Unable to boot Windows guest OS with NVMe controller on VM Hardware version 20 and 21 with the error: "Guest: Status upon boot failure: No Media"

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Windows 2025 guest OS does not boot up while using NVMe controller for the disk and VM Hardware version is 20 or 21.
• This issue is not see when the VM is booted with NVMe controller and HW version 19.
• If the NVMe controller is changed to SCSI controller, the VM boots up normally.
• When powering ON the VM, /vmfs/volumes/<datastore_name>/<vm_name>/vmware.log shows below entries:
  
  <date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - NVME-VMK: nvme0:0: FLUSH QUEUE Command failed. Status: 0x80/0x1.
<date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - NVME-VMK: nvme0:0: FLUSH QUEUE Command failed. Status: 0x80/0x1.
<date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - Guest: Status upon boot failure: No Media
<date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - NVME-VMK: nvme0:0: FLUSH QUEUE Command failed. Status: 0x80/0x1.
<date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - NVME-VMK: nvme0:0: FLUSH QUEUE Command failed. Status: 0x80/0x1.
<date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - Msg_Post: Warning
<date><time> In(05) vcpu-0 - [msg.Backdoor.OsNotFound] No operating system was found. If you have an operating system installation disc, you can insert the disc into the system's CD-ROM drive and restart the virtual machine.


• /var/run/log/vmkernel.log on ESXi host during the same time shows below entries:
  
  <date><time> Wa(180) vmkwarning: cpu#:#######)WARNING: VNVMEScsi: 823: NVME Opcode: 0x0 Not Supported, handle ID: 0x#######0
<date><time> In(182) vmkernel: cpu#:#######)VNVME: 338: Error status: Not supported converted to: 0x80:0x1
<date><time> Wa(180) vmkwarning: cpu#:#######)WARNING: VNVMEScsi: 823: NVME Opcode: 0x0 Not Supported, handle ID: 0x#######0
<date><time> In(182) vmkernel: cpu#:#######)VNVME: 338: Error status: Not supported converted to: 0x80:0x1

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Resolution

This issue will be fixed in an upcoming ESXi patch release.

Follow one of the below Workarounds:

1. Power off the VM and change the NVMe controller to SCSI controller.
2. Create a new VM with VM Hardware version as 19.