Invalid VM

[baubau01]

    Hey Guys,

So this VM was running on ESX9 and turn it off then moved it while off to ESX15. When tried to bring it up got error cuz it can`t lock the file etc.

So moved it back to ESX9 but it comes as Invalid and it looks like the VMX is 0KB. What happened ? I need to get that VM running again. Just create a new VM with a different name and give this old VM`s HDDs to it ?

What`s the best way to fix this..

Pic attached.

Thanks

[DSTAVERT]

How was the VM moved? Did the VM have snapshots? It may be as simple as creating a new VM and using the existing disks but more information is needed.  Please blackout information about inside server names. IP addresses etc. Bad security practice.

[baubau01]

no snapshots. moved it by migrate host while VM was off.

[DSTAVERT]

The VM was migrated between datastores or just hosts. If migrated between datastores is there anything that might have interrupted the move?    The VMX file can be recreated from the vmware*log files but it should ideally be from the most current ones.

[baubau01]

just between hosts. no datastore.

[DSTAVERT]

The VMX file is just a text file with the description of your VM, disks, controller etc. I will guess that the vmware.log file does not have valid information. Pick the newest vmware*.log log file and post it here.

[DSTAVERT]

If there have been no major changes in the host try posting vmware-5.log or a date that closely precedes the move.

[baubau01]

Posted logs 5 and 6.

[DSTAVERT]

See if this gets you going. Upload and rename the VMX file to match the current one.

[baubau01]

I can`t even add it to the Invetory anymore. It`s just a file. I used to right click on vmx file and add it to invetory...

[baubau01]

is it best to just create a new VM and attach somehow those 3 drives and that`s it ?

[DSTAVERT]

Try recreating the VM. You mention 3 disks but there appears to be only a single VMDK file. Is this a disk with three partitions?

[DSTAVERT]

When you re create the VM don't add disks. Move the existing disk to the new folder. When complete go back and add an existing vmdk and browse to the vmdk.

[baubau01]

wow something very nasty happened. So we had 3 drives. OS, LOGS, SQL DATA the other 2 LOGS and DATA are on a different datastore. but either way it shouldn`t matter.

So I boot up this new created vm with the old vm hdd c and blue screens on me nothing I can do... Thanks god it was a newly created server and not a critical one.

Most likely will give up on this one. and start again

[DSTAVERT]

I would look through the vCenter events / tasks to see what was done to the VM. The vmware logs I saw only had a single drive so you might also want to look further back to see when things were valid.

[DSTAVERT]

You also need to take down your images. There is far too much information to display in a public forum. Any time you post black out ot obscure IP addresses and server names.