Windows 2012R2 stops at Boot screen while Network Boot is activated for Citrix Provisioning Server

During my last Citrix Provisioning Server deployments I had an interesting problem. The Windows 2012R2 Master Template always stopped at the Boot screen. This happened even before it was converted into a PVS Device (Disk) nor the Target Device Tools had been installed.

The VM was running on VMWare ESXi 5.5 and we used Citrix Provisioning Server 7.6. After changing the first boot device to Network – though that an initial connection to Citrix PVS happened – the boot stopped while showing the Windows Boot screen. Although we were still booting from the local hard drive – so it didn’t make any sense why this was happening.

After some more testing we discovered that this was not happening with all Windows 2012R2 VMs – only with new deployed ones. Ok let’s check where the difference between the VMs are.

New VMs where running in the ESXi Compatibility mode 5.5 (VM-Version 10).

While old VMs where still running in the ESXi Compatibility mode 5.0 (VM-Version 8).

After checking what has changed we saw the new VMs were using a SATA-Controller for the CD-/DVD-Drive instead of an IDE-Controller.

Old VM (Version 8):

New VM (Version 10):

Though we removed the CD-/DVD-Drive and SATA Controller from a new VM and added the CD-/DVD-Drive using an “old” IDE-Port.

After this change the VM was booting without any problems.

I don’t know what causes this problem – but hopefully it will be fixed from either Citrix or VMWare in one of their next versions.