Error loading existing virtual machine

[mbc]

Hi:

I have a mac running mac OSX 10.10 (Yosemite). And I'm trying to use a windows 7 professional 64 bits version.

My problem is that due to an error, virtual box stopped showing the virtual machine although I had it in the same place. So I was trying to create a new virtual machine using the existing. But when I had to choose the hard drive and I try to use the existing machine appears this message:

Fallo al abrir el archivo de disco duro /Users/user/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi.

Could not get the storage format of the medium '/Users/user/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi' (VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED).

Código Resultado: VBOX_E_IPRT_ERROR (0x80BB0005)
Componente: Medium
Interfaz: IMedium {05f2bbb6-a3a6-4fb9-9b49-6d0dda7142ac}
Receptor: IVirtualBox {fafa4e17-1ee2-4905-a10e-fe7c18bf5554}
Receptor RC: VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80BB0001)


Thanks in advance

[noteirak]

due to an error

Could you elaborate?

[mpack]

Could not get the storage format of the medium '/Users/user/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi' (VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED).

I will hazard a guess that you have copied the VDI from one PC to another, corrupting it along the way. Check the sizes before and after - my guess is that the copy will be the wrong size, perhaps even 0 bytes. If the sizes are the same then compare MD5 sums.

p.s., what kind of path is "/Users/user/"? Is that edited?

[mbc]

due to an error

Could you elaborate?

It was my error, I erased the windows 7 folder. And when I restored from my Time Machine partition it appeared this error.

[mbc]

Could not get the storage format of the medium '/Users/user/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7/Windows 7.vdi' (VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED).

I will hazard a guess that you have copied the VDI from one PC to another, corrupting it along the way. Check the sizes before and after - my guess is that the copy will be the wrong size, perhaps even 0 bytes. If the sizes are the same then compare MD5 sums.

p.s., what kind of path is "/Users/user/"? Is that edited?

Yes, the path has been edited, this isn't the original path
I don't understand what you are saying. Could you elaborate?

[mpack]

I thought my answer was already elaborate enough: check for corruption, and I told you what to look for. I don't know what I can add. Perhaps if you indicated what part you didn't understand.

It would also be useful to see a VM log file (zipped). At the moment we don't even have the VBox version. Also, anything unusual about the disk.

[mbc]

.

[mbc]

I thought my answer was already elaborate enough: check for corruption, and I told you what to look for. I don't know what I can add. Perhaps if you indicated what part you didn't understand.

Both files are identical. The thing that I don't understand is the MD5.

PD: I know that it's a system to know if two files are identical. But i don't know how to apply this method to solve my problem.

Excuse my ignorance

Thanks

[mpack]

If you don't understand what an md5 is, then what is the basis for your assertion that the files are identical? The error message says otherwise...

An md5 tool computes the sum of bytes in the file in a special way. If the sum is n bits long then the odds of two different files having the same sum is (2^n):1. md5 sums are ridiculously long. If the md5 sums are different then the files can't be the same.

It would be nice if I didn't have to guess important information. E.g. you didn't mention a copy until I did, and you still haven't said what was involved.

Just to be clear: the error message is saying that this isn't a VDI. And, since VDI is the native format, it is unlikely that VirtualBox would be wrong about that.

[mpack]

p.s. Please do not gut your previous posts. We are not providing you with personal support: discussions are intended to be left behind to benefit future readers.

[mbc]

If you don't understand what an md5 is, then what is the basis for your assertion that the files are identical? The error message says otherwise...

An md5 tool computes the sum of bytes in the file in a special way. If the sum is n bits long then the odds of two different files having the same sum is (2^n):1. md5 sums are ridiculously long. If the md5 sums are different then the files can't be the same.

It would be nice if I didn't have to guess important information. E.g. you didn't mention a copy until I did, and you still haven't said what was involved.

Just to be clear: the error message is saying that this isn't a VDI. And, since VDI is the native format, it is unlikely that VirtualBox would be wrong about that.

Sorry, but I'm not English and it's hard for me to explain the problem. But anyway I'm gonna try to explain it in detail:

I had a Virtual Machine running Windows 7.
Unintentionally I erased the windows 7 folder from the Virtual Box Vms folder.
I restored the file from my Time Machine folder.
When I was trying to reconfigure the virtual machine on Virtual Box (using the Vdi file). it showed me the error mentioned previously.
The vdi file has a size of 10gb. So the file isn't empty.

If you have any question please ask me. I have tried to be the most detailed I have been able to.

[noteirak]

Were you using snapshots at the time of the backup?

[ChipMcK]

I restored the file from my Time Machine folder.

An opportunty can occur when

1. you shutdown a Virtual Machine
2. Time Machine starts doing back-up of that Virtual Machine
3. You again start up the Virtual Machine
4. Time Machine completes the back-up of the Virtual Machine

And you have a corrupted back-up of the Virtual Machine, because you changed the file while it was being backed up.
Time Machine back-ups are not 100% for VMs.

BTW, the MD5 sums wont match, even if sizes match.

[mpack]

This error message is so serious, it is essentially telling you that this "vdi" does not have a proper header. It should be easy to prove that by looking at the first couple of MB of the file with a hex editor (sorry, I'm not in a position to recommend one for OS X hosts) and visually compare it with that from a known-good VDI. It would be interesting if you posted screenshots.

[mbc]

This error message is so serious, it is essentially telling you that this "vdi" does not have a proper header. It should be easy to prove that by looking at the first couple of MB of the file with a hex editor (sorry, I'm not in a position to recommend one for OS X hosts) and visually compare it with that from a known-good VDI. It would be interesting if you posted screenshots.

Ok. Could you be more specific about the screenshots?. I mean, about what do you want the screenshots.