The file specified is not a virtual disk.

[Vanishingpoint]

My virtual machine won't start up. Support information file is attached. Thanks.

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

this looks weird to me. According to the log files the VM ran off the recycle bin!?

/Users/cclarke/Documents/$RECYCLE.BIN/Virtual Machines.localized/Windows 7 x64.vmwarevm/Windows 7 x64.vmx

I assume the files have been purged which results in what you see now. However there's a "Windows 7 x64 (original).vmwarevm" located on your desktop which seems to be ok.

André

[WoodyZ]

Well the short answer is... it looks like the virtual hard disk was deleted some how.

Information in the vmware.log file shows that the Virtual Machine Package some how ended up in the Windows Recycle Bin as referenced by "$RECYCLE.BIN" and then I'll assume was emptied at some point and now it gone.

"/Users/cclarke/Documents/$RECYCLE.BIN/Virtual Machines.localized/"

Not sure how "$RECYCLE.BIN" which is the folder that represents the Windows Recycle Bin became a part of the path but it shouldn't really be that way.

[WoodyZ]

André Pett wrote: However there's a "Windows 7 x64 (original).vmwarevm" located on your desktop which seems to be ok.

I totally missed that one!

[Vanishingpoint]

Any thoughts on this problem? I still get "The file specified is not a virtual disk." when attempting to start the virtual machine.

[a_p_]

According to the log files all the data .vmdk files are missing and the header .vmdk file is corrupted.

André

[Vanishingpoint]

Any suggestions? I uploaded "support information" for my backup and for my (previously) VM. Are both bad?

[a_p_]

It looks like you missed my first post. The backup on your desktop seems to be ok.

André

[Vanishingpoint]

The one on the desktop gives the same error.

[matt_o]

What if you create a new VM and just use the vmdk that you still have as pre-existing disk?

BTW your VM wasn't exported from Parallels? I had this issue a while back.

Matt

[Vanishingpoint]

Here's the bottom line:

I updated to OSX 10.8.3 while the VM was running. IMHO, that's what broke the VM. The VMDK was corrupted and beyond repair. Luckily, I had a Time Machine/Time Capsule backup of the VM and was able to use it.

A word of advice: Always share your files with your host (Mac). In so doing your documents will be safe, even if your VM crashes and you have no backup. Try to not be in the latter situation.

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

Vanishingpoint wrote:

Here's the bottom line:

I updated to OSX 10.8.3 while the VM was running. IMHO, that's what broke the VM. The VMDK was corrupted and beyond repair.

To be perfectly blunt, one is not suppose to preform an OS update such as this while other non-OS related applications are running!

As a general rule before preforming an upgrade such as this I do a clean boot and do not open anything other then invoking the Software Update.  I also usually download the Combo Update and apply that when dealing with point increase updates of the OS.

Luckily, I had a Time Machine/Time Capsule backup of the VM and was able to use it.

A word of advice: Always share your files with your host (Mac). In so doing your documents will be safe, even if your VM crashes and you have no backup. Try to not be in the latter situation.

Just an FYI...

It is a known fact that Time Machine is not 100% reliable backing up/restoring Virtual Machines under all circumstances/conditions.  Also backing up Virtual Machines via Time Machine is disk/time intensive and wastes a tremendous amount of space for something that may be corrupt and worthless come time to restore it.  At a minimum I would exclude Virtual Machines from Time Machine and with the Virtual Machines shutdown, not suspended, and VMware Fusion closed then manually copy the Virtual Machines Package(s) to an alternate location, preferably on to a different physical hard disk.  Then keep the User Data that is stored within the Virtual Machine backed up off of the Virtual Machine on a regular basis so as to always have a current User Data Backup.  If you have to restore a properly backed up Virtual Machine that is not as current at least you'll have a working Virtual Machine and current User Data to go forward with when you find out your Time Machine Backup of the Virtual Machine fails.