Fail to start VM after expanded disk space

[NeilQ123]

Hi,

I have one VM which runs on Win2003 on Esxi 5.5, because of short of disk space, so I decided to expand its space. I turned of the VM, and then edited the VM configuration with vSphere client graphic interace, I expanded the hard disk space from 120G to 350G. The bad thing happened, when I powered on it, it failed to start, complained: Error loading the operation system.

How to fix this problem? It's urgent, need someone's help.

Thanks

Neil

[minor76]

Try doing a storage and host vMotion.  Let me know what happens.

[NeilQ123]

Thanks for your quick response, minor76. But could you give me more detail on how to fix it. All I did on this VM were just as what I described. I simply expanded the disk space from 120G to 350G, then it failed to start. Do you have a mail box? Then I could send more file or screenshot to you. My mail: 332410559@qq.com

[minor76]

You can attach screen shots in this discussion.  I have had similar problems before expanding a disk but not very often.  I would try simple things first like I mentioned, moving the VM to another datastore and then powering it on.  Moving it won't hurt anything but won't necessarily fix your issue.  Give that a try and let me know the results.  We can go from there.

[minor76]

Do you know how to do a storage vMotion? 

[NeilQ123]

No, I don't know how to do a storage vMotion. The figure below is my VM hard disk cofiguration.

The firgure below is all files show in datastore viewer with vSphere client. I only have one datastore. Do you think I create a new folder such as VM1, then copy the first three files in the figure to the new folder VM1, and then start the new VM from folder VM1 will work?

[minor76]

Alright, you only have 1 datastore so we obviously can migrate it.  what is the exact error you get when you power it on, can you send a screenshot of that also?

[NeilQ123]

Well, only displayed one message as below:

[NeilQ123]

I just copied the three files to folder VM1, then add it to the VM list, when powered on the copied VM, also failed to start it. Reported the same error. You mentioned I could migrate it, could you tell me how? All tell me detail on how to fix it.

Thanks a lot.

Neil

[capcom700]

Hello there...

You have the VCENTER installed in your environment?

This VM is in a LOCAL Disk or in a shared Disk (ISCSI - FC - NFS)?

[NeilQ123]

I don't have vCenter. I only installed ESXi 5.5 on one server, then created several VMs on it. So the VMs are all using local disk, SCSI. Any idea on how to fix it?

[Kaustubhambulka]

Issue is seems to be with Windows Master boot record. Check the if you are able to open Windows recovery console.

[Kaustubhambulka]

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100655...

[minor76]

I agree with Kaustubhambulkar you can try a bootsec repair or even a recovery with Win2k3.  At this point I don't think anything you do VMware wise is going to fix the Windows.

[continuum]

Looking at the screenshot the VM seems to use a floppy-drive.
A resize of a vmdk could reset the nvtam - so maybe the bootorder has changed back to start from floppy.

[NeilQ123]

Thanks all for your replies.

I tried all methods metioned in the replies, didn't work. And also I used my backup VMware ovf file to restore the VM, and expanded the disk space,just for test. Again, the new restored VM failed to start. So as a result, we should be careful when you are going to expand to the disk space with vsphere client, you'd better backup the VM before you operate it.

Now I have to restore my VM using the ovf file, caused some data lost, but it's better than the VM doesn't work.