Turn off background snapshots

[tonyedgecombe]

I'm sure I used to be able to turn off background snapshots but I can't find the option anywhere. Any ideas?

Tony

[WoodyZ]

Are you referring to AutoProtect Snapshots? You can turn it off under VMware Fusion (menu bar) > Virtual Machine > Settings... > AutoProtect

[tonyedgecombe]

No, I'm sure in the past there was an option that would bring up a progress dialog when you did a snapshot and halt the VM until the snapshot was complete. Or maybe I am remembering something from the Windows version of VMWare.

[WoodyZ]

What VMware product are you using? If VMware Fusion then you're in the right forum and if not oh well, my answers are for VMware Fusion not VMware Workstation which is for Windows or Linux.

If it's not AutoProtect Snapshots then you're going to have to be a bit more explicit and specific about your issue as from what you said in you OP it sounds like you're talking about AutoProtect and as far as the last reply the only other thing I can think of that would bring up a progress dialog box would be when (un)suspending a Virtual Machine. So if you do not want to have a Virtual Machine automatically suspended when shutdown it is under VMware Fusion (menu) Preferences... > General > When closing a virtual machine:

[tonyedgecombe]

I am using VMWare Fusion.

I am not talking about auto protect.

You can see the option in the Windows version in this dialog: http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/img/w_pref_priority.png I was hoping there was something similar for Fusion.

[WoodyZ]

You can see the option in the Windows version in this dialog: I was hoping there was something similar for Fusion.

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In Workstation when the "Take and restore snapshots in the background" check box is checked it sets the following parameters in the config.ini.

mainMem.partialLazySave = "TRUE"
mainMem.partialLazyRestore = "TRUE"

And when unchecked sets it to...

mainMem.partialLazySave = "FALSE"
mainMem.partialLazyRestore = "FALSE"

JSYK While Workstation and Fusion share some of their code not all features that are in Workstation are available in Fusion even when manually configuring some parameters will work while other will not although I believe the Fusion default in this particular case is TRUE for these and therefore no need for the parameters to actually exist in a config file unless you want it set to FALSE.

So with the Virtual Machine shutdown, not suspended, and Fusion closed adding the set of parameters set to FALSE to the /Users/$Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/config file and if it doesn't exist then create it as a plain text file with the two parameters will not allow any of the snapshot process to be in the background, meaning one will have to wait until the snapshot process if fully complete before proceeding.

Message was edited by: WoodyZ

Note that this setting/feature is applicable to Fusion 3.0 and not previous version of Fusion.

[tonyedgecombe]

The config file was actually in /Library/Application Support/VMWare Fusion, however your change did work.

Thank you.

Tony

[WoodyZ]

The config file was actually in /Library/Application Support/VMWare Fusion, however your change did work.

Well I don't know what config file you're talking about because there is not one located at "/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/" by default nor do I believe it will it be read from that location if you created it there and if you'd follow my directions which stated the correct location for the config file is in "/Users/$Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/" and that if it didn't exist, which it doesn't by default, then create a plain text file named config at that location and add the two parameters with the FALSE setting since TRUE is the default. Also note that the name of the file is config not config.ini like it is under Windows and Fusion needs to be closed when you create or modify this file and the Virtual Machines must be shutdown not suspended and if suspended they need to be rebooted for the changes to take effect.

BTW This works on my MacBook Pro under Fusion 3.0.1 and like I also previously said "JSYK While Workstation and Fusion share some of their code not all features that are in Workstation are available in Fusion ..." however understand that based on the definition of the meaning/purpose of the "Take and restore snapshots in the background" check box and the difference of having these settings present in the config file at the location I stated make a noticeable difference in the amount of time the Virtual Machine is not available to continue user interaction or on going processing of running tasks if taking/restoring snapshots while the Virtual Machine is running so it is on that basis that I summit that even if this is not identical to what is happening in Workstation it certainly makes a difference while coinciding with the explanation in the Workstation documentation on this feature.

[tonyedgecombe]

Well that is where I found the file, it did exist and editing it worked!

There was nothing in either the user or machine "Application Support" folders.

[WoodyZ]

First of all I have to say I'm sorry that I misread your reply in that I though you said it didn't work so obviously I hadn't had enough coffee yet and I guess the fact that you had not awarded any points enabled me to misread it as I guess I wouldn't award points if what was posted didn't work either. Anyway I glad that the information I provided resolved your issue.