VMWare Workstation 12 Pro - Unable to Open File XXX.VDMK The system cannot find the file specified

[JArmstrong85]

I have multiple VMs, but when I tried opening this VM today, it wasn't working. I was getting that the VDMK cannot be found, but when I look in the directory I see it. I notice that it is missing in my harddisk, but I don't know how to get it back working. I looked through other forums and I've tried deleting vmx.lck folder (that didn't work). I also tried copying this whole VM directory to another location (getting same error).

[bluefirestorm]

It looks like the VM vmdk are intact.

I think the problem is in the vmx configuration

scsi0:1.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:1.fileName = "Windows 10 x64 - GAF.vmdk"

scsi0:0.present = "FALSE"

should be changed to

scsi0:1.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.fileName = "Windows 10 x64 - GAF.vmdk"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

The strikeout represents remove.

If you want to play safe, you can back up the entire VM and then edit the VM configuration. Alternatively to hand edit through text editor is use the GUI, to remove the virtual hard disk (if it allows you to) and add the existing virtual hard disk again.

[JArmstrong85]

So I edited those files as mentioned through notepad and that didn't work. I can't edit that Hard Drive on Workstation. One thing I did notice is that I'm missing I think one of the partitions (see screenshot). I was looking up other forums and I tried to duplicate another similar file and rename it, but that was unsuccessful as well. I ended up getting insufficient permissions error. I don't know if me missing that file is the root, but I don't know how it was lost.

[bluefirestorm]

Sorry about that I didn't realise that number 13 was missing.

After I sent out my initial reply, it looks like the scsi settings were the same as the last vmware.log.

It is likely because of the missing number 13 vmdk that is the problem.

There are other people in this forum that are more knowledgeable in recovering VMDKs and lost files. But I would think it is best not to mess around with the disk especially with such a large file missing. The more writes that occurs the less likely it will be recoverable.

[continuum · Accepted solution]

> I was looking up other forums and I tried to duplicate another similar file and rename it, but that was unsuccessful as well.
The approach is the correct one. You need to replace the missing *-s013.vmdk with a blank one.
Please explain what exactly went wrong with that approach and what exactly you did.

[JArmstrong85]

Ok, so that did work. I actually first copied 12 and renamed the new one 13. Looking back at the previous thread they took a newer one and renamed it. So I took 14 and renamed it 13 and that ended up working for me.

[continuum]

Basically both would work.
But if you pick a slice that is already populated checkdisk will have more problems than it will have with a newly created slice.