After Fusion 3 / Windows install, Fusion 2 XP VM won't open

[MemberoftheTrib]

I have been running Fusion 2.0.6 with a Windows XP virtual machine. I installed an evaluation copy of Fusion 3.0.1 on which I installed a Windows 7 (64 bit) VM, leaving the old virtual drive (Windows XP) intact. I wanted a clean install of Fusion 3.0.1 / Windows 7, to make clean application installs and add the XP drive so I could migrate the data files.

Now I have the worst of all worlds - not only does the Win 7 VM look at a 2 month old version of the XP virtual machine, but I can no longer start the XP virtual machine, which returns this error when I try:

Cannot open the disk '/Users/Lehrman/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm/Windows XP Professional-000007.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.

Reason: The parent virtual disk has been modified since the child was created

Did adding the XP VM to the Fusion 3/ Win 7 VM change it so it cannot be opened? I assumed the Fusion 3 evaluation would not overwrite version 2 but the VMWare Fusion.app in my Applications Folder is dated Sept 22 2009 and shows version 3.0.1 under properties. Can it ony be opened in Fusion version 2?

[admin]

Did adding the XP VM to the Fusion 3/ Win 7 VM change it so it cannot be opened?

I don't have time for a full reply now, but the short answer is yes. However, it's not because of a Fusion 3 vs 2 issue (the format hasn't changed), but instead because you added a parent virtual disk to a different virtual machine, thus changing it out from under the previous virtual machine. Immediately shut down the virtual machine(s), quit Fusion, and make sure you have a backup copy of the virtual machines (at which point you can continue using them -- the important part is the backup) to minimize the damage.

[MemberoftheTrib]

not clear on backup - do you mean a snapshot? apparently the reason the XP files added as a drive to the new Win7 VM were older is because I apparently added a snapshot of the XP VM rather than the VM itself

also, I had already closed the (new) Win7 VM when I unsuccessfully attempted to run the (old) XP VM

[WoodyZ]

not clear on backup - do you mean a snapshot?

No a Snapshot is not considered a backup of the Virtual Machine Package. With the Virtual machine shutdown and Fusion closed you need to make a copy of the Virtual Machine Package in Finder and Time Machine is not a good way to backup up Virtual Machines either as it is a know fact that it is not 100% reliable under all conditions.

Have a look at Work with Virtual Machine Packages in the VMware Fusion Help File you can type Virtual Machine Package in the Help > Search text box.

apparently the reason the XP files added as a drive to the new Win7 VM were older is because I apparently added a snapshot of the XP VM rather than the VM itself

You either added the parent virtual disk or not the latest snapshot from the XP VM to the 7 VM and this is why you're getting the message you are so just do as etung suggested and hope he gets back to you to fix it.

[MemberoftheTrib]

OK, I have shut down the virtual machine(s), quit Fusion and will try to figure out which files to back up

[WoodyZ]

will try to figure out which files to back up

You need to copy the entire Virtual Machine Package and as an example it might be "/Users/$/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm" and note that by default the ".localized/" and ".vmwarevm" extensions are hidden by default in Finder so if you look in the Virtual Machines folder in your Documents folder it might just appear as "Windows XP Professional" and this is the Virtual Machine Package that you make a copy of while Fusion is closed.

[MemberoftheTrib]

I do have Passport backups and I have closed Fusion and will await etung's advice and hopefully restore access to the XP VM. I assume at some point I will have to move the backed up Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm file from the Passport to the MacBook drive so Fusion will be able to "see' it

However, I created the issue in the first place because I wanted to access the (old) XP VM files from the (new) Win7 VM and I was advised in a that this (adding a drive to the Win7 VM) was the correct procedure:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/251486?tstart=45

I made a clean install of version 3.0.1 / Windows 7 (64 bit), leaving the old virtual drive intact. Now I want to perform clean installs of the Windows applications on the new version 3.0.1 / Windows 7 drive but migrate or import data from the old version 2 / Windows XP drive.

[rcardona2k · Accepted solution]

In that thread I said to make sure you deleted your snapshot files in the Snapshot manager so the latest changes to XP VM were in the base VMDK file. Implied but not said is that mounting your XP disk on another VM while having snapshots depending on the XP disk may invalidate those snapshots (and the changes they contain). Picking the base VMDK (without any -000001.vmdk suffix) on another VM, without first deleting snapshots would be a bad idea.

If you have a backup of original XP virtual disk that the snapshot files depend on, you can restore that disk and the XP machine will work again. If not, you may have to write off the snapshots or defeat the timestamp modification check.

Did your migration succeed with the disk you chose?

[MemberoftheTrib]

Thank you - deleting snapshot files in the Snapshot manager fails because "There was an error trying to delete the snapshot"

Is my 1st step restoring the XP VM to move the backed up Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm file from the Passport to the MacBook drive so Fusion will be able to "see' it? Or do I have to move all the files comprising that Windows XP Professional.vmwarevm file (control click - display contents) from the Passport to the MacBook drive?

"Did your migration succeed with the disk you chose?"

The Win7 VM works great (not sure whether it's the Win7 or the Fusion3) but it's entirely useless unless I can migrate my data locked in the XP VM