VM won't boot

Question

VM won't boot

DC Dweller 1

My VM is stuck on the boot screen. There is a Microsoft logo and a circle of dots below. It has been going on for hours. Here is how it all started.

After the VM (Windows 2012) received an automatic update, I lost access to it via remote desktop. There were no errors, the connection would just drop. But the VM was operational -- all my web sites running on it were up,

So to fix this I did a "Reset configuration only" under Help/Reset Password. No effect, still could not connect via remote desktop. And then I did a Restart, which was apparently a huge mistake because now the VM can't boot at all. After that I tried Redeploy, Re-apply, a few more restarts -- to no avail.

After a Stop and Start, the VM Availability is now "Available" under Monitor, it was "Unavailable" for several hours, but Boot diagnostics still shows the same dreaded screen (image below).

Please help! All my sites are down!!!

scer

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Answer 1

Jason Nguyen Tran 18,980 Independent Advisor

Hello DC Dweller,

From your description, the VM is stuck at the boot logo after a restart, which often indicates that the operating system update did not complete properly or that the OS disk has become inconsistent. The fact that Boot Diagnostics shows the logo with spinning dots but never progresses suggests the VM is not reaching the login phase.

The first step I recommend is to use Azure’s “Serial Console” or “Boot diagnostics” to check for any startup errors. If you can’t get into the OS, try attaching the OS disk to another healthy VM as a data disk. From there, you can review the event logs and remove any pending updates or corrupted files. Once repaired, detach the disk and re‑attach it as the OS disk to your original VM.

Another option is to use “Repair VM” in the Azure portal, which automates the process of creating a temporary VM, attaching your disk, and allowing you to fix startup issues. This is often the fastest way to recover from a failed boot after updates.

I hope this guidance helps you recover your VM quickly. If you find this answer useful, please hit “accept answer” so I know it addressed your concern.

Jason.

DC Dweller 1 Reputation point

2026-06-02T10:14:39.88+00:00

Thanks for replying. While in the middle of the az vm repair run command, my shell window disconnected. How do I know if the script has finished running now? When I entered the repair command again I understandably got "Run command extension execution is in progress."
Jason Nguyen Tran 18,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-02T10:27:52.2666667+00:00

When the shell window disconnects during an az vm repair run command, it doesn’t necessarily mean the script has failed, it may still be running in the background. The best way to confirm completion is to check the Azure portal notifications or run az vm repair list to see the current status of the repair operation. If the repair script has finished, you should see a success or failure message logged there.

You can also look at the activity log in the Azure portal for the VM to verify whether the repair task completed. If the repair VM was created, you’ll see it listed under resources, and you can connect to it to confirm that the disk was attached and any fixes applied. If the repair process was interrupted, you may need to re‑run the command to ensure the disk repair steps are fully applied.

If you find this answer useful, please hit “accept answer” so I know it addressed your concern.

Jason.
DC Dweller 1 Reputation point

2026-06-02T11:15:17.89+00:00

PS /home/dc> az vm repair list

'list' is misspelled or not recognized by the system.

I got the above.
DC Dweller 1 Reputation point

2026-06-02T12:56:46.41+00:00

Did not help. After the repair procedure I am back to square one -- the boot screen. Any other suggestions please?
DC Dweller 1 Reputation point

2026-06-05T01:26:24.9033333+00:00

Can someone please help? I do pay for support. I need this issue resolved! I had to buy a new VM to move the critical content there but not everything can be moved, I need my old VM back.

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VM won't boot

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