Can not power up VM - System annot find the file specified

[hippitydippidy]

So, I recently paused one of VMs and when I came to turn it back on, i get the following error.

Unable to open file "C:\Images\<sanitized>\<sanitized>\<sanitized>-cl2-000002.vmdk":

The system cannot find the file specified.

However, the file exists and I can open it and it is not corrupted.  Here is the file it says it can't read:

# Disk DescriptorFile

version=1

encoding="windows-1252"

CID=ef44de9a

parentCID=e03a757b

createType="twoGbMaxExtentSparse"

parentFileNameHint="<sanitized>-cl2-000001.vmdk"

# Extent description

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s001.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s002.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s003.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s004.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s005.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s006.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s007.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s008.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s009.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s010.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s011.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s012.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s013.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s014.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s015.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s016.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s017.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s018.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s019.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s020.vmdk"

RW 1310720 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s021.vmdk"

# The Disk Data Base

#DDB

ddb.longContentID = "bc84c0410fdf747c6ab7c56cef44de9a"

***end

I tried export to ovf and get the same error.

it is a snapshotted image.

I have read through countless discussion on here and none of the resolutions have worked for me... any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[cpatidar]

try this KB article and see if that helps:

VMware Knowledge Base

[hippitydippidy]

I've read that article.  The file that VMWare says it can't read is copied and pasted into my initial post.

[RDPetruska]

Attach a directory listing of that VM's folder.  It's likely that one of the pieces of that virtual disk is missing.

[continuum]

Last night I had a case that looked similar.

There 3 slices were lacking the KDMV magic header ....

To check run hexdump -C against all name-s00*.vmdk slices

Every single one of them should start with KDMV

[hippitydippidy]

You are right... I didn't notice when I was checking the first million times that I am indeed missing the file that maps to:

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s009.vmdk"

So, is there a way I can fudge this together as my snapshot was my "backup"?  Or am I screwed?

Thanks!

[hippitydippidy]

While i was doing the hex dumps, i realized that i am missing a vmdk file:

RW 8323072 SPARSE "<sanitized>-cl2-000002-s009.vmdk"

I've ran through the directory listing a million times, but my panicking mind kept skipping over the missing 9 file...  Now i am left hoping there is a way I can 8 and 10 together as the snapshot was my actual "backup".

[continuum]

If you dont find that file you must either steal one or create a new one.

Please show a filelisting including full names AND size of the existing vmdks.

[hippitydippidy]

Thanks for all your replies.  Much appreciated.

Please see the attached file.

[continuum]

I stole one for you.

As you obscured your filenames you know have to pay the price and rename it accordingly.

[hippitydippidy]

Thank you.  Now i see the following error:

The parent virtual disk has been modified since the child was created. The content ID of the parent virtual disk does not match the corresponding parent content ID in the child

Cannot open the disk 'C:\Users\tim\Documents\Virtual Machines\OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821\OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.

Module 'Disk' power on failed.

Failed to start the virtual machine.

Here are the innards of the OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002.vmdk file:

# Disk DescriptorFile

version=1

encoding="windows-1252"

CID=ef44de9a

parentCID=e03a757b

createType="twoGbMaxExtentSparse"

parentFileNameHint="OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000001.vmdk"

# Extent description

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s001.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s002.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s003.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s004.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s005.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s006.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s007.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s008.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s009.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s010.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s011.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s012.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s013.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s014.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s015.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s016.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s017.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s018.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s019.vmdk"

RW 8323072 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s020.vmdk"

RW 1310720 SPARSE "OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000002-s021.vmdk"

# The Disk Data Base

#DDB

ddb.longContentID = "bc84c0410fdf747c6ab7c56cef44de9a"

[continuum · Accepted solution]

Your attachement arrives blank ...

anyway I already found what I needed.

The attached zip should work - that is if it is not also blank after download.

Note: you replace upto 4 gb of your user-data with an empty container.

That is enough to make Workstation happy - but there will be corruption inside the guest.

So if possible -after injecting the file - but your guest into Windows recovery mode or a Linux LiveCD and run a checkdisk or the Linux equivalent.

If Workstation complains - attach latest vmware.log and dont start any experiments ...

[continuum]

Ok - attach all vmdk descriptorfiles so that we can fix the CID parameters

So we also need OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2-000001.vmdk

and the parent of that one

[hippitydippidy]

Hopefully that worked and is what you need.

[hippitydippidy]

I was picking up on what you were putting down and fixed up the CID parent IDs throughout the files and I am up and running!!

I have no idea how bad the damage is, but you have helped so much!! THANK YOU!!!

[continuum]

Set

CID=1dd0d46b

in OffsecVM-2018.3-20180821-cl2.vmdk

and do not do that again !!!

You started this VM without the snapshots !

This is almost harmless if you run the VM just for a few minutes.

It will corrupt the disk if you run checkdisk with a lonely basedisk.

Well - the damage is done - lets hope it is not to bad.

After the edit - go for it again.