Attempting to delete VM template from disk fails with ConfigSpec.files.vmPathName error

[ckormendy]

I'm working with a vSphere 6.7 system and I am attempting to use the vSphere UI to perform a "Delete from Disk" operation for a VM template that is failing with error:

"A specified parameter was not correct: ConfigSpec.files.vmPathName"

Using the Datastore UI to review files at the location for the VM template shows that someone must have deleted the files from the relevant Datastore path, leaving what appears to be some sort of zombie VM template.

I've tried creating a directory in the Datastore with the relevant directory name.  I still get the same error.  I've tried creating a zero byte .vmtx file in the directory.  Still failing with the same error.

Any ideas as to how I might delete the zombie VM template from vSphere?  Is there a way to review the ConfigSpec.files.vmPathName data to see what its value is?

[lmcodn]

Hi. Have you found a solution for this?  I am having a very similar issue with a VM template that I can't remove from inventory.  I'm also not finding much useful information on a solution. Thanks.

[ckormendy]

Unfortunately not.  It is a back burner/nuisance issue for me at the moment and I haven't had a chance to do any more research on the topic.

Something that I've been meaning to try is to execute "Remove From Inventory" and then delete the relevant folder from the Datastore.  Maybe "Remove From Inventory" will be sufficient to clean up the relevant data from the vSphere database.

[lmcodn · Accepted solution]

Thanks for responding.  I put a ticket in with VMware support and got a reply to just "remove from Inventory" as you had suggested.  That worked for me.  I don't even know why I hadn't tried that.  There was next to no information out there that I could find.

[ckormendy]

Thank you for poking at this as well.  I've now tried "Remove From Inventory" as well and that worked for me.