Unable to restart Windows 10

[HardelotArques1]

Following a sudden shutdown of my Computer running LINUX FEDORA, I can no longer start WINDOWS 10. How to repair it?

[wila]

Hi,

You might be able to boot into safe mode and see if you can use a restore point?

As Scott said this is more of a windows issue than a VMware one...
Sad to say, but a good backup of your VM would also have saved you here.

An alternative workaround would be to consider the VM dead and create a new windows VM, then attach the dead VM disk to the new windows VM and copy the relevant data over to the new VM.
It depends on your VM usage if that is a possible way out of this or not.

For the rest I'm sorry.. but I am running out of ideas. Your VM might not be fixable. I was already surprised to learn that the "reinstall fresh" using a windows iso did not work. It replaces the most critical parts of windows with a fresh copy and that not even working is a very bad sign.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

I managed to find the corrupt * .vmdk file. How to fix it in Command lines on LINUX FEDORA?

[wila]

Hi,

How did you determine which vmdk file is corrupt?
Are there snapshots?

Normally the first attempt is via vmware-vdiskmanager.
If that doesn't work, you'll need help from a specialist.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

How to install it in command lines?

[wila]

Hi,

If you are using VMware Workstation Professional then vmware-vdiskmanager is already installed.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

Explain the handling to me please.

[wila]

Hi,

I don't know the location of vmware-vdiskmanager by memory (don't have a linux host nearby now)

But roughly the command to run is:

vmware-vdiskmanager -R "virtual disk.vmdk"

where "virtual disk.vmdk" is the virtual disk you want to repair.

Now.. before you start ANY repair actions it is HIGHLY recommended to make a full copy of the virtual machine to an external disk. Just in case something bad happens and it gets worse instead of better.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

What kind of message (s) should I have?

[wila]

Hi,

You should run the command against the whole disk, not just a single disk slice.

eg.

vmware-vdiskmanager -R "Windows 10 x64.vmdk"

instead of

vmware-vdiskmanager -R "Windows 10 x64-s001.vmdk"

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

What do you think about this discussion that I opened?

https://forums.fedora-fr.org/viewtopic.php?id=72114

[wila]

That you are still thinking that a virtual disk slice is the complete virtual disk...

The whole virtual disk is

Windows 10 x64.vmdk

You are only looking at a single slice of that disk and treating that slice as if it is "the disk", it is not, it is just a small part of it.

The whole disk contains many slices.

eg. the disk is made up of (you never showed us details, so this is just an example)

Windows 10 x64-s001.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s002.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s003.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s004.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s005.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s006.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s007.vmdk
Windows 10 x64-s008.vmdk

etcetera... depending on the actual size of your disk there are more or less slices.

You _never_ work directly with a disk slice, you work the the Windows 10 x64.vmdk file and that file will point to the actual slices.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

This is the Windows 10 x64-s001.vmdk file that is blocking me in launching virtualized W10.

Would you have anything better than on the FEDORA Forum?

[wila]

As you are not understanding what I am saying and we do not seem to be able to communicate.

No, sorry I have no more suggestions.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

Hello or Good evening, you cannot let me down since I am trying ALL of the solutions given. It's just a vmdk file and you know which one I'm talking about. I need to recover files from this virtualized W10.

[HardelotArques1]

I followed your 2 command lines and after nothing happens.

Always the same problem.

[wila]

Hi,

Sorry, just out of ideas with the info I have, also note that my time/patience to help as a volunteer is not without limits.

Already pointed you to an alternative solution:
https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-Workstation-Pro/Unable-to-restart-Windows-10/m-p/2818452/hi...

Also don't know how you came to conclude that this particular disk slice has problems, you just said "i found the broken file".
We don't know why you think it is broken, what the technical details are. Yes, I have seen the screenshots of a VM having booting problems, but that might just as well be Windows itself having problems after the power loss.

Same for your VM, you never even posted a file list of the VM, no log files.. it is all guess work without technical details and we're 33 replies deep... it simply is not going anywhere.
Yes, I admit that I am partly to blame for not asking for those technical details, but I've just been trying to answer your questions so far.

edit: Humm.. seems I actually did ask "How did you determine which vmdk file is corrupt?".. never got an answer.

--
Wil

[HardelotArques1]

In fact, after this vmdk crashed, I did a new install of W10 and it turns out that without reinjecting the original vmdk but taking the one from the new install, I manage to access W10 ...

[HardelotArques1]

Could you be much more specific please?

[wila]

Hi,

Best suggestion I have at this moment is:

- start a new topic (this one is too long, you won't get others who you'll need to read it. If you want you can link to it)
- explain the problem in the opening post

attach a zip file with the following files:
- a vmware.log file of a recent attempt to start the VM, might be best to include all vmware.log files
- the .vmx file
- all .vmdk files smaller than 128kB
- a filelist from all your files in the folder of the VM, (close VMware Workstation, open a Command Prompt, run dir *.* /oen in the VM's directory)

I will steer clear from your thread so that one of the people who specialize in repairing virtual disks can pick it up.

best of luck!

--
Wil

[scott28tt]

@HardelotArques1 

Moderator: Please do not create a new thread on the same topic - your new thread has been moved to an archive area.

If you would rather seek help in your native language, there are a number of sub-areas of the Global area of VMTN: https://communities.vmware.com/t5/Global/ct-p/10000-home