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HilmerAn
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uploaded .vmdk file is not to be seen in the Add Hardware Wizard

I uploaded a validated (VMserver) vmdk file set (file.vkdk + file-flat.vmdk) to a ESX3.5 embedded storage folder. In the datastore browser it is shown as a virtual disk file-type (only file.vmdk) with the matching icon. When I trie to add this disk as an existing disk in the Add Hardware Wizard (VI Client 2.5) to a VM, the browser does not show up the file.

How do I get access to the virtual disk in the datastore for a VM?

Thanks for help

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Erik_Zandboer
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Hi,

I would never copy vmdk's from workstation/server to ESX. The image formats do not seem to be cokmpliant.... Use converter instead, works for sure!

Visit my blog at http://www.vmdamentals.com

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Erik_Zandboer
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Hi,

I would never copy vmdk's from workstation/server to ESX. The image formats do not seem to be cokmpliant.... Use converter instead, works for sure!

Visit my blog at http://www.vmdamentals.com
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dmaster
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Instead of copying the .vmdk files you have to clone them with vmkfstools, otherwise you canno't use them.

With ESX 3.0.x you were able to use the copy command, not anymore with ESX 3.5

vmkfstools -i sourcedisk destinationdisk

HilmerAn
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This was exactely the solution I needed, allthoug it does not explain, why a vmdk file is not able to bee seen whitin the wizard (must be something wiht the rights)

I needed someting for easy cloning my VMs in the Store. So I'm new in VMware I did not know about all the features of the utilities and did not suspect the posibility of cloning 1:1 within the store (through the Client, but much less expensive then with VC) in the converter utility.

AH

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bradysbunched
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Hi there ,

I know things have moved on a lot since this post and apologies if I'm going over 'old ground' with this question, as I am very new to the VM world, I have a similar problem to the above we backup our vms using dataprotector and rather than restoring an entrire vm, for testing purposes, we want to restore vmdk files as individual drives on a test vm in order to validate the data from dataprotector. To date we have had the below results which are

VM1 restored vmdk ,vmdk(flat) & vmx file ,uploaded to datastore and was available to add to test server as hard disk.

VM2 restored vmdk,vmdk(flat) no vmx file. uploaded to datastore and was available to add to test server however the file appears to have been corrupt as windows is looking to format same.

VM3 restored vmdk,vmdk(flat) no vmx file , this vmdk file was available to upload to datastore and done so successfully however it was not available when trying to add an existing disk as a hard disk to test vm.

VM 1 & 2 appear readily explainable however I would be grateful for any help in explaining what is happening with VM3 initially I had presumed the problem was the fact that dataprotector had not retrieved a vmx file however this does not seem to have been a problem with VM2 .

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