VMware Communities > VMTN > Desktop Products > VMware Workstation > Discussions

This Question is Answered

2 "helpful" answers available (6 pts)
8 Replies Last post: Mar 3, 2008 9:09 PM by ScottNZ
Reply

Unable to start virtual machine by using command line

Aug 7, 2007 5:32 AM

Click to view martyouel's profile Novice martyouel 22 posts since
Dec 30, 2004
Hi,

I'm trying to start my virtual machine by using command line and I always get that error :
"Command failed : You do not have access rights to this file"

I'm admin of computer...

Here's the command that I run :
"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmrun.exe" start "C:\Documents and Settings\mouellette\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\DYNACOM-VMBUILD-V10\Windows XP Professional.vmx"

I'm using Vmware workstation 6. I'm able to start one other virtual machine by command line, but the one I really need wont start. This virtual machine start great when I dbl-click on .vmx file.

What's wrong?

Here's my .vmx file :
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "6"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
memsize = "1000"
MemAllowAutoScaleDown = "FALSE"
ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "dynacom-vmbuild-000005.vmdk"
ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.fileName = "auto detect"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
floppy0.present = "FALSE"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
usb.present = "TRUE"
sound.present = "TRUE"
sound.virtualDev = "es1371"
sound.fileName = "-1"
sound.autodetect = "TRUE"
displayName = "DYNACOM-VMBUILD"
guestOS = "winxppro"
nvram = "Windows XP Professional.nvram"

ide0:0.redo = ""
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

ethernet0.address = 00:50:56:3A:60:30

checkpoint.vmState.readOnly = "FALSE"
checkpoint.vmState = ""

ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"

extendedConfigFile = "Windows XP Professional.vmxf"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "TRUE"

uuid.action = "create"

uuid.location = "56 4d 46 da 38 e7 1c 73-1a 44 1a 26 99 c8 5b 53"
uuid.bios = "56 4d 46 da 38 e7 1c 73-1a 44 1a 26 99 c8 5b 53"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:c8:5b:53"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
ehci.present = "TRUE"
svga.autodetect = "TRUE"

thanks in advance for you help.

Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 7, 2007 6:47 AM
Click to view Liz's profile Virtuoso Liz 3,200 posts since
Dec 2, 2004
Moderator
try changing the word myuser and mypass in the following command to your username and password

"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmrun.exe" -u myuser -p mypass start "C:\Documents and Settings\mouellette\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\DYNACOM-VMBUILD-V10\Windows XP Professional.vmx"

PS You are logged in as mouellette right? Otherwise its not "My Documents" its "mouellette's Documents"
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 7, 2007 8:33 AM
in response to: Liz
Click to view martyouel's profile Novice martyouel 22 posts since
Dec 30, 2004
Umm, I still get the same error.
I tried my mouellette user, witch is a user from domain, and also tried local user Administrator and both don't work.
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 8, 2007 12:17 AM
in response to: martyouel
Click to view Liz's profile Virtuoso Liz 3,200 posts since
Dec 2, 2004
Moderator
Try moving the vm to a more central location such as c:\vm
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 8, 2007 5:00 AM
in response to: Liz
Click to view martyouel's profile Novice martyouel 22 posts since
Dec 30, 2004
That still don't work.

I found the problem...it's the configuration file name. Vmware seem to don't like space in name. In Vmware 5 that worked great, but in Vmware 6 we need to have a configuration file name without spaces.
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 8, 2007 5:47 AM
in response to: martyouel
Click to view RDPetruska's profile Guru RDPetruska 13,873 posts since
Jan 11, 2005
Moderator
I've got plenty of VMs with spaces in the vmx file names here, running Workstation 6, and do not have that problem. Are you certain that you surrounded your path+filename with quotes on the command line?
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 8, 2007 6:03 AM
in response to: RDPetruska
Click to view martyouel's profile Novice martyouel 22 posts since
Dec 30, 2004
Yeah, just take look my first post.

Here's the command that I run :
"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmrun.exe" start "C:\Documents and Settings\mouellette\My Documents\My Virtual Machines\DYNACOM-VMBUILD-V10\Windows XP Professional.vmx"

That command line worked great on VM5, but not on VM6 and I tried that on two computers here and always get the same error. So, I renamed my vmx file to Build.vmx and all works great now...
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Aug 8, 2007 6:11 AM
in response to: martyouel
Click to view Liz's profile Virtuoso Liz 3,200 posts since
Dec 2, 2004
Moderator
I wasnt thinking of the spaces being an issue, more the location within someone elses my documents directory.

Glad you fixed it.
Reply Re: Unable to start virtual machine by using command line Mar 3, 2008 9:09 PM
Click to view ScottNZ's profile Lurker ScottNZ 1 posts since
Oct 24, 2007
Hi,

Just an additional comment. I was experiencing the same problem but with a .vmx with no spaces but a number. Renaming the .vmx and removing the single trailing number solved the issue in my case. I suspect it's not really the space or number that's the problem because I have several other VMs with spaces and numbers. Maybe it's something about the act of renaming the file??


Cheers,
ScottNZ

Actions