vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -- The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

[shmu26]

I am trying to convert an expandable disk to a pre-allocated one.

I rebooted, but I still get the error message "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process".

This is the command I am running in cmd.exe:

vmware-vdiskmanager.exe C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation>vmware-vdiskmanager.exe -r "C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10\Win10-disk1.vmdk" -t 2 "C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10\Win10-pre-allocated-disk1.vmdk"

I tried copying the existing vmdk file to a different partition, and running the command with the new path, but I got the same error.

When I tried running the command in terminal of Ubuntu, I got an error message that the file is not found.

[a_p_]

Although I assume that the command line that you've posted is the result of a copy&paste issue, please try the following:

• open cmd.exe in elevated mode (right click -> "Run as Administrator")
• cd /d "C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10"
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -r Win10-disk1.vmdk -t 2 Win10-pre-allocated-disk1.vmdk

Just to clarify, is the source .vmdk a monolithic virtual disk (a single, large .vmdk file), or is is split into multiple .vmdk files. In case of a split virtual disk, please verify that none of the files is missing.

André

[shmu26]

Thanks.

Now I am getting a Windows error message: This app can't run on your PC

And cmd returns this error: Access is denied.

This is the sequence, in an elevated command prompt:

C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10>"C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\vmware-vdiskmanager.exe" -r Win10-disk1.vmdk -t 2 Win10-pre-allocated-disk1.vmdk

Access is denied.

[a_p_]

Ok, let's see what may be causing this:

• which host OS do you use?
• which VMware Workstation version do you use?
• please post the output of the dir command from the VM's directory

André

[shmu26]

Windows 10 x64 1809

Workstation 15.0.2 build-10952284

output from dir:

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation>dir

Volume in drive C has no label.

Volume Serial Number is E019-DDBD

Directory of C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          .

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          ..

11/21/18  01:22 AM         1,160,112 7za.exe

11/21/18  01:22 AM            94,128 adjperm.dll

11/21/18  01:28 AM            49,072 basichttp.dll

10/20/16  05:11 PM           395,456 DIFXAPI.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM           997,296 diskLibWrapper.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM             1,236 dispatcher.xml

11/21/18  01:22 AM           513,968 drvInst64.exe

11/21/18  01:28 AM           210,352 elevated.dll

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          env

12/12/18  10:02 AM             3,117 environments.xml

11/21/18  01:03 AM           112,851 EULA.jp.rtf

11/21/18  01:03 AM            34,900 EULA.rtf

11/21/18  01:03 AM            73,590 EULA.zh_CN.rtf

11/21/18  01:29 AM           141,744 expat.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM         1,028,528 glib-2.0.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM           446,896 glibmm-2.4.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM            31,664 gmodule-2.0.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM           248,752 gobject-2.0.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM            25,520 gthread-2.0.dll

11/21/18  01:28 AM         5,412,272 gvmomi.dll

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          hostd

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          ico

11/21/18  01:29 AM           940,464 iconv.dll

11/21/18  01:21 AM         9,609,648 icudt44l.dat

11/21/18  01:24 AM            79,280 intl.dll

11/21/18  01:21 AM             5,175 isoimages_manifest.txt

11/21/18  01:21 AM           165,816 libcds.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM           402,352 libcurl.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM         1,364,912 libeay32.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM         2,035,120 libxml2.dll

11/21/18  01:00 AM        57,602,048 linux.iso

11/21/18  01:00 AM        54,939,648 linuxPreGlibc25.iso

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          messages

11/21/18  01:21 AM           440,848 mkisofs.exe

11/21/18  01:27 AM            28,685 netadapter.inf

11/21/18  01:27 AM             4,408 netbridge.inf

11/21/18  01:27 AM             3,420 netuserif.inf

11/21/18  01:01 AM           540,672 netware.iso

11/21/18  01:29 AM           186,288 nfc-types.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM           470,960 openssl.exe

11/21/18  01:03 AM           726,629 open_source_licenses.txt

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          OVFTool

11/21/18  01:01 AM           213,443 ovftool_open_source_licenses.txt

11/21/18  01:16 AM           368,056 pcre.dll

11/21/18  01:03 AM               136 readme.txt

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          Resources

11/21/18  01:24 AM            46,000 sigc-2.0.dll

11/21/18  01:01 AM        16,832,512 solaris.iso

11/21/18  01:29 AM           309,168 ssleay32.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM           472,496 ssoclient.dll

11/21/18  01:28 AM         1,420,957 swagger.zip

11/21/18  01:16 AM         1,471,320 sysimgbase.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM             1,689 tagExtractor.xml

11/21/18  01:21 AM               451 tools-key.pub

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          tools-upgraders

01/05/18  08:56 PM           944,880 TPClnRDP.dll

11/13/17  02:47 PM         5,966,576 TPClnt.dll

11/13/17  02:47 PM           138,480 TPClntdeu.dll

11/13/17  02:47 PM           129,784 TPClntjpn.dll

11/13/17  02:47 PM           135,408 TPClntloc.dll

01/05/18  08:59 PM           268,024 TPClnVM.dll

10/18/17  03:05 PM           228,592 tppcoipw32.dll

10/18/17  03:05 PM           227,576 tprdpw32.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM        19,385,776 vim-types.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM         1,548,288 VirtualPrinter-Linux.iso

11/21/18  01:29 AM        27,820,032 VirtualPrinter-Windows.iso

11/21/18  01:29 AM         5,345,712 vix.dll

11/21/18  01:16 AM           985,600 vixDiskMountApi.dll

11/21/18  01:21 AM           465,016 vixDiskMountServer.exe

11/21/18  01:21 AM             1,232 vixwrapper-product-config.txt

11/21/18  01:21 AM            38,366 vm-support.vbs

11/21/18  01:29 AM         4,158,384 vmacore.dll

11/21/18  01:28 AM           711,088 vmappcfg.dll

11/21/18  01:28 AM           443,824 vmappsdk.dll

11/21/18  01:28 AM         3,276,208 vmapputil.dll

11/21/18  01:16 AM            89,520 vmauthd.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM           163,248 vmclientcore.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM           265,648 vmdbCOM.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM            78,256 vmdkShellExt.dll

11/21/18  01:22 AM           129,968 vmeventmsg.dll

11/21/18  01:27 AM           396,208 vmnat.exe

11/21/18  01:27 AM            46,040 vmnet.sys

11/21/18  01:27 AM            10,659 vmnetadapter.cat

11/21/18  01:27 AM            46,040 vmnetAdapter.sys

11/21/18  01:27 AM             9,504 vmnetbridge.cat

11/21/18  01:27 AM           103,432 vmnetBridge.dll

11/21/18  01:27 AM            66,600 vmnetBridge.sys

11/21/18  01:29 AM         3,732,912 vmnetcfg.exe

11/21/18  01:27 AM           374,192 VMnetDHCP.exe

11/21/18  01:27 AM             9,293 vmnetuserif.cat

11/21/18  01:27 AM            43,992 vmnetUserif.sys

11/21/18  01:29 AM         2,282,416 vmomi.dll

11/21/18  01:16 AM           463,280 vmPerfmon.dll

11/21/18  01:15 AM               789 vmPerfmon.h

11/21/18  01:15 AM             2,962 vmPerfmon.ini

11/21/18  01:28 AM         1,817,008 vmplayer.exe

11/21/18  01:31 AM         5,243,824 vmrest.exe

11/21/18  01:29 AM           469,936 vmrun.exe

11/21/18  01:29 AM           669,616 vmss2core.exe

11/21/18  01:21 AM            53,688 vmUpdateLauncher.exe

11/21/18  01:16 AM           100,784 vmware-authd.exe

11/21/18  01:29 AM        15,446,960 vmware-hostd.exe

11/21/18  01:28 AM           709,552 vmware-kvm.exe

11/21/18  01:28 AM         4,515,248 vmware-remotemks.exe

11/21/18  01:24 AM            97,712 vmware-shell-ext-thunker.exe

11/21/18  01:29 AM            53,680 vmware-tray-helper.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM           125,872 vmware-tray.exe

11/21/18  01:28 AM           214,448 vmware-unity-helper.exe

12/16/18  12:22 AM                 0 vmware-vdiskmanager.exe

11/21/18  01:29 AM         2,402,224 vmware.exe

11/21/18  01:16 AM         6,790,064 vmwarebase.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM        13,634,992 vmwarecui.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM            63,920 vmwarestring.dll

11/21/18  01:24 AM         5,827,504 vmwarewui.dll

11/21/18  01:27 AM           134,104 vnetinst.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM         1,067,440 vnetlib.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM         1,043,888 vnetlib.exe

11/21/18  01:29 AM         1,266,096 vnetlib64.dll

11/21/18  01:29 AM         1,238,448 vnetlib64.exe

11/21/18  01:27 AM           278,448 vnetsniffer.exe

11/21/18  01:27 AM           273,328 vnetstats.exe

11/21/18  01:22 AM            29,616 vprintproxy.exe

11/21/18  01:01 AM       121,536,512 windows.iso

11/21/18  01:00 AM        14,090,240 winPre2k.iso

11/21/18  01:00 AM        87,752,704 winPreVista.iso

12/12/18  10:02 AM    <DIR>          x64

11/21/18  01:22 AM           306,608 zip.exe

11/21/18  01:24 AM            91,568 zlib1.dll

             120 File(s)    529,543,892 bytes

              10 Dir(s)  157,810,233,344 bytes free

[a_p_]

The file list I'd like to see is the one from the VM's folder, i.e. "C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10".

André

[shmu26]

C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10>dir

Volume in drive C has no label.

Volume Serial Number is E019-DDBD

Directory of C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10

12/16/18  09:08 PM    <DIR>          .

12/16/18  09:08 PM    <DIR>          ..

12/12/18  10:16 AM    <DIR>          caches

12/16/18  03:48 PM             8,684 nvram

12/16/18  10:49 AM           253,130 vmware-0.log

12/16/18  08:59 AM           340,882 vmware-1.log

12/16/18  07:43 AM           250,205 vmware-2.log

12/16/18  03:48 PM           421,045 vmware.log

12/16/18  10:49 AM             2,271 vprintproxy-0.log

12/16/18  08:59 AM             2,271 vprintproxy-1.log

12/16/18  07:43 AM             2,273 vprintproxy-2.log

12/16/18  03:48 PM             2,276 vprintproxy.log

12/16/18  05:46 PM    26,838,958,080 Win10-disk1.vmdk

12/15/18  06:44 PM                95 Win10.vmsd

12/16/18  03:48 PM             3,912 Win10.vmx

12/06/18  12:48 PM             3,592 Win10.vmxf

              13 File(s) 26,840,248,716 bytes

               3 Dir(s)  156,951,977,984 bytes free

[a_p_]

I can't see any thing unusual.

Just to have that checked, please run the two following commands from the VM's folder (C:\Users\ME\Virtual Machines\Win10):

• cacls . (please note the dot in the command)
• cacls Win10-disk1.vmdk

and post the output.

Does your A/V do on-access scanning for .vmdk files? Which A/V application do you use?

Can you please run the vmware-vdiskmanager command again in the way I mentioned earlier, but this time from a "normal" command prompt (i.e. not elevated), to see whether this also returns an error.

André

[continuum · Accepted solution]

12/16/18  12:22 AM

0 vmware-vdiskmanager.exe

looks like the binary is corrupt !

[shmu26]

Good catch!

Reinstall?

[continuum]

Try the repair function first. Delete the corrupt binary before you try.

[shmu26]

I ran repair, before I saw your last message.

A search on my computer showed the new and fixed exe file in the VMWare program folder, alongside the 0 byte file, which I then deleted.

But I found a 0 byte file with the same name somewhere in the Windows directory, I think in system32, which I also deleted, and another one in the folder containing the actual VM. Is there supposed to be so many of them? Should I copy the good file to those locations?

[continuum]

In a normal setup vmware-vdiskmanager.exe is copied to the VMware program folder only.
Delete the file from all other locations.

[shmu26]

Just out of curiosity, where can I expect to see a performance boost from using a pre-allocated, monolithic file?

In system startup and launching of applications? Other?

[continuum]

The assumption
monolithicFlat vmdk = best performance of all available VMDK-types
is flawed.
monolithicFlat will only perform well if you defragment the hostOS immediatly before you create the VMDK.
Then create the VMDK and defragment the hostOS filesystem again.
If the filesystem of the host has enough free space you will really get a one-piece VMDK.
If the filesystem of the host is already too fragmented you will get a VMDK split into several pieces.
In poor starting conditions a monolithicFlat can be allocated in millions of fragments.
In really poor starting conditions you will not be able to defragment the monolithicFlat vmdk at all !!!!
monolithicFlat has the best survival-rate of all VMDK-types - that is the biggest advantage of this disktype.
Second best: preallocated split vmdks
Third best: sparse-split vmdks
Worst: monolithicSparse
A conversion of an existing monolithicSparse or split-Sparse to a new monolithicFlat will only improve performance if:
- the hostfilesystem has enough free space to really use one piece only
- the guestOS filesystem is already quite populated
A newly created monolithicSparse will probably outperform monolithicFlat as long as:
- hostfilesystem has lots of free space and you dont mix VMDK-files with other daily use files on the same physical disk.
- guestOS is newly created and there is still lots of space available insside the VMDK.
If you want to improve performance of your VMDKs :
- dont use monolithicSparse
- use monolithicFlat when there is lots of free space and this VM is  your most important one or when it carries the most valuable data
- use split Flat when the filesystem of the host fills up
- use split Sparse for low priority VMs ( slower and less reliable)
- dedicate one or more physical disks for your VMs and dont use this disks for any other stuff
- avoid snapshots
- do not even consider to use AutoProtect
- create VMDKs in reasonable sizes:
new Windows VM with a single 1TB  - BAD
new Windows VM with disk1 200GB + disk2 300GB + (... add disks when necessary)  = SMART
... hope that helps

Ulli

[shmu26]

Thanks. I assume that defrag does not apply to SSD?

[RDPetruska]

Why would it not?  A disk is a disk is a disk...  A file is made up of multiple blocks on a disk.  Doesn't matter if the disk it is contained on/in has spinning platters or embedded in a PROM chip.

[shmu26]

AFAIK SSDs are not very susceptible to fragmentation, and defragging them can even degrade performance.

What about a virtual hard disk on an SSD? Does it fragment like a physical HDD?