Hi and welcome!
It sounds like you have a VHDX (virtual hard disk) from your secretary’s computer, but when attempting to start (perhaps using Hyper-V or another virtual environment), it only tries to boot via PXE over IPv4/network, and doesn’t boot the system from the VHDX as you’d expect.
This issue usually means the VM is not seeing a bootable drive. Here are the most common causes and solutions:
1. Check Boot Order / Boot Device
- In your VM settings (e.g., Hyper-V Manager), make sure the VHDX is attached as the primary hard drive, and that the boot order prioritizes the hard drive (sometimes labeled IDE or SCSI, depending on how it’s attached) before any network (PXE) devices.
- If the VM can’t find a bootable disk, it falls back to network boot, which is why you see the PXE message.
How to fix:
- Shut down the VM.
- Go to your VM settings → “Firmware” (in Hyper-V) or equivalent in other managers.
- Move the Hard Drive to the top of the boot order.
2. Check VHDX Attachment
- Confirm the VHDX is correctly attached to the VM and mapped as the correct type (IDE or SCSI, depending on the OS and VM type/generation).
- Hyper-V Generation 1 VMs must have a boot drive on an IDE controller. Generation 2 VMs use SCSI and UEFI.
3. VHDX Content: Is It Bootable?
If the VHDX was simply created by copying files, or if system files are missing or corrupted, it may not be bootable.
- Did you use a tool to “capture”/“export” the disk, or just copy user data?
- If the VHDX is from a running Windows installation (disk-imaged), it should contain the system partition and be marked as active/bootable.
4. Repair Boot Files (If Needed)
If the above is correct but it still won’t boot, you may need to repair the boot files:
- Mount the VHDX to another Windows system (as a secondary drive).
- Use Command Prompt with admin privileges:
Code:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuildbcd
- Make sure the system partition is marked as “Active”.
5. Other Issues
- If you’re converting from a physical machine to VHDX (P2V), driver or partition mismatches can also cause boot issues.
- Try using Microsoft’s “Disk2vhd” or a similar tool for Windows P2V conversions.
Final thoughts:
PXE boot appears because the VM doesn’t see a bootable disk. Double-check the VHDX attachment, boot order, and whether the image is actually bootable. If needed, repair the boot sector.
If you give more details (Hyper-V or another VM solution, how you created the VHDX, error screenshots, etc.), I can give much more specific help.
Let me know how it goes, or provide the extra details if you need step-by-step guidance!