Hello
My Mac crashed whilst i was performing a 'cleaning up virtual machine operation'. ON restart i can no loger access my virtual machine 😕 The error message is:
Module 'Disk' power on failed.
Failed to start the virtual machine.
I have tried running this from terminal:
sudo /Applications/VMware\ Fusion.app/Contents/Library/vmware-vdiskmanager -R /Users/mattyrowley/VM Machines/Windows 7 x64 NEW.vmwarevm/Virtual Disk.vmdk
But it says 'Diskname or some other argument is missing.'
Can anyone please help?
Many thanks in advance, Matt
Update: Help here on the forum has confirmed that my VMDK is beyond repair. Luckily, I have a 20-day old backup on standby. I’ll do a restore BUT there are plenty of files that I really need from the last 20 days. So how to get those files back…
Solution:
Check out: How to Extract Content from VMDK Files: A Step-By-Step Guide - https://www.nakivo.com/blog/extract-content-vmdk-files-step-step-guide/
If you are using a windows machine skip down to the section ‘How to open VMDK files with 7-zip on Windows’ – it’s towards the bottom of the page and the process uses the free 7-zip application - https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
This is a fantastically easy way to gain access to all of your files within your corrupt virtual machine that you cannot start-up, it is super easy: instal the 7-zip application on your windows machine and then, using explorer, browse to your VMDK file, right click it, go to 7-zip menu and select ‘open archive’ - and there you go access to all of your files. Phew. it will take a bit of time to restore my back up and then go fishing for all of the new files created since my last back up but at least nothing is lost.
Thank you to those in the forum who took time to reply.
Cheers, Matt
Did you took snapshot? if yes ,you can revert to it first.
You hit the error when you running vmware-vdiskmanager because there are spaces in the path to your vmdk.
you can add \ or use '' for the path.
Thank you @rachelsunsm i ran the command again and it gave this result:
The virtual disk, '/Users/mattyrowley/VM Machines/Windows 7 x64 NEW.vmwarevm/Virtual Disk.vmdk', is corrupted and cannot be repaired.
MACBOOK-PRO-MR-2:~ username$ 😕
I do not have any snapshots and i have a back up that is two weeks old. I have important work that is on the machine since that time.
I would be very grateful if anyone can help guid me through other options!
@continuum and @a_p_ hi i noticed you had both commented on another similar thread any chance you can be my saviour?!
p.s. i have also just run Starwind to try to convert the file but it returned:
Error opening file (2) [0]
The specified virtual disk needs repair 😕
Please take a look at the vmware.log file(s) in the VM's folder/package, to see whether it contains details about the corrupted disk(s). If it does, please provide the log file. Note: The forum currently does not allow to attach .log file, so please save the .log file as a .pdf document and attach this one.
In addition to attaching the logfile, please paste the contents of the virtual disk's descriptor .vmdk file (the small .vmdk file without ...-s0xx.vmdk in its name).
André
Thank you @a_p_ for your reply.
The log files are 79MB so too big to post here. I'll try to past a dropbox link?
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2f85nnjeugc5sm4/AACNRMK2mawmwQsYtabpS_zba?dl=0
I can not see the virtual disk's descriptor file that you talk about. I'll post a screenshot below of the package contents. in case in'm missing it. Thanks in advance André. Regards, Matt
I'm sorry, but the with thousands of errors in the .vmdk file's metadata, I can't help you fix this.
Since even Starwind wasn't able to resolve the errors, I'm afraid that you will have to revert to the latest backup, unless @continuum has another idea.
André
Unfortunately I have no other idea and agree with Andres suggestions. You could try some more vmdk-reading and conversion tools available for Linux but if Starwinds fails there is no option with a reasonable success chance left.
But I highly recommend to learn the lesson you learned here: you should not use one piece sparse VMDKs unless you use them for disposable data.
This problem does not occur with preallocated vmdks.
This problem occurs with sparse vmdks only - if you use split sparse vmdks it typically affects only one or a few slices and you can replace them with blank ones. That will probably also result in an unbootable vmdk - but you will not loose all your data.
Ulli
@continuumand @a_p_ thank you both for checking into this for me.
@continuum for future reference is it possible to convert an existing VM that uses a one piece sparse VMDK into a preallocated vmdk? and when creating a new VM in vmwarefusion is it a case of simply selecting which type to use?
Please excuse my ignorance on these things... i'm sure super basic question that i'm asking. Cheers. Matt
Hi Matt
with vmware-vdiskmanager you can convert vmdk-types when the VM is powered off.
Please note one more thing. When you create a new VM and plan to use several snapshots later - then preallocated vmdks are a not such a good idea - it wastes a lot of space.
In other words - preallocated vmdks only make sense if you are also willing to reduce your use of snapshots to a single one for short-term usage only.
Ulli
Update: Help here on the forum has confirmed that my VMDK is beyond repair. Luckily, I have a 20-day old backup on standby. I’ll do a restore BUT there are plenty of files that I really need from the last 20 days. So how to get those files back…
Solution:
Check out: How to Extract Content from VMDK Files: A Step-By-Step Guide - https://www.nakivo.com/blog/extract-content-vmdk-files-step-step-guide/
If you are using a windows machine skip down to the section ‘How to open VMDK files with 7-zip on Windows’ – it’s towards the bottom of the page and the process uses the free 7-zip application - https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
This is a fantastically easy way to gain access to all of your files within your corrupt virtual machine that you cannot start-up, it is super easy: instal the 7-zip application on your windows machine and then, using explorer, browse to your VMDK file, right click it, go to 7-zip menu and select ‘open archive’ - and there you go access to all of your files. Phew. it will take a bit of time to restore my back up and then go fishing for all of the new files created since my last back up but at least nothing is lost.
Thank you to those in the forum who took time to reply.
Cheers, Matt