Hi there
We have installed VMWare Server 2 on Windows 2003 Server host. We build one virtual machine and we are thinking instead of making another machine which has go through all installation and updates. We would like to make a copy of the first one. We thought that by doing a copy of the folder and changing name as well changing some entries in the vm files will make it happn ... welll not really.
Is there any step to do this? Or first of all, is this thing possible?
We are appreciated your comment/input.
Thanks
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You can copy the VM folder, if it's meant as a backup not as a clone (although changing some settings on the VM files, changing the OS GUID via sysprep or newsid - newsid is faster, sysprep gives you automation, but both methods work well - will allow you to use this for a new VM)
You can also you VMware converter to copy the VM too.
I did it in the past only with Windows as guest operating system. It is simple. I did it in VM Server (Win) and VM Workstation (Win)
Just perform the following steps:
1.Stop VM Server/Workstation
2. Copy the VM folder that you want to duplicate in a separate folder.
3. Rename the copied folder to the name you desire.
4. Edit the .vmx and change the display name attribute (displayName).
5. Start VM Server/Workstation
6. Select open and browse to your new directory and open the vmx file.
7. Start your VM. VM Server/Workstation will ask you if you copied or moved your machine (and to create a new ID). Select Moved it and Create new ID options when prompted.
8. Now, you must change a couple of things in your VM machine: The computer name (and other network properties) to avoid conflict with your previously created VM. The second you need to change is the SID only if you're running Windows 2000/XP/2003/2008 as a guest OS in your VM. For this second change you need to run the following tool to change the machine's SID: http://download.sysinterna
Hope this help.
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by: SagiEDocPosted on 2008-12-04 at 22:09:51ID: 23102693
It is possible. Copy the folder of the current VM. Once done you can rename the files so that it is more logical and unique for other people to understand what is going on. Add the newly copied VM into VMware server, edit the settings and disable the network. Start the vm up once done rename it and reboot. If the vm you copied was on a domain remove it from the domain after the restart and then restart again. Edit the config and enable the network again, at this point you can add the vm back onto the domain.