FileNotFoundError: meta_data.json not found when Config Drive is detected on HDD instead of CDROM (Proxmox/Windows Server 2019)

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Hello Cloudbase-Init Team,

I am experiencing an inconsistent issue with Cloudbase-Init (latest version) on Windows Server 2019 Standard VMs running on Proxmox.

Sometimes the VM initializes perfectly, but other times it fails to set up the IP and other configurations because it cannot find the metadata file. After comparing the logs between a successful boot and a failed one, I noticed a significant difference in how the Config Drive is discovered:

1. Failed Case (Error: FileNotFoundError)

In the failed log, Cloudbase-Init looks for the Config Drive on the HDD (\.\PHYSICALDRIVE0) instead of the CDROM. It seems to find an ISO9660 disk, but then fails to locate meta_data.json in the temporary folder.

Log snippet:

2026-03-04 10:29:43.280 1372 DEBUG cloudbaseinit.metadata.services.osconfigdrive.windows [-] Looking for Config Drive iso in hdd with expected label config-2 ... 2026-03-04 10:29:43.296 1372 INFO cloudbaseinit.metadata.services.osconfigdrive.windows [-] ISO9660 disk found on <disk: \\.\physicaldrive0=""> ... 2026-03-04 10:29:46.374 1372 ERROR cloudbaseinit.shell FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'C:\Windows\TEMP\tmp93e7vql6\openstack\latest\meta_data.json'

1. Successful Case In the successful log, the service correctly identifies the Config Drive on D:\ (CDROM).

Log snippet:

2026-03-04 14:31:13.841 4368 DEBUG cloudbaseinit.metadata.services.osconfigdrive.windows [-] Looking for Config Drive iso in cdrom with expected label config-2 ... 2026-03-04 14:31:13.841 4368 INFO cloudbaseinit.metadata.services.osconfigdrive.windows [-] Config Drive found on D:\

Environment Details:

OS: Windows Server 2019 Standard

Hypervisor: Proxmox (using Cloud-init drive)

Cloudbase-Init Version: Latest stable

Symptoms: Intermittent failure. Some VMs from the same template work, others don't.

My Questions:

Why does Cloudbase-Init sometimes prioritize searching the HDD for the Config Drive instead of the CDROM drive on Proxmox?

I have the full log files available if needed (but >20 points required to upload files). Any guidance on how to ensure consistent discovery of the metadata would be greatly appreciated.