WS9 merging rawdisk snapsots

[clinx]

This VM has somehow been making snapshots of a rawdisk.

Rawdisk is not supposed to have snapshots.

There are 7 snapshot vmdk files, totaling over 200g.

There is only one snapshot showing in snapshot manager.

Do I need to open up these vdmk and copy the data to the physical drive (starting with s001)?

Or setup a second drive to copy the data over?

[continuum]

s001-files are NO snapshots !!!

post your vmx-file and a filelisting

[clinx]

My VMX is attached

[clinx]

Here's the file listing.

02/22/2013  02:45 PM    43,289,673,728 VM-Test-Raw-000001-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               489 VM-Test-Raw-000001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM     8,840,282,112 VM-Test-Raw-000002-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               463 VM-Test-Raw-000002.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM     1,270,677,504 VM-Test-Raw-000003-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               463 VM-Test-Raw-000003.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM       630,390,784 VM-Test-Raw-000004-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               463 VM-Test-Raw-000004.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM    25,114,705,920 VM-Test-Raw-000005-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               456 VM-Test-Raw-000005.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM    22,867,673,088 VM-Test-Raw-000006-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               489 VM-Test-Raw-000006.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM    68,128,997,376 VM-Test-Raw-000007-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM               463 VM-Test-Raw-000007.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:45 PM       245,366,784 VM-Test-Raw-000008-s001.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:44 PM               346 VM-Test-Raw-000008.vmdk
02/22/2013  02:00 PM               738 VM-Test-Raw.vmdk

[WoodyZ]

Well there are 8 not 7 snapshots, based on the .vmx and file listing you posted.  Also it looks like you added the "VM-Test-Raw.vmdk" at one point to a clone VM since the .vmx has ide0:1.fileName = "VM-Test-Raw-000008.vmdk" and the ide0:0.fileName is "VM-Test-cl1-000001.vmdk".

Anyway the .vmx shows AutoProtect is enabled and this should never be used on a normal VM much less one that has a Raw Disk!

IMO The easiest way to clean up this mess is to boot the Virtual Machine from a Windows Live OS CD/ISO Image and make a Ghost Image and then just delete the Raw Disk and Snapshots manually so it is not a part of the Virtual Machine.  The boot the physical system and dump the Ghost Image onto the physical drive.  Anyway that's how I clean up this mess and then next time you use a Raw Disk don't allow Snapshots to be taken!

[clinx]

I'm not sure how that started, probably when I upgraded it bug'd out.

But OK there's no way to repair this from within VM, I'll use an external method.

I could setup a new drive and just copy everything to it from inside the VM.

[clinx]

I copied the drive data to a new drive from within the VM, everything was good.

After a week and several boots, it decided there was a missing file and would not start the VM.  Resolved this by removing the old drive entry from the VMSD file.

Today, it decided to reject the new drive, device not ready.  Removed and added it agian from the VM, no change.  I scanned it, no issues.  I gave it a drive letter on the host, looked at it, removed the drive letter again, and now the VM likes it.  Also, I've had no issues accessing this drive in the before, smart is fine, I think the drive and controller are fine, it's something about WS9.

2013-03-11T21:31:01.250-04:00| vmx| I120: VMXAIOMGR: Retry on write "\\.\PhysicalDrive1" : The device is not ready.
2013-03-11T21:31:01.250-04:00| vmx| I120: VMXAIOMGR: system : err=150002 errCode=21 freeSpace=18446744073709551615
2013-03-11T21:31:01.250-04:00| vmx| I120: VMXAIOMGR: "\\.\PhysicalDrive1" : write s=3263459328 n=4096 ne=1, fai=0

Why remove the driver letter?  On reboot of the host, or power down the VM, there was a chance the host would lock the physical drive.  It has recycle and system restore disabled but windows (or some other program I use) likes to discover hardware and claim it.   I found that removing the drive letter on the host prevents the "drive in use" error.  (I forgot the exact message).    The error today was different.

So I'm good for now.