strange vmdk files

[aurfalien]

Hi all,

So I was poking around my Fusion install because although my XP guest is sized at 15GB, the VMware Fusion dir is showing ~30GB.

I notice 3 files;

Windows XP.vmdk - 15GB

Windows XP-000001.vmdk - 1.4GB

Windows XP-000002.vmdk - 12GB

My vmx files has this;

scsi0:0.fileName = "Windows XP-000001.vmdk"

When I rename the other files, XP won't start.

I assume the OS file is really Windows XP.vmdk because its 15GB in size just like XP shows when booted.

So I tried to back it up via Norton Ghost and NT Backup but they both hang midway through with an error from Fusion it self saying something like failed to read Windows XP-000002.vmdk with three options;

Continue

Retry

Abort

I would REALLY hate to start over with XP install as my current image is very custom and I don't have all the install software available to duplicate it.

I don't want my virtual machine taking up ~30GB sinc ethe OS itselff is only 15GB.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

[continuum]

6 files ???

please show the latest vmware.log




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VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

Its attached.

Any way I can manully unglue the dependancy on this chain of vmdk files so that I only have 1 vmdk file, my primary of Windows XP.vmdk?

[continuum]

if you do that you will lose weeks or months of work - don't know how old your VM is and when you created the snapshots - now reading the log

___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[continuum]

did you create 2 new snapshots since we last spoke ?

___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

No, I only created 1 snapshot and then tried to remove it.

Trust me.

During the removal process it aborted due to not being able to read 000002.vmdk.

[continuum]

ok - then lets assume something weird is going on that none of us understands.

Lets switch to plan B.

You can still run the VM now ?

Then lets try a hotclone into a new VM then.

Down load a copy of Converter 3.0.3 and install it inside the VM.

Then you can clone the running VM into a fresh new one.

Once that new one has been tested you can throw away the current mess.

How does that sound ?




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

Wow, sounds like a very clean approach, I'll try it.

However since Norton Ghost and NT Backup failed because Fusion couldn't read 000002.vmdk, so hopefully Coverter 3 won't.

Isn't Coverter 3 a real to vm converter? Should I remove vmware tools from my virtual machine first?

[continuum]

enlighten me please - what exactly did you try with ghost ?




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

Well, theres only 1 thing to try, I tried making a backup copy of my XP OS. I installed Ghost on the virtual machine and then ran it which barfed 72% through.

I kinda think Coverter will also spew but will try it anyways.

[continuum]

ok - wait - I think we have to assume one of your snapshots is corrupt ...

Plan C: add a new disk to the VM - same nominal isze as the existing one and boot into a Linux LiveCD that has dd-descue - then we could try to skip bad blocks and hopefully create a working clone




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

The virtual machine doesn't hink it has a bad sector. And I've checked the host which doesn't think it has a bad sector either.

Any way to unglue the Windows XP-00000{ 1-5 }.vmdk from Windows XP.vmdk?

[continuum]

whats the size of 000002.vmdk - if it is small we can skip it




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

Its 12GB, gulp.

[continuum]

not good - did we try to clone with vmware-vdisksmanager already ?




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

Not yet, didn;t know it could do that. Lemme try.

[continuum]

the command would go like this

vmware-vdiskmanager -r blabla-000005.vmdk -t 0 new.vmdk

this command does not work with all fusion versions - on some of them vdiskmanager has a bug and it complain " can't work on partial chains"




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

O that, yea it did fail. I'll run DiskWarrior again.

[continuum]

do you have important stuff on that VM ?

I would try some more stunts then - but for that I would need to work on that VM from a Windows host ...




___________________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[aurfalien]

Well, lemme see wat DiskWarrior tells us.