Help, Where did all my data go?

[fgruner]

I've been working in my Centos virtual machine, and today when I started it up, all my work from the last 3 days is gone. It's like it was 3 days ago. I had checkpointed before making a bunch of disk partition changes to increase the size of a partition. That's the state that I got..

I did try a suspend in the middle, and resumed, but it doesn't seem like that should cause problems.

Any ideas? If I have another problem like this, I'm going to have to drop the software. I can't have it dropping my work.

I'm running workstation 9.0.2

Fred

[a_p_]

Welcome to the Community,

this sounds as if the VM either has been reverted to an old snapshot or the disks are configured as independent-nonpersistent (very unlikely in this case).

Please provide some details, like a full list of files in the VM's folder, i.e. the output of ls -lisa (for a Linux host) or dir *.* /one (in case of a Windows host). In addition to this list, pleas compress/zip the VM's log files, the .vmx file as well as the .vmsd file and attach the .zip file to a reply post (you need to switch to the Advanced editor in order to attach files).

In case you don't have a backup already, it's now time to backup the VM's folder (before trying to do anything)!

André

[fgruner]

Just happened again..

Took a snapshot. Worked for 3 hours. Verified everything was working the way I wanted. Deleted the snapshot, and the VM reverted to the state before I started. Seems like snapshots are forced, deleting one you don't need reverts you. What's wrong?

Fred

[fgruner]

Here's the log (don't know how to attach it)... Notice my most recent problem at 3:41 am.. Deleted the checkpoint, and it lost my data.. I'm going to start copying the data for my VM before I shut it down every time, and I guess I stop using checkpointing completely unless I can figure out what it's doing.

Message was edited by: a.p. - moved pasted log to a file

[fgruner]

File list

Directory of E:\Users\fred\Documents\Virtual Machines\CentOS 64-bit

08/03/2013  03:42 AM    <DIR>          .

08/03/2013  03:42 AM    <DIR>          ..

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     6,442,450,944 564dd107-361b-249e-bbff-b3fd1ae53052.vmem

08/03/2013  03:41 AM    <DIR>          564dd107-361b-249e-bbff-b3fd1ae53052.vmem

.lck

07/28/2013  07:05 PM    <DIR>          caches

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,093,088,768 CentOS 64-bit-s001.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,130,903,040 CentOS 64-bit-s002.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,133,655,552 CentOS 64-bit-s003.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,127,822,848 CentOS 64-bit-s004.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,145,124,352 CentOS 64-bit-s005.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,143,682,560 CentOS 64-bit-s006.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,039,611,392 CentOS 64-bit-s007.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,604,714,496 CentOS 64-bit-s008.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,608,187,904 CentOS 64-bit-s009.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,581,842,432 CentOS 64-bit-s010.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       646,578,176 CentOS 64-bit-s011.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       377,094,144 CentOS 64-bit-s012.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           458,752 CentOS 64-bit-s013.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           458,752 CentOS 64-bit-s014.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           458,752 CentOS 64-bit-s015.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           524,288 CentOS 64-bit-s016.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           458,752 CentOS 64-bit-s017.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           458,752 CentOS 64-bit-s018.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        68,616,192 CentOS 64-bit-s019.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,042,888,192 CentOS 64-bit-s020.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           393,216 CentOS 64-bit-s021.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       134,610,944 CentOS 64-bit-s022.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM         6,291,456 CentOS 64-bit-s023.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,986,854,912 CentOS 64-bit-s024.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,995,243,520 CentOS 64-bit-s025.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,011,561,984 CentOS 64-bit-s026.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,006,319,104 CentOS 64-bit-s027.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,014,183,424 CentOS 64-bit-s028.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,975,123,968 CentOS 64-bit-s029.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,954,021,376 CentOS 64-bit-s030.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       811,073,536 CentOS 64-bit-s031.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,013,265,920 CentOS 64-bit-s032.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,687,683,072 CentOS 64-bit-s033.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        61,734,912 CentOS 64-bit-s034.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        78,381,056 CentOS 64-bit-s035.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        88,211,456 CentOS 64-bit-s036.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        57,278,464 CentOS 64-bit-s037.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       166,658,048 CentOS 64-bit-s038.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       169,738,240 CentOS 64-bit-s039.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        75,759,616 CentOS 64-bit-s040.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           917,504 CentOS 64-bit-s041.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       135,528,448 CentOS 64-bit-s042.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           917,504 CentOS 64-bit-s043.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           655,360 CentOS 64-bit-s044.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM         1,507,328 CentOS 64-bit-s045.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           917,504 CentOS 64-bit-s046.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           917,504 CentOS 64-bit-s047.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           851,968 CentOS 64-bit-s048.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM         3,014,656 CentOS 64-bit-s049.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       790,888,448 CentOS 64-bit-s050.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       172,818,432 CentOS 64-bit-s051.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     2,012,086,272 CentOS 64-bit-s052.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,722,417,152 CentOS 64-bit-s053.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM     1,896,546,304 CentOS 64-bit-s054.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       717,029,376 CentOS 64-bit-s055.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        96,600,064 CentOS 64-bit-s056.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM        61,931,520 CentOS 64-bit-s057.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       176,357,376 CentOS 64-bit-s058.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       171,573,248 CentOS 64-bit-s059.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM       244,056,064 CentOS 64-bit-s060.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM            65,536 CentOS 64-bit-s061.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s062.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s063.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s064.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s065.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s066.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s067.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s068.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s069.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s070.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s071.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s072.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s073.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s074.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s075.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s076.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s077.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s078.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s079.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s080.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           327,680 CentOS 64-bit-s081.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM            65,536 CentOS 64-bit-s082.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM             8,684 CentOS 64-bit.nvram

08/03/2013  03:41 AM             4,109 CentOS 64-bit.vmdk

08/03/2013  03:41 AM    <DIR>          CentOS 64-bit.vmdk.lck

08/03/2013  03:40 AM                77 CentOS 64-bit.vmsd

08/03/2013  03:42 AM             3,586 CentOS 64-bit.vmx

08/02/2013  11:40 AM    <DIR>          CentOS 64-bit.vmx.lck

08/03/2013  03:38 AM               371 CentOS 64-bit.vmxf

05/16/2013  08:15 AM         3,932,865 vmmcores-1.gz

05/16/2013  08:42 AM         3,728,108 vmmcores-2.gz

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           163,672 vmware-0.log

08/03/2013  03:38 AM         1,764,902 vmware-1.log

08/03/2013  12:55 AM           364,074 vmware-2.log

05/16/2013  08:42 AM         2,841,473 vmware-vmx-4480.dmp

05/16/2013  08:15 AM         2,838,339 vmware-vmx-6208.dmp

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           335,578 vmware.log

08/03/2013  03:41 AM           206,278 vprintproxy.log

[a_p_]

Your VM's configuration file contains "snapshot.action = autoRevert"!? You may want to change this in the VM's settings (Options -> Snapshots) to "Just power off".

Btw. in order to be able to attach file you need to switch to the advanced editor (in to upper right of the edit window).

André

[fgruner]

Actually did what you wanted.. Zipped and attached.

[fgruner]

Will revert to snapshot always drop what I did?

[fgruner]

May I make a suggestion, that when powering off, and it's going to revert to snapshot, that you have a warning that all your work will be lost, with a way to disable the warning.

[a_p_]

You can describe the issue and your suggestion at Product & Feature Suggestions

André

[WoodyZ]

fgruner wrote: May I make a suggestion, that when powering off, and it's going to revert to snapshot, that you have a warning that all your work will be lost, with a way to disable the warning.

I'd suggest that instead of arbitrarily changing default settings, which by the way is to "Just power off" that one reads the documentation and understand how to properly use the product first!  On the Options tab of the Virtual Machine's Settings one had to have manually selected "Snapshots" and then changed the default from "Just power off" to "Revert to snapshot" and while one is not prompted nonetheless one certainly can click the Help button on that Tab and, in this case, bring up "Configuring Snapshot Options for a Virtual Machine" in the Help file which tells one what each option does.  Then if one doesn't comprehend what these setting do then one should not change the defaults until one understands the consequences of one's own actions!

[fgruner]

I didn't change the setting. My feeling was that it can somehow get changed based on something in the snapshot manager, or it's possible that it asked me a related question and changed the setting.

Fred

[WoodyZ]

fgruner wrote: I didn't change the setting. My feeling was that it can somehow get changed based on something in the snapshot manager, or it's possible that it asked me a related question and changed the setting.

The only way I've seen the "snapshot.action = autoRevert" option gets into the .vmdk file is for one to manually put it there or change a default setting as previously mentioned.  I see no trigger in the Snapshot Manager and while there is a "Revert to Snapshot" command on the VM > Snapshot menu nonetheless if one selects it one is presented with a warning message "By restoring this snapshot, the current state will be lost.  Do you want to restore "Snapshot Name"?, Yes [No]" so one is warned in this case and as far as changing default setting, well I've already made my point!

The only other explanation I can think of would be a bug.  Did you upgrade VMware Workstation right before this happened, and if so when and from what version to the current one?