ignore missing virtual disk

[rio8134]

i would need VMware Player to ignore a missing virtual disk. The virtual disk is for data, it resides on a removeable device and I need it rarely. I would prefer to have it always configured, and optionally present.

(First exact reason and exact problem: it is a disk and not a shared folder because Microsoft SQL Server requires backup data, to restore, to be on a local disk, not on a network disk or network location. Key point is BACKUP DATA, on RESTORE. And I would then also put there BACKUP DATA, on BACKUP occasion. My data is large enough that it warrants the feature, that is storing on a host-removeable disk.)

(Second, additional road block is that I cannot attach this specific 7200rpm in an external USB3 enclosure to the VM. VMware Workstation Player does not handle connection of this USB3 enclosure as a removeable device to the VM. )

(Third road block: I do have even two different 7200 rpm+USB3 enclosures and both of them do not connect to the VM. Other, branded external, 5400rpm, USB3 disks do connect as removeable devices to the VM in VMware Player,  But then I would lose using this 7200rpm/USB3 device that I do have. )

This is how I attempted to solve. VMware Player is version 15.0.2. Perhaps there are other auto-detecting solutions.

This was already asked in 2013 by byroncollege and didn't get a solution. See Ignore missing virtual disk and boot anyway?

Thank you

[daphnissov]

Although I cannot directly answer you question as you've asked it (I highly doubt there is a solution like the one you envision), one possibility is for you to make this backup disk available on the network via an in-guest iSCSI mount from Windows. Windows OS will see it as a local disk and therefore Management Studio can restore from it, and if it is absent it will not affect the virtual machine's configuration, only from an in-guest configuration.

[wila]

Hi,

It is pretty simple to ignore a missing disk by editing the .vmx file with a plain text editor.

It is however not something I would normally recommend as I am not a fan of manually editing the virtual machine hardware configuration.

But it is basically just a matter of opening the vmx file in notepad.

First shut down the VM then:

Locate the disk in question and change the line:

scsi0:1.Present = "TRUE"

into

scsi0:1.Present = "FALSE"

Where the "scsi0:1" is an example and it depends on your disk configuration on what it really is, it can be "ide"/"nvme"/"sata" or "scsi" and the numbers are probably also different.

If you want the disk to show up again shut down the VM and change it back into TRUE.

--

Wil

[daphnissov]

It sounds like OP is looking for a way to automatically ignore absence of a virtual disk if not detected (i.e., without manual intervention in one form or another).

[wila]

Hi Chip,

There's an even worse idea to handle that as manually editing vmx files.

Keeping 2 vmx files and hope it never ever gets out of sync like for example by taking snapshots.

As we are in the VMware Player section... one should not be able to create snapshots, so it could work.

I do however advise against it as it increases the risk of shooting yourself in the foot by quite a bit.

VMware Player does not have anything automatic or GUI only for this requirement.

--

Wil

[daphnissov]

Oh yes, I'm fully aware of all this, I'm just pointing out what OP hopes to accomplish and the likely eventuality that it's not possible (and hence a possible alternate).