Help with bad file move and missing snapshot

[VMWareLearner60]

All,

Last night I attempted to move my VM (with a single snapshot) from one datastore to another. In doing so, one of the files must not have copied because when  I tried to power on the machine it complained about a file being missing (I don't remember what). One of the threads I read said to remove and readd the virtual drive. When I did this, the machine now boots up but it's missing the data from the single snapshot file. The problem is that the base OS (without the snapshot) is over a month old now.

How do I go about "fixing" this so that the VM boots up with the snapshot attached? I have both the original vmdk and a second file with the server name and then "-000001-delta.vmdk".

What files can I provide to help with this issue?

THANK YOU!

[continuum]

> One of the threads I read said to remove and readd the virtual drive.
Bad advice - this often results in exactly what you described.
Power off the VM immediatly and provide the following files: connect to the datastore  with WinSCP and download:
vmx-file
vmsd-file
all small vmdk files without flat/ sparse or sesparse in the name.
last 3 vmware.logs

[VMWareLearner60]

Files attached.

Thank you!

[VMWareLearner60]

For some reason I can't edit my previous post; the files attached are any and all files in the directory (with the exception of the .nvram file) at or under 300KB.

[continuum]

So do you have no vmdk-files at all ?

[VMWareLearner60]

I have a "DC2.vmdk" and a "DC2-000001-delta.vmdk". Those are the only two vmdk's I have.

[continuum]

Please check with WinSCP !
Datastorebrowser is not useful in this case.
You should have :
DC2.vmdk
DC2-flat.vmdk

DC2-000001-delta.vmdk
DC2-000001.vmdk

[VMWareLearner60]

EDIT

ls -la

total 197829664

drwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          2240 Feb 13 02:59 .

drwxr-xr-x    1 root     root           420 Feb 13 02:41 ..

-rw-------    1 root     root     41507143680 Feb 13 02:45 DC2-000001-delta.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root     161061273600 Feb 13 02:59 DC2-flat.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root          8684 Feb 13 02:41 DC2.nvram

-rw-------    1 root     root           493 Feb 13 02:45 DC2.vmdk

-rw-------    1 root     root            43 Feb 13 02:41 DC2.vmsd

-rw-------    1 root     root          2726 Feb 13 02:59 DC2.vmx

-rw-------    1 root     root          3863 Feb 13 02:41 DC2.vmxf

-rw-------    1 root     root        259787 Feb 13 02:59 vmware-10.log

-rw-------    1 root     root         56529 Feb 13 02:59 vmware-5.log

-rw-------    1 root     root         56743 Feb 13 02:59 vmware-6.log

-rw-------    1 root     root         56743 Feb 13 02:59 vmware-7.log

-rw-------    1 root     root         56743 Feb 13 02:45 vmware-8.log

-rw-------    1 root     root         56529 Feb 13 02:45 vmware-9.log

-rw-------    1 root     root        247451 Feb 13 02:59 vmware.log

[continuum]

Ok
I need DC2.vmdk and will create a new descriptor-vmdk for DC2-000001.vmdk

[VMWareLearner60]

Attached

[continuum · Accepted solution]

Ok
1. remove VM from inventory - make sure NOT to delete it from disk
2. upload the 3 files with WinSCP - this will overwrite the vmx-file and the the existing DC2.vmdk and add one new file
3. register VM again
4. create new snapshot with Snapshotmanager
5. MOMENT OF TRUTH: start VM
If you used the VM too long without the missing snapshot the guestOS will require a checkdisk at startup.
Be patient and allow this checkdisk to finish - it may take hours ....
If all works well after the checkdisk power off the VM and use Delete All button in snapshotmanager.
Report result.

[VMWareLearner60]

HOLY COW, that looks like it worked!!!!

I'm in the process of deleting the snapshots now (as instructed) but the server booted up and the additional data from the snapshot is there. As this was the DHCP server, I don't want to bring it back online during business hours. I'll readd it after business hours and report back if it's ok (though I suspect it will be).

THANK YOU AGAIN! If I can buy you a beer / coffee / etc, PLEASE let me know.

[continuum]

> If I can buy you a beer / coffee / etc, PLEASE let me know.
We can talk about that  if you ever run into a really serious issue in the future.

[VMWareLearner60]

Much appreciated and, let me tell you, it may not seem like this was a serious issue to you but it absolutely was to me. THANK YOU again for saving my bacon and my days of "moving" (vs "copying) VMs are over.