VMware product unexpectedly fails with an unrecoverable error
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VMware product unexpectedly fails with an unrecoverable error

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Article ID: 328236

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Updated On:

Products

VMware Desktop Hypervisor VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

  • The virtual machine process unexpectedly quits.
  • The VMware product unexpectedly closes with an error message similar to:
     
    • The <product> has performed an illegal operation and must close
    • VMware Workstation unrecoverable error (vmui)
      Exception 0xc0000005 (access violation) has occurred.
    • VMware Workstation unrecoverable error: (vcpu-0)
      Exception 0xc0000006 (disk error while paging) has occurred.esxi

Environment

VMware Fusion 1.x VMware Fusion Pro 8.x VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x VMware Workstation Pro 16.x
VMware Fusion 2.x VMware Fusion Pro 9.x VMware Workstation Pro 10.x VMware Workstation Pro 17.x
VMware Fusion 3.x VMware Fusion Pro 10.x VMware Workstation Pro 11.x  
VMware Fusion 4.x VMware Fusion Pro 11.x VMware Workstation Pro 12.x  
VMware Fusion 5.x VMware Fusion Pro 12.x VMware Workstation Pro 13.x  
VMware Fusion 6.x VMware vSphere ESXi 6.x VMware Workstation Pro 14.x  
VMware Fusion 7.x VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x VMware Workstation Pro 15.x  

Resolution

Each step below provides instructions and a link to a document, for performing the step and taking corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and to identify the proper resolution. They are also ordered in the most appropriate sequence to minimize data loss. After completing each step, try using the product again. Work through each troubleshooting step in order, and do not skip a step.
 
  1. Confirm that the folder or directory is still accessible by the user creating the virtual machine. For more information, see Verifying that hosted virtual machine storage is accessible (1003858).
  2. If the virtual machine contains any non-preallocated (growable) disks, verify that the volume storing the disks did not run out of free space.
  3. Perform a repair of the virtual disk. For more information, see Repairing a virtual disk in Workstation (2019259).
  4. Verify there are no problems with the host's file system by performing a disk check on your hard drives. 
  5. Verify that you are running the latest version of the VMware product in use. If you are not, download the latest version from Broadcom Support.
  6. Completely reinstall the VMware product. If you are using an older version of the product, install the latest version.
  7. Check the integrity of the physical memory of the host, memory defects can cause failures or unexpected software behavior. For instructions and utilities, see Validating host memory (1004012).
  8. Connecting and using attached devices with the guest can cause it to fail if the device encounters errors, if there is a driver problem, device contention issue, or a sudden disconnection of the device while it is in use. If the failure happens when a device is connected, that is the likely cause. Try connecting the device again or using the virtual machine without that device.
  9. Ensure that the graphic drivers are up to date on the host physical machine.
  10. Confirm that a resource, such as the disk, is not too busy to respond, thus causing the problem. For more information, see Investigating busy hosted virtual machine files (1003849).
  11. In some circumstances, you can experience these errors when the system is very low on resources. Confirm that there are sufficient resources. For more information, see Investigating hosted virtual machine resources (1003848).
  12. Confirm that no other virtualization software is running simultaneously. Some third party software cannot be installed on the same host as a VMware virtualization product. 

Additional Information

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