Invoke-VMScript works as expected, but Restart-VMGuest fails with error "Cannot execute scripts"

[detlefsch]

Hi there,

I'm using Invoke-VMScript to have my guest OS install windows updates. That works fine.

After the Invoke-VMScript command is left, I'm calling Restart-VMGuest. Though, this returns "Shutdown VM guest." failed for VM "60TrustedTruste" for the following reason: A general system error occurred: Cannot execute scripts"

I have no idea how to track this issue down. Is there a log on the guest-side, I could check for more details?

Here are snippets of what I'm doing, in case it helps...

Perform windows updates in guest OS:

$script = {
  #Define update criteria.
  $Criteria = "IsInstalled=0 and Type='Software'";


  #Search for relevant updates.
  $Searcher = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Searcher;
  $SearchResult = $Searcher.Search($Criteria).Updates;


  #Download updates.
  $Session = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Session;
  $Downloader = $Session.CreateUpdateDownloader();
  $Downloader.Updates = $SearchResult;
  $Downloader.Download();


  #Install updates.
  $Installer = New-Object -ComObject Microsoft.Update.Installer;
  $Installer.Updates = $SearchResult;


  #Result -> 2 = Succeeded, 3 = Succeeded with Errors, 4 = Failed, 5 = Aborted
  $Result = $Installer.Install();
  return $Result;
  }


  Wait-Tools -VM $VM -TimeoutSeconds 600
  Try {
  $result = Invoke-VMScript -VM $VM -ScriptText $script -GuestUser $GuestUser -GuestPassword $GuestPassword -ScriptType Powershell
  }
  Catch {
  Write-Log -EntryType Error -Message "Error invoking guest OS updates." -Exception $_.Exception
  }

Restart the guest OS

Wait-Tools -VM $VM -TimeoutSeconds 600



Restart-VMGuest -VM $VM -Confirm:$false



do {




Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 100



} until ((Get-VMGuest -VM $VM).State -eq "Running")



Wait-Tools -VM $VM -TimeoutSeconds 600

[LucD]

Do you perhaps have custom scripts defined in the Power settings for that VM (see KB1009340).

Can you check if there is anything in the vmware.log ?

[detlefsch]

I don't have any custom scripts, so that was not the issue.

Though, I meanwhile found a stupid logic mistake in my scripts:

I didn't refresh the content of my $VM variable often enough, so it could contain outdated data of a running VM, but it was already off.

Moreover, it seems that using Restart-VMGuest and Get-VMGuest.State or Wait-Tools is not a good combination. The status may be still "Running" even though, the VM began to shut down.

I'm now using Stop-VMGuest and Start-VM explicitly. So far this seems to work better.

Thanks for your thoughts anyway!