Snapshot problem .. how to remove without committing

[rabih_00]

hello,

I was trying to remove a snapshot the other day when everything broke. the machine can no longer boot into windows 2003. How do I ignore the snapshots already taken, and go back to the original disk status without committing any of the snapshots?

Below are the description of the CIDs of each of the VMDK files. I know there is a way of doing this, only I am not 100% sure.

does anybody have any ideas? the VM is running on ESX 3.5 U3

Thanks

vmx --> hostname-000008.vmdk

hostname-000008.vmdk --> CID=3b1950c6 | parentCID=6a2247d7

hostname-000007.vmdk --> CID=be09b650 | parentCID=6a2247d7

hostname-000006.vmdk --> CID=2041a6cc | parentCID=6a2247d7

hostname-000005.vmdk --> CID=ff681933 | parentCID=6a2247d7

hostname-000004.vmdk --> CID=ff1e76b5 | parentCID=f17070ff

hostname-000003.vmdk --> CID=55a1dc78 | parentCID=55a1dc78

hostname-000002.vmdk --> CID=55a1dc78 | #parentCID=55a1dc78 | parentCID=713bfaa6

hostname-000001.vmdk --> CID=55a1dc78 | #parentCID=55a1dc78

hostname.vmdk --> CID=6a2247d7 | parentCID=ffffffff

[rabih_00]

Any sort of explanation on how the chain works and how it can be fixed would be highly appreciated.

PS: this is not a critical machine so if it completely dies.. oh well!

I am just in it for the knowledge, and it is gets fixed .. even better!!

Thanks

R.

[rabih_00]

my problem i snow solved.

It was very simple, but I just wanted some confirmation, here's what i did :

changed the vmx file from :

vmx --> hostname-000008.vmdk

to

vmx --> hostname.vmdk, ignoring all snapshots. I can now delete the other files safely I assume. I will try that next.

[RParker]

changed the vmx file from :

Uh no, for documentation purposes we don't want to encourage people to directly modify vmx files. That's not a good idea.

The CORRECT way to remove snapshots (without commit) is to revert. If you have 1 snapshot even, this works. You pick the top level of the snapshot even it's the base and you click 'revert'. That will move the changes / updates to original (or another snapshot). THEN you can delete the snapshot.

The trick is to select revert FIRST if you don't want to commit those changes. That's the proper way to do it.

[rabih_00]

I don't think these were shapshots though, there were 8 files and I only had 2 snapshots. I think these were DElta files from the original disk. I have not created any delta files though, how is this possible? what are these and how did they get created?

This is why I was confused and I went to change the VMX file instead.

Thanks