To resolve this issue, create a new virtual machine and add the existing virtual disk (
.vmdk
) file to the newly created VM.
Note: This process creates a new MAC address for the network card(s) and may cause issues with software that is dependent on a virtual machines MAC address.
To create a new virtual machine configuration file and point it to the existing
.vmdk
file:
- Log in to the HTML5 web client as an administrator.
- Right-click the affected virtual machine and click Remove from Inventory.
- Right-click an ESXi host.
- Click New Virtual Machine.
- Select Create a new virtual machine.
- Go through the Create New Virtual Machine wizard selecting the same/similar settings of the original VM.
- Select Add New Device > Existing Hard Disk and browse to the .
vmdk
file (add additional Hard Disks as needed). - Complete the Create New Virtual Machine wizard.
This procedure recreates the configuration file (
.vmx
) for the virtual machine and other supporting files. You can now start the virtual machine from the Inventory of the vSphere Client.
Note: Although there are differences in the GUI, the same logic can be used in older versions of ESXi.
For a scripted method, reference
Rebuilding the virtual machine's .vmx file from vmware.log (1023880).
For more information, see: