Error: "Cannot open the configuration file" when trying to power on VM

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Powering on a virtual machine fails
• Cannot power on a virtual machine
• You see this error:
  
  Cannot open the configuration file /vmfs/volumes/datastore/virtual machine.vmx.
  
  An error occurred while creating temporary file for /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM directory/VM name.vmx: The file already exists.

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x
• VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x

Cause

This issue occurs if the .vmx~ file created while powering on the machine continues to remain on the datastore even after the virtual machine is powered off.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, delete the.vmx~ file:

1. Open an SSH session to the host that the virtual machine is registered to
2. Confirm that there is a .vmx file which ends in ~: vm name.vmx~
   
   cd /vmfs/volumes/datastore/VM directory
   ls -lrt
   
   
3. Confirm that all virtual machine files are not locked:
   
   touch *
   
   
4. If a virtual machine file is locked determine what may be locking the file: Investigating Virtual Machine file locks on ESXi Host(s).
5. Confirm the virtual machine is registered to the host:
   
   vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms
   
   
6. Get the current state of the virtual machine in question from the host directly:
   
   vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate <vmid from step 3>
   
   
7. Confirm that the virtual machine cannot be powered on:
   
   vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <vmid from step 3>
   
8. List the virtual machine directory:
   
   ls -lrt
   
   
9. Rename the temporary file causing the power on failure:
   
   mv vm name.vmx~ vm name.vmx_bak
   
   
10. Power on the virtual machine:
    
    vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <vmid from step 3>

 

Additional Information

Powering on virtual machine from ESXi host (CLI)
Investigating Virtual Machine file locks on ESXi Host(s)