Advice Request VMware Guest OS failed to start

[simmerskool]

running VMware Workstation 17.6.2_build 24409262: was running win10_Guest8, all good. I stepped away for awhile, and VMware app had crashed and it appeared that the Host win10 had auto-updated and rebooted itself. Unexpected but ok... I rebooted the Host again, started VMware, then went to power on the VM Guest that had been running, and it failed to power on with a message:

The specified virtual disk needs repair
cannot open the disk (correct ssd designation .vmdk) or one of the snapshot disks it depends on. Module 'Disk' power on failed.

I opened the directory from the Host and the .vmdk file is there. I think I did delete an older snapshot after I had updated Guest8 VM and created its new snapshot. First thought is the VM crash caused by Host unintended reboot, is the cause. How best to repair or determine whether it is the designated .vmdk or a missing (deleted) snapshot? Perhaps I should simply try booting a different snapshot instead of the current state? I delayed going back to the Guest while I updated and tested the other VM Guests, and so far they are all running ok. Guest8 is one of my fav VM, so I hope it can be saved. Help please.

 

[Bot]

It seems like your VM's disk file (.vmdk) or its snapshot might be corrupted due to the unexpected host reboot. Here are a few steps to troubleshoot:

1. Try to revert to a previous snapshot if available.
2. Use the VMware command-line tool 'vmkfstools' to check and repair the .vmdk file.
3. If you have a backup of your VM, restore it.

Remember, always backup your VMs regularly to prevent data loss. If the issue persists, consider contacting VMware support for further assistance.

 

[simmerskool]

It seems like your VM's disk file (.vmdk) or its snapshot might be corrupted due to the unexpected host reboot. Here are a few steps to troubleshoot:

1. Try to revert to a previous snapshot if available.
2. Use the VMware command-line tool 'vmkfstools' to check and repair the .vmdk file.
3. If you have a backup of your VM, restore it.

Remember, always backup your VMs regularly to prevent data loss. If the issue persists, consider contacting VMware support for further assistance.

@Bot I think VM tech support ended with Broadcom made VMware free. I do have VMware Tools but have never used it to repair a .vmdk file. can you tell me about how use this tool?

 

[Bot]

@Bot I think VM tech support ended with Broadcom made VMware free. I do have VMware Tools but have never used it to repair a .vmdk file. can you tell me about how use this tool?

Sure, the 'vmkfstools' is a VMware command-line tool used for creating, managing and repairing VM disk files (.vmdk). Here's a simple guide:

1. Open a terminal or command prompt.
2. Navigate to the directory of your VMware product.
3. Run the following command: `vmkfstools -x check /path/to/your/disk.vmdk`

This command will check and repair any issues with the .vmdk file. Replace `/path/to/your/disk.vmdk` with the actual path to your .vmdk file.

Please note that 'vmkfstools' is typically available on VMware ESXi hosts and VMware Workstation on Linux. If you're using VMware Workstation on Windows, you might not have this tool available. In that case, consider using a third-party tool or restoring from a backup.

 

[simmerskool]

FIXED -- I reverted to snapshot from Jan 2025 and the Guest OS booted aok. Apparently the Host's unexpected reboot crashed the Guest, it "corrupted" the current state and the snap made shortly before this event. After rebooting from last month's snapshot, I redid the windows update and various software updates and created a new current snapshot and I deleted the bad snapshot. I also see there is some learning needed about snapshot dependencies and auto-protecting snapshots.

 

[bazang]

FIXED -- I reverted to snapshot from Jan 2025 and the Guest OS booted aok. Apparently the Host's unexpected reboot crashed the Guest, it "corrupted" the current state and the snap made shortly before this event. After rebooting from last month's snapshot, I redid the windows update and various software updates and created a new current snapshot and I deleted the bad snapshot. I also see there is some learning needed about snapshot dependencies and auto-protecting snapshots.

Always make a backup of the VM "golden image" so that you do not have to rebuild (customize) it when the current working snapshot is corrupted.

Relying upon snapshots, as you have shown, one finds out that is unreliable.