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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Trying to deinstall VM Workstation, get The MSI '' failed. - The folder path 'Virtual Machines' contains an invalid character.

I was trying to create snapshot in VM workstation, keep getting "Error taking snapshot: One of the parameters supplied is invalid". this happens on all VMs - So I thought it must be something common to all the VMs, i.e. the installed VM workstation code so trying deinstall Workstation prior to reinstallation, but keep getting:

The MSI '' failed. -

The folder path 'Virtual Machines' contains an invalid character.

Googling around returned nothing - have you got any ideas?

26 Replies
gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

What's the path for your installed VMware?  What's the path for all of your VMs?  Can you provide any screenshot or log file?

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Gimmely,

Thank-you for trying to help

My VMware workstation (v11) is installed C:\u\SysTools\VMWare

and there are various VMs, the error happens with them all, so I think it must be a common factor, aka the VMware workstation itself &/or registry entries.  But one of the locations is:

I:\VM3_Windows 7 (64-bit)

The error I get when I try & unistall (via running this installer & selecting "remove") is:

pastedImage_0.png

and when I attempt restore a snapshot (but very similar if I try & take a fresh snapshot) is

pastedImage_1.png

Which log file are you referring to?

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gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I'm not an expert in VMware, so please take my thoughts below with your "suspicions".

First of all, I'm not sure if you're having one problem or more.  But, even though I agree with you on "something common with all the VMs", I'd not try to un-/de-install VMware Workstation first.  The reason is simply that you said "... there are various VMs, the error happens with them all ... one of the locations is: I:\VM3_Windows 7 (64-bit)".

In a normal situation, I:\ would be a mapped/connected network share/drive.  If true for all of your VMs, I'd copy one VM to your local machine before trying to open/run/take a snapshot of it with you local VMware Workstation.

That you couldn't un-/de-install VMware Workstation with the error in running MSI could be a different issue.

About log files, each VM's folder should contain logs for that very machine.  If the suspicion is on VMware Workstation application, there should be logs elsewhere.

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Gimmely,

I am away from the machine today, but I'll look for/at the log files on my return.  With regards to the VM l,ocations, they are on local drives, it is just that the drives are not always connected!

Regards

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gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

"not always connected"?  Are these so-called local drives removable hard drives or USB flash drives?

Anyway, when I was talking about "copy VMs to your local machine", I mean to "copy to your C:\".  So, you can try that to see if the same problem remains.

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Gimmely,

ok - the VMs themselves are on USB external drives

my C: drive is a small SSD, so complely not enough space to copy the VM on to!

I could not find any obvious log files for the VM workstation installation itself (do you happen to know where they get put &/or the naming convention?)

I found a log file on one of the VM drive - I have attached it here

I tried creating a fresh very small un-OS-populated VM on the C drive & then creating snapshots on that VM - that worked ... but it did not reset anything centrally that the othe VMs needed reset to allow working with their snapshots, unfortunately!

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gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Let me admit first that I'm no expert in VMware or VMware Workstation, let alone "debugging" its log files.

However, the following is my observation and what I'd do if I were you:

The first line of the log file you provided shows "Log for VMware Workstation pid=10260 version=11.1.2 build=build-2780323 option=Release".  I don't know if you have to use v11, but I would try the latest version, v12.5.5.

Which you might have tried in un-/de-installing then re-installing Workstation.

Since you ran into issues in un-/de-installing Workstation, I don't think re-installing was successful either.  Furthermore, I'm afraid that your Workstation might have been corrupted, even though you're able to run it in creating a new VM and taking a snapshot on your small local drive.  But, you didn't say if you ever started it, as I don't quite understand what it means as "un-OS-populated VM".

Nonetheless, I'd try to use v12.5.5 by finding a way to first completely wipe out VMware Workstation on your machine.

The provided log file also shows that the respective VM seemed to try to connect to several shared folders on several different/other VMs.  I don't know if, as you said "some VMs not always connected", this could be a dependency causing the VM(s) not to start.  Of course, if all/most/some VMs have various snapshots involved, it'd make the situation more complicated.  But, again, I'll defer this to experts.

Talking about snapshots, I hope that all of your USB drives "hosting/housing" various VMs have enough space left for all existing snapshots and new one(s) you want to make.

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RDPetruska
Leadership
Leadership

If you are having issues uninstalling Workstation, refer to knowledgebase article 1308 for the VMware Cleaner.  Also, you should be able to run the Setup file with a flag to just uninstall the previous versions (but I can't remember exactly how to do that - search the forum), but the Cleaner should do a decent job and I'd try that first.

The setup should create one or more "vminst.log" files in your %TEMP% folder.

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

Interesting - using the /clean option as mentioned in the KB ran fine, but I still get the MSI messge when I try to deinstall the product - so I walked through the registry modification steps - now I don't get that message, but Workstation does not get deinstalled ... but if I try & mount an existing VM, just on the off chance, it says I am not licenced ... and it does not accept my "as supplied by VMware for Workstation 11" licence key -- Unfortunately VMware licencing are not wanting to talk/help Smiley Sad

This is getting kafkaesque!

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gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I think that it's expected in "... but Workstation does not get deinstalled ... but if I try & mount an existing VM, just on the off chance, it says I am not licenced ...".  In fact, I'd not try to use Workstation at all if you failed deinstalling it, which should mean that, with or without re-installing, it's probably not in proper working condition.

Again, my suggestion is to find a way to completely wipe out Workstations, which is and should be a generic application/program removal exercise.  Whichever method you want to try, please make sure that at least you use the MSI for v11.1, which is the version of your current workstation.  Of course, with the correct version of the MSI, you may not be able to do it due to the suspected corruption in Workstation as it is now.

Please note that de-/un-installing Workstation is only the start of the process, because you need to run the MSI for v12.5.5 successfully, which, during its process, eventually shouldn't prompt in saying that it sees an existing Workstation already installed.  The reason I emphasize "eventually" is that the MSI may prompt about seeing an existing installation one or more times, but, after each time, you should (try to) run the same MSI again to de-/un-install it, which may need to be complemented with restarting the host each time.  Until the MSI doesn't prompt about seeing an existing installation, you may have to repeat these actions.

This is my suggestion only.

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gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

A separate thought on your license.

I don't know if you have full or proper license for Workstation, which does require it if I remember it correctly - at least that's my case.  The Player may have a free or trial version.  But, if your existing installation did have a license, you should try to apply a proper one to a new version after successful installation.

I don't know if your situation with license should have anything to do with failing to de-/un-install and/or (re-)install Workstation.  I don't remember whether I had to provide my license at installation time or only the first run time.

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Gimmely & RDPetruska,

It is a fully licence copy of Workstation v11, and I have my original email from VMware with the licence key in it.  I cannot "upgrade" to v12, as I don't have a licence for that, nor a maintence contract to allow me to upgrade.

However, I have now managed to get Workstation to deinstall (thank-you RDPetruska), so that I can delete the installation directory (i.e. none of the bits in it were currently being run as services etc.), reboot the host machine & then reinstall Workstation v11 & then it accepted my licence key.

Unfortunately, all my VMs are still exhibiting the same:

Error taking snapshot:

One of the parameters supplied is invalid.

message - since these include VMs that have not be connected for seveal months (since befrore this whole mess started), there must be something else that is "common" to all the VMs, that Workstation is objecting to ... but the message is really not helpful

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gimmely
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I'd confirm if all existing VMs can be opened/run with (re-)installed and licensed v11.  If all VMs can be opened/run without any problem, I'd confirm if any existing snapshot can be opened/run.  Simply put, take small steps one at a time.  Maybe you'd done these already, then it's possible that it's something wrong with v11.  If so, I don't know what else can be done as v11 is out of support now.

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Gimmely & RDPetruska,

Sorry things have gone quiet for a moment - just to bring you up to date - I've purchased an upgrade to v12.5, which comes with 30 days support.

Unfortunately Supports initial answer was that running a VM from an external hard drive is "not recommended", but they did not/could not/would not address why this had been running fine for several years & versions of Workstation (from v9 onwards) without any errors, and then after a VMware workstation crash, the error started. 

I have asked Support to provide a Root Cause Analysis of what is the actual cause of the error message, i.e. which aspect/sub-application of Workstation is running/producing the error message, and what parameter it is complaining about & what it is expecting.

Unfortunately they have not been very responsive currently, I suspect they are waiting for the 30days inclusive support to expire, so that they can then deny support at all!

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Gimmely & RDPetruska,

Still no news - waiting on VMware Workstation development apparently (according to the Support team)

Regards

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wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

Unfortunately they have not been very responsive currently, I suspect they are waiting for the 30days inclusive support to expire, so that they can then deny support at all!

LOL, now wouldn't that be something, wait for a support period to end so you can close the ticket.

If that happens COMPLAIN LOUDLY here.

Personally I doubt that it is the case, but it seems you have a problem they don't know the immediate answer for and need to wait for replies within the organisation from specialists.

Unfortunately Supports initial answer was that running a VM from an external hard drive is "not recommended"

I am tempted to say "rubbish", but they are probably referring to the fact that if you use an external USB drive and accidently disconnect (even due to a bad cable) that your VM might be toast. Running from an external disk is fine, but beware of the limitations that there's a higher risk to corruption due to disconnect.

So it is important to keep regular backups.

If I read your replies correctly then the .log file you supplied higher up was from a newly created VM?

Can you supply a vmware.log that is from a VM that displays the problem? Preferably a log that displays the problem (look through the logs to see it shows the error if you rather not run your VM in this state)

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Wila,

Finally back near my server for a couple of days

I'll generated the support log file - now to try & upload it.

Thank-you for your interest, not much from Supoort yet ... but they are probably still thinking about it

Regards

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ZeeNot
Contributor
Contributor

log files attached to this msg

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wila
Immortal
Immortal

Hi,

Long time ago. Had to reread the whole thread to figure out what the current problem is still.

recap, the currently open issue is:

Error taking snapshot:

One of the parameters supplied is invalid.

Your vm-support bundle does only have one VM listed, it is the 500GB test VM.

That VM has exactly one vmware.log file attached and it does not have the above error listed in it.

So I'm afraid that it doesn't help, only a vmware.log file which has the reported error in it above might provide some more details, although the UI-log might be even better (the location for that can be found in the Help->About dialog). I did not see a UI log in the zip either.

Now as you are using external disks, I do hope that your external disk is formatted as NTFS?

Also that you did not enable compression on the external disk?

What size are your disks? Are they TB's in size?

If you got virtual disks that are in the multiple terabytes size then you might want to read this thread:

Unable to create snapshots of VM's with large vmdk's (2 GB++)

(the text mixes up GB/TB regularly but if you keep that in mind it might help)

--

Wil

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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