Starting a service fails with error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Avoid the below error when trying to start any service :
getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory 

Symptoms:
You are trying to start one of the services but you get the below error :

INFO:root:Service: vmware-stsd, Action: start
Service: vmware-stsd, Action: start
2019-03-22T16:40:21.571Z   Running command: ['/sbin/chkconfig', u'vmware-stsd']
2019-03-22T16:40:21.623Z   Done running command
2019-03-22T16:40:21.623Z   Running command: ['/sbin/service', u'vmware-stsd', 'status']
2019-03-22T16:40:21.667Z   Done running command
2019-03-22T16:40:21.668Z   Running command: ['/sbin/chkconfig', '--force', u'vmware-stsd', 'on']
2019-03-22T16:40:21.719Z   Done running command
2019-03-22T16:40:21.719Z   Running command: ['/sbin/service', u'vmware-stsd', 'start']
2019-03-22T16:42:22.626Z   Done running command
2019-03-22T16:42:22.627Z   Invoked command: ['/sbin/service', u'vmware-stsd', 'start']
2019-03-22T16:42:22.628Z   RC = 7
Stdout = ensure environment variables are set
Starting vmware-stsd .......................................................................................................
   Service container did not start in 120 seconds. Assuming failure.
Stderr = shell-init: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
shell-init: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
job-working-directory: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory
shell-init: error retrieving current directory: getcwd: cannot access parent directories: No such file or directory

Environment

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x

Cause

This usually occurs when your current directory does not exist anymore. Most likely, from another terminal you removed that directory .

Resolution

=>    Change directory to root directory or any other existing directory then attempt restarting the service again .
cd /