How to Fix Virtual Machine that’s Stuck in a Saved State

Many users have a complaint that in different scenarios, the Hyper-V virtual machine is stuck in the saved state. The saved state feature is convenient for backup if there was an unfamiliar shutdown. However, if you are thinking of changing the configuration of the OS, then it’s an issue.

You can’t change or modify anything the OS won’t boot normally either. In this article, we will talk about a few tips and solutions that you can try to fix  Virtual Machine stuck in a saved state issue along with a few compelling reasons for the error.

Why Hyper-V Virtual Machine is Stuck in Saved State

Whenever you power off a VM, Hyper-V takes a backup of it, you may have closed Hyper-V while it was taking a backup. So, now the OS is in a Saved state because the backup was incomplete, due to interference. The VM is literally frozen if it was interrupted while backup, moreover it can be damaged and corrupted.

Another main reason for the VM to be stuck in a saved state is because of Low Disk Space. The error often occurs when you are running an OS on a low disk space VM.

Also, if your physical disk was unplugged while the VM was running, it will get stuck in a saved state. However, drivers are also the cause of the error. If you have not installed the sufficient drivers, or if you are using unstable drivers. It is very likely that the VM will crash and will be stuck in the Saved mode.

Lastly, the main cause of the error can be due to low system resources. If you are using a Pc having low RAM, CPU power, and GPU. Then it will be wise not to run too many VM at a time, and run OS that requires low specs. If you run a resource-demanding OS in your VM, then the VM will crash, and it will be stuck in the saved state.

How to Fix Virtual Machine that’s Stuck in a Saved State

Now that we have learned a few main causes of the error, we can proceed to the next step, troubleshooting the error. We will be mentioning four different methods to get your virtual machine running and pull it out from the Saved state.

Method 1: Deleting saved State

Well, the first thing you can try to resolve the issue is to delete the Saved state. It won’t delete your data, but more likely, it will behave like it lost power suddenly. Therefore, you will be able to have a clean boot and keep the OS running in the VM.

Step 1) Launch the Hyper-V Manager, then locate to the Virtual Machine that is tucked in a saved state and right-click on it.

Step 2) After the right-click a sub-menu will appear, select the Delete Saved State option from the menu.

Step 3) You can now try to start the Virtual Machine, once the saved state is deleted and check if it is running. However, if you face any error like “Operation cannot be performed while the object is in use,”. Then restart the Hyper-V Manager and try to start the VM again.

Method 2: Checking Physical Drivers

Depending on the OS you are running in the VM, it requires drivers and specific Disk to run on it. Therefore, if you are running an OS in incompatible VM, then it is most likely the VM will be stuck in a saved state due to a crash. An external device like USB can also interface, so make sure you unplugged it and then check the SCSI controller.

Firstly, right-click on the VM that you are having issues in the Hyper-V manager. Then from the sub-menu, click on the Settings option. A new window will appear, on the left pane scroll down and expand the SCSI Controller list.

On the right side, you will be able to see the drives that have been used, if there is anything that must not be there, then remove it, this should solve your problem.

Method 3: Changing Folder Permissions

Sometimes, there is an error due to permissions that won’t allow VM to share folders with the host. Therefore you must check the folder permissions and enable it to share it with the VM to fix the saved state issue.

Step 1) Open up the folder of the Virtual Machine that is stuck in the saved state, then right-click and select Properties.

Step 2) Head over to the Sharing tab, then click on the Advanced Sharing option.

Step 3) Now, check the Share this folder option box, then click on the permission button below.

Step 4) Select the Everyone option and under the Allow section, tick everything. Lastly, click on the Apply button to confirm and OK button to close the Window and check I the issue has been resolved.

Method 4: Deleting the Virtual Machine

It is the last option that you must try to fix the issue, and you will have to delete the Virtual Machine and create a new one. However, you don’t want any loss of data. Therefore, you will need to copy the VHD file and save it on any directory.

Step 1) Right-click on the VM that is stuck in the saved state and select the Delete option from the sub-menu.

Step 2) After you have deleted the VM, copy the VHD file to its old location and then on the Hyper-V create a new Virtual Machine.

Step 3) Select the Use an existing virtual hard disk option when asked for Hard Disk. Then go to the location where you have saved the VHD file and select it. Finish the wizard to create a new VM and start the VM to check if it’s working fine.

Conclusion

I hope now the issues of Virtual Machine stuck in the saved state is fixed now. We have usedHyper- V for this troubleshooting guide, but it will be valid for all other virtualization software as well, including, Virtual box, Vmware, etc.

Some of the settings and controls will change as per software, but the basic idea remains the same. In case you are facing any issues following this guide, then make sure to comment down below. Our experts will help you out in any way possible.