No bootable disk found

I get this error when I fire up a new Vista (experimental) virtual machine. I have ensured that:
1. Connect at power on is selected.
2. Have browsed to the location of the .iso file I am using as an image of the Vista Ultimate copy I have got.
3. CDROM is selected as the first boot device in the VM's bios.
The VM always goes straight to network boot, doesnt do anything else at all. I have thoroughly scoured the BIOS for an option to disable network boot, to no avail. It tries to do a network boot, which of course fails and it then says -- No bootable CD, floppy or hard disk was detected. To install an operating system, insert a bootable CD or floppy and restart the virtual machine by clicking the Reset button.
I made iso images using Nero (a co-worker did it for me), imgBurn and PowerISO but get this No Bootable Disk error with each image. This is driving me nuts.
By the way, I am using the free VMware server and if I create a new XP/2003 VM, they all boot up fine and I am able to install a new OS. Is there something wrong with this free VMware version or does it not support Vista, or am I doing something incorrectly?
Help's greatly appreciated.
1. Connect at power on is selected.
2. Have browsed to the location of the .iso file I am using as an image of the Vista Ultimate copy I have got.
3. CDROM is selected as the first boot device in the VM's bios.
The VM always goes straight to network boot, doesnt do anything else at all. I have thoroughly scoured the BIOS for an option to disable network boot, to no avail. It tries to do a network boot, which of course fails and it then says -- No bootable CD, floppy or hard disk was detected. To install an operating system, insert a bootable CD or floppy and restart the virtual machine by clicking the Reset button.
I made iso images using Nero (a co-worker did it for me), imgBurn and PowerISO but get this No Bootable Disk error with each image. This is driving me nuts.
By the way, I am using the free VMware server and if I create a new XP/2003 VM, they all boot up fine and I am able to install a new OS. Is there something wrong with this free VMware version or does it not support Vista, or am I doing something incorrectly?
Help's greatly appreciated.
Comments
How to Install Windows Vista Under VMware Server
If your iso is simply not recognised, try to use the client device instead ? Basically putting a working DVD into your local drive and use that instead .. not as quick as an iso, but maybe the iso just doesn't work ..
You said you made the iso .. do you mean you made it out of a folder structure or did you copy a DVD and created an iso ?
How to Install Windows Vista Under VMware Server
If your iso is simply not recognised, try to use the client device instead ? Basically putting a working DVD into your local drive and use that instead .. not as quick as an iso, but maybe the iso just doesn't work ..
You said you made the iso .. do you mean you made it out of a folder structure or did you copy a DVD and created an iso ?
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
Apart from using a physical disk, no.
When you open the iso with for example magiciso, or other, does it actually say that the iso is bootable ?
Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
Working on: RHCE/Ansible
Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
Are you able to boot from the disc on your workstation (not VMWare)?
tiersten, I currently have the iso created by imgBurn, didnt have to choose select any files specifically, it just did it for me.
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
EDIT: I didn't see that you said you did in your first post. Hmm, that's a weird one. Have you tried any other ISOs to see if they work?
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
try to build up another iso from vista DVD.
Is it possble to burn a Vista DVD? Aren't they copy-protected?
You could be right about Vista being copy protected which might be why the iso is not bootable. Any way around it? BTW, even if the iso doesnt work, the actual physical disk should atleast boot up the VM, shouldn't it? It's a legal copy too. This leads me to believe something being wrong with the VM/VMware server and not the iso(Vista).
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
Working on: RHCE/Ansible
Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
what VM server version are you using?
Tried creating a completely new VM with different vmdk and everything?
Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
Working on: RHCE/Ansible
Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
Edit: too slow
I am using the free version of VMware from their website.
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
The VCP at work is scratching his head too about this problem.
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
You also haven't answered the question yet which vmware server version you are using.
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
Working on: RHCE/Ansible
Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...
Blog >> http://virtual10.com
I rather meant onto one of my FTP so I can try this ISO myself (without giving me the key obviously)
That is why it says "experimental"
Let me know which Vista version you need to install, which architecture and what kind of license like OEM, RETAIL, VL (MSDN or SPLA) and I test it here and might just upload the installed virtual machine for you (if it works at all of course).
http://www.vmware.com/pdf/GuestOS_guide.pdf
It also looks like there are newer 1.x.x releases out there as well. Maybe you just need to update your VMWare Server to 1.0.9 or 2.x. It's free, no reason not to try it... be forewarned if you go to v2 the UI changed and you may not like it as much.
Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
Working on: RHCE/Ansible
Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands...