Cannot remove datastore because file system is busy. Correct the problem and retry the operation.

[anthonyhelmey]

Hi all,

I have a fresh install of ESXi 6.5a on a server that had previously had esxi 5.5 installed. I am trying to delete a datastore and i keep getting that error in the title. I'll outline below, i cant see anything holding onto this datastore and have no idea why its not deleting. I NEED to delete it because I want the 500GB of space for the new VMs i am installing.

This is where I am.

There is no coredump file

[root@localhost:/vmfs/volumes] esxcli system coredump partition get
   Active:
   Configured:

When i try using partedUtil to get info

[root@localhost:/dev/disks] partedUtil getptbl naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a
gpt
72824 255 63 1169920000
1 2048 1169917559 AA31E02A400F11DB9590000C2911D1B8 vmfs 0

using partedUtil to set as msdos

[root@localhost:/dev/disks] partedUtil setptbl naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a msdos
msdos
0 0 0 0
Error: Read-only file system during write on /dev/disks/naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a
WriteNewPtable: error removing gpt signatures from (/dev/disks/naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a)

Theres no processes holing on to this disk

[root@localhost:/dev/disks] vsish -e ls /storage/scsifw/devices/naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a/ |sed 's:/::' |while read i;do ps |grep $i;done
[root@localhost:/dev/disks]

I cant delete the partition

[root@localhost:/dev/disks] partedUtil delete naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a 1
Error: Read-only file system during write on /dev/disks/naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a
Unable to delete partition 1 from device naa.6003048003db72001aa35a972192bd9a

There are no VMs at all on this box. I dont know whats going on here. Can anyone help?

[vembutech1 · Accepted solution]

Any ScratchConfig option cofigured.

Go to "Inventory > Hosts and Clusters", select host that uses a datastore, goto "Configuration" tab, and click on "Advanced Settings" option. Find "ScratchConfig" section and change to something else.

Restart the ESXi host, and try to delete datastore again.

[anthonyhelmey]

This fixed it!!!

The admin's notes: VMWare: Remove datastore problem - "The resource xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" is in use

[anthonyhelmey]

That was it. Thanks!