Error: "Some of the disks of the virtual machine <name> failed to load. The information present for them in the virtual machine configuration may be incomplete" when attempting to create a snapshot

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• Failed to create virtual machine's snapshot
• ESXi - /var/log/hostd.log shows an error:
  
  Skip caching of external disk paths due to incomplete layout

• Snapshot hierarchy is invisible on web client, while snapshot exists on this virtual machine. 
• On Web Client virtual machine's summary tab, there is error:
  
  Some of the disks of virtual machine ##### failed to load.

  

• Recreating *.vmsd file will not resolve this issue. Refer to KB Troubleshooting virtual machine snapshot descriptor problems
  

Environment

Problem is observed when VM is backup by 3rd party backup software.

Cause

This issue is caused by corrupted *.vmx file.

Resolution

1. Power off problematic virtual machine.
2. Stop backup task on 3rd party backup software for this virtual machine.
3. Create new virtual machine with same setting as the original vm and delete all existing disk on this new virtual machine.
4. Follow the procedure in Add an Existing Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine and add the problematic vm's latest snapshot vmdk to this new virtual machine.
5. Initiate "remove all snapshot" on this new virtual machine on vCenter Server.
6. Power on the new virtual machine.