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ppound
Contributor
Contributor
‎08-12-2020 05:23 AM
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Error: Can't open parent of this virtual disk

Hello everyone, since tomorrow morning, I'm unable to open one of my VM, getting the following error message:

File not found: V:\Development\Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001.vmdk

This file is required to power on this virtual machine. If this file was moved, specify the new location.

Which seems strange to me because till yesterday it was working fine and the file "Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001.vmdk" is present in the directory.

How can I solve it?

No snapshots are visible from the GUI and I'm using SPARSE disks

Disk File:

  • V:\Development\Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002.vmdk

Directory Listing:

Directory of V:\Development

12/08/2020  14:17    <DIR>          .

12/08/2020  14:17    <DIR>          ..

15/06/2020  10:46    <DIR>          caches

12/08/2020  14:14    <DIR>          Development.vmx.lck

11/08/2020  18:09                 0 Development.vmsd

12/08/2020  12:13             4.732 Development.vmx

11/08/2020  18:09               266 Development.vmxf

11/08/2020  18:09     8.388.608.000 Development-Snapshot2.vmem

12/08/2020  14:17             6.411 out-dir.txt

12/08/2020  09:52            84.089 vmware.log

11/08/2020  19:53            83.824 vmware-0.log

11/08/2020  18:54            84.079 vmware-1.log

11/08/2020  18:52            84.842 vmware-2.log

11/08/2020  18:48             1.784 Windows 10 x64-cl2.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19             1.728 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:12     1.935.409.152 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s003.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:13     2.997.223.424 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s004.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:16     3.418.095.616 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s005.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:18     3.483.041.792 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s006.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:17     1.425.670.144 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s007.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:20     1.832.189.952 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s008.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19     1.027.538.944 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s009.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s010.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s011.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s012.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s013.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s014.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s015.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s016.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s017.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s018.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s019.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s020.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s021.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s022.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s023.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s024.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s025.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:19           131.072 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s026.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29             1.735 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:21     1.710.555.136 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s001.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:21     1.453.260.800 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s002.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:22     1.418.133.504 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s003.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:23     1.294.794.752 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s004.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:24     1.404.502.016 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s005.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:26     2.161.836.032 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s006.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:26     1.590.099.968 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s007.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29     2.566.324.224 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s008.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:28     2.050.621.440 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s009.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:33     3.892.314.112 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s010.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29        80.084.992 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s011.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s012.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s013.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s014.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s015.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s016.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s017.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s018.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s019.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s020.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s021.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s022.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s023.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s024.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s025.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:29           131.072 Windows 10 x64-cl2-000002-s026.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:34     4.050.255.872 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s001.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:38     4.255.711.232 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s002.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:36     2.047.082.496 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s003.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:41     4.219.863.040 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s004.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:43     4.261.281.792 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s005.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:46     4.261.871.616 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s006.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48     4.253.483.008 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s007.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:51     4.227.334.144 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s008.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48       395.837.440 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s009.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s010.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s011.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s012.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s013.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s014.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s015.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s016.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s017.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s018.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s019.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s020.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s021.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s022.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s023.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s024.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           524.288 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s025.vmdk

11/08/2020  18:48           262.144 Windows 10 x64-cl2-s026.vmdk

              88 File(s) 76.128.019.666 bytes

               4 Dir(s)  290.089.984.000 bytes free

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1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
a_p_
Leadership
Leadership
‎08-12-2020 06:15 AM
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If no backup is available, you can replace the two missing files with one of the other .vmdk files, e.g. "Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s011.vmdk" which - according to its file size - has just metadata, but no user data. However, due to the file sizes of the other .s001 und .s002 files, this will obviously result in data loss, and possible corruption.

If you do that, I'd recommend that you create another snapshot before powering on the VM, so that you will be able to revert to the current state if thing become worse.

Issues like this may be caused by storing VMs on external drives (e.g. improperly disconnected), an A/V scanner without *.vm* files excluded, disk sapce issues, ... Anyway it's hard to find out what really causes such issues, and the only reliable way to protect yourself from this is to run a regular backup

André

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5 Replies
a_p_
Leadership
Leadership
‎08-12-2020 05:39 AM
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It's not the descriptor file itself that's missing, but som of the required files (Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s001.vmdk and Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s002.vmdk) which make up the virtual disk.

André

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ppound
Contributor
Contributor
‎08-12-2020 05:47 AM
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Oh, I see. Thank you for the heads up! I'll then have to restore from backup.

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ppound
Contributor
Contributor
‎08-12-2020 05:50 AM
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I'm sorry André, what do you think it happens if I point it to one of the other disks?

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership
‎08-12-2020 06:15 AM
Jump to solution

If no backup is available, you can replace the two missing files with one of the other .vmdk files, e.g. "Windows 10 x64-cl2-000001-s011.vmdk" which - according to its file size - has just metadata, but no user data. However, due to the file sizes of the other .s001 und .s002 files, this will obviously result in data loss, and possible corruption.

If you do that, I'd recommend that you create another snapshot before powering on the VM, so that you will be able to revert to the current state if thing become worse.

Issues like this may be caused by storing VMs on external drives (e.g. improperly disconnected), an A/V scanner without *.vm* files excluded, disk sapce issues, ... Anyway it's hard to find out what really causes such issues, and the only reliable way to protect yourself from this is to run a regular backup

André

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ppound
Contributor
Contributor
‎08-12-2020 08:15 AM
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Thank you very much, luckily it worked.

I've also restored the VM from a precedent backup, just in case

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