Unable to mount/unmout ISO with error "Connection control operation failed for disk 'sata0:0'"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware Cloud on AWS
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article helps troubleshoot  the Error :"Connection control operation failed for disk 'sata0:0'." while mounting an ISO to virtual machine.

Symptoms:

When attempting to mount or unmount ISO image in CD Drive of a virtual machine, you Experience the below error:

Connection control operation failed for disk 'sata0:0'

 

Environment

vCenter Server 7.x
vCenter Server 8.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

A virtual machine with an active snapshot retains a lock on the state of its virtual hardware, including the CD/DVD device.
Attempts to disconnect or unmount the CD/DVD drive fail because the snapshot maintains a reference to the mounted media, preventing changes to the virtual hardware configuration.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, follow the steps below:

1. Remove the existing snapshot from the virtual machine.

2. Re-attempt to unmount the CD/DVD drive from the VM settings.

   • If the issue persists with the same error, proceed with the following steps:

3. Access the ESXi host directly that is hosting the virtual machine.

4. Navigate to the VM settings by selecting the virtual machine and clicking Edit Settings.

5. For the CD/DVD drive, change the device type to Client Device from the dropdown option.

   1. Uncheck the Connected status and click OK to save the changes.

   2. A prompt may appear on the VM indicating that user input is required to answer a pending question.

   3. Select the option to override (usually worded as Disconnect anyway and override the lock).

6. The CD/DVD drive should now be successfully unmounted.