checkpoint operation failed could not initiate a checkpoint operation checkpoint operation failed could not initiate a checkpoint operation

Thank you anyway for your excelllent blog articles ! So the error was the VM was not able to create a new checkpoint, therefore I test another vm to see if my host was able to create checkpoints and while that seem to work then it meant the problem was isolated. The cause of this error can be corrupted file permissions, as explained above in this article, or VSS writer issues inside a VM. The common error is that the checkpoint option is disabled. These seem to relate to times and dates of recent checkpoints/replication events. I had to remove the machine from the domain Before doing that . Then, we select the Virtual Machine setting. Viego. An AVHDX file is only one part of a checkpoint. Minimum order size for Basic is 1 socket, maximum - 4 sockets. Thank you, Alex Mayer, I will be saving this for future reference when creating a VM. this post, Post Follow whatever steps your backup application needs to make the restored VM usable. After LastPass's breaches, my boss is looking into trying an on-prem password manager. On taking checkpoints, the system creates AVHDX virtual disk files. The other serves are working correctly. You can fix that by following these instructions. | The operation ends up with above errors. Checkpoint-VM : Checkpoint operation failed. Hyper-V Backup Error: Could not initiate a checkpoint operation: Element not found. Avoid Mistakes When Cleaning up a Hyper-V Checkpoint, How to Cleanup a Failed Hyper-V Checkpoint, Method 2: Create a New Checkpoint and Delete It, Method 3: Reload the Virtual Machines Configuration, Method 4: Restore the VM Configuration and Manually Merge the Disks, Method 5: Rebuild the VMs Configuration and Manually Merge the Disks, Using Wireshark to Analyze and Troubleshoot Hyper-V Networking, Real IT Pros Reveal Their Homelab Secrets, Revealed: How Many IT Pros Really Feel About Microsoft, NTFS vs. ReFS How to Decide Which to Use, Take note of the virtual machines configuration file location, its virtual disk file names and locations, and the virtual controller positions that connect them (IDE 1 position 0, SCSI 2 position 12, etc. Change the type of checkpoint by selecting the appropriate option (change. Required fields are marked *. Could not initiate a checkpoint operation Could not create auto virtual hard disk General access denied From my research, the error MAY occur in three common situations: When a VM is improperly moved from a different host causing the next item (permissions problem) to occur When the snapshot folder does not have the correct permissions However, whenever you perform any operation related to checkpoints, including creating a new checkpoint, errors may occur. Uninstalling and reinstalling seems to have fixed it for now. You need to make sure that there are enough permissions to access the needed data by Hyper-V. I do not how all pass-through disks or vSANs affect these processes.. The existing snapshots might affect checkpoint creation. File keeps growing merge not happing. NAKIVO can contact me by email to promote their products and services. Storage extension may be required to provide enough space for operations with virtual disk files. There can be several reasons why it occurs: when file permissions are wrong or due to the internal VM issues related to the VSS writer. What are some of the best ones? Other VMs work fine. Dont take the gamble. The remaining fixes involve potential data loss. On analyzing the error, the option for the checkpoint was disabled in the service. This blog post explains possible reasons for the Hyper-V checkpoint operation failed error and other related errors. Reattach it to the VM. Checkpoint also fails in Hyper-V manager if i force it to take a production checkpoint (uncheck "create standard checkpoint if it's not possible"). Check your backups and/or make an export. This particular method can be time-consuming since it involves restoring virtual disks that you dont intend to keep. Lets discuss how our Support Engineers change the checkpoint architecture. Delete the virtual machine (Method 3 step 6 has a screenshot, mind the note about. We can help you fix this error. Note: New VM uses production checkpoints as default. You can see this error when attempting to edit the settings of a Hyper-V VMs virtual disk. Vinchin is Named Emerging Favorite in the Capterra Shortlist Report 2023. by AlexandreD Jul 05, 2019 11:38 am this post, Post this post, Post If you precisely followed one of the methods above that redirected you here, then you already satisfied these requirements. With the use of Hyper-V Integration Services and Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to freeze the state of the file system, you can avoid errors when writing data of the open files. Some users report that restarting VSS service (Volume Shadow Copy Service)could turn the writer to a normal state. An application consistent backup is of course always better since applications and services received a signal to prepare their data structures for live backup. We initially, open Hyper-v manager and select the Virtual machine. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. this post, Post Some backup solutions follow these steps to perform a backup job: If the backup process fails, the recovery checkpoint is not deleted automatically. I couldn't get it to auto update or find a KB that was not approved that it needed so I installed the Integration services manually. Post Finally, apply the changes. After all, rebooting solves most computer problems. In Method 3 this sentence seems incomplete: If I manually run a checkpoint it gets to 9%, lingers, gets to 19% then fails with the error: An error occurred while attempting to checkpoint the selected virtual machine(s), 'VMname' could not initiate a checkpoint operation. by mapate Dec 29, 2019 5:02 am (Virtual machine ID 409F8A99-AFE7-480C-AEA2-95D5E90E9C1A), 'vm_name' could not initiate a checkpoint operation: %%2147754992 (0x800423F0). Note: If a checkpoint was created smoothly after deselecting Backup (volume checkpoint), we recommend that you reselect this option once the checkpoint is created. I would just like to share my experience that issue was resolved with updating NIC drivers. I think there is enough of disk space. No, Starting with the AVHDX that the virtual machine used as its active disk, issue the following command: Once that finishes, move to the next file in your list. DV - Google ad personalisation. The equivalent PowerShell isCheckpoint-VM -VMName demovmfollowed byRemove-VMCheckpoint -VMName demovm. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers. I can take snapshots of other VMs, but not this one. How to Backup XenServer VM and Host Easily in 6 Ways. How to Fix Hyper-V Checkpoint Operation Failed Issue in 12 Ways? The important part: after runninga backup with the option OFF, turn it back ON. [ Facing problems with Hyper-V We are available 24/7 to help you.]. If you have merged virtual disk files in the incorrect order or moved them out of their original location, you can correct it. These cookies use an unique identifier to verify if a visitor is human or a bot. More info about Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. If you have confidence in your backup, or if you already followed step 4 and still have the export, then you can skip step 5 (export the VM). Repeat until you only have the root VHDX left. It was due to the Message Queuing Service on the guest. The production checkpoint uses a backup technology inside the guest to create the checkpoint. Update 2018: A new bug in Hyper-V 2016 (on Windows Server 2016) corrupts file access permissions of your VM folders. I assume that other Hyper-V backup tools exhibit similar behavior. (Virtual machine ID 409F8A99-AFE7-480C-AEA2-95D5E90E9C1A). I created the checkpoint as a test and then deleted it because it was successful, and everything merged back down successfully as far as I know, I didn't get any errors or anything. The above cmdlet will work if the disk files have moved from their original locations. Download NAKIVO Backup & Replication free edition and try the solution in your environment. AVHDX virtual disk files created when you take checkpoints. Solving this situation can be challenging as the Delete option is usually inactive in the Hyper-V Manager menu. Here are the typical problems causing those errors: These actions can help you figure out the reason and fix the error: Take a more detailed look at each fix below. Last but not least I can see this inside the VM usingvssadmin list writers: Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter'Writer Id: {a65faa63-5ea8-4ebc-9dbd-a0c4db26912a}Writer Instance Id: {fa8a6236-e52b-4970-8778-b8e024b46d70}State: [8] FailedLast error: Inconsistent shadow copy, Posted in If a child does not match to a parent, you will get the following error: You could use theIgnoreIdMismatch switch to ignore this message, but a merge operation will almost certainly cause damage. Snapshot - General access denied error (0x80070005). If you do not feel comfortable doing this, then use Storage Migration to move the VM elsewhere. Welcome to the Snap! and was challenged. 2022-11-08 | by vertices Aug 15, 2019 6:25 pm In command line to get the list of services > locate, Hyper-V snapshots are stored as .avhdx files and merging Hyper-V snapshots might be tedious because you need to get the right order of the snapshot chain before any operation. I wanted to know if i can remote access this machine and switch between os or while rebooting the system I can select the specific os. [Expanded Information]Checkpoint operation for 'vm_name' failed. Please note: If youre not already a member on the Dojo Forums you will create a new account and receive an activation email. apply changes, ok and restarted and it was able to start again, and error was gone. If there is no backup running, there shouldnt be a file called {name of VHDX}-AutoRecovery.avhdx. This process is faster to perform but has a lot of side effects that will almost certainly require more post-recovery action on your part. Re-enable checkpoints in Hyper-V Manager. All of my 2016 or 2019 VMs back up just fine. make sure to choose ignore unmached ID. this post, Post Double-check the file names from your list! Select all. Thank you for the very detailled article ! (0x80070490). (Virtual machine ID 409F8A99-AFE7-480C-AEA2-95D5E90E9C1A) How can I narrow down what is causing this? Hi Team, I agree that Vinchin can contact me by email to promote their products and services. Some problem occured sending your feedback. We use this method to give Hyper-V one final chance to rethink the error of its ways. (Virtual machine ID 904A3358-78C3-4141-BFF5-5327AAF0E7A2) Checkpoint operation for 'S2022DC' was cancelled. this post, Post I do not how all pass-through disks or vSANs affect these processes. Since you dont have to perform a restore operation, it takes less time to get to the end of this method than method 5. Our experts have had an average response time of 10.78 minutes in Jan 2023 to fix urgent issues. If you see in the Event Viewer logs (Hyper-V-Worker -> Admin) event IDs 3280, and event ID 18012 (checkpoint creation error) in Hyper-V-VMMs->Admin, the issue has to do with a differencing file left behind from a previous backup. Click Checkpoints in the Management section. In crash consistent backups, the state is similar to a power off event. NAKIVO Backup & Replication is a comprehensive data protection solution with advanced features that provides agentless backup, instant recovery and disaster recovery. We just tap Hyper-Vs checkpointing system on the shoulder and remind it what to do. Backup solutions can perform the following actions to create a VM backup: The recovery checkpoint turns into a lingering checkpoint when automatic deletion doesnt happen due to a failed backup process. If checkpointing in Hyper-V keeps failing, you could try another Microsoft application PowerShell. this post, Post Follow steps 1, 2, and 3 from method 3 (turn VM off and record configuration information). Snapshot is useful but it is not good enough for long-term disaster recovery plan, while backup is. Since you have generally known the causes of this issue, you have the 12 detailed solutions to fix it. The following information was included with the event: server-name There is already one checkpoint in place. Show more Show more 1.8M views 1. The backup solution copies the data of the VM while it is in a read-only state. by Egor Yakovlev Dec 29, 2019 9:01 am Reattach the VHDX. Open Hyper-V Manager > right-click the problematic VM > select Settings > in Management tab, select Checkpoints > uncheck Enable checkpoints > click Apply > re-enable checkpoints > click Apply Solution 7. The most common mistake is starting your repair attempt by manually merging the AVHDX file into its parent. [Main Instruction]An error occurred while attempting to checkpoint the selected virtual machine(s). However, the checkpoint can only be deleted or cleaned up via Windows PowerShell if the backup operation fails. Here are the ways that may help you solve the error: Get-VMSnapshot -ComputerName HyperVHostName -VMName VMWithLingeringBackupCheckpoint | Remove-VMSnapshot. All of this just means that it cant find the parent disk. Check the destination storage folder of your VMs. Open Hyper-V Manager > right-click the problematic VM > select, Production Checkpoint is added later in Windows 10, which uses Volume Shadow Copy Service or File System Freeze on a Linux virtual machine to create a data-consistent. The problem is connected with a problem with performing a checkpoint of the VM. If you could not create backup checkpoint for virtual machine, the most common causes are wrong configurations, like Intrgration Services, and sometimes they could be VM system glitches. In this guide, we explain why Hyper-V checkpoint operations might fail due to errors and guide you through ways to fix those errors. Update 2018 #2: Yet another bug in Hyper-V on Windows Server 2016 has surfaced. Sometimes, the traditional delete option is unavailable for a checkpoint in the Hyper-V Manager interface. I honestly just felt like deleting my VM and re starting it if anything (my HV Vm is Bonus Flashback: March 3, 1969: Apollo 9 launched (Read more HERE.) http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj860400.aspx, //backupchain.com/hyper-v-backup/Troubleshooting.html, 18 Hyper-V Tips & Strategies You Need to Know, How to use BackupChain for Cloud and Remote, DriveMaker: Map FTP, SFTP, S3 Sites to a Drive Letter (Freeware), Alternatives to Acronis, Veeam, Backup Exec, and Microsoft DPM, How to Fix Disk Signature Error PartMgr 58, How to Configure a Hyper-V Granular Backup, Alternative to Amazon S3, Glacier, Azure, OpenStack, Google Cloud Drive, All Fixes for: The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk2\DR2, VSS Crash and Application Consistency for Hyper-V and VMware Backups, Backup Software for Windows Server 2022, VMware, & Hyper-V, Gmail SMTP Configuration for Backup Alerts, Video Step-by-Step Restore VM from Hyper-V Backup on Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11, Best Network Backup Solution for Windows Server 2022, How to Install Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012 R2 / 2008 R2, Version Backup Software with File Versioning, Volume Shadow Copy Error Diagnostic Freeware VssDiag, Why You Need To Defragment Your Backup Drives. Contact the BackupChain Team for assistance if the issue persists. Find out more about the Microsoft MVP Award Program. Production checkpoints are used by default in Hyper-V. this post, Post See whether you could create checkpoints in Hyper-V now. Sometimes, the checkpoint doesnt even appear. If youve gotten to this point, then you have reached the nuclear option. Try collecting additional error info using VssDiag //backupchain.com/VssDiag.html and worst case have a look at our VSS TroubleshootingGuide//backupchain.com/hyper-v-backup/Troubleshooting.html. If you have permission problem you need to use the below command to reset the permission of your .VHDx files: icacls C:\ClusterStorage\Volume4 /grant NT VIRTUAL MACHINE\Virtual Machines:F /T. You can reconnect your devices afterward. Taking VM snapshots is necessary for data security but receiving error messages like Hyper-V checkpoint failed could be disappointing. (0x80070490)* There can be several reasons why it occurs: when file permissions are wrong or due to the internal VM issues related to the VSS writer. If the VM is sharing certain devices like physical DVD drive, virtual disk, etc., with another VM this error might occur so you could check VM configuration to see whether there is a shared device. Go to folder Properties>Security>Edit Add INTERACTIVE and SERVICE and give them needed permissions. I would not use this tool. You definitely must gather the VHDX/AVHDX connection and parent-child-grandchild (etc.) error=-5). And what are the pros and cons vs cloud based. SQL instance in this VM is storing databases on a remote file share but these should not be part of the checkpoints. In the Hyper-V Manager interface, right-click on the virtual machine (not a checkpoint), and clickCheckpoint: Now, at the root of all of the VMs checkpoints, right-click on the topmost and clickDelete checkpoint subtree: If this option does not appear, then our jiggle the handle fix wont work. A manual file merge violates the overall integrity of a checkpoint and renders it unusable. Copy or move the merged VHDX file from step 2 back to its original location. Connect the VHDX files to the locations that you noted in step 1 (Method 5 step 7 has a screenshot). sign up to reply to this topic. Open the Windows PowerShell as administrator. Weirdly, if I click on the VM's settings / Integration services and uncheck Backup (volume shadow copy), hit Apply then recheck it and hit OK, it'll take a snapshot quite happily. Method 3 is something of a jiggle the handle fix. You also may not be able to edit these VM settings because a VM is running, and files are in use. by AlexandreD Jul 29, 2019 6:54 am this post, Post our expert moderators your questions. Open Hyper-V Manager > right-click the problematic VM > select Settings > in Management tab, click Integration Services > check Guest Services, Solution 10. Open Hyper-V Manager > right-click the problematic VM > select Settings > check the hardware resources, Solution 6. by bcrusa Sep 17, 2019 5:21 am Start at method 1 and try to clean them up. The guest host is an domain server with Windows 2016 server. I have a v17 Ubuntu VM hosted in a 3-node Hyper-V Server 2019 cluster. I think it should read: by mb1811 Jul 24, 2019 6:18 am In the VMs guest operating system, check for and deal with any problems that arise from changing all of the hardware IDs. Try Delete Long Path File Freeware Tool DeleteLongPath, Hyper-V Backup Software for Microsoft Hyper-V: BackupChain, FTP Backup Software with Incremental: Upload Only Changes, Video Step-by-Step Hyper-V Backup on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022, Hyper-V Granular Backup vs. Hyper-V Full VHD Backup, Hyper-V Backup for Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8, How to Install Hyper-V on a Windows Server 2012 Machine, Backup Software with VSS Support for Windows Server and Windows 11, Backup Software with Encryption for Windows 11, Windows Server 2022, How to Backup Hyper-V Virtual Machine on Windows Server 2022 or Windows 11. this post, Post (0x80070490). I can unsubscribe at any time. I added a "LocalAdmin" -- but didn't set the type to admin. Method 1 worked for me on Windows Server 2019, Your email address will not be published. Not a support forum! I had you merge the files before moving or copying them for a reason. Search the forums for similar questions Checkpoint operation failed. Read and write permissions for that destination folder, which contains snapshot files and virtual disks, should be granted to the system account that Hyper-V is running. Privacy It is easy to make a mistake. In the next section, well explain the nature of the Hyper-V checkpoint operation failed error when it occurs after running Hyper-V VM backup jobs and methods to fix this error. Now we can take the checkpoint of the VM. Now we change the checkpoint from production to standard. If you have a good backup or an export, then you cannot lose anything else except time. Then, we select the Virtual machine settings. this post, Post In this example, the virtual disk files are stored in the D:\Hyper-V\Virtual hard disks folder. Permissions for the snapshot folder are incorrect. test_cookie - Used to check if the user's browser supports cookies. The ID is used for serving ads that are most relevant to the user. 12:52 PM So, I just click on browse found the folder where I originally had saved my vm, click on Unfortunately, swapping out all of your hardware IDs can have negative impacts. Some users report in community that they create checkpoint successfully when the VM is powered off. Is there a way i can do that please help. by wishr Jul 05, 2019 9:04 am by JRBeaver Oct 10, 2019 2:06 am Hyper-V checkpoint is a feature that allows you to save a virtual machines state by creating a differencing virtual disk. Checkpoints of running VMs now run without error, Your email address will not be published. Then, we select the Virtual Machine setting. Let's discuss how our Support Engineers change the checkpoint architecture. Method 1: Delete the Checkpoint If you can, right-click the checkpoint in Hyper-V Manager and use the Delete Checkpoint or Delete Checkpoint Subtree option: This usually does not work on lingering checkpoints, but it never hurts to try. Policy *. If, for some reason, the checkpoint process did not merge the disks, do that manually first. The virtual machine is still in a read-only mode, thus the copied data is consistent. PostgreSQL vs MySQL: What Are the Differences and When to Use? Hyper-V checkpoint is an easy option to save the existing state of a virtual machine. Hyper-V checkpoint is a feature available in Hyper-V virtual environments. Read on to find out how to clean up after a failed checkpoint. P.S. Change the type of checkpoint by selecting the appropriate option (change Production checkpoints to Standard checkpoints). Edit Is Not Available Because Checkpoints Exist 'vm_name' could not initiate a checkpoint operation. There is already one checkpoint in place. Spice (1) flag Report An export import did not fix it. The operation ends up with above errors. Keeping hardware IDs means that your applications that use them for licensing purposes will not trigger an activation event after you follow this method. Veeam gives the order to create the checkpoint to the hyperv server. - edited You can see an example of the Hyper-V Worker Admin log window in the screenshot below: Check the folder where your VM files are stored. Statistic cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. The A in AVHDX stands for automatic. Please enter your email address. [Expanded Information] Checkpoint operation for 'S2022DC' failed. Use BackupChains Hyper-V Backup moduleto run a test backup of the VM. A VSS writer has rejected an event with error 0x800423f4, The writer experienced a non-transient error. Sometimes though, the GUI crashes. Keep in mind that backup and replication are critical to protect your data. Try the following steps to fix the issue: If deselecting the Backup (volume checkpoint) option helped you create a checkpoint without errors, it is recommended that you re-select this option after you are done creating the checkpoint. Checkpoints also grab the VM configuration and sometimes its memory contents. Nothing untoward appears in Event Viewer / Hyper-V-VMMS other than an ID 18012 Error then a couple of informational alerts regarding the background merge of the failed checkpoint. You can find checkpoint creation error recordings in the Event Log in the Hyper-V-Worker > Admin section with the event IDs 3280 and 18012. There are two checkpoint types: For more information, read this blog post about Hyper-V checkpoints. Manually merge the VMs virtual hard disk(s) (see the section after the methods for directions). 1.After VM migration between hosts, when one host suddenly goes out, few problems can appear. Integration services are up to date and functioning fine. Then I tried to create manual checkpoint but it was failed . See the causes of the issue and get effective fixes for it in this post. How to Install VMware vSphere CLI on Linux and Windows? On the other hand, Access isnt VSS aware anyways, so even with application consistent backups you wouldnt be able to get Access to back up properly live. I'm excited to be here, and hope to be able to contribute. Import the virtual machine configurationfrom step 5 into the location you recorded in step 3. Also, weve discussed how our Support Engineers change the required setting to resolve the error. It is the default checkpoint type and would use the internal backup technology of the guesting operating system. Join thousands of other IT pros and receive a weekly roundup email with the latest content & updates! Another reason is because of the wrong checkpoint architecture. Rejoin the cluster, if applicable. Sometimes the error "could not create backup checkpoint for virtual machine" is due to permissions and one more strange Microsoft limitation: Sometimes the checkpoint does not present a Delete option in Hyper-V Manager. Remove the restored virtual disks from the VM (see step 4 of Method 3). Yes, I would like to receive new blog posts by email. Use the following command: The solution creates a recovery type checkpoint that then holds the changes that are made in the VM throughout the backup procedure. Best practices and the latest news on Microsoft FastTrack, The employee experience platform to help people thrive at work, Expand your Azure partner-to-partner network, Bringing IT Pros together through In-Person & Virtual events. For this one to work, you need a single good backup of the virtual machine. Download the NAKIVO Backup & Replication Free Trial Opens a new window to test the solutions capabilities in your IT environment. Lets see how our Support Engineers resolve it for our customers. 1 person likes this post, Post The other serves are working correctly. If the backup process is retried, the error is likely to reoccur. elevated command prompt, the commands wont work in powershell. IDE - Used by Google DoubleClick to register and report the website user's actions after viewing or clicking one of the advertiser's ads with the purpose of measuring the efficacy of an ad and to present targeted ads to the user. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. I have a system with me which has dual boot os installed. If you have any and the above didnt work, I recommend shutting the VM down, disconnecting those devices, and starting the preceding steps over. Change Hyper-V integration services, Open Hyper-V Manager > right-click the problematic VM > select Settings > in Management tab, click Integration Services > uncheck Backup (volume shadow copy) > click Apply. Everyone has had one of those toilets that wont stop running. https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/458adeb3-f81b-4e26-8224-20dfdb1e4582/snapshot-general-access-denied-error-0x80070005. Path Too Long? NAKIVO Backup & Replication is the all-in-one data protection solution for agentless backup, instant recovery and disaster recovery of your VMs and entire infrastructures. You will receive an email message with instructions on how to reset your password. To be precise VM does not have permissions to its own disks folder. Running 'cpconfig' command shows: cpinst Error: Host name resolution for HOSTNAME failed. In that case, export the virtual machine. The Hyper-V backup error could not initiate a checkpoint operation: Element not found. Perpetual licenses of VMware and/or Hyper-V, Subscription licenses of VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix, AWS and Physical, I agree to the NAKIVO this post, Post You could also try this method. (Virtual machine ID DD9D9847-7EFE-4195-852A-C34F71B15D5E) 'LINUX' could not initiate a checkpoint operation: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process. Up to this point, we have followed non-destructive procedures. Wrong checkpoint architecture leading to operation failed error Another common reason for the failure is because of the wrong checkpoint architecture. Production Checkpoint is added later in Windows 10, which uses Volume Shadow Copy Service or File System Freeze on a Linux virtual machine to create a data-consistent backup of the virtual machinewithout takingsnapshot of the virtual machine memory state. If you are not certain about the state of your backup, follow steps 5 and 6 (export and delete the VM). If it reports an error during the process, the error messages might include: Could not initiate a checkpoint operation, Production checkpoints cannot be created, Failed to switch using the new differencing disks, The operation failed because the file was not found, Cannot take checkpoint for *** because one or more shareable vhds are attached. Deleting and recreating a fresh VM allowed checkpoints to work again. Go over them again anyway. Then create a new VM with the same properties and use the check point .VHD file as the HDD.