Oracle provides a solution bypassing Windows boot problem in cloud environments, rather than offering a direct fix
Oracle has recently acknowledged a Windows boot failure issue affecting Windows instances running on its cloud infrastructure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). The issue has the potential to cause production servers to fail to boot, potentially affecting enterprise applications.
According to Oracle, the problem was initially suspected to be caused by changes on the user's side, but it has since been added to Oracle's list of known issues. The company has published workarounds for the boot failure issue, which involve performing a diagnostic reboot, rebuilding the instance, and restarting it.
To troubleshoot Windows boot problems on OCI, Oracle recommends using the Instance Console Connection to access Windows Recovery tools. Users can try repairing boot records with commands like , , and . These commands aim to fix startup issues, corrupted files, and filesystem errors.
Oracle suggests accessing the Windows Recovery Console via the Shift + Restart method on the Windows login screen, then navigating to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings to intervene during boot.
If the problem seems related to the boot volume, users can stop the instance and detach the boot volume, then attach it to a different instance to investigate or repair it.
However, it's worth noting that Oracle emphasizes contacting OCI Support or Microsoft Support if repairs via console connection fail. No specific permanent fix or patch has been announced publicly yet; Oracle is focusing on troubleshooting guidance and workarounds as of early August 2025.
In a recent incident, a disgruntled systems administrator reported that four out of 60 production Windows servers in OCI failed to boot. Two of the failed servers were a cluster, taking out one of the company's instances of the application. The workaround options have not fully resolved the problem for some users, as production outages in workloads supporting SaaS applications continue to occur.
Users encountering this issue should apply the suggested boot repair steps and escalate to Oracle support for further assistance. For more information, please refer to the table below for a summary of the issue and the provided workarounds.
| Aspect | Details | |---------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | Issue | OCI Windows instances failing to boot | | Oracle's Acknowledgement | Confirmed the problem publicly on 2025-08-01[3] | | Workaround | Diagnostic reboot, rebuilding, restarting instances[3] | | Troubleshooting Method | Instance Console Connection to repair boot records[1] | | Repair Commands for Boot Issues | , , [1] | | Boot Volume Fix | Detach boot volume to troubleshoot on another instance[4] | | Support | Contact OCI or Microsoft Support if unresolved[1] |
- Oracle has added a Windows boot failure issue on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to its list of known issues, which may cause enterprise software applications to fail.
- To address Windows boot problems on OCI, Oracle suggests using the Instance Console Connection to access Windows Recovery tools and repair boot records using commands like chkdsk, bootrec, and sfc /scannow.
- Oracle recommends accessing the Windows Recovery Console via the Shift + Restart method on the Windows login screen, then navigating to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings to intervene during boot.
- If the problem seems related to the boot volume, users can stop the instance and detach the boot volume to investigate or repair it on a different instance.
- In cases where the suggested boot repair steps fail to resolve the issue, Oracle encourages users to contact OCI Support or Microsoft Support for further assistance.
- Recently, a disgruntled systems administrator reported that four out of 60 production Windows servers on OCI failed to boot, causing outages in workloads supporting SaaS applications, emphasizing the importance of timely resolution and security measures in the enterprise computing industry.
