Virtual machine poweron fails while creating temporary file

Applies To

VMware ESXi, 7.0.3, 19482537

Symptoms

Failed - An error occurred while creating temporary file for /vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4/VCSA/VCSA.vmx: The file already exists.
An error occurred while creating temporary file for /vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4/VCSA/VCSA.vmx: The file already exists.
Cannot open the configuration file /vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4/VCSA/VCSA.vmx.
Failed to start the virtual machine (error -18).

Cause

List of files, the vmware-29.log and VCSA.vmx~ file cannot be accessed and deleted.

[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4] ll VCSA
ls: ./vmware-29.log: No such file or directory
ls: ./VCSA.vmx~: No such file or directory
total 94516608
drwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         90112 Nov 28 03:46 .
drwxr-xr-t    1 root     root         73728 Nov 28 01:39 ..
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            53 Mar 13  2023 VCSA-cd6d013d.hlog
-rw-------    1 root     root     17179869184 Sep  4 02:54 VCSA-cd6d013d.vswp
-rw-------    1 root     root     52143587328 Sep  6 08:43 VCSA-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root          8684 Sep  4 05:46 VCSA.nvram
-rw-------    1 root     root           525 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA.vmdk
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root             0 Mar  6  2023 VCSA.vmsd
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          4600 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA.vmx
-rw-------    1 root     root     7731150848 Mar  6  2023 VCSA_1-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           525 Mar 13  2023 VCSA_1.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     10737418240 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_10-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           527 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_10.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     107374182400 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_11-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           529 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_11.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     53687091200 Sep  6 08:39 VCSA_12-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           528 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_12.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     10737418240 Sep  6 08:38 VCSA_13-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           527 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_13.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     5368709120 Sep  6 08:38 VCSA_14-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_14.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     107374182400 Sep  6 08:39 VCSA_15-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           529 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_15.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     161061273600 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_16-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           529 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_16.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     26843545600 Sep  6 08:43 VCSA_2-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_2.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     26843545600 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_3-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_3.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     10737418240 Sep  6 08:43 VCSA_4-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_4.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     10737418240 Sep  6 08:43 VCSA_5-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_5.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     16106127360 Sep  6 08:41 VCSA_6-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_6.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     10737418240 Sep  6 08:38 VCSA_7-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_7.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     1073741824 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_8-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           524 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_8.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root     10737418240 Sep  6 08:37 VCSA_9-flat.vmdk
-rw-------    1 root     root           526 Sep  6 08:36 VCSA_9.vmdk
drwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         73728 Nov 28 03:43 tmp
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        178046 Jul 27 01:39 vmware-30.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        193377 Aug  1 00:30 vmware-31.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        186897 Aug  1 09:30 vmware-32.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        224771 Aug 18 09:26 vmware-33.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        202668 Aug 25 02:30 vmware-34.log
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root        188443 Sep  6 04:22 vmware.log
-rw-------    1 root     root      84934656 May  8  2023 vmx-VCSA-baa7e8393d721617280169bdf7062fda9e5828e8-2.vswp

[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4/VCSA] touch VCSA.vmx~
touch: VCSA.vmx~: No such file or directory
[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4/VCSA] touch vmware-29.log
touch: vmware-29.log: No such file or directory

Solution

Create a new VM directory and move all files to new VM directory.

[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4] mkdir VCSA.BAK
[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4] mv VCSA/* VCSA.BAK/
[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4] mv VCSA/ VCSA.old/
[root@ESXi-200:/vmfs/volumes/63ff41e5-b4b7e4a0-65af-1866daf4e3b4] mv VCSA.BAK/ VCSA/

[root@ESXi-200:~] vim-cmd solo/registervm /vmfs/volumes/datastore01-ESXi_OS/VCSA/VCSA.vmx
41
[root@ESXi-200:~] vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on 41
Powering on VM: