I happened to be looking inside a Windows VM package for a reason not having to do with the VM or Fusion, and noticed an anomaly. The package contained 3 files that I don't think should normally be there, and their Modified Dates were March 21, 2011 - more than a year ago.
I've been using the Windows VM without problems in recent memory, booting it up several times a week as needed, but never Suspending it - as far as I can remember. But I guess I must have suspended it, on March 21, 2011.
The Windows VM and its virtual disk have no problems that I'm aware of, but the existence of the 3 files modified a year ago nags me, and, if somebody could say specifically "this is what happened", I'd feel a lot better.
The contents of the package were as follows, with Fusion Not running:
Applications/
appListCache/
quicklook-cache.png
vmware-0.log
vmware-1.log
vmware-2.log
vmware.log
<vmname>.nvram
<vmname>.vmdk
<vmname>.vmem <--- modified Mar 21, 2011
<vmname>.vmem.lck <--- modified Mar 21, 2011
<vmname>.vmsd
<vmname>.vmss <--- modified Mar 21, 2011
<vmname>.vmx
<vmname>.vmxf
When I started up the VM today, files <some hex numbers>.vmem and <some hex numbers>.vmem.lck appeared.
Then, when I Suspended then Resumed the VM, the latter 2 files disappeared, and the modified dates of the 3 files that were modified back in Mar 2011 changed to Today!
When I shutdown the VM, the 3 files that initially had modified dates back in Mar 2011 disappeared.
So it seems that on March 21, 2011, I suspended the VM (because the files vmemand vmssexisted), then resumed the VM (because the file vmem.lck existed), but never shutdown the VM (because all 3 files vmem, vmss, and vmem.lck existed.)
The nagging questions is: If the VM wasn't shutdown properly, how did I recover such that the 3 files related to VM suspension modified on March 21 2011 never disappeared?
Back in Mar 2011, I may have had episodes of the VM crashing, or Fusion crashing, or even OS X hanging.
Can someone tell me what specific event(s) would have left those 3 files? What event would have caused Fusion to ignore those files after they were created on Mar 21 2011?