Symptoms
Virtual machine (VM) fails to power onError in the vCenter or ESXi host client GUI, or in log files, is " "File system specific implementation of LookupAndOpen [file] failed"
Purpose
Provide information on how to troubleshoot and fix virtual machine power on problems when the "File system specific implementation of LookupAndOpen [file] failed" message is presented.
Cause
Potential causes include:
Data corruption during reclaim disk space of linked clone with sesparse vmdk.Bad entries in virtual disk descriptor files (*.vmdk, *.vmx)Communication problems between ESXi host and storage arrayESXi OS problemsProblems with file locksVirtual disk data corruption
Impact / Risks
Ensure you have good backup of your virtual machines. Some recovery procedures can risk making the problem worse if not followed correctly.
Resolution
If the VM is:Check the following Knowledgebase article:Horizon View on vSphere version before 6.0 U3"File system specific implementation of LookupAndOpen [file] failed" in vmware.log fileCloneUnable to power on cloned virtual machine with error: "File system specific implementation of LookupAndOpen[file] failed"Managed by ESXi host version 6.0 or 6.5Race condition on ESXi 6.0 and 6.5 causing disruption to VMs or hostd management serviceManaged by ESXi host version 5.5 through 6.5 with sesparse snapshots on itVirtual Machines running on an SEsparse snapshot may report guest data inconsistencies
If all else fails, follow the steps in "File system specific implementation of Ioctl[file] failed" error powering on a virtual machine
Related Information
Failed to power on virtual machine
