Bootable ISO Fails to BSOD on Start (Windows Server 2025)

Restoring an image to a virtual machine using a bootable ISO created on Windows Server 2025 fails with a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

In other environments, the system may boot successfully.

Cause

A Blue Screen of Death during the restore process can be caused by the boot configuration of the virtual machine, namely, enabled Secure Boot. This is one of the known issues specified in the following Microsoft documentation.

Solution

Disable secure boot on the virtual machine. To disable Secure Boot on a virtual machine, follow the steps described below based on your virtualization platform. After disabling Secure Boot, perform the restore process again.

VMware vSphere / Workstation

1. Power off the virtual machine.
2. Open the VM settings.
3. Navigate to Options > Advanced > UEFI Firmware (for Workstation) or VM Options > Boot Options (for vSphere).
4. Clear Enable Secure Boot.
5. Save the settings and power on the VM.

Hyper-V

1. Power off the virtual machine.
2. Open Hyper-V Manager.
3. Right-click the VM and select Settings.
4. Go to Security and clear Enable Secure Boot.
5. Click Apply and OK.
6. Start the VM again.