Error The file is too large after uppgrading to Workstation 6.0

[Per_s]

Win2003 Srv Sp1 (File Server)

Win XP Sp2

Vmware workstation 6.0

Vmplayer 2.0

Hi

We hava all our vmware machine one a file server, so we open them over the network.

But after upgrading to vmware workstation 6.0 and vmplayer 2.0 we can not longer start the vmware machine. Only ger error to large file.

***************

VMware Workstation cannot open one of the virtual disks needed by this VM because it is larger than the maximum file size supported by the host file system. Some remote file systems do not support files larger than 2 GB, even though the file system on the server might.

Cannot open the disk '
Pc1\vmachine\VMPlayer\Desktop\Win2K_AG90\Windows 2000 Server-000001.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.

Reason: The file is too large.

***************

If we copy the machine to the local computer or start it on the server it works ok.

Do any one have iny information regarding this.

Regards

Per S

[KevinG]

WS 6 & Player 2.0 is more strict on not allowing the user to run a virtual disk that can grow larger than what the filesystem can support.

It maybe that WS 6 is unable to determine if the remote file server can support files > 2GB.

What is the type of file server and what is the format of the remote file system?

[curts]

I have the same problem. Windows XP running Workstation v6 build 45731. The virtual machine's files are on an external USB drive formatted HFS+ (I am running MacDrive v7 to access the HFS+ formatted drive).

[asatoran]

Just curious, any reason why you left the external drive as HFS? I though OSX could handle FAT32 and NTFS. (Or do you need to use the drive with a OS8/OS9 Mac.)

[Per_s]

The files are located on a

Win2003 Server Standard Sp2

NTFS

The Client Win Xp Sp2

WS 6 & Player 2.0

[RDPetruska]

Per_s: Use a mapped drive letter. Another user had the exact same issue trying to use a UNC path virtual disk.

[KevinG]

Are you using a mapped network drive letter or UNC path?

[curts]

The external drive is HFS because I also use the Fusion beta on my MacBook Pro. OSX can handle R/W of FAT32, but FAT32 has limits on the file size (VMs easily grow past the 4GB limit, not to mention FAT32s other obvious shortcomings) and OSX can only READ NTFS - it can't write (there are purported solutions like MacFusion/ntfs3g, but they do not work...with Vmware anyway).

So, this left me with the more stable MacDrive product to be able to read/write HFS on my Windows machine...allowing me to keep my VMs on an external disk and plug it in to either my PC or Mac based VMware Workstation.

I am curious to hear of others' experience/solutions.

Thanks

Curt

[continuum]

you can try to disable the over-eager filesystem-check of WS 6 - see http://sanbarrow.com/vmx/vmx-advanced.html#disklib

[asatoran]

Hmm, yeah, well, some of the reasons I have the VMDKs split into 2GB on my Windows machines is so I can edit the VMDK header file and my network and server doesn't have enough throughput to deal with copying really big files.

My friend told me about MacFUSE. I can't use it because you need 10.4 to use it. (I only have 10.3.) But I'm assuming you have 10.4.

http://www.hackszine.com/blog/archive/2007/06/howto_readwrite_to_ntfs_drives.html

[VirtualKenneth]

I'm having the same problem. I've, for test purposes, converted a system to VMware 5.x format. When trying to start it in Workstation6 i'm getting the error.

Will try to disable the file system check as stated above.

[Per_s]

Sorry some other stuff did come in the way,

But a can verify by using a mapped network drive letter it works ok.

So this seems to be a little issue regarding UNC path.

Thanks for all the help

Per

[bluecollarit]

Looks like this issue may be solved but not closed. What is the size of the disk and what is the vmware format? in other words is it a monolithic growable disk larger than 2 gb? If so have you tried converting it to growable with 2GB slices?

[bluecollarit]

thanks

Message was edited by:

bluecollarit

[curts]

This worked. I am now able to run my VMs from an external USB drive, formatted with HFS, using MacDrive (ver 7.0.6) when I am working on my Windows XP box (obviously the MacBook Pro can access the HFS drive natively).

Thanks!!

[Flicka]

Some of you (like myself) may be looking at your newly converted PC or server in the Workstation v6 workspace and wondering how you get WK6 to notice that the drive letter mapped folder on your local drive is the same thing as the UNC mapped share you just used to convert the old, currently running (or backup file) physical machine. Look everywhere, and you won't find a way to tell WK6 that the configuration file is now local. In my case, I did this in order to virtualize my old Thinkpad as a VM on my new one, so everything is[/b] local.

Right-click on the VM's tab at the top of the workspace and choose close[/b]. Now navigate to the VMDK file on the local file system using the 3rd button down on the WK6 workspace and double-click. WK6 will complain about moving the configuration files, which you just did... sort of

Now everything should work-- no more complaining about incompatible file systems.

Note to VMware: a warning about this in the setup dialogue would have saved me some time-- just a thought!

[StockTrader]

Hello,

thanks for your reply! This was extremely helpful!

Kind regards,

Marco - StockTrader