StevenWhiting.com

http://sharepointmentalnotes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/convert-vmware-disk-from-auto-growth-to.html

In my situation it was:

vmware-vdiskmanager -r “E:\VMs\Windows 10 x64\Windows 10 x64.vmdk” -t 2 “E:\VMs\Windows 10 x64\New Drive\Windows 10 x64.vmdk”

-t 2 (is preallocated virtual disk)

http://www.virtualizationadmin.com/kbase/VirtualizationTips/DesktopVirtualization/VMwareWorkstationTips/ManagementAdministration/UnderstandingtheMovedItorCopiedItOptioninVMWareWorkstation.html

I think it also, but could be totally wrong, gives the NIC a new MAC as well. I’ve had it before where two VMs would boot fine, one copied from the other, but one of the VMs NICs refused to work unless the other VM was off. I finally realised they both had the same MAC address. That was a few years ago, until before I discovered Workstations own “clone” option.

http://techhead.co/vmware-esx-i-moved-it-or-i-copied-it-whats-the-difference/

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/how-to-shrink-a-vmdk-using-vmware-converter/

Cloned a VM.  The clone is off and trying to copy the clone disk to another VM on another datastore.

Complains the disk is locked, despite the VM being off and the name being different to the original VM.

So for example original VM hdd is “Mine.vmdk”

New clone is “clone-mine.vmdk”

Seems even though these have two different names, if the original VM is still running and live, it locks the clone disk as well.  Odd.

Turned off the original, now able to copy the clones VMDK.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1029513

http://youtu.be/cUcob2Jdatc

Also remembering ESXi being based on Linux or is Linux means directories typed at the console are case sensitive and folders with spaces need ” ” round them.

http://goingvirtual.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/locking-down-vmware-tools/

You need to download the VMX file for the VM, edit it, and stick that at the end.

If you paste this from here beaware you’ll need to retype the ” that are surrounding the FALSE, because in the copy process it messes them up for some reason.

isolation.tools.guestInitiatedUpgrade.disable = “FALSE”

http://www.boche.net/blog/index.php/2012/05/31/update-vmware-tools-via-windows-system-tray/

http://www.vladan.fr/great-tip-how-to-boot-from-usb-image-in-vmware-workstation/

Have Workstation 7.1.5-491717 and works fine.  I then uninstall and install 8.0.0-471780 or 8.0.2-591240

And now when trying to run VMWare Workstation I get

VMware Workstation unrecoverable error (vmui)
Exception 0xc0000005 (access violation) has occurred.

I’m on Windows 7 Pro 64Bit.  If I uninstall 8 and go back to 7, it’s fine.  Workstation 8 works fine on my laptop though.

FIX –

I have Win7 x64, running Workastation 7. I attempted to upgrade to Workstation 8 (30 day trial) and ran into the same problem.

For me it turned out to be related to my “Favorites”. I finally got it working by moving the file “C:\Users\johna\AppData\Roaming\VMware\favorites.vmls” out of the folder it was in (temporarily) and then started VMWare; this time it started. Once started, it genearted a new file called “inventory.vmls”, I then dropped my file back into the folder, just in case I need to revert back to Workstation7.

I assume you might be able to accomplish the same thing by removing all your favorites, but I don’t know.

Hope this helps anyone with this problem.

http://lonesysadmin.net/2009/11/06/vmware-vsphere-4-thin-provisioning-pros-cons/