Problem description
During a VMware File Level Restore (FLR) to the original Virtual Machine (VM), the restore wizard becomes unresponsive and hangs indefinitely at the following message:
“Loading the hierarchical folder view. This may take a few moments.”
The file/folder hierarchy tree never populates, preventing the administrator from selecting files and proceeding with the restore process.
Cause
This issue occurs when the Druva backup proxy fails to establish a guest OS connection check with the target VM. To mount and display the guest file system within the console, the Druva restore agent must actively interact with the guest OS.
Common root causes include:
VMware Tools Issues: VMware Tools is either missing, outdated, or not running on the target VM, preventing guest interaction.
Insufficient Permissions: Guest OS credentials were either not provided in the restore wizard or the provided account lacks sufficient administrative write permissions.
Security Software Interference: Local firewalls or antivirus/Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) software are actively blocking the Druva restore agent executables from executing guest processes.
Network/DNS Resolution Failures: The backup proxy or target VM cannot resolve the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) or IP of the CloudCache/Storage nodes due to local network or DNS misconfigurations.
Resolution
Perform the following troubleshooting steps on the target VM and backup proxy to resolve the communication block:
1. Verify VMware Tools Status
Log in to the vSphere client and locate the target virtual machine.
Ensure that VMware Tools is installed, updated to the latest version, and showing a status of Running.
2. Validate Guest OS Credentials and Permissions
When initiating the FLR wizard, ensure you explicitly provide valid guest OS administrator credentials.
Verify that the specified user account has full read/write permissions to the default staging paths:
Windows:
C:\ProgramData\Linux:
/
3. Adjust Firewall and Antivirus Settings
Firewall: Temporarily disable the Windows Firewall or ensure that the "File and Printer Sharing" rule is enabled to allow internal guest communication.
Antivirus/EDR: Add an explicit full-path exclusion for the Druva restore executable:
DruvaVMwareRestoreAgent.exe
4. Resolve Network and DNS Latency
If the backup infrastructure utilizes CloudCache or specific localized storage tiers:
Verify that the backup proxy can successfully ping and resolve the CloudCache server FQDNs.
If DNS resolution fails or is intermittent, add the required IP and hostname mappings directly to the backup proxy's local hosts file:
Linux Proxy:
/etc/hosts
Retry the restore once network connectivity to the storage/CloudCache tier is stabilized.
Verification
Once the steps above are applied, verify the fix by executing the following:
Relaunch the VMware FLR wizard from the Druva Management Console.
Monitor the step where the wizard displays “Loading the hierarchical folder view...”
The folder structure should now successfully populate within a few moments, allowing you to browse and select files for restoration.