VM cannot start because the saved state Error

[Lifebroker]

Hi there,

I am new to this so please excuse me, I have started using Virtual Box this year and I have an error that's to do with the saved state of my particular Virtual Box. We are using Windows 7 as the main computer, while using Windows XP within Virtual Box.

When I try to open virtual box, the screen flashes and disappears, and then gets the error message that goes along the lines of:

VM cannot start because the saved state file 'C:\Users\....\filename.sav' is invalid (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND). Delete the saved state prior to starting the VM

The only problem that I am encountering is that when I go to find the saved state to delete, there is nothing in the folder what so ever. I have the function to show hidden files and folders but still no luck.

Hopefully someone can give me a hand.

Cheers

[Perryg]

In the VirtualBox main manager (GUI) if you click on discard at the top it should discard the saved state. All you should loose is what ever was not saved to begin with. Usually documents that were not saved, that kind of thing.

[Lifebroker]

Hi Perryg,

Thanks for that, I didn't realise it was going to be that simple. It worked perfectly.

Cheers again!!

[Pisac]

That is not a solution for snapshot. I have identical problem with VirtualBox 4.2.10 r84104

I did a snapshot of running VM, and after some time (couple of days) I cannot start that snapshot. That is a BIG problem for me, because I need exactly running state!

This is not first time that this problem appear. Why this is happening? I can't trust VirtualBox anymore.

Failed to open a session for the virtual machine Win2K.

VM cannot start because the saved state file '/vbox/Win2K/Snapshots/2013-06-04T03-15-59-163622000Z.sav/Snapshots/2013-06-02T21-20-34-045277000Z.sav' is invalid (VERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND). Delete the saved state prior to starting the VM.

Result Code: VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR (0x80BB0004)
Component: Console
Interface: IConsole {db7ab4ca-2a3f-4183-9243-c1208da92392}

[Perryg]

The .sav is a current state save which you get when you save state and do not shut the guest down. It is not the same as a snapshot.
There is no other way out but to discard the saved state and reboot the guest. The only things that will be lost are what ever you did not save before you saved state, like a text file that was being worked on but not saved, Etc..

Note if this is a concern to you then don't use saved state, and of course you do regular backups because the work is invaluable.

[Pisac]

But this is the error which I get (sometimes, after 5-6 days) when I try to restore old snapshot of a running VM. So, I can't restore snapshot and get running VM because I must discard "saved state", and that's how my snapshot became snapshot of unexpectedly powered off VM, which is not what I want.

[Perryg]

The way I see it you have two choices. Either stop using snapshots or stop using saved state. Using both increases the chance for something to fail. Put a power fail in the mix and you are waiting for a catastrophe. If you really want to protect your data use backups instead, or clone often.