missing dndlog.conf

[Zick]

I created a full clone of of one of my XP sessions and copied it to a brand new Windows 7 installation. It loaded and started up just fine but now when I shut it down I receive this message;

Cannot open file "C:\ProgramData\VMware\dndlogs\dndlog.conf": The system cannot find the path specified. You have just powered off the virtual machine. What would you like to do? (Just power off or Take a Snapshot)

How can I resolve this?

Thanks

[PnwGuy]

First of all, does anyone know for sure what the missing "dndlog.conf" file is even for? That information might lead to a more definitive solution rather than, as often seems to be the case with VMW problems, randomly changing/adding/deleting often undocumented lines in various INI and VMX config files.

When a car has a problem most don't lift the hood and start randomly disconnecting and adjusting things. But that's how most people are forced to try and solve all sorts of VMware problems--often because the default settings for many things are poorly chosen by VMware or mysteriously get changed somehow. And we're often changing or adding things that are not officially documented anywhere that I've been able to find. Much of it might be really misguided.

The file "dndlog.conf" does not exist anywhere on my host, so it's easy to understand that Workstation can't open it. But why is it trying to open a file it never installed or created?

One might guess it's a configuration file for some sort of logging option? Turning off all logging is not a very good solution as the log files can be rather useful for discovering what went wrong after the fact when rare problems happen.

CONTINUUM: Based on the results of other users in this thread, I ran the 7.1.2 installer again, selected the "Modify" option, and de-selected the Visual Studio debugger option. The missing dndlog.conf messages seem to have gone away. So if your copy of VMW that you're testing on wasn't installed with the Visual Studio option enabled, you may not be able to recreate this problem just by changing VMX files, etc.

As with logging, disabling debugging isn't an ideal solution either for many of us. So despite having a few possible workarounds for this bug, they involve disabling significant functionality.

I've said this before, but if VMware Workstation is supposed to be a "Gold Standard" commercial product, then VMware needs to fix the sloppy configuration geekfest. Often just getting the product to even work reasonably well requires changing/adding undocumented lines in the INI and/or a dozen or more VMX files. The GUI settings only affect some of these options, others are documented but in dozens of different PDF files, app notes, or unofficially by users, and some are just pure black magic and nobody really seems to know what they do.

How stable can a product be when you have large numbers of users telling each other to change, or just randomly messing with, undocumented configuration settings?

[continuum]

Trying to reproduce this I reinstalled 7.1.2 and added support for Visual Studio plugins ... still nothing

I ask for help now

Ulli




_________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[JJoel42]

We are looking into this issue. I have contacted the developers most familiar with this code and have asked them to identify what has changed, and see if there is anything you can do to avoid the error.

[slogan · Accepted solution]

The log file you are seeing complaints about is an optional DnD feature that we introduced recently to allow for configuration/control of drag and drop. The feature is experimental/prototypical in nature, and is not documented anywhere as of yet.

The error message about the missing log file is not related to any of the other error messages you see in that dialg. WS/Fusion does not require the log file to operate, and if missing, the feature that it supports is disabled. The dialog that you are seeing is an aggregation of independent issues.

You can work around the message for now by creating an empty version of the file:

<span class="mw-headline">Linux WS and Fusion

Using the touch command, create the file ~/.vmware/dndlogs/dndlog.conf (if necessary, create the directory dndlogs as well.

<span class="mw-headline"> Windows

Create the file c:\Users\All Users\Application Data\VMware\dndlogs\dndlog.conf

or

c:\ProgramData\VMware\dndlogs\dndlog.conf

I'm going to work on getting the error message to not display, so it doesn't cause further confusion in a future update. But the key takeaway is you can ignore the message about this missing conf file, or, if you choose, eliminate it by simply creating an empty version of the file.

Syd Logan

VMware

[continuum]

wow - that was quick

thanks

_________________________

VMX-parameters- WS FAQ -[ MOAcd|http://sanbarrow.com/moa241.html] - VMDK-Handbook

[PnwGuy]

This problem was first posted over 2 weeks ago but thanks JJoel42 and Slogan for responding quickly to Continuum's recent request. It's great to get definitive answers.

For what it's worth, it seems odd that VMware is using production releases for "experimental/prototypical" code? Most software companies have internal test builds, betas, etc. for that sort of thing rather than subjecting their customer base to undocumented, unproven changes and the inevitable bugs (like this one) that go along with them.

The stability of 7.x in general has not been very confidence inspiring given it's such a critical product (in effect an operating system) for most of us. I've spent way too many hours trying to solve VMware issues related to upgrades because of new problems being introduced.

In contrast, Windows 7 upgrades itself every week, and after 30 - 40 weekly updates, I've not had a single Win 7 problem. And Win 7 is a more complex product than Workstation. So it can be done.

[slogan]

Thanks for the comment. My statement that the feature is "prototypical" or "experimental" needs some explanation. VMware itself has not officially disclosed this work (yet), and the error message really is something you should never have seen. In that sense, maybe I should have referred to it a "hidden" feature, which is a much more accurate term for the feature.

Whatever you call it, the work was rigorously reviewed (both code and design), and tested. I labored quite a bit to ensure its robustness, and it was well tested at VMware before being accepted, and by a rather large customer after shipping.

My fault for not recognizing that this warning message might lead to confusion, and for that I apologize. There are plans remove it in an upcoming release.

Regards,

syd

[Zick]

Thank you JJoel and Slogan for finally stepping in and answering this issue. Hopefully this will fix the problem for others as well.

I am surprised that you would automatically enable an experimental/prototypical option instead of making it disabled by default but giving users the option to enable it but warning them that it's only experimental and may cause issues.

[RichardET]

I have opensuse and all I did was create a blank /dndlog/dndlog.conf file and problem goes away.

[EtreLibre]

When I want to plug an USB removable device, I get "dndlog.conf" error and "Driver error".

But, if I create c:\ProgramData\VMware\dndlogs\dndlog.conf there is not any dndlog.conf error but there is again "Driver error"...

Edit : I found how to fix that : "Driver error" is because VMware 7.1.2 does not refresh USB 3.0 devices, but 2.0 yes.

[shallow]

I'm using VMware Player 3.1.2 build-301548, Windows 7 Professional 64-bit host, Ubuntu 10.10 guest, VMware Tools is VMwareTools-8.4.4-301548.tar.gz.

Creating the empty file C:\ProgramData\VMware\dndlogs\dndlog.conf was also the workaround/solution to my problem.

I had no audio in the guest OS although VMware Player's sound card settings are "auto detect", "connect at power on" and "use default host sound card".

Before creating the empty dndlog.conf file, I would get the "Cannot open file" & "The default sound device cannot be opened:" error and had no audio in the guest.

After creating the file, the error is only "The default sound device cannot be opened:".

Once I have logged into the guest OS am I finally able to connect the sound card.

TL;DR: Audio now works in my guest OS.

[DrWhoIs]

i tried the solution as provided (creating an empty file at the right place)

but i'm still unable to use my lpt port in an XP vm

so how do i enable my lpt port again?

sure hope i don't have to downgrade to an earlier version...(quite unsure what i should expect doing just that)

tia,

marc

[continuum]

parallel port problems have nothing to do with the dndlog issue - please create a new post and provide some more info - such as vmware.log ...

[DrWhoIs]

sure it does

prior to the update i had no problems whatsoever

after the upgrade i got this error, and since the solution is provided here it's clear that it does not work

[continuum]

missing dndlog.conf is a completely harmless message - it usually appears when something completely unrelated but more serious happens.

To get rid of the message create the file in the expected location.

But keep in mind that this does not help in any way for the original problem.

[DrWhoIs]

that was the whole point

i created the file, vmware putted 2 other files in the same dir

but it didn't solve the lpt problem

the only change was the upgrade to 7.1.3 and that message....

[continuum]

the dndlog.conf issue was introduced with 7.0.* and it becomes more and more anoying with later versions - but it is harmless.

How often do I have to repeat that ???

It has nothing to do with your parallel port problem - so please create a new post for that and provide the data I already asked for

[deepvoice]

Maybe if the thread gets long enough....

I installed a fresh copy of Fedora 14 on a wiped system.

Installed VMware Workstation.

Trying to install a Windows Vista Ulimate guest. I get the same error but mine points to the lack of a 3D Driver as the issue (I have a Ge280)

This is my first user level VMware experience ... seems our relationship has gotten off to a bumpy start as I am now going to 3 more threads and post that I am having the same problems they are too. (System rebooting randomly, drivers not working correctly, Windows Vista Guest Reboots are rebooting my Fedora)

[deepvoice]

I love bugs that are "completely harmless" being a programmer myself.. this is usually my answer when A) The bug IS an issue B) I don't know why yet

Any bug is not "harmless". It is software that is having an issue great enough to cause a ex message. You want stable software make sure it doesn't trip all over itself all the time.. regardless if it doesn't cause you to actually fall down.

[continuum]

just for the record - I am not working for VMware - if I were and had something to say I would put WS 7 into the trashbin and start over at 6.5