Put files from "Downloads" into trash bin, no more windows for vmware fusion :(

Ok, to start im completely new to mac and the apple world. I bought a mac pro at an auction for $200 (was marked as a g5) and from then learned all i know from my apple enthusiast friend.

I recently installed vmware fusion and an old copy of windows i had lying around and it worked great. However, i do lots of downloading and my downloads folder became quickly overpopulated with random stuff i didnt think i needed. In short, I put everything from the downloads folder into the trash bin and voila! now when i start vmware fusion, no more windows; even though it still recognizes that it should be running the windows software.... Please help!

was, by chance, your virtual machine in your ~/Downloads directory?

It was, but i reinstalled it.

Your virtual machine, by default will be in ~/Documents/Virtual Machines

Generally with a .vmwarevm extension. If that's there, just double click on it. It should open in vmware as normal.

You evidently stored your Windows "virtual machine" (actually a file or package) into the Downloads folder on your Mac, and thus when you emptied the downloads folder, you also erased your Windows setup.

If you haven't emptied the trash, you can "put back" the Windows files. Here's what to look for. If you have emptied the trash, of course, it's gone and you're not really likely to get it back without spending major dollars. Best to start over and this time store the virtual machine files in a safer place (like ~/Documents).

Since it's inadvisable to back up Windows virtual machines using Time Machine, you should already be backing up your Windows VM to some other drive for exactly this sort of problem. If you haven't been, now's a good time to start.

EDIT: Doh, I was typing too slowly for my own good. Darn those shiny distractions!

thanks, ill see how it works