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Creating Snapshot Error:

jskfan
jskfan asked
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Creating Snapshot Error:

I am trying to create snapshot of a VM, but I keep getting this error :

Invalid virtual machine configuration. An error occurred while taking a snapshot: Dictionary problem. An error occurred while saving the snapshot: Dictionary problem

Any Help?

Thank you
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
How are you trying to create a snapshot via the GUI ?
jskfan

Author

Commented:
this way:
a
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
does the VM have any current snapshots ?

have you tried delete all ?
jskfan

Author

Commented:
The VM does not have Snapshot on the Snapshot Manager.
When I tried to create the snapshot, I got this error:
Invalid virtual machine configuration. An error occurred while taking a snapshot: Dictionary problem. An error occurred while saving the snapshot: Dictionary problem

However if I go to the command line, I see the snapshot file there:
-rw-------    1 root     root        6.0M Feb 28 10:19 VM1-000001-sesparse.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root         300 Feb 28 10:19 VM1-000001.vmdk

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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
did you create the orignal snapshot ?
jskfan

Author

Commented:
Yes I did ,  in the GUI it shows It has failed with the error I pasted above, but in the command line it shows up in the list:
asnap.jpg
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
Can you create a new snapshot wait 120 seconds, and then select delete ALL.

Otherwise the VMX file and/or VMSD is corrupted.

Is this just a test virtual machine we can discard, or does it need recovery ?

Because you are now in Snapshot Hell, Welcome! (this is the issue with snapshots!)
jskfan

Author

Commented:
What I did to resolve this issue, was to Migrate the VM to a different ESX host. Create new Snapshot then delete it..
I ended up with the files shown below:

a
Not sure why the files ,That I indicated with Red Arrows on the screenshot, are still there ?
VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
vmsn is the file which was corrupted, it's a snapshot pointer file.

vmem is memory which has been snapshotted, if you clicked snapshot memory.

it's an uncommon issue, which could be a datastore issue, if it's shared storage.
jskfan

Author

Commented:
Thank you
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization Consultant
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Commented:
no problems