How to Stop Windows Auto Shutdown Due to qrexec_timeout

User Support General
1

I have a windows cube that automatically shuts down after the number of seconds from qvm-prefs <windows-template> qrexec_timeout 30000. What’s the command to stop it from shutting down, timeout = default?

2

You can always try the command with --help. It could give you hint

is for starting?
shutdown_timeout is for shutting down?

Whatever you want to default in qvm-prefs nevertheless would be

$ qvm-prefs --default VMNAME [PROPERTY]

where the [PROPERTY] in your case would be qrexec_timeout or shutdown_timeout.

If your question is why Windows can’t start at all, then there is no clear answer to that based on info you gave us

Why did you set qrexec timeout to almost 9 hours at all?

3

I can be using Windows and it shuts down on me. That’s the problem.

When you first create a Windows cube, the instruction requires this step, qvm-prefs <windows-template> qrexec_timeout 300.

I recall Windows would shut down on me while I’m using it after 300 seconds, so I increased it to something like 10000. This would often give me some time to finish doing something. But sometimes it’s not enough time. I just threw 30000 as an example.

I’m looking for a way to use Windows for an unlimited amount of time.

4

Wait, what you are writing has nothing to do with for how long Windows will be up or not.
As I said, qrexec_timeout is for how long system will wait for Windows to start, not how long it will be up?!

With 30000 you would wait Windows to start for 9 hours!

Something else shuts down Windows, not this!

5

Continuing the discussion from How to Stop Windows Auto Shutdown Due to qrexec_timeout:

Windows10 auto shutting down for whatever reason remains unresolved…anyone with a solution?

6

Here, several separate problems are mixed:

  • qrexec_timeout is the time, Qubes waits after the startup of a qrexec-enabled VM until communication with this VM is established. If this is not possible within this time, the VM is shut down.
  • Whether qrexec is enabled for a VM is determined by the feature qrexec of this VM; if this property is set to 1, the countdown for shutdown is started. The value of this feature can be checked via the command qvm-features VMNAME. It should be set if and only if qrexec is installed in this VM and active.
  • For Windows VMs, qrexec is available if Qubes Windows Tools is installed and working.
  • shutdown_timeout is the time Qubes waits after a shutdown command (from the Qube Manager or CLI), until a VM has completed shutdown. If the VM has not shut down in this time, Qubes asks whether it should kill this VM. This is not relevant in this context.

So there are roughly two ways to get out of this shutdown dilemma:

  • Install QWT as described in the documentation and make sure that it is working, e.g. by trying to send a file to or from this VM.
  • Remove the qrexec-property from this VM via the command qvm-features --unset VMNAME qrexec, if QWT is not installed or not working.

FYI, I have a Windows 7 AppVM with qrexec_timeout set to 6000 (for the initial copying of the user data to drive Q:), QWT installed but qrexec not set, and shutdown_timer set to 60. Often, this VM is running for 6 or more hours without problem.