VMware “This Virtual Machine Appears to Be in Use” Error FIX (Ubuntu) | Delete .lck Files | 2026

In this video, I show how to fix the VMware Workstation error:

“This virtual machine appears to be in use”

This issue commonly happens with Ubuntu 64-bit virtual machines when VMware crashes, closes improperly, or remains locked in the background.

What caused the problem

VMware was closed unexpectedly

System shutdown or power failure

Previous VM session not released properly

.lck (lock) files were left behind

Because of these lock files, VMware thinks the virtual machine is still running and shows the Take Ownership warning.

Exact Solution (Working in 2026)

I fixed this issue by manually deleting the .lck files from the virtual machine directory.

Steps explained in the video:

Close VMware Workstation completely

Go to the VM folder (where the .vmx file is located)

Delete all files/folders ending with .lck

Reopen VMware

Start Ubuntu VM normally

After deleting the .lck files, Ubuntu started successfully without any error.

Why this method works

.lck files are temporary lock files created by VMware.
If VMware crashes, these files are not removed automatically, causing the VM lock error.

Deleting them is safe as long as the VM is not running.

Who this video is for

VMware Workstation users

Ubuntu VM users

Developers using local Linux VMs

Odoo / Docker / DevOps environments

Anyone facing VMware VM locked / Take Ownership issue

Common Search Keywords Covered

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Видео VMware “This Virtual Machine Appears to Be in Use” Error FIX (Ubuntu) | Delete .lck Files | 2026 канала Speedy Solution