VM fails to boot with “Operating system not found.”

• Scenario / Problem Statement: A newly deployed VM fails to boot and shows “Operating system not found.”

• Diagnosis:

  1. Check VM hardware settings → confirm boot disk attached.

  2. Inspect datastore for missing/corrupted VMDK files.

  3. Verify VM boot order in BIOS/EFI settings.

  4. Attach disk to another VM to check partition table.

• Likely Cause: Incorrect boot order, detached/corrupted VMDK, or missing OS.

• Resolution: Reattach the correct boot disk, adjust boot order, repair guest OS bootloader, or restore from backup.