Vhd: Configuration fails when VHD directory does not exist yet, even with dependsOn ordering

[trevonmckay]

Problem description

During initial VM provisioning with DSC v3, a VHD resource is configured to create a disk in a directory that doesn't exist yet. A preceding Script resource creates the directory, and the VHD resource is ordered after it in the configuration. However, when dsc config set runs, the VHD resource's Test-TargetResource is invoked before the directory has been created and throws "D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\SQLTPAR101 does not exists"

This crashes the entire configuration run, preventing any resources from being applied, including the Script resource that would create the directory.

Verbose logs

2026-03-20T22:38:12.589584Z PID 14868:
  NativeErrorCode : Failed
  ErrorData       : MSFT_WmiError
  MessageId       : ProviderOperationExecutionFailure
  Message         : PowerShell DSC resource DSC_Vhd  failed to execute Test-TargetResource functionality with error message: D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\SQLTPAR101 does not exists

  2026-03-20T22:38:12.591394Z ERROR PID 14868: Exception: PowerShell DSC resource DSC_Vhd failed to execute Test-TargetResource functionality with error message: D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\SQLTPAR101 does not exists

DSC configuration

$schema: https://aka.ms/dsc/schemas/v3/bundled/config/document.json
  resources:
    - name: Run classic DSC on Windows
      type: Microsoft.Windows/WindowsPowerShell
      properties:
        resources:
          - name: VM_VhdFolder
            type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script
            properties:
              GetScript: |
                @{ Result = (Test-Path 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\MyVM').ToString() }
              TestScript: |
                Test-Path 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\MyVM'
              SetScript: |
                New-Item -Path 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\MyVM' -ItemType Directory -Force

          - name: VM_Disk_OS
            type: HyperVDsc/VHD
            properties:
              Name: MyVM_OS.vhdx
              Path: 'D:\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks\MyVM'
              Generation: Vhdx
              Type: Dynamic
              MaximumSizeBytes: 137438953472
              Ensure: Present
            dependsOn:
              - PSDesiredStateConfiguration/Script::VM_VhdFolder

Suggested solution

Replace the throws with return $false

Per Microsoft's DSC resource authoring guidelines:

In your implementation of Test-TargetResource, verify the current state of the system against the values specified in the parameter set. If the current state doesn't match the desired state, return $false. Otherwise, return $true.

A missing directory means the VHD cannot be in desired state. The desired response is $false, not an exception, so that execution can continue.

Operating system the target node is running

Windows Server 2022 Datacenter
Version: 10.0.26100.0

PowerShell version and build the target node is running

PSVersion: 5.1.26100.32522

HyperVDsc version

Name       Version Path
----       ------- ----
HyperVDsc  4.0.0   C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\HyperVDsc\4.0.0\HyperVDsc.psd1