Error: Ctrl-Alt-Del unresponsive and RDP failure after Windows Server 2025 System State Restore

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

After performing a system state restore on a Windows Server 2025 virtual machine (specifically Domain Controllers), the following is observed:

• The VM powers on but is inaccessible via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
• Sending the Ctrl-Alt-Del command via the vSphere Web Console or VMware Remote Console (VMRC) does not trigger the login screen.
• The guest OS appears healthy via network management tools (e.g., Active Directory replication is functional , is responsive to pings).
• The following ISO and Microsoft Hot-Patch is used:

  • en-us_windows_server_2025_updated_feb_2026_x64_dvd_be5bd8fe.iso

  • windows11.0-kb5087539-x64_f796cb25e32212f8115f26ee8ff22397f09d0036.msu

• The issue is still observed even after uninstalling VMware tools.

Environment

• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x / 8.x
• Windows Server 2025 Guest OS

Cause

• This issue is caused by a conflict between specific Microsoft updates for Windows Server 2025 and the VMware virtual hardware interrupt handling following a restore operation.

• The OS fails to initialize the Secure Attention Sequence (SAS) or terminal services listener correctly.

Resolution

Open a support ticket with Microsoft in order to debug this issue further.