0.1.208 image
Create a 15GB temporary volume and attach it to a temporary instance (created from an official WindowsServer 2012R2 image) with the Internet connection.
In "Server Manager", click "Tools" and select "Computer Management".

Press "Disk Management" in the left pane.

Right click on "Disk 1" and select "Online".

Right click on "Disk 1" and select "Initialize Disk".

Select MBR format and click "OK".

Right click on unallocated area of "Disk 1" and select "New Simple Volume...".

Follow the instructions in the Wizard to set up the volume.
In the following example, the disk is formatted with NTFS and used as drive D.





When the volume is available as drive D, download a virtio-win-0.1.208 image from here and save it in the drive.

Shutdown the temporary instance and detach the temporary volume.
2. Import the virtio-win-0.1.208 image from the temporary volume
Attach the temporary volume to the instance for which you want to update the virtio drivers.
In "Server Manager", click "Tools" and select "Computer Management".
Press "Disk Management" in the left pane.
Right click on the disk of the temporary volume and select "Online".

When the volume is available, mount the virtio-win-0.1.208 image.


3. Update virtio drivers
Follow the same procedure as Workaround 1 to update the virtio drivers.



4. Detach the temporary volume
Eject the ISO (DVD drive) you mounted in "2. Import the virtio-win-0.1.208 image from the temporary volume".
In "Server Manager", click "Tools" and select "Computer Management".
Press "Disk Management" in the left pane.
Right click on the disk of the temporary volume and select "Offline".
Shutoff the instance and detach the temporary volume.
5. Start the instance
Start the WindowsServer instance.