How to Fix VMware Insufficient Permission to Access File

Virtualization platforms are very useful for businesses, and VMware is one of the powerful ones, but you may encounter the “Insufficient permissions to access file” problem when operating VMware. This error often occurs when trying to start a virtual machine (VM), migrate files, or restore a snapshot. In this article, we will provide you with the reasons for this error and solutions.

Causes of the Insufficient Permission to Access File Error

Several factors may trigger this issue, including:

• File Ownership and Permission Issues: Virtual machine files may not have the correct ownership or permission settings.
• Locked or Active Files: Another process, such as a backup service, may be accessing virtual machine files.
• Missing or Corrupted Files: If important files are missing or corrupted, VMware may not be able to access them.
• Storage or Datastore Issues: The datastore that stores the virtual machine may have permission restrictions.
• User Permissions: Running VMware Workstation or ESXi with insufficient system permissions may prevent access to certain files.

Solutions to Insufficient Permission to Access File

1. Check File Permissions

If VMware cannot access the virtual machine files, manually verify and adjust the file permissions.

On Windows:

• Navigate to the VM directory.
• Right-click the VM folder and select Properties > Security.
• Ensure that your user account has Full Control permissions.
• Click Apply and OK to save the changes.

On Linux:

• Open a terminal.
• Use the following command to check permissions:

• If necessary, change ownership and permissions:

2. Close Conflicting Processes

Sometimes, other processes may lock the virtual machine files. Try the following steps:

• Close VMware and reopen it as an administrator.
• Check if backup or antivirus software is accessing the VM files.
• Restart your system to release any locked files.

3. Ensure Sufficient User Rights

If you are using VMware Workstation, run it with elevated privileges:

Windows: Right-click the VMware shortcut and select Run as Administrator.

Linux/macOS: Run VMware with sudo:

4. Verify Datastore Permissions (For ESXi Users)

If using VMware ESXi, ensure the VM has proper permissions in the datastore:

• Log in to vSphere Client.
• Navigate to Datastore Browser and locate the VM folder.
• Ensure your user role has Modify Permissions for the datastore.

5. Repair or Restore VM Files

If the VM files are corrupt or missing:

Check for missing files – Ensure all required files (.vmx, .vmdk, etc.) are present.

Restore from a backup – If available, revert to a recent backup.

Re-register the VM – If the VM is missing from VMware:

• Remove the VM from the inventory.
• Re-add it by navigating to the VMX file and selecting Register VM.

VMware vSphere Efficient Backup to Secure Data

When operating a virtualization platform, several issues can be encountered which can pose a threat to the data and can lead to serious data loss. To keep your data safe, you can schedule regular backups and AOMEI Cyber Backup can help you protect your data and restore it quickly in case of a disaster. It is a VMware backup software that lets you backup multiple virtual machines managed by a vCenter server or a standalone ESXi host.

Agentless Image Backup: You can create independent and image-based backups for VMware ESXi and Hyper-V VMs without installing an agent on each VM.
Various Backup Methods: Besides full backup, you can perform incremental backup or differential VM backup to capture only changed data and save storage space.
Flexible vSphere Backup: You can batch backup large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server, or multiple VMs on a standalone ESXi host.
Multiple Storage Destination: You can backup to a local drive, or network destination like Windows Share or NAS.

Steps to perform vSphere backup via AOMEI Cyber Backup

Step 1. Access to AOMEI Cyber Backup web client, navigate to Source Device > VMware > + Add VMware Device to Add vCenter or Standalone ESXi host. And click … > Bind Device.

Step 2. Navigate to Backup Task and Create New Task. Then select VMware ESXi Backup for Backup Type. After that, set the Task Name, Device, Target, and Schedule as you want.

• Task Name: Customize the task name so that you can find it faster.
• Device: Select a large number of VMs managed by vCenter or a standalone host to backup.

• Target: Select the backup path, like a local path or a network path.
• Schedule: Select the Backup Method and Schedule Type here.

Step 3. Click Start Backup and choose Add the schedule and start backup now or Add the schedule only.

Step 4. Once the backup is finished, you can go to the last step. Navigate to Start Restore, you can choose to restore to the original location.

Conclusion

Experiencing insufficient permissions to access a file error in VMware can be caused by permissions issues, locked files, or datastore restrictions. You can go through some of the steps provided in this article that can help you resolve the issue quickly.