Unable to open file "E:\xxx.vmdk": One of the disks in this virtual machine is already in use by a virtual machine or by a snapshot

[danieletn]

Hello to everyone,

from today and without any particular reason I have a problem starting a virtual machine.

I have some snapshot and a list of xxx1.vmdk , xxx1-000001.vmdk, xxx1-000002.vmdk, xxx1-000003.vmdk...

When I try to start the virtual machine, gives me the error: Unable to open file "xxx1-000002.vmdk":   One of the disks in this virtual machine is already in use by a virtual machine or by a snapshot.

I can not revert to other snapshot because gives me the same error....

What I could do?

thank you

Daniele

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

Please attach the VM's current vmware.log file to a reply post. This file should help to identify what's wrong, or at least help troubleshooting the issue.

André

[danieletn]

Thank you,

attached the log files.

The last one is vmware.log

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sUjl1K8NihNN1AAA_pDFeGYBtIcXqAh_

[daphnissov]

You've posted in the VMware Workstation sub-forum, yet your logs are from a VMware Fusion installation. It shows you're running Fusion 8.5 on High Sierra, which isn't a supported combination. Only Fusion 10 and 11 are supported on High Sierra at the moment:  https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2088571

[danieletn]

Hello, I have upgraded to version 11 of Fusion. I also tried to copy all the machine files (not with clone option because it tells me that one of the drive is already in use - the same error of when I try to run the machine). Under the last version of VMware workstation pro it gives me the same error.. Therefore I guess it doesn't depend on the version of VMware..

[wila]

Hi,

This is not due to a version conflict, or because it is Fusion and not Workstation. So please disregard the whole "it isn't supported" debate, it is diffusing from the actual problem.

Looked at your vmware.log file, but it only has data from 2019-04-09 and there is no such error as mentioned in the log.

Are those the latest logs?

If there's no newer log file, can you please attach the .vmsd file to a reply here? (use the attach button at the bottom right please. Don't use an external service as it is inconvenient and most often I won't even bother looking) otherwise attach a current vmware.log file. One that has the problem in there.

--

Wil

[a_p_]

IMO this issue is related to automatic snapshots (Autoprotect), and suspending the VM. I've seen similar issues before, where the configuration got messed up, and in some cases the VM's configuration (.vmx) file contained two virtual disk entries, pointing to the same virtual disk (same, or different snapshots).

From what I understood, you already copied the VM's files, i.e. made a backup, so that you may now try to "reset" the VM, by deleting it's .vmss (suspend state) file. This is comparable to pulling the power plug on a physical system. Once the file has been deleted, check the contents of the VM's .vmx file to ensure that there's only a single entry for the virtual disk. If you need to modify the .vmx file, please ensure that you do this with Fusion being closed.

André

PS: Discussion moved from Workstation Pro to VMware Fusion® (for Mac)