A virtual machine fails to power on with the error: The system cannot find the file specified

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

A virtual machine fails to power on with the error:The system cannot find the file specified.

Reason: The system cannot find the file specified.
Cannot open the disk 'abcdefgh.vmdk' or one of the snapshot disks it depends on.
VMware ESX cannot find the virtual disk "abcdefgh.vmdk". Please verify the path is valid and try again.

Cause

This issue occurs if a virtual disk file is not present at the path specified in the virtual machine's configuration file.

Resolution

1. Verify the Path in the VM's Configuration File (VMX).

Check the VM's .vmx file to confirm the path where the virtual disk is expected to be.
This file will contain entries like scsi0:0.fileName = "path_to_virtual_disk.vmdk". Make sure the path specified there matches the actual location of the virtual disk file. Please refer View the Virtual Machine Configuration and Working File Location

2. Ensure the Disk Files Exist. Navigate to the location specified in the VMX file and check whether the VMDK files are present. If the disk file is missing, it may have been accidentally deleted or moved. Please refer VMDK File Location

3. Check the Datastore to ensure that the datastore containing the virtual disk file is available and mounted correctly on the host.

4. Restore or Relocate the Missing Disk File

If the VMDK file is missing, you’ll need to restore it from a backup if available.
If the file was moved, update the VMX configuration file to point to the new location of the VMDK file.
If necessary, reattach the virtual disk to the VM using your hypervisor’s management interface (such as vCenter or ESXi’s web client).

5. Check VM Disk Settings
Verify that the VM is configured with the correct virtual disk type (e.g., IDE, SCSI, or SATA).
If the disk is not properly attached, you can manually add the disk back to the VM through the VM's settings in your hypervisor.

6. Check for Datastore Accessibility
Ensure that the datastore containing the virtual disk is mounted and accessible by the ESXi host running the virtual machine.
If the datastore is offline, you might need to remount it.

7. Check for Permissions Issues
Ensure that the user or service account running the VM has the appropriate permissions to access the datastore and the virtual disk file. Please refer Datastore Privileges

 

For additional information, see Verifying ESX/ESXi virtual machine file names (1003757).