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poulos
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File not found error when opening a VM (from non-Time Machine backup)

Hi everyone,

I have an issue with my Fusion 2.0.6 installation on my Snow Leopard iMac relating to a 'file not found error'.  I have done my best to scan the community posts to see if someone has experienced this before.  I found several posts, and tried the suggestions in those posts, but I still have not been able to resolve.

I am trying to restore from a full backup of my XP VM. This is not a Time Machine backup; just a straight backup of the entire VM using SuperDuper (part of my nightly backup routine).  To restore, I copied:

from --> BACKUP/Users/John/Documents/Virtual Machines/Windows XP Home Edition.vmwarevm

to --> MacHD/Users/John/Documents/Virtual Machines/Windows XP Home Edition.vmwarevm

From Fusion, I opened the Windows XP Home Edition VM, only to get the error:

"File not found: Windows XP Home Edition-000005-s001.vmdk. This file is required to power on this virtual machine.  If this file was moved, please provide its new location."

I browse for the .vmdk file (which is there), and repeatedly get the same error message.

Interestingly, when I try open the same VM from the backup location, I also get the same error.

Really stuck now, and not sure what to do.  Any help that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

John

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a_p_
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It looks like the latest files are missing. The virtual disk which I assume has a provisioned size of 5-6GB consists of 3 data files, from which 2 are missing for snapshot 000005 (Windows XP Home Edition-000005-s002.vmdk and Windows XP Home Edition-000005-s003.vmdk). Unless you have them on some backup, your options are limited and you may need to revert to the latest snapshot whis is dated Mar, 2012.

The descriptor file Windows XP Home Edition-000005.vmdk (a text file) will show which files make up the virtual disk (the snapshot disk in this case).


André

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poulos
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Hi Woody,

I tried your suggestion, and unfortunately no luck.  Still the same error.  I have attached the error and directory listing.  As you can see the file in question is there.vmware.jpg

listing.jpg

Any ideas?

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a_p_
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It looks like the latest files are missing. The virtual disk which I assume has a provisioned size of 5-6GB consists of 3 data files, from which 2 are missing for snapshot 000005 (Windows XP Home Edition-000005-s002.vmdk and Windows XP Home Edition-000005-s003.vmdk). Unless you have them on some backup, your options are limited and you may need to revert to the latest snapshot whis is dated Mar, 2012.

The descriptor file Windows XP Home Edition-000005.vmdk (a text file) will show which files make up the virtual disk (the snapshot disk in this case).


André

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poulos
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Thanks André,

I checked the descriptor file, and you are right.  The problem is the two missing data files.  I have been using Fusion for years now, in exactly the same way, and I am really puzzled how this could have occurred so suddenly.  If it were user error, it would mean someone would intentionally have had to go in to the package, and delete them.  Since this has not occurred, the only thing I can think is that the problem lies with Fusion.

I have searched around, and have not come up with anybody else experiencing this issue.

Since even my nightly backup is missing the data files, I am going to have to go to an offsite Time Machine backup, and see if I can recover my entire VM from there.  At least, I will be losing only three months of work versus 18 months!

I will keep this post open for the moment, and update with how I went with the Time Machine backup.

John

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pmhargis
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I had also been getting "File Not Found" error on MacBook. I finally traced it to the fact that I had moved the .vmwarevm image from it's prior location on the Desktop. Once I moved the default image back in place, VMware Fusion came up normally. I had even removed Fusion from the Mac to try to fix it, but apparently there are some config/settings files that remain behind. Try to put your default .vmwarevm image files back where they used to live.

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