Ubuntu VMware guest stuck/hangs on boot

Apparently there is a bug in one of the recent Linux kernel update on Ubuntu running as a guest OS on VMware. To be exact, the affected kernels are versions 4.2.0-30.35, 3.19.0-51.57, and 3.16.0-62.82 (mine was Ubuntu 14.10 on Linux kernel v3.19.0-51.57). The bug report is here, and in this blog I am going to show the way to solve it (credits to the answer on this askubuntu Q&A forum).

First, you need to get into the Advanced boot options, which you can access from the GNU GRUB menu.

1. Start the problematic Ubuntu VM. Hold the shift key on your keyboard until you are redirected to the GNU GRUB menu. If you see the command-prompt-like log that you usually see when you boot your VM up, you missed the point where you should get redirected to the GNU GRUB menu. Restart and try again. Note that when you restart the VM sometimes the VM redirect your keyboard inputs to the host OS instead. Click the VM screen repeatedly to ensure that your keyboard inputs is sent to the guest OS.
2. Choose Advanced options for Ubuntu
3. You will be brought to a screen where there are a list of Ubuntu you can boot into with different kernels and boot mode. Choose any that uses the Linux kernel that is not buggy (refer to the list of buggy kernels I show at the start of this post). You can just choose the default boot mode (no upstart/recovery mode).
4. Congratulations! Now you have managed to boot up to your OS!
5. There should be an update to the Linux kernel if you check your software updater (I was notified without needing to check manually). Just update and the problem should not occur anymore. If there isn’t any update, you can try Googling to make your VM to boot using the old Linux kernel by default for the time being.

That is all. Note that not all Ubuntu is affected; seems like only Ubuntu on VMware is affected, and only if you happened to update your Ubuntu with the buggy kernel.

Hopefully it helps!