Windows XP Virtual Machine Opens with Black Screen (no icons, no nothing) -- Cannot restart

[JAKATZ]

I am running the latest VMWare Fusion version 2.1 and running OS X 10.5. When I attempt to open and run my Windows XP SP3 Virtual Machine, all I get is a black screen (no text, icons, nothing). I have attempted to "shut down" the VM from the VMWare Fusion menu, but have no luck in that either. I am not getting any errors at all, just the black screen. Up until now (for the last few months), I have otherwise had no problems in running my Windows XP SP3 VM. Any help in trying to figure out how to get my Virtual Machine up and running again would be a lifesaver.

Thanks.

[WoodyZ]

Note: This is like pulling the plug from the wall on a Physical Computer. Anything not saved will be lost and there is always the possibility of corrupting the Filesystem when preforming a Hard Shutdown! (Although you may have no other choice but to do this.)

VMware Fusion menu bar > Virtual Machine > press the option key and select Power Off

Pressing the alt/option key changes "Shutdown Guest" to "Power Off".

Note: It also changes the "Suspend Guest" and "Restart Guest" commands too.

Or if the above doesn't work....

On the Virtual Machine Library ctrl-click the target Virtual Machine and select Show in Finder and the ctrl-click the target Virtual Machine Package and then after closing Fusion delete the .vmss file. Note: Anything that was not saved from the suspended state will be lost by deleting the .vmss file. Note: However you may have not other choice is the Virtual Machine will not suspend/unsuspend/shutdown/start properly.

[lola2006]

I just wanted to send you a big THANK YOU WoddyZ....

I had the black screen and thanks to you I am up and running again... have a great Sunday..

lola2006

[hwobs]

I had to use this procedure as well today and it cured the same problem the original poster had.  Thanks very much for the helpful hint.  Only difference is that in my VM Ware menu I had to select Force Shutdown, not Power Off.  I couldn't get a screen shot of the menu with the option key pressed, but when you do that, the Shut Down item becomes Force Shutdown.